Lathe Check Characteristics of Fast Growing Sengon Veneers and Their Effect on LVL Glue-Bond and Bending Strength

Fast growing sengon (Paraserianthes moluccana) is largely rotary-cut to produce veneer for core plywood production. In order to provide better information on veneer production and utilization, in this study the effects of wood juvenility and veneer thickness on lathe checks of rotary-cut sengon veneers were evaluated. Before veneer manufacturing, sengon logs were boiled at 50 oC and 75 oC for 4 and 8 hours respectively. The boiled logs were peeled to produce veneer of 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm in thickness. Lathe checks of veneers were measured on the loosed side at every 5 mm veneer length under an optical video microscope and their frequency, depth, and length were characterized. Twenty sampling points of 5 mm veneer length were prepared from each segmented ring of 1 cm width from pith to bark. Isocyanate resin adhesive were used to produce laminated veneer lumber (LVL) of 20 mm thick, which consisted of 24-ply of 1 mm veneer thick, 14-ply of 1.5 mm veneer thick, and 11-ply of 2 mm veneer thick, for glue bond and bending strength test. Results showed that wood juvenility and veneer thickness determined the frequency, depth and length of lathe checks for the sengon rotary-cut veneers. In general, the frequency of lathe checks of the veneer increases with increasing veneer thickness, and also increases from pith to bark. Boiling of logs before rotary-cutting could decreases the frequency of lathe check of the veneer. The results indicated that boiling of logs at 50 oC for 8 h and at 75 oC at least 4 h before peeling the logs could minimize the frequency of lathe check in manufacturing rotary cut veneer thickness of 1 mm, 1.5 mm, and 2 mm from juvenile wood of fast growing sengon. The frequency of lathe check affect significantly the glue bond and bending strength, in which the glue bond, Modulus of Elasticity (MOE), and Modulus of Rupture (MOR) decrease as the frequency of lathe checks increases.The authors thank the Directorate for Research and Community Service of the Ministry of National Education for the Republic of Indonesia for the research gran

Improving added value and small medium enterprises capacity in the utilisation of plantation timber for furniture production in Jepara region

Improving added value and Small Medium Enterprises capacity in the utilisation of plantation timber for furniture production in Jepara region of Indonesia: improving recovery, design, manufacturing, R&D and training capacities

Gluing characteristics of Papua New Guinea timber species for various non-structural applications

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has abundant natural forest resources but there are many constraints which need to be addressed to support the development of competitive value-added wood industries. There is a need to develop knowledge and capacity in wood science and processing technologies which support successful domestic value-adding wood processing enterprises. A comprehensive testing program has been developed to assess the glue‐bond strength and performance of selected commercial PNG timber species in various climatic conditions to simulate service conditions in potential market destinations. Two criteria namely shear strength and wood failure have been used to determine if a species can meet the minimum requirements for either dry use or wet use applications. The performance of 24 different PNG commercial timber species has been assessed using a one-component cross-linking polyvinyl acetate emulsion adhesive. The bondability of the selected species has been carefully estimated considering the wood density and wood moisture content for the strength and durability in dry- and wet-use conditions. The testing results show that as the wood density as a wood property factor and moisture content as a service condition factor increase, high shear strength with high wood failure become more difficult to achieve consistently. The highest shear strength and wood failure results were achieved by softwood plantation species and low-density hardwood species. Based on the testing results, the selected species have been classified into bondability classes (bond very well, bond well, bond with difficulty, very difficult to bond). &nbsp

Wood planing properties of Australian plantation-grown Eucalypts

Planing properties of seven Australian plantation-grown eucalypts were evaluated to provide recommendations on how these species should be machined and considered for the manufacture of high quality furniture and furnishings. The surface quality produced for each species was evaluated using eight planing conditions. All species performed well producing equivalent or better results than mature traditional furniture species, and could be used for high value furniture manufacturing. Tungsten carbide cutters produced better results than high-speed steel for most eucalypts and the grinding of a small chip-breaker usually produced improving results as the size of the chip-breaker was reduced. Grain orientation did not affect the planed surfaces for some species but planing with the grain usually produced better surface. Recovery and presence of torn grain could not be related to the wood density

Colour changes and morphological performance of impregnated jabon wood using polymerised merbau extractives

Colour can be one of the preferencial factors prior to making a decision when people want to make a purchase of a wood product. Impregnation treatment can alter the wood colour. This study investigated the colour change of young plantation Jabon wood due to impregnation using Polymerised Merbau Extractives. Colour evaluation was done using the CIEL*a*b* system. Investigations also included morphological appearance by Scanning Electron Microscopic and chemical change by Fourier Transform Infrared analysis. The results demonstrated that impregnation treatment using selected Polymerised Merbau Extractives i.e. PME22 and PME33, resulted in the colour change of the wood. Appearance of the impregnated wood was different from the original wood; it was like a 'new wood'. The colour was changed permanently. PME33 caused Jabon wood samples to be darker. The SEM results of untreated and treated Jabon wood showed apparent difference due to deposited cured polymerised Merbau extractives (PME) in wood vessels. Obviously, a certain amount of cured PME precipitated on the surface of wood vessels and filled in the cell wall illustrated by the cross section of treated wood. FTIR spectra revealed that impregnating treatment using polymerised Merbau extractives made chemical changes in the wood of new functional groups bonded to Jabon wood

