The Effect of Average Chip Thickness on the Potentially Respirable Dust from CNC Finish Milling of Wood-Based Materials

Milling wood-based materials on CNC devices causes the creation of chips in small sizes that may escape the chip extraction zone to the surrounding environment and pollute the air. The article studied the effect of the feed rate (vf) and the width of cut (ae), transformed into kinematic average chip thickness, on the amounts of chips in respirable sizes <10.0μm created in the cutting zone from particleboards (PB) and medium-density fibreboards (MDF). The amounts of dust-sized chips are discussed and were determined by the sieving analysis. The sizes of potentially respirable chips were estimated by weighting with the laser diffraction method. The highest amounts of chips from PB were of 0.250-0.500 mm (38-41%w), but in MDF, amounts varied depending on cutting conditions. With (ae) 1 mm were in the size range of 0.125-0.250 mm (35-54%w), for (ae) 2 mm (33-35%w), and (ae) 3 mm (36-40%w) with combinations of (vf) 6-8 m·min-1. With a combination of (vf) 10 and 12 m·min-1 distribution moved to a higher size range. Chips in sizes 10.0-4.0 μm were estimated by <1%, for 4.0-2.5 μm <0.5%, in 2.5-0.1 μm <0.3%, and <0.1 μm by <0.05%. Statistically was proven (p<0.05) only in PB, with adjusted (ae) by 1 mm, increasing the value of (vf) from 6 to 12 m·min-1 and also with (vf) at 6 m·min-1, between values of (ae) 1 and 2 mm (hm of 0.025-0.035 mm), will significantly (p<0.05) lower the percentual amounts of chips in sizes 10.0-4.0 and 4.0-2.5 μm.