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How wood chips are produced: all the production stages
Wood chips are an economical and 100% green biofuel. They are obtained from waste generated by wood-processing industries such as sawmills, carpentries and furniture manufacturers, as well as from the agricultural sector. In a world increasingly focused on environmental sustainability and renewable energy, installing a machine for wood chip production can prove to be a winning choice.
In this article, we will look at how wood chips are produced, the machinery required and the various production stages involved.
What are wood chips
Wood chips are one of the many products obtained from wood processing. They consist of wood shredded into fragments that can range in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters. In any case, the wood fragments must be uniform in size.
Wood chips are obtained through a mechanical process called “chipping”.
Due to their origin and characteristics, wood chips are considered a 100% ecological fuel, just like firewood, pellets and sawdust shavings.
How wood chips are produced
Wood chips are produced using wood chippers, specific machines designed to process wood. In practice, the raw material (branches, trunks, wood waste, twigs, etc.) is fed into one side of the machine and returned from the opposite side properly shredded.
RP Engineering is a company specialized in the design, construction and installation of wood chippers and, more generally, industrial systems for the production and drying of wood chips, pellets, sawdust and biomass.
The various stages of wood chip production
Wood chip production involves several stages.
Raw material recovery
First of all, in order to produce wood chips, it is necessary to obtain the required quantity of raw material. The raw material used for wood chips may consist of trunks, branches, waste from sawmills, carpentries and agricultural production.
Chipping
The wood material is fed into the wood chipper, where it is shredded and reduced into many small fragments of uniform size in order to obtain a homogeneous and consistent product.
Storage
Once shredded, the wood chips are discharged into storage areas for drying. This process, which is necessary to obtain a product with low moisture content, takes a considerable amount of time and can last up to 24 months.
This stage is very important because dry wood chips with low moisture content provide better performance and produce very little residue.
Storage and extraction of wet raw materials
Material handling with screw, chain and belt conveyors
Refining of wet material
Drying of wet material with belt, drum or flash pipe dryers
Handling of raw materials with conveyors or pneumatically
Storage and extraction of dry raw materials in containment tanks or silos
Wood chip production: where the raw material comes from
Wood chips are a very economical material also because the raw material they come from is easy to source. Specifically, it consists of:
- Processing waste from sawmills, furniture manufacturers and carpentries
- Pruning residues, branches and grass cuttings from agricultural companies, public green areas and private properties
- Scheduled forest and countryside maintenance operations
The most commonly used wood species for producing wood chips are conifers, chestnut, oak, poplar, hazel, beech and alder.
Depending on their origin, we can distinguish between hardwood and softwood chips.
Types of wood chippers
As already explained, the machines used to produce wood chips are called “wood chippers”. There are different types available. The most common models are drum chippers and disc chippers. Depending on their application, these machines may vary in size and power.
We can therefore distinguish between industrial wood chippers, capable of processing entire trees, and small wood chippers for semi-professional or domestic use, capable of processing branches and twigs with diameters of only a few millimeters.
Generally speaking, we can identify three types of wood chippers.
- Small wood chippers. Designed for domestic or semi-professional use, small wood chippers can process pieces of wood with diameters up to 25 cm and have an average productivity of approximately 1.5–1.8 tons/hour.
- Medium wood chippers. Medium-sized wood chippers can process wooden material with diameters up to 40 cm and have an average productivity of approximately 10–12 tons/hour. They are usually powered by independent engines with average power ranging from 120 to 170 kW
- Large wood chippers. Developed for industrial use, large wood chippers process wooden material with diameters up to 50–70 cm, have a productivity of approximately 50 tons and power exceeding 200 kW.
The advantages of wood chips
Wood chips are a woody biomass and therefore represent a renewable energy source. Their main characteristics are:
- 100% ecological and sustainable
- Zero CO2 emissions into the environment
- Economical
- Raw material easy to source
- Excellent performance
- Calorific value ranging from 2.5 to 4.5 kWh/kg
- Very little ash residue
- Easy to store in bags or silos
Would you like to start producing wood chips? Choose RP Engineering for your wood chipper
Do you own a carpentry workshop, a furniture manufacturing company or a sawmill? Or do you work in gardening or agriculture and produce large quantities of waste every day, such as grass cuttings, branches and pruning residues? Turn your waste into a resource and consider purchasing a wood chipper. In this way, you can process your production waste to obtain wood chips for sale.
Today, woody biomass is a valuable resource, especially considering the goals of the 2030 Energy Transition, which increasingly promote the growth of renewable energy sources and foresee Italy’s phase-out from coal and fossil fuels in general by 2025.
Contact RP Engineering by filling out the dedicated contact form.
With more than 25 years of experience in this sector, we design, manufacture and install industrial systems for the drying and production of wood chips and other materials. We offer our customers customized solutions and a complete “turnkey” service. After installation, we remain available with dedicated support and assistance services.
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