Wood machining properties of Australian plantation-grown Eucalypts

This study assessed the moulding, drilling, turning, sanding, and routing properties of seven plantation-grown hardwood species from southeast Australia to evaluate their potential as a resource for the manufacture of high quality furniture and furnishings. Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus saligna, Corymbia maculata, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus sideroxylon, Eucalyptus cladocalyx, and Eucalyptus globulus were machined using different tools, and the surface quality obtained was visually graded. A sanding sequence of 100-150 grit produced satisfactory surfaces for furniture manufacturing for most studied species. Usually, a feeding direction against the rotational direction of the tool showed best results and reduced incidence of corner breakout when routing. Overall, high-density plantationgrown Australian hardwood species performed well during machining trials with the use of appropriate parameters and cutting tools allowing overcoming some typical processing difficulties for some species. The data obtained within this study will allow optimising the machining process of plantation-grown wood in Australia and increase value from the current plantation resource

Assessment of physical and mechanical properties of papua new guinea timber species

A comprehensive testing program has been developed to assess different physical and mechanical properties of 26 commercial and lesser-known PNG species from secondary and plantation forests. The impact of log position in a tree on the mechanical properties has also been assessed to optimize the utilization of timbers along the value chain. The results showed that stiffness and bending strength tend to decrease or remain unchanged along the stem. Shear strength and Janka hardness displayed a similar trend to a lesser extent where the position in the tree had a limited impact on compression strength properties. Thus, segregating based on log position can be of interest where desired mechanical properties and costs associated with segregating justify optimum mechanical properties for the intended end use. The properties of selected species from plantations and regrowth forests were generally lower than those found in the literature for timbers from old-growth forests. The size of specimens tested, the amount and provenance of tested material, and some adaptive traits for tropical tree species are some factors potentially explaining observed differences. However, a comparison with recent studies tends to confirm the overall reduction of physical and mechanical properties when compared with old-growth forests timbers

Minimizing environmental impacts of timber products through the production process “From Sawmill to Final Products”

Abstract As awareness of climate and environment issues increases and consumption habits change, new opportunities are opening up for the forest industry and wood construction to develop functional green solutions to meet consumers’ needs. Wood is a versatile raw material and the only renewable construction material. The manufacture of wood products and structures consumes little energy in comparison to similar products and structures made of other materials. Unlike other materials, most of the energy needed to manufacture wood products is derived from renewable energy sources. The global timber sector currently faces the dual challenges of meeting the growing demand of quality timber products and minimising possible adverse impacts on the environment and human health. Major sources of environmental impacts occur throughout the wood supply chain from sawmills to final products. The major objective of this paper is to explore ways to reduce the environmental impacts of timber products, from sawmills to final products. The specific objectives include the identification of major sources and mechanisms of environmental impacts from timber products, the assessment of the status of energy consumption and GHG emission in wood products during timber processing and manufacturing as well as identifying the potential ways to minimize these environmental impacts

Wood machining properties of Australian plantation-grown Eucalypts

This study assessed the moulding, drilling, turning, sanding, and routing properties of seven plantation-grown hardwood species from southeast Australia to evaluate their potential as a resource for the manufacture of high quality furniture and furnishings. Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus saligna, Corymbia maculata, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus sideroxylon, Eucalyptus cladocalyx, and Eucalyptus globulus were machined using different tools, and the surface quality obtained was visually graded. A sanding sequence of 100-150 grit produced satisfactory surfaces for furniture manufacturing for most studied species. Usually, a feeding direction against the rotational direction of the tool showed best results and reduced incidence of corner breakout when routing. Overall, high-density plantationgrown Australian hardwood species performed well during machining trials with the use of appropriate parameters and cutting tools allowing overcoming some typical processing difficulties for some species. The data obtained within this study will allow optimising the machining process of plantation-grown wood in Australia and increase value from the current plantation resource

Wood planing properties of Australian plantation-grown Eucalypts

Planing properties of seven Australian plantation-grown eucalypts were evaluated to provide recommendations on how these species should be machined and considered for the manufacture of high quality furniture and furnishings. The surface quality produced for each species was evaluated using eight planing conditions. All species performed well producing equivalent or better results than mature traditional furniture species, and could be used for high value furniture manufacturing. Tungsten carbide cutters produced better results than high-speed steel for most eucalypts and the grinding of a small chip-breaker usually produced improving results as the size of the chip-breaker was reduced. Grain orientation did not affect the planed surfaces for some species but planing with the grain usually produced better surface. Recovery and presence of torn grain could not be related to the wood density