Portable Sawmills - What Should You Buy

Portable sawmill manufacturers are thriving in todays economy. There are nearly 80 brands of mills represented and sold in the United States and Canada. There are over 200 companies producing components and accessories. Do-it-yourself sawmills are attracting more and more people - and people have a real penchant for cutting their own trees or finding salvage trees and sawing lumber from them. The timber owner who wants to saw his or her own lumber for personal use can purchase from a large list of portable mills. Also, people who want to saw commercially, both part time and full time, are buying mills by the thousands. Every potential buyer has a unique set of specifications that will determine how much of a mill is needed and what type of a mill should be purchased. These specs influence both the price, the accessories, and design of the sawmill. Daily users need a different mill than a person sawing part-time or in his private forest. A mill that provides an income should be of a different quality with different specifications than a weekend mill used to saw personal lumber. Sawmilling is physically demanding and the right machine should be purchased that will give some advantage to the inevitable stress and strain on the machine and the user. We have compiled a list of helpful sites including sawmill dealers, service companies and much more.   So what should you look for in a mill? What Will You Cut? You always should determine the log size and product you want to cut before selecting a mill! A mismatch of mill to log and/or products can cause you much aggravation and can wind up costing you money and wasted raw material. The log diameter and length of the average tree you intend to use should determine the size of mill you purchase. A mill designed for large logs just may not handle small logs the way you want. The expense of a larger mill may be more than you need to pay. On the other hand, a mill too small can be easily damaged by large logs and will waste both your time and valuable wood. Mismatched mills can also be very dangerous. The products and tree species that you want to cut also need to be considered when choosing a sawmill. The importance of the amount of wood lost to sawdust (kerf) increases with the value of the wood you intend to cut. Chainsaw mills generally have a kerf of about .40 inches; circular sawmills have a kerf that ranges from .20 to .30 inches; bandmills have the smallest kerf of between .06 to.12 inches. Size of Operation Total mill production should be a major determining factor for the kind of sawmill you purchase. A hobby sawyer does not need a mill that is capable of producing 20,000 board feet per day, seven days a week. An income producing mill has to have production capacity capability as well as durability. In most cases, you would use a circular saw rig for production efficiency. Band mills are kerf (loss of wood to sawdust with each pass) efficient and cut out as much as 20% more wood than circular saws. However, all but the most expensive band mills are slow producers and should be avoided if production is important. You have to remember that the price you pay for a mill is in direct proportion to the production of the mill. Most portable sawmill manufacturers are quite frank about the production realities of their mills. Some manufacturers will give you the names of some of their customers for you to talk with. You definitely need to talk to other users! Generally, the less expensive the mill, the lower the production. New portable sawmills range in price from less than $4,000.00 to over $80,000.00 depending on the amount of production you need. Hydraulics Hydraulics make sawing easier and faster. Thats a simple fact. But they can add thousands of dollars to the cost of a sawmill. To some people, hydraulics are absolutely necessary because they minimize log handling time which increases production and they also take the back-breaking work out of sawing. Hydraulics can reduce manual labor, the need for extra equipment, and maybe even money. It comes down to buying a mill with hydraulic loading arms as compared to running a front-end loader; employing hydraulic turners vs. using cant hooks; Running hydraulic or motorized feed-works vs. manually pushing the saw. The degree of mechanization is a major issue when sizing up a mill. Accessories Most portable sawmills come with some accessories. However, you will be tempted with the trailer package, with extra bands or bits and shanks, with sharpening systems, with a sawyers seat - you get the picture. These accessories can add major costs to the sawmill. Many times they are necessary but sometimes they are not, depending on your type of operation. An automatic sharpener/setter system for band blades normally costs a couple of thousand dollars. Some sawyers find that sharpening their own blades is the most cost-effective way to operate; some send their blades to a sharpening service (roughly $6.00-$8.00 per blade including shipping costs); some people simply dispose of their blades after 4 or 5 hours of usage. Your production requirements will determine which of the three options is the best for you. Buying a Band Mill Band mills are very popular and lead in portable mill sales. Here is what  Sawmill Exchange  suggests are the choices and price ranges on popular band mills: Manual:  The least expensive. They have no labor-saving hydraulic features which increase  the amount of work you must do. New models with a trailer package generally cost between $4,000.00 and $9,000.00.Power Feed:  The blade is mechanically powered into the cut, but you must load and turn the logs manually. New models with a trailer package generally cost between $9,000.00 to $14,000.00Fully Hydraulic:  This category of portable sawmills features the most labor-saving devices that minimize the workload and maximize production. The more expensive models normally have larger power units and other accessories designed for higher daily production. New models with a trailer package generally cost between $16,000.00 and $32,000.00.High Production:  These mills are designed for professionals and normally require a higher level of expertise. They offer specialized features designed for higher production sawing, such as high-powered engines, wider bands, and more productive log an d lumber handling equipment. New models with a trailer package generally cost between $35,000.00 to over $100,000.00.

