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Sharp Chain bed
One custom solution supplied by Redwood Plastics for sawmills is the sharp chain bed. The plastic bed (made of UHMW or nylon) replaces a metal bed and results in less wear on the chain. Lubrication requirements are reduced by up to 75%. In order to manufacture the bed, we require either a dimensioned technical drawing … Continue reading
UHMW vs. Steel Flights
Many plastic applications in sawmill and planarmills that we promote here are innovative solutions that are readily noticable: bushings made of proprietary materials, the Shark Fin System, Hi-Temp kiln cart bushings, and urethane Deadplate. Solutions which stand out amongst other equipment in the mill. However, one application that does not get enough attention are UHMW … Continue reading
Kiln Wheel Bushings: Order Them Right
Kiln Wheel Bushings are an excellent nylon application for lumber kilns. Blue (heat-stabilized) nylon is practically synonymous with kiln wheel bushings, though phenolic laminates also have a large footprint with this application. Metal has a problem with seizing in this application, which is why plastic is so suitable. If you’re looking for a quotation you … Continue reading
Idler Sprockets – 3 Reasons Plastic Is Better
Sprockets keep things moving in the mill and while plastics offer advantages over metals in countless applications the humble sprocket is where plastics can help the most. And there are three big ways plastics save your mill money over their life-cycle and reduce maintenance downtime. 1.) Reduced Weight Redco™ 750 sprockets are up to 50% lighter … Continue reading
Simplicity and The Shark Fin
The venerable Shark Fin system has been a proven solution for decades in mills across North America and the world. Shark Fin systems have been installed as far away as Brazil, Australia and Russia. The Shark Fin is a board-turning system that works on gravity alone. No electricity, wiring or power is involved. lugs affixed … Continue reading
Dissapator Channel – Stop The Shock
Sometimes an excellent solution to a maintenance problem is available – but the problem is nobody knows about it. Redco™ Dissipater Channel is one such product. Unique to Redwood Plastics, the Dissipater Channel is for the stretch of the mill where logs first hit the deck. The maintenance problems that occur are shock, crystallization of … Continue reading
Titanium Strength
We’ve hinted at the applications for Redco Titanium UHMW in previous articles here (such as the Titanium option for chain channel). However, we wanted to highlight the material specifically as there are many applications in saw and planermills that would be better served by replacement with Redco Titanium. Redco Titanium is simply the slickest, strongest … Continue reading
New Sawmill Catalogue
Redwood Plastics, the managing company of 4sawmills.com, is close to releasing our new Sawmill Products Catalog. This is a large undertaking by our Marketing Department. However, sawmills and planermill applications are Redwood’s core business and with so many parts developed over four decades the catalog provides a concise, single piece of literature that highlights many … Continue reading
Don’t Get “Pigeonholed”
One of any actor’s biggest fears is to be typecast in a particular role. The same could be said for industrial plastics in sawmill applications because for decades plastics have enjoyed success in a few specific applications: hooks, lugs, wear guides and bushings/bearings. Maintenance Managers and purchasers tend to only think of plastics in sawmill/planar … Continue reading