Bending and fatigue strength of mortise and tenon furniture joints made from oil palm lumber.

The bending and fatigue strengths of rectangular mortise and tenon furniture joints made from oil palm lumber and solid Rubberwood were compared. The results showed that the ultimate bending moment of the oil palm lumber joints were half of the strength value of Rubberwood joints. The results showed that for both materials the allowable design stresses for rectangular mortise and tenon joints could be set at 20% of its bending strength

Sustaining the South East Asian wood products sector through education: the German lesson

While human capital is recognized as an important productivity driver, the South East Asian wood products sector has not paid attention to the human resource development agenda comparable to the scale shown by their German counterparts. The competitive edge of the German wood products sector is attributed to the training and education of a competent workforce, which is able to capitalize on the state of the art woodworking technology. A competent and highly trained workforce is a prerequisite for the sustainable growth of the South East Asian wood products sector, as they embark on the manufacture of greater value-added wood products

The fatigue characteristics of two-pin moment-resisting dowel furniture joints with different assembly time and glueline thickness

The fatigue strength of two-pin dowel end to side-grain rubberwood furniture joints made from PVAc of different glueline thickness and joint assembly times were compared. Joints assembled immediately after machining had significantly higher strength compared to those joints assembled after 1 week and 1 month. The results showed that the allowable design stress for PVAc dowel adhesive joints of 0.01 mm glueline thickness could be set at 25 % of its ultimate bending moment, which conforms to the strength requirements in service

Load-bearing characteristics of heat-treated rubberwood furniture components and joints

The load bearing characteristics of heat-treated rubberwood furniture components and joints were studied. It was found that heat-treated samples had significantly lower fatigue strength compared to the conventionally kiln-dried rubberwood samples, which were used as control specimens. Inevitably, the recommended allowable design stresses for heat-treated rubberwood furniture components and joints could be set at 40 and 25 % of the respective bending strengths, in order to ensure its compliance with furniture performance standards. These figures are much lower than the allowable design stresses for conventionally kiln dried components, reflecting the need for a lower safety margin when working with heat-treated materials

Fatigue strength of mortise and tenon furniture joints made from oil palm lumber and some Malaysian timbers.

A study was undertaken to evaluate comparative bending and fatigue strengths of rectangular mortise and tenon furniture joints made from oil palm (Eleais guineensis) lumber against a few established furniture wood materials. This is owing to the fact that, although the rectangular mortise and tenon joints are the most commonly joints used in chair construction, studies on its strength under cyclic loading is very limited. The fact that furniture joints are the weakest link in the furniture structure, it is necessary to establish its strength performance especially under repeated loading as experienced by the chair in service. The results showed that the bending strength of the oil palm lumber joints were half the strength of the wooden joints. However, in terms of fatigue strength, joints made from oil palm lumber showed comparable performance with the other wood materials. The results also showed that the allowable design stresses for rectangular mortise and tenon joints could be set at 20% of its bending strength. This study has far reaching implications on furniture engineering as it suggest that proper joint design is mandatory not only to ensure the furniture’s reliability in service, but also improve its aesthetic and production imperatives

The effects of ISO 9001 quality management system on innovation and management capacities in the Malaysian furniture sector.

Although the ISO 9001 quality management system is often perceived to be a marketing tool within the manufacturing industry, its implications on the innovation and management capacities of the furniture industry remain unknown. A survey of furniture manufacturers in Malaysia revealed that lack of innovation and ineffective management were among the main problems faced within the industry. Using a structured questionnaire, a survey of the ISO-certified manufacturers revealed that the ISO 9001 quality management system has a positive correlation on process innovation but not on product innovation. Therefore, ISO-certification would be beneficial for productivity improvement and identifying cost-cutting measures in furniture manufacturing enterprises. On the other hand, ISO-certification has a significant influence on the management of furniture enterprises, especially with regards to systematic decision-making and boosting the level of professionalism. Therefore, ISO-certification may be a useful tool to enhance the management competency and also improve the productivity within the furniture manufacturing sector

