Determination of Dimensions in Wooden Reel Production: A Decision Support Model

Wooden reels are wood-based products used in products requiring winding up such as cable, rope, plastic hose. Wooden reels are usually produced in diameters ranging from 40 to 320 cm and mostly from Turkish red pine (Pinus brutia) and black pine (Pinus nigra) logs. In the production of wooden reels, timbers are cut from the logs for the manufacturing process. Produced timbers (according to the desired thickness) need to be optimized for cutting according to the intended wooden reel dimensions after the required drying and thermal treatment processes. At this point, the sizing should be performed with a decision support model in case defects in production and raw material losses increase. Consequently, production costs are increasing. In addition, mistakes made at this point cause loss of time due to problems such as incorrect forming, repairs, etc. in the process of forming the reel.  In this study, a decision support model was established in a manufacturing facility in order to minimize the loss of raw materials used in the production of wooden reels. The established model ensures that the dimensions of the planks required for the production of the reels are determined. Thus, it is possible to reduce the losses to a minimum in the production of wooden reels. In addition, it is possible to determine the dimensions of the log to be cut with the determined dimensions of timber. It has been found that the application of the model results in a reduction of the process duration of forming the reel, a decrease the number of hitches, a reduction in raw material losses and a reduction in production defects.