subject: Drying kiln for wood [print this page] One common baffle arrangement involves long baffle plates that are hinged to the ceiling or fan deck of the wood drying kilns and that can be pivoted up to positions clear of an incoming charge of lumber. Once the charge is positioned in the kiln, the baffles are pivoted down to engage the top longitudinal corners of the charge and effectively limit airflow across the top layer. In actual practice, the baffles function quite well but are difficult and time consuming to use. A kiln operator must go into the kiln, lift and lock the baffles (which are quite heavy) in an up position before the charge is moved in. Then, once the charge is in place within the kiln, the operator must lower the baffles to engage the top layer. Finally, when the drying process is complete, the operator must again go into the kiln, and raise the baffles to allow the charge of dried lumber to be removed. Shifting the baffles up and down in the kiln is not only hard physical labor (since the baffles are heavy), but the worker is exposed to dark, steamy, unsafe conditions in the kiln. It is not at all unusual for a baffle to accidently strip a board from the top of a charge and onto a worker below. It is also a common occurrence for someone to forget to lift the baffles before a dried charge is taken from the wood drying equipment. The baffles will then drag along the top layer of lumber and either be damaged by the lumber, push one or more boards off the top of the charge, or simply swing down to positions in a collision path with the next incoming charge of lumber.
