Industrial Wood Chipper Blades

Wood Chipper Blades: Types, Materials & ALAS Advantages

What Are Wood Chipper Blades?

• Papermaking and pulping industry

• Engineered wood products (particleboard, MDF)

• Biomass energy production

ALAS Wood Chipper Blades Advantages

Toughness & Durability

Lower Your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

• Analyze your wood type and working environment

• Recommend the best edge shape and coating

• Help you cut TCO and increase daily processing volume

Structural Types & Features

Disc Blades

• Mounted on a rotating cutter head

• Common configurations: 4-6 blades, 8-12 blades, spiral blades

• Good for large-diameter logs

• Makes clean, high-quality wood chips

• Mostly used in paper mills

Drum Blades

• Fixed on a cylindrical cutter drum

• Works well with different raw materials (bark, wood chips, small-diameter wood)

• Suitable for small to medium processing plants

• Good for complex raw material needs

• Wood chip uniformity is slightly worse than disc blades

Chipper Blade Material Selection Guide

Material & Core Performance Comparison

A8 Steel

• Type: High Toughness Cold Work Die Steel

• Key strengths: Very high toughness, strong impact resistance (hard to break)

• Typical hardness: HRC 58–62

• High temperature resistance: Good

• Corrosion resistance: Average

• Toughness rating: ★★★★★ (best)

• Wear resistance rating: ★★★☆☆ (moderate)

A8B Steel (Modified A8)

• Type: Optimized A8 Steel

• Key strengths: Good toughness and wear resistance, excellent high temperature resistance (hard to anneal)

• Typical hardness: HRC 58–62 (stable)

• High temperature resistance: Excellent

• Corrosion resistance: Good

• Toughness rating: ★★★★☆ (better than A8)

• Wear resistance rating: ★★★★☆ (better than A8)

D2 Steel

• Type: High Carbon High Chromium Cold Work Die Steel

• Key strengths: Top wear resistance, high hardness, long service life

• Typical hardness: HRC 60–62

• High temperature resistance: Average (easily softens at high temperatures)

• Corrosion resistance: Semi-stainless (better than A8/A8B)

• Toughness rating: ★★☆☆☆ (weakest)

• Wear resistance rating: ★★★★★ (best)

Detailed Material Differences

A8 Steel

• Focus: High toughness and impact resistance

• Alloy Features: Low carbon content; chromium, molybdenum and vanadium ratios focus on toughness.

• Strengths: Hard to chip or break when cutting hardwood, knotty wood or wet wood

• Best for: Small to medium chippers, branch shredders; processing high-impact raw materials (logs, branches, mixed wood)

A8B Steel (A8 Upgrade)

• Focus: Modified A8 steel; better wear resistance and high-temperature stability, while keeping A8’s toughness

• Alloy Features: Adjusted alloy composition and heat treatment process.

• Strengths: Toughness similar to A8; better wear resistance; stays sharp longer during continuous use

• Best for: Medium to large continuous production lines (papermaking, wood-based panels, pulping); processing hardwood (rubber wood, eucalyptus)

D2 Steel

• Focus: High carbon and high chromium (≈12% Cr) steel; called “semi-stainless steel”

• Key traits: Extreme wear resistance, high hardness, long service life

• Strengths: Wear resistance 2–3 times that of A8; stays sharp longer; better corrosion resistance than A8/A8B

• Weaknesses: Poor toughness, easy to crack under high impact

• Best for: Large, high-capacity continuous chippers; processing low-impact, high-wear raw materials (softwood, bamboo, straw)

Material Selection Tips

• Mixed raw materials, high impact (hardwood, knotty wood, wet wood) → Choose A8 (prioritize toughness to avoid breakage)

• Continuous production, mainly hardwood → Choose A8B (balanced efficiency and service life)

• Softwood/bamboo/straw, high capacity → Choose D2 (best wear resistance, longest service life)

Material Composition

Chemical Composition (Typical Mass Fraction, wt%)

A8 Steel

• C: 0.50–0.60%

• Cr: 4.50–5.50%

• Mo: 1.00–1.50%

• V: 0.90–1.40%

• Si: ≤0.40%

• Mn: ≤0.60%

• P, S: ≤0.030%

A8B Steel (Modified A8)

• C: 0.55–0.65%

• Cr: 5.00–6.00%

• Mo: 1.20–1.80%

• V: 1.10–1.60%

• Small amounts of W or Co (proprietary) for high-temperature stability

• Si, Mn, P, S: Strictly controlled for better purity

D2 Steel

• C: 1.40–1.60%

• Cr: 11.50–13.00%

• Mo: 0.70–1.20%

• V: 0.50–1.10%

• Si: ≤0.60%

• Mn: ≤0.60%

• P, S: ≤0.030%

Key Element Functions

1. Carbon (C)

• Affects hardness and wear resistance; more carbon = harder carbides

• A8: Moderate carbon (keeps toughness and avoids brittleness).

• A8B: Slightly more carbon (improves hardness and keeps toughness).

• D2: Very high carbon (maximizes wear resistance but reduces toughness).

2. Chromium (Cr)

• Improves hardenability, wear resistance, corrosion resistance and high-temperature stability

• A8/A8B: Moderate Cr (provides balanced performance).

• D2: ~12% Cr (semi-stainless with better corrosion and wear resistance).

3. Molybdenum (Mo)

• Boosts toughness, temper resistance and high-temperature strength; prevents softening during continuous cutting

• A8B: More Mo than A8 (better high-temperature stability and less annealing during heavy use).

4. Vanadium (V)

• Forms hard carbides; improves wear resistance and edge retention

• A8/A8B: More V (keeps toughness and boosts wear resistance).

• D2: Less V (relies on Cr and C for wear resistance).

Composition Summary

• A8: Moderate carbon + balanced Cr-Mo-V → Focuses on toughness and impact resistance.

• A8B: Optimized alloy + better purity → Keeps A8’s toughness and improves wear and high-temperature performance.

• D2: Ultra-high carbon + high Cr → Maximizes wear resistance and long life but reduces toughness.