The Flare Reducer is capable of removing several inches of flare from a log with the flare all on one side of the log or more symmetrical flare. The greater the thickness of wood removed the slower the Flare Reducer must be fed. Logs can be fed either butt first or tip first.

The Flare Reducer ring can be moved out to the side using the included hydraulic ring pullout cylinder and power unit so that the debarker can continue to operate if knife sharpening or adjustment is required on the Flare Reducer ring.  

The Flare Reducer is a rotating ring similar to a debarking ring.  5 rugged knife assemblies similar to those used on chipper-canter heads are attached to the ring face. 

Each knife assembly is mounted on a carrier that can be adjusted radially inward or outward with the ring stopped.  This allows the ring to reduce logs to varying diameters. 

Adjustment is done by first loosening knife carrier mounting bolts, resetting & locking each knife carrier in the appropriate position, then retightening the mounting bolts.

Indexing marks at each knife module allow precision positioning of the knives.  The knives can be set to a new log diameter in 15 minutes or less. 

The knife assemblies are Key Knife bent-knife type with two knives, one knife to remove the flare, the other to smooth the log surface. The ring is driven by an 1800 RPM Design B motor through a single reduction belt drive.

The Flare Reducer ring turns on a special heavy duty double row, angular contact ball bearing. The bearing is lubricated using similar system to the one for the debarking ring.
 
Oil is pumped directly from a 55 gallon drum, or optional lube oil tank, using special fail-safe Nicholson oil pump. The oil is sent to the Flare Reducer ring through a Trabon oil monitoring system. 

The Nicholson Adjustable Flare Reducer will help you save valuable fiber and make the rest of your breakdown process run much smoother.