Integration of ANN and RSM to Optimize the Sawing Process of Wood by Circular Saw Blades

Various parameters, like blade design, rotational speed, feed speed, tooth geometry, wood moisture content, and wood species, influence the efficiency and quality of sawing processes. Knowing the optimal combination of these factors could lead to lower power consumption and high surface quality during wood processing. Therefore, in this study, we applied a novel method that could be used to optimize the cutting of wood with circular saw blades. The analyzed factors included rotational speed, feed speed, blade type (the number of cutting teeth and blade geometries), and two wood species, such as beech and spruce. The samples were cut longitudinally using two circular saw blades. The power consumption and the roughness of the processed surfaces were experimentally measured using an active/reactive electrical power transducer and a DAQ connected to a computer and a diamond stylus roughness meter, respectively. Once the data were gathered and processed, an artificial neural network modeling technique was involved in designing two models: one model for the cutting power and the other for surface roughness. Both models are characterized by high values of performance indicators. Therefore, the models could be considered a reliable tool that could be used to predict the cutting power and the surface roughness for the cutting of wood with circular saw blades. Next, response surface methodology was used to identify how each factor affects the cutting power and the surface quality, and to find the optimal values for both. The results showed that the most important factor that influences the roughness of the processed surfaces is the feed speed; the second factor is the blade rotation speed; the third factor is the tool type (the number of cutting teeth combined with their geometry). The optimal machining conditions recommended by the optimization algorithm (low power consumption and low roughness) imply minimum feed speed values (3.5 m/min) and medium (4500 rpm for 54-tooth blade) or high (6000 rpm for 24-tooth blade) blade rotation speeds. A further study will be conducted to consider the behavior of wood species during the circular sawing of wood and to clarify the influence of the different constructive parameters of the blades (number of teeth, tooth geometry) on their performance.