Malaysian wooden furniture industry: study of safety standards, compliance and consequential implications

The improvement of health and safety standards within the organisational context is an important issue of global concern. The traditional approach to managing workplace safety in Malaysia has focused on the technical aspects of engineering systems and processes, and it has attributed the majority of workplace accidents and injuries to unsafe working conditions instead of the unsafe work practices of employees. However, there has been a fundamental shift in the safety management research carried out in many countries and across diverse industries, which aims to measure the impact of attitudinal, organisational, cultural and social dimensions on occupational safety. The factors affecting the safety level in the Malaysian wooden furniture industry was studied in 30 wooden furniture manufacturing factories, using a structured questionnaire. The study found that although there were four determinants of the prevailing safety climate in the work environment, it was the management responsibility and safety precautions that had the strongest influence on safety climate. Further, the primary health and safety concerns among workers in the wooden furniture manufacturing industry were the air-borne dust, noise, chemical exposure, materials handling and occupational accidents. In this context, it is essential for the management to show commitment towards health and safety and incorporate safety precautions into the operational system, to ensure a safe working environment in the wooden furniture manufacturing industry. Further, in order to improve the safety level within the wooden furniture industry, the economics and policies that govern the implementation of safety and health precautions must be emphasised, as the wooden furniture industry is a cost sensitive industry

Tree biomass allometry during the early growth of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) varies between pure stands and mixtures with European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

In this paper we report an investigation of how forest stand mixture may affect biomass allometric relationships in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst). Analysis of aboveground biomass data was conducted for 50 trees. Twenty-five sample trees were from a pure Norway spruce stand and the remainder were taken from a mixed stand of Norway spruce with European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). ANCOVA results demonstrated that individual tree biomass allometry of the pure stand significantly differed from that of the mixed stand. Allometric characteristics depended on the biomass component recorded and the type of biomass predictor used. When predicted by DBH and/or height, the total aboveground biomass of mixed stand trees was significantly less than that for pure stand ones. This ‘apparent’ lower aboveground biomass was attributed to the lower branch and needle biomass proportions of trees growing in mixed stands. The findings indicate that caution should be exercised when applying biomass allometric models developed from pure stands to predict tree biomass in mixed stands (and vice versa), as such data treatment may introduce significant bias

An assessment of Malaysian wooden furniture manufacturers’ readiness to embrace chain of custody (COC) certification

Although Malaysia is a major producer and exporter of wood products in the world, the status of wood products certification in the industry is relatively unknown. Therefore, a study was carried out to assess the status of chain of custody certification among wooden furniture manufacturers using a structured questionnaire to interview firms who had participated at the annual Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF). Results collated indicate that the readiness to adopt chain of custody certification among wooden furniture manufacturers was low. The lack of price premiums, limited market potential and high cost was cited as the primary reasons deterring furniture manufacturers from adopting chain of custody certification. Furthermore, the use of plantation wood resources, such as Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis), perceived to be certified wood resources, reflects the lack of understanding among the manufacturers. This study shows that an increasing adoption of chain of custody certification among wooden furniture manufacturers in Malaysia can be realized in the market organisation, especially with regards to price premiums and market requirements

Success Factors of Rubberwood as a Furniture Stock in South East Asia

The study evaluated the consumer perceptions towards Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) as a premier furniture material. The data for this study was collected from a questionnaire survey, completed by 250 buyers who attended the international furniture fairs in Malaysia. Correlation analysis showed that the success factors of Rubberwood as a furniture stock are primarily its low cost and ample availability. According to 82% of the respondents, the three major advantages of Rubberwood as a furniture stock in comparison to other furniture wood species are its lower cost, environmental friendliness and workability. Inadvertently, Rubberwood furniture is also plagued by the perception of being low-cost