The planer is designed for processing blanks obtained after cutting wood. Equipment can be of different types. So, there are jointing, four-sided and thicknessing machines. The first are intended for processing products "into the corner". Thickness planer is used to form parallel edges. There are units for processing metal products. In particular, a cross-planing machine is produced. This type of equipment occupies a leading position in terms of its specific weight and importance among metal-cutting units.
Equipment designed for cutting products at an angle (straight or other specified), includes an electric motor, guide ruler, back plate of the work table, handle of the level indicator of the front plate, front plate of the work surface, fan guard, bed, knife shaft, starting device. A planer of this type consists of a bed, a pair of cast-iron plates. They form the desktop. The equipment also includes a drive, planer knives and a knife shaft.
The first plate (along the material) is designed to guide the product before processing,back is in progress. The front one is set lower by one and a half - two millimeters (that is, by the thickness of the chip layer being removed).
Each plate can be set to the required height. The height adjustment of the first is carried out using the handle, on which there are corresponding marks. The rear plate is installed with a screw and nuts.
The knife shaft (head) is located between the plates. Knives are fixed on the shaft, the cutting edges of which are flush with the surface of the rear plane. Along the edges of the plates that face the head, steel sponge pads are flush-mounted. They are designed to protect surfaces from abrasion and chipping. In addition, these devices serve to reduce the gap between the plates and knives, as well as to support the fibers when removing chips. The shaft is driven by an electric motor through a V-belt drive. A fan guard covers the top of the cutterhead.
The planer is equipped with a straightedge. This item is removable. The ruler can be set across the table, placed at the required angle, or folded up.
The planer is also equipped with a braking device designed to quickly stop the cutterhead after turning off the engine.
Feeding material is usually done manually. Narrow products are processed several pieces at a time. In the process of working on equipment with a conveyor feed, the products are sent end to end.
Currently, special devices are used - automatic feeders. They provide greater safety and ease of operation. In addition, their use increases productivity by one and a half to two times. The ADF is mounted on a stand, which in turn is mounted on the machine.
Modern automatic feeders can be used on circular saws, jointers, band saws, milling and grinding units. They provide mechanized material supply on equipment that is usually produced with a manual mechanism for sending products for processing.
It is worth noting that a do-it-yourself planer (yes, there are craftsmen who can create such difficult equipment) looks much simpler than a factory-made one.
