Effect of Hardwood Sawmill Edging and Trimming Practices on Furniture Part Production
In a recent edging and trimming study at three hardwood sawmills, it was observed that the lumber volume produced was approximately 10 percent less than would be necessary to make the most valuable lumber. Furthermore, the excess portion of wood that was removed from the edging and trimming process contained a large percentage of clear wood. In light of rising costs and increasing environmental concerns, the option of producing furniture parts from unedged and untrimmed boards is explored. This research investigates the potential furniture part yields from unedged and untrimmed boards compared to both optimal and actual edging and trimming practices. The resulting volume of cuttings from unedged and untrimmed boards was found to be 25 percent higher than from the actual edged and trimmed lumber produced at the mills.
Characterizing the adoption of low-grade hardwood lumber by the secondary wood processing industry
This study investigated the adoption of low-grade lumber in the secondary hardwood industry. Factors influencing decisions regarding the utilization of low-grade lumber were identified and value-added opportunities to increase the use of low-grade lumber among manufacturers currently using higher grades were evaluated. Data were collected via a nationwide mail survey of secondary hardwood manufacturers. The single most important barrier to the adoption of low-grade lumber among secondary hardwood manufacturers is low yield. Larger manufacturers and trade association members were found to utilize the lower grades at higher percentages when compared to smaller manufacturers and non-members. Value-added activities designed to enhance the useability of low-grade lumber should focus on decreasing processing variability in secondary operations.
"Flying Triangulation" - a new optical 3D sensor enabling the acquisition of surfaces by freehand motion
In order to obtain complete 3D surface information of an object it is often necessary to acquire many partial 3D views. For this purpose, the sensor has to be moved (e.g. for the acquisition of sculptures or rooms). Further, in many cases a motion of the object relative to the sensor is unintended but inevitable (e.g. for medical applications such as intraoral measurements of teeth). Nearly all existing optical 3D sensors either lack an easy handling or require a standstill during the acquisition of a single partial 3D view, since usually multiple camera shots have to be taken for this purpose. This makes such measurements elaborate or even impossible.