Manufacture Of Wood Products Research Articles

Lean production, value chain and sustainability in precast concrete factory – a case study in Singapore

Research Questions: How is the supply-chain relation between a joinery-products supplier and the construction process arranged, and what deficiencies can be seen from a supply-chain and information-management perspective? If there are deficiencies in the supply-chain, what are their causes, and what possible improvements can be made? Purpose: To contribute to the understanding of interactions present in the construction system and their effects on the make-to-order/engineer-to-order joinery-products supplier. Findings: Supply-chain management and information management are two areas that work poorly and cause numerous knowledge-disconnection effects. The main reasons for undesirable consequences in the process are: (1) information needs are not met; (2) competence is lacking; (3) lack of activity in gathering and mediation of information; (4) time buffers break the flow of value-creating activities. Limitations: The study is limited to contributing knowledge from a single case in the north of Sweden about the effects of the present interaction level in the construction system. The main discussion is limited to the interaction between a joinery-products supplier and the construction process. Implications: The academic implication is to contribute to the theoretical generalization for the area of construction-related joinery-products supply. The implication for industry is to gain information that will help to improve interaction and develop better production strategies. Value for practitioners: The value for practitioners is the indication that more interaction between supplier, originators and adjacent processes is needed. Standardized routines for interaction and more active information exchange are needed in order to decrease time buffers and increase value-creating activities. Keywords: Construction, Joinery-products, Secondary wood products manufacturing, Information management, Supply-chain management Paper type: Case Study

Complete forest carbon cycle and budget in China, 1999–2008

Forest carbon cycle consists of biological and industrial cycles, whose carbon budget and carbon stock change should be estimated. The complete forest carbon budget was seldom reported in China, and carbon budget was mainly used to calculate forest biological carbon stock change. Therefore, we analyzed and presented the complete forest carbon cycle by dividing it into three carbon pools: pre-harvest forest, harvested wood product (HWP) manufacturing, and HWP use and disposal. Then, the carbon budget and net carbon flux of each pool during 1999–2008 were calculated using forest inventory data, HWP production and consumption, and economic data. The results showed that about 1334.46 and 1423.84TgC carbon were sequestered from atmosphere in 1999–2003 and 2004–2008, respectively. The two periods had forest ecosystem net carbon flux of 1356.29 and 1442.90TgC, adding up to 2799.19TgC. For the industrial part, 112.14Tg carbon was stored in new HWP, but 40.86Tg more carbon was released from HWP production, use and disposal. We went onto compare the carbon budgets of 1999–2003 and 2004–2008, and found out that net sequestered carbon was 89.38TgC higher in the latter period, 86.61TgC more stored in forest ecosystem and 2.77TgC less released from the industrial carbon cycle. Subsequently, we studied the relationship between carbon emission reduction and forest industrial carbon cycle, and verified that optimizing HWP production process and extending HWP lifespan can effectively reduce carbon emission. At the end, we proposed gaps and future studies.

Energy and the US hardwood industry – Part 1: Profile and impact of prices

According to the Energy Information Administration two fifths of the energy used by US wood products manufacturers comes from electricity and natural gas, the costs of which have pointedly increased over the last decade. Empirical indications exist that higher energy prices affect the industry’s profitability. Together with other developments such as, for example, unfavorable trends in hardwood stumpage prices, higher transportation costs, increasing government regulations, a challenging economic situation, or the ongoing globalization of markets, the US hardwood industry has to cope with some serious challenges threatening its profit potential. To understand the impact of energy prices on wood products manufacturers’ profitability and to gain insights regarding actions the industry is taking to respond to energy-related challenges, a survey was conducted among Eastern US primary hardwood products manufacturers in late 2010. Results show that, overall, the share of energy expenses on total production costs of respondents was 7.9%. A majority of respondents (61.8%) agreed that their energy expenses have increased by an average of 18.7% during the last five years. Half of the respondents reported a 5% or higher negative impact of higher energy prices on their profits over the same period. Actions undertaken by the industry to alleviate the negative impact of rising energy prices are presented in a second paper in this two-part series.