Book Review - Fighting Invisible Tigers Essay - 1289 Words

Class - FYBA Subject- Psychology Semester- I Topic- Book Review Name of the Book - Fighting Invisible Tigers: A Stress Management Guide for Teens INDEX 1. Acknowledgement 2. Book Review 3. References ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to thank my Psychology Professor, Ms. Rohina, for giving me the opportunity of doing a project which has inculcated a sense of Stress Management in me. Also I would like to extend my gratitude to my English Literature Professor, Ms. Kavita, for teaching me the skill of writing a Book Review. Book Review of Fighting Invisible Tigers: A Stress Management Guide for Teens†¦show more content†¦The third and final part of this book in the largest and, in my opinion, the most practical. It mixes up breathing exercises with the importance of laughter and discusses relationships. The title for this part is Life Skills and tells you what methods to use in the real world for dealing with stress. A large part discusses relationships and helps you rate your relationships with your friends on a scale. There are many quizzes to let you know if you are affected with stress or if you are a perfectionist. If youre a teen, or a preteen, youve probably felt at some point in your life that what with school, family, friends, health and trying to find some time to have fun, life is just too overwhelming, and you need some sort of instant cure. Well, thats what guides to life like Fighting Invisible Tigers, by Earl Hipp, are for! While there is no instant cure for stress, there are man y books which can help you to get your life under control, and Fighting Invisible Tigers is at the top of the list. This book has a great approachable voice that really breaks things down into teen-friendly language and concepts. It is very straightforward and really tries to reach young people where theyre at, using pretty relevant examples. It describes and defines things in terms they can understand. 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Linear Model For Emporium Coffee †Click to get free solution

