Reel Wheels: An Application of Material Science

Circular plates of reconstituted wood were fabricated and destructively tested to appraise the potential of such material for cable reel flanges. The reconstituted wood consisted of flakeboard from quality-cut flakes and also from factory residue. The high-quality flakeboard used 0.020- by 1/2- by 2-inch southern pine flakes cut on a disk flaker, whereas the flakeboard from residues was of 2 degrees of refinement, and consisted of 50 percent hogged plywood scrap. Flake alignment variations in the plates included all random, all radial, all concentric, radial face and concentric core, vice versa, and radial face with random core. Plates were subjected to both center loading and impact tests. The testing related processing variables to strength and stiffness. Best properties resulted from combinations of radial and concentric alignments for face and core. All random alignment resulted in better properties than either the all concentric or all radial alignment. Although none of the plates from plant residue had the strength of plates from the quality-cut material, proper techniques used in the refinement of the residue improved strength performance by approximately 60 percent. The study demonstrates the versatile combinations of strength and stiffness made possible by materials engineering of wood.

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