Department of Safety Engineering - Projects
Projects List
Abstract

Determining the risk of kickback in cutting wood with different characteristics in preventing accidents

Project manager: Andrzej Dąbrowski Ph.D. (Eng.)

Project summary:

A theoretical analysis was conducted of the influence of the characteristics of wood on kickback in portable chain saws on the basis of current knowledge on woodworking and earlier analyses and results of studies on kickback.Next, a detailed method of testing was developed; it considered test stands, chainsaw tools that are used, selection of wood samples for the tests, variants of tests and mathematical tools for a quantitative assessment of the phenomenon. Specific cutting resistance (with a chain saw) was measured. Moreover, the speed of the chainsaw running on a guide bar was studied and measured with a camera and a special computer program for analysing film records; the volume and length of the kerf in wood samples was also measured. The possibility of decreasing the angle of kickback in cutting wood with different characteristics was also studied and analysed by changing the characteristics of saw chains taking the influence of the operation of the saw brake into consideration.Guidelines for users of chainsaws were developed.



Unit: Department of Safety Engineering

Duration: 01.06.2009 – 30.12.2010