Question: Discuss about theLinear Model for Emporium Coffee. Answer: Introduction According to Lucey (1994), the first step is to define the variables so that we can be able to develop the linear model. In order to develop the linear model we are given the following information; The company produces 2 coffee blends; Blend O and blend F Each blend requires an exact number of caffeine units for each 250g Blend O requires 7.5 caffeine units/ 250g Blend F requires 6 caffeine units/ 250g Selling price/250g of blend O is $ 190 Selling price/250g of blend F is $ 165 Production cost/250g of blend O is $ 25 Production cost/250g of blend F is $ 22 Overhead cost/250g of both blends is $ 10 To produce both blends requires 2 varieties of raw coffee beans; Arusha beans and Boyo beans Arusha beans contain 9.5 caffeine units/ 250g Boyo beans contain 5 caffeine units/ 250g Company capacity as inventory is Arusha beans 1,250kg; Boyo beans 3,750 kg The next step is to convert the conditions into symbolic form. We first identify the decision variables thus; Let x = Blend O y = Blend F Express the constraints as a system of inequalities x 0, y 0, where x and y are whole numbers The objective is to maximize the monthly profit thus the objective function is; Maximize 190x + 165y Based on the information above, the linear model can now be expressed as; Maximize 190x + 165y (profit) Subject to: 7.5x + 6y 250 (precision constraint) 25x + 22y 250 (production constraint) 10x + 10y 250 (overhead constraint) x + y 250 (Arusha beans constraint) x + y 250 (Boyo beans constraint) x + y 1,250 (Arusha beans inventory constraint) x + y 3,750(Boyo beans inventory constraint) The model works by first designing the Linear programming equation. Since the objective is to maximize profit, the objective function is designed in such a way to achieve optimality given the resources and constraints available. The method used is the simplex method of linear programming and the calculations of optimality are calculated using the solver function of Microsoft excel 2007. The LP model was designed that way to determine the maximum achievable profit given the seven constraints and recommend the best way to utilize the available resources at minimum cost The Solver answer report below shows the maximum Boyo beans required per 250g to produce blend O and F has been achieved. This means that if we were to utilize Boyo beans only, optimum profit is attainable. Table 1: Solver Answer Report The answer report also had non-binding variables which indicates there is a difference between the LHS and RHS. The slack values indicated that there were some unused resources at optimal solution. For the precision constraint, 37.5g is used for a total of 250g available. Likewise, in the production,overhead, Arusha beans, Arusha beans inventory and Boyo beans inventory constraints they were underutilized by 125,200,4.5, 1245 and 3745 respectively of the maximum allocated. The answer report shows that the optimum value of $ 950. See the table below. Table 2: The LP Model with Optimized Solution Target Cell (Max) Cell Name Original Value Final Value $B$6 Z Blend O (x) 0 950 Optimum value Adjustable Cells Cell Name Original Value Final Value $B$5 Solutions Blend O (x) 0 5 $C$5 Solutions Blend F (y) 0 0 Constraints Cell Name Cell Value Formula Status Slack $B$17 precision constraint LHS 37.5 $B$17=$C$17 Not Binding 212.5 $B$18 production constraint LHS 125 $B$18=$C$18 Not Binding 125 $B$19 overhead constraint LHS 50 $B$19=$C$19 Not Binding 200 $B$20 Arusha beans constraint LHS 5 $B$20=$C$20 Not Binding 4.5 $B$21 Boyo beans constraint LHS 5 $B$21=$C$21 Binding 0 $B$22 Arusha beans inventory constraint LHS 5 $B$22=$C$22 Not Binding 1245 $B$23 Boyo beans inventory constraint LHS 5 $B$23=$C$23 Not Binding 3745 $B$5 Solutions Blend O (x) 5 $B$5=0 Not Binding 5 $C$5 Solutions Blend F (y) 0 $C$5=0 Binding 0 The sensitivity report below includes the adjustable cells and constraints section. In the range of optimality represents the allowable increase and decrease of the original objective coefficient that is, the profit of blend O and blend F. using the constraints of the objective function, blend O can be reduced to $ 165 and no maximum increase limit without affecting the final value. In addition, blend F can be reduced to zero and increased to $ 190 The range of feasibility relates to the constraints available and the same case as in the optimality check. Precision constraint can be reduced by 37.5 with no upper limit, production constraint reduced to 125 with no upper limit, overhead constraint can be reduced to 50 with no upper limit, Arusha beans constraint can be reduced to 4.5with an upper limit of 5; Boyo beans constraint cane be reduced to zero and a maximum of 9.5; Arusha beans inventory constraint can be reduced to 5 with no upper limit and; Boyo beans inventory constraint to a low of 5 with no upper limit. All these adjustments can be done without affecting the final values . Constraints with no upper limits are those that were non-binding in the model and should be handled with caution. The sensitivity report also produced a shadow price. The shadow price means that if we were to increase the value of Boyo beans by one, assuming the range of feasibility of between zero and 9.5,then instead of getting the optimum value (z) of $950 we would get $ 1,140. All the other constraints were not binding since the shadow prices were zero. Therefore, the critical constraint is the Boyo beans constraint. Table 3: Sensitivity Report Adjustable Cells Final Reduced Objective Allowable Allowable Range of Optimality Cell Name Value Cost Coefficient Increase Decrease Lower limit Upper limit $B$5 Solutions Blend O (x) 5 0 190 infinity 25 165 infinity $C$5 Solutions Blend F (y) 0 -25 165 25 infinity 0 190 Constraints Final Shadow Constraint Allowable Allowable Range of feasibility Cell Name Value Price R.H. Side Increase Decrease Lower limit Upper limit $B$17 precision constraint LHS 37.5 0 250 infinity 212.5 37.5 infinity $B$18 production constraint LHS 125 0 250 infinity 125 125 infinity $B$19 overhead constraint LHS 50 0 250 infinity 200 50 infinity $B$20 Arusha beans constraint LHS 5 0 9.5 infinity 4.5 5 infinity $B$21 Boyo beans constraint LHS 5 190 5 4.5 5 0 9.5 Critical constraint $B$22 Arusha beans inventory constraint LHS 5 0 1250 infinity 1245 5 infinity $B$23 Boyo beans inventory constraint LHS 5 0 3750 infinity 3745 5 infinity Conclusion Emporium Coffee produces two blends of coffee, blend O and blend F. The model was designed to illustrate how the company can maximize profits given the constraints of each blend. The LP model found a maximum profit of $ 950 per month while considering the constraints. It can be concluded that Boyo beans are more profitable than Arusha beans given the available constraints. The profit can be maximized to $1,140. It is therefore recommended that Emporium Coffee should consider using only Boyo beans to maximize profit. It is also recommended that the inventory be reduced for both varieties of beans to improve cash flow. References Lucey, T. (1996)Quantitative techniques. United Kingdom: Cengage Learning EMEA.

Key Success Factors in the Banking Industry in Kenya free essay sample

A key success factor is the thing that most affects the ability of a company to succeed in the market. A company must develop competence on its industry’s key success factors if it has to remain successful. Sound strategy incorporates efforts to be competent on all key industry success factors and to excel on at least one factor. The key success factors in the banking industry include: 1) Management – Management plays a key role in ensuring success in almost any initiative within an organization. Nothing makes greater impact on an organization than when leaders model the behavior they are trying to promote among employees. For banks to succeed in their operations, good management practices must be employed. 2) Human Resource – This refers to the individuals within the firm and to the portion of the firm’s organization that deals with hiring, firing and other personal issues. The strategic human resource is based on the deep knowledge of the organization’s processes procedures and the business strategy. We will write a custom essay sample on Key Success Factors in the Banking Industry in Kenya or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A well managed human resource will lead to success in the banking industry. 3) Equipment and facilities – Customers are interested in value for their money and so banks should strive to offer quality products which meet the needs of their customers. 7) Service quality – This involves comparison of expectations with performance. It is a measure of how well the delivered service matches the customer’s expectations. To be successful, banks have to ensure that they focus on quality services to meet customer needs while remaining economically viable in the same time. Satisfying customer needs is very important for the success of any industry. Service quality is the key to gaining competitive advantage. 8) Customer care – This is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. It’s a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction. To be successful, banks have to ensure that they offer high quality customer care so as to retain their customers. In conclusion, a key success factor is the best gauge of an industry’s competitive position and competence in key success factors determines a firms competitive position in the industry.