An exploratory assessment of the attitudes of Chinese wood products manufacturers towards forest certification

Interviews with Chinese forest products manufacturers were conducted to explore their attitudes towards forest certification and related issues. Participants comprised owners, CEOs, and managers in 20 Chinese wood products companies, including producers of furniture, doors, flooring, and various engineered wood products. The interviews were used to analyze the extent to which participants were considering adopting forest certification and what might motivate such a decision. This was done by assessing their awareness and knowledge of certification. The results indicated that participants' understanding of forest certification was extremely low, despite major efforts in China to raise awareness of the issue. Potential economic benefits were the most frequently cited reason to adopt certification, including gaining or maintaining competitive advantage over their industry counterparts, improved access to both domestic and export markets, better customer recognition, and enhanced corporate responsibility practices. Some interviewees (3 out of 20) considered that certification would become a mandatory requirement or industry standard, and that this would be the only viable motivation for certification given that the financial benefits were potentially limited. According to the participants, the main differences between certified and uncertified wood products operations related to improved market access and public image. Interviewees felt that cooperation between and support from governments and the forest industry would enable the enhanced awareness of certification amongst manufacturers and the general public. This, in turn, could serve to stimulate demand for certified products.

Control system evaluation and implementation for the abrasive machining process on wood

Continuous process improvement and automation have proven to be powerful tools for the wood processing industries in order to obtain better final product quality and thus increase profits. Abrasive machining represents an important and relevant process in the manufacturing and processing of wood products, which also implies high cost of materials and labor; therefore, special attention to this process is necessary. The objective of this work was to evaluate and demonstrate a process control system for use in the abrasive machining of wood and wood-based products. A control system was created on LabView® to integrate the monitoring process and the actions required, depending on the abrasive machining process conditions. The system acquires information from the optical sensor to detect loading and activate the cleaning system. The system continuously monitors the condition of the abrasive belt (tool wear) by using an acoustic emission sensor and alerts the operator of the status of the belt (green, yellow, and red lights indicating satisfactory, medium, and poor belt condition). The system also incorporates an additional safety device, which helps prevent permanent damage to the belt, equipment, or workpiece by alerting the operator when an excessive temperature has been reached. The process control system proved that automation permits enhancement in the consistency of the belt cleaning technique by the elimination of the human errors. Furthermore, this improvement also affects the cost by extending the life of the belt, which reduces setup time, belt cost, operation cost, as well as others.

Treatment of Fast-Growing Poplar with Monomers Using In Situ Polymerization. Part I: Dimensional Stability and Resistance to Biodegradation

Fast-growing poplar (Populus ×euramericana NL-95) has been extensively cultivated in China. However, because of its poor quality, poplar wood is commonly used only in the manufacture of low-grade wood products. If the wood could be improved by postharvest treatment, it would be more useful and more saleable. Such modification is possible. Our team has developed a protocol to modify fast-growing poplar by impregnating poplar wood with styrene (ST) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA); this treatment is followed by in situ polymerization by means of thermal treatment. Experimental results show that the treated wood absorbed only one-fifth of the water absorbed by untreated wood when both were submerged in water for 1 week. The treated wood was also two times as dimensionally stable. When treated and untreated wood specimens were exposed to termites and to the fungi that cause dry rot, the treated wood was 9.3 times as resistant to termites and 3.8 times as resistant to fungi. Specimens of treated wood were examined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which showed that a grafting reaction and copolymerization had occurred, bonding the hydroxyl groups of the wood cell walls to the GMA and ST. Scanning electron microscope observation of the treated wood showed that the cell lumens had been filled with polymers and that the interfaces between wood cell walls and polymer were hard to distinguish.

Industrial differences in female fertility treatment rates - A new approach to assess differences related to occupation?

Infertility is highly prevalent and 16-26% of women trying to achieve a pregnancy experience infertility in one or more periods. Several exposures in the work environment have been hypothesized to affect female reproduction. This study aimed to estimate relative rates (RR) of female fertility treatment in the 57 industrial groups in Denmark. The closed cohort of all 20-39 year old economically active women in Denmark by January 2001 (n = 567,816) were followed-up for hospital contacts due to infertility from 2001 to 2005 as registered in the Danish Occupational Hospital Register. Age-standardized relative rates for being diagnosed as infertile were estimated by industry. Further standardization with respect to socioeconomic status was also performed. In total, 12,575 women were diagnosed with infertility during the follow-up period. Three industries presented with statistically significant elevations in age-standardized RRs: hospitals (RR = 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20-1.35), general and dental practice (RR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.02-1.35) and other health care (RR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.09-1.41). Standardization for socioeconomic status rendered two industries that were statistically significantly elevated: manufacture of wood and wood products (RR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.02-1.42) and hospitals (RR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.10-1.24). Interpretation of the results is complex, since the relative contributions to the observed inequalities of the work environment and, for example, differences in inclination to start a family or in proneness to seek treatment are difficult to resolve. Withstanding shortcomings and limitations, register data of fertility treatment offers a possibility to suggest industries for further investigation of reproductive health.

Non-fatal occupational injuries among non-governmental employees in Malaysia.

We analyzed data on non-fatal occupational injuries reported to Malaysia's social security organization from 2002 to 2006. There was a decrease in both the absolute number and the incidence rates of these injuries over time. About 40% of cases occurred in the manufacturing sector followed by the service (17%) and trading (17%) sectors. The agriculture sector reported the highest incidence rate (24.1/1,000), followed by the manufacturing sector subcategories of wood-product manufacturing (22.1/1,000) and non-metallic industries (20.8/1,000). Men age 40 to 59 and persons of Indian ethnicity had a greater tendency to sustain injuries. Government and non-governmental organizations should strive to develop strategies to reduce the occupational injuries targeting vulnerable groups. Enforcement of safety measures will further play an important role to ensure that both employees and employers take special precautions to address workplace hazards.

Causes of color changes in wood during drying

The forest industry operates in a dynamic and global market where change and competition are the rule rather than the exception. The color of wood is one of the most attractive features for the modern wood industry. Even when wood is chosen for its structural qualities, attractive and decorative colors are usually an important factor. In many applications, particularly in furniture, decorative products, decorative veneers and flooring, accurate matching of the color of different samples is required. Wood attributes and properties are important because they have a direct bearing on market opportunities and consumer acceptance for many types of manufactured wood products. The aim of this review is to identify causes of wood discoloration and advances in drying technology to overcome this problem. Wood discoloration is a complex phenomenon, mainly affected by heat, light, physiological and biochemical reactions, as well as from attack by microorganisms.

Character-Marked Red Alder Lumber from Southeastern Alaska: Profiled Panel Product Preferences by Residential Consumers

Red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) lumber is widely used to produce furniture and other secondary wood products. Tongue and groove (T&G) paneling is a product with potential niche applications and requires relatively small investments in processing equipment. As such, it represents potential business opportunities for smaller wood products manufacturers in Alaska. This study considered red alder paneling with various levels of character marks, ranging from clear wood to high levels of character. Residential consumers evaluated four panels in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, and selected their overall favorite panels for potential use in their homes. Character marks, grain consistency, and color also were evaluated for all panels. Statistically significant differences were found between male and female respondents in their attribute ratings for three of the four panels and in color attribute ratings between Anchorage and Fairbanks respondents for the panels with high levels of character. For all four panels, highly significant differences in mean ratings were found among the three attributes (character marks, grain consistency, and color). Market location was generally more significant than gender in influencing attribute ratings. These results suggest that even though strong preferences may exist for clear wood in T&G panels, consumers are able to perceive and rate character mark features differently.

Consumer perception of wood surfaces: the relationship between stated preferences and visual homogeneity

Information about people’s preferences as to wood products is of relevance to several decision makers in the forest sector. Studies revealing consumer preference provide information that can be used for marketing and manufacturing of wood products, but these also provide information of relevance to designers and decision makers involved in building design and construction processes. Previous studies show that the overall harmony of the visual surface is correlated with preference. In this study, perceived visual homogeneity is modeled for five copper-impregnated and five organic biocide-impregnated decking materials with different visual quality. The models are based on visual variables. Homogeneity is a function of material-dependent variables (dry knots, knot shape, and splay knot), production-dependent variables (stain), and surplus color, which is a combination of both wood property and treatment. The results imply that homogeneity is influenced by both wood properties and treatment. Producers of decking should, while maintaining a focus on using high-quality raw material, also focus on producing a product with an unstained appearance.

Digital Technology Use by Companies in the Furniture, Cabinet, Architectural Millwork, and Related Industries

Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), in which computer-aided design (CAD) and computer numerically controlled (CNC) machining are integrated for the production of parts, became a viable option for the woodworking industry in the 1980s. To determine if using computer-based technologies in wood products design and manufacturing can streamline the many phases of production, a survey was conducted in 2006. Sixty-three percent of survey respondents indicated they use CAD. Even in the very small woodworking companies, CAD use was not uncommon, with 46 percent of them using CAD technology. Web sites and Web-based sales were being used by 41 percent of the survey respondents. Forty-one percent also used CNC machining. A much higher percentage of the large companies used CNC, considering that of all companies with 50 or more employees, 93 percent used CNC machining. CAM was the only other computer technology utilized by more than 20 percent of the respondents.

Use of georeferenced data to study clustering in the primary wood products industry of the US South

Forest business clusters offer a unique opportunity to improve competitiveness of the forest products sector and stimulate economic development in rural areas. This study utilized georeferenced data on the location of primary wood products manufacturers in the US South to examine spatial clustering within this industry. Independent spatial analyses, F-hat and L-hat, and a χ2 statistic provided evidence of regional clustering. A count data model was used to determine location preference of primary wood-using mills and identify factors promoting industry clustering. It was determined that access to a labor pool, low cost of primary inputs, presence of related industries, adequate transportation infrastructure, and low land values positively influenced clustering among primary wood-using mills. A marginal analysis indicated that counties with adequate transportation infrastructure and presence of related industries were most likely to attract new primary forest products manufacturers. These two factors increased the predicted number of sawmills by 26.83% and 22.65%, respectively. Increases in prices of logs and energy can deter the spatial aggregation of wood-using mills. Results provide evidence that public investments in infrastructure can have an important role in attracting wood products industry firms.

Integrating transactional and relational exchange into the study of Exchange Orientation in customer relationships

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new conceptual and operational tool, exchange orientation (EO), which favours a better understanding of the coexistence of transactional and relational exchanges in contemporary marketing. First, the literature was reviewed across business management fields to identify the constructs that play a central role in interfirm exchange. The concept of EO was then developed and characterised according to levels of trust, cooperation, commitment, communication, time orientation, interdependence, proximity, coordination, regulation, and structure of exchange. A multiple case study was finally used to empirically investigate EO in 58 customers relationships from the perspective of three wood products manufacturers. This study of EO is a first step in eliciting "hybrid" marketing practices within the same business context. It also points to the need for the strategic management of customer relationships based on the actual and desired value and orientation of exchange.

Microfabricated formaldehyde gas sensors.

Formaldehyde is a volatile organic compound that is widely used in textiles, paper, wood composites, and household materials. Formaldehyde will continuously outgas from manufactured wood products such as furniture, with adverse health effects resulting from prolonged low-level exposure. New, microfabricated sensors for formaldehyde have been developed to meet the need for portable, low-power gas detection. This paper reviews recent work including silicon microhotplates for metal oxide-based detection, enzyme-based electrochemical sensors, and nanowire-based sensors. This paper also investigates the promise of polymer-based sensors for low-temperature, low-power operation.

Modeling the effect of changing market conditions on mountain pine beetle salvage harvesting and structural changes in the British Columbia forest products industry

This paper describes the development and implementation of Cambium, an agent-based forest sector model for strategic analysis. This model is designed as a decision-support tool for assessing the effects that changes in product demand and resource inventories can have on the structure and economic viability of the forest sector. Cambium models aggregate product supply as an emergent property of individual companies’ production decisions and stand-level ecological processes. Modeling the forest-products sector as a group of interacting autonomous economic agents makes it possible to include production capacity dynamics and the potential for mill insolvencies as factors in analyzing the effects of market and forest inventory based disturbances. The utility of this model is tested by assessing the impacts of a market downturn in the US forest products market on forest industry structure and mountain pine beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) salvage harvesting in British Columbia, Canada. Simulation results indicate a significant medium-term timber supply shortage; reduced stumpage revenues; intensive cost competition among primary wood-products manufacturers; and a large number of insolvencies in the panel, lumber, and pulp sectors.

Work environment risk factors for injuries in wood processing

Problem The reported injury rate for wood product manufacturing in Maine, 1987-2004, was almost twice the state-wide average for all jobs. Method: A case-control study was conducted in wood processing plants to determine preventable risk factors for injury. A total of 157 cases with injuries reported to workers' compensation and 251 controls were interviewed. Results: In multivariable analyses, variables associated with injury risk were high physical workload, machine-paced work or inability to take a break, lack of training, absence of a lockout/tagout program, low seniority, and male gender. Different subsets of these variables were significant when acute incidents and overexertions were analyzed separately and when all injuries were stratified by industry sub-sector. Impact on industry: Generalizability may be limited somewhat by non-representative participation of workplaces and individuals. Nevertheless, these findings provide evidence that many workplace injuries occurring in wood processing could be prevented by application of ergonomics principles and improved work organization.

Water resource use and management by the United States forest products industry

The connections between forest products operations and water resources in the United States is considered and, where possible, quantified. Manufacture of wood, pulp, and paper products and the influences of forest management and forest products manufacture on water quality are discussed. Most fresh water in the US originates in forested areas. Responsible harvesting strategies, best management practices, and forest re-growth combine to minimize or eliminate changes in water availability and degradation of water quality due to harvesting. Relative to alternative land uses and large-scale disturbance events, forested areas produce the highest quality of fresh water. Water inputs for the manufacture of forest products total about 5.8 billion m(3) per year, an amount equal about 0.4% of the surface and groundwater yield from timberland. Approximately 88% of water used in manufacturing is treated and returned directly to surface waters, about 11% is converted to water vapor and released during the manufacturing process, and 1% is