The stability of a circular saw blade during the cutting process affects the knife life and the material utilization rate. In this article, continuous sawing experiments were carried out on medium-density fiberboard, Pterocarpus soyauxii board, and reconstituted bamboo lumber board. The temperature distribution of the saw blade surface was measured. The natural frequency of the saw blade under thermal stress was analyzed by the finite element method. The results show that the material density is positively correlated with the edge temperature of the saw blade. Greater temperature differences within the saw blade lead to worsening dynamic stability. When cutting the reconstituted bamboo lumber board, the saw blade will suddenly lose stability, and the surface temperature will rise rapidly, which greatly shortens the life of the saw blade.Abstract
Chinese-style chairs are appreciated by many consumers for their elegant design. The material and decoration have a significant impact on the design of Chinese-style chairs. Exploring the influence of these two factors on design styles and aesthetic expressions, as well as the related visual attention patterns, is of great importance for the design of Chinese-style chairs. This study aimed to investigate the impact of material (wood/metal) and decoration (pattern/no pattern) on the design style, aesthetic performance, and visual attention patterns of Chinese-style chairs. Fifty-six Chinese university students wore eye-tracking glasses to view four types of chair designs and completed subjective rating scales. The results show that material and decoration have both independent and interactive effects. Wood chairs exhibit a traditional design style and superior aesthetic performance compared to metal chairs. Traditional Chinese patterns enhance design style and aesthetic performance, particularly when applied to wooden chairs. Visual attention was not significantly different across chair designs, except for wooden chairs with traditional patterns on the backrest, which attracted more attention. These research findings provide reference for designers to design Chinese-style chairs.Abstract
This research evaluated the mechanical and physical properties of three underutilized hardwood species according to visual lumber grades. Findings are discussed in relation to the requirements recommended such as density, modulus of rupture (MOR), and modulus of elasticity (MOE) for the manufacture of cross-laminated timber (CLT) industrial mats, which is a potential end use of low-valued hardwood species. Results showed that all species tested had an average MOE greater than that required for CLT lumber. Visual grading was an important component in strength determinations as evidenced by the correlation between MOE and MOR. All grades of red oak (Quercus rubra L.) had higher densities than those of southern yellow pine, which is the traditional wood used in manufacturing CLT industrial mats, with a density of 616 kg/m3 at 12 percent moisture; the average density of the red oak tested was 770 kg/m3 at 13.98 percent moisture. All grades of red oak also had MOE and MOR values that met the requirements for lumber used in the manufacture of CLT industrial mats. For sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.), all grades met the required values for MOE and MOR, but only Grades 3 and 4 met the required density. All grades of yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) met the required MOE and MOR, but none met the required density.Abstract
The Log Recovery Analysis Tool (LORCAT) is a simulation tool that allows users to examine the impact of changes in the hardwood log-sawing process on sawn volume, grade recovery, and profit. LORCAT was designed to be simple to use and requires a minimum of user data entry. While the results of LORCAT have been informally compared to sawmill results by users, no formal validation of results has yet been performed. This study compared LORCAT’s simulated recovery results to that of an actual sawmill. For the 42 hardwood log samples we examined, we found no significant statistical difference in the total sawn volume produced. However, significant differences were found with the number of boards produced, which resulted from differences in the accuracy of targeting the opening-face board size.Abstract
Currently, domestic wood product enterprises in Ethiopia are facing increasing competition from imports. Therefore, more needs to be done to address the evolving dynamics in public preference and taste while overcoming the pressure from the import market. However, the wooden furniture sector in Ethiopia is scarcely researched and documented to support the production and marketing system. This study investigated the determinants of consumer preferences for imported and domestic wooden furniture in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Multistage sampling was used to select a sample size of 385 consumers who had purchased wooden furniture. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive statistics, Kendall’s test, and the multivariate probit (MVP) model. The findings revealed that imported wooden furniture scored higher in terms of finishing, color, compatibility with other objects, and design, whereas domestic wooden furniture excelled in terms of durability, environmental friendliness, maintainability, and affordability. The MVP results indicated that wooden furniture preference was influenced by factors such as age, number of years in marriage, family size, number of years living in the city, occupation, and exposure to advertisements. The study recommends that domestic furniture companies enhance the finishing, design, color, and other desirable attributes of their products to attract and satisfy domestic demand, potentially reducing the need for imports. By focusing on improving multiple attributes, companies better cater to the preferences of consumers. Additionally, furniture companies should consider the diverse socioeconomic characteristics of consumers during the production of their furniture products to meet a range of needs.Abstract