Wood welding as a gluing alternative

Wood welding as a gluing alternative

Friday 26 Apr 2013

Gluing is a valid and extensively used alternative to paneling in the furniture industry. However, adhesives, which are generally produced by the petrochemical industry, require curing times and multiple handling, which limits the production flow and flexibility required for customized production.

Rotational wood-dowel welding has been shown to rapidly produce wood joints of considerable strength without any adhesive and provides a promising alternative to gluing. The process consists of inserting dowels into smaller-diameter pre-drilled holes at rapid rotation. The friction between the dowel and substrate during insertion combined with high speed dowel rotation causes high temperatures that induce the lignin to soften and the wood to weld.

A recent study conducted at the Centre de recherche sur le bois, Laval University, Quebec, Canada, examined the suitability of wood welding technology for producing composite panels for furniture applications.

The results showed that wood-dowel welding could be suitable for producing panels. The technique could then help improve production flow and flexibility by eliminating curing times for adhesive polymerization as well as multiple handling. Research into wood welding is currently being undertaken at the University of Melbourne. For further information, contact benoit.belleville@unimelb.edu.au .

Return to Newsletter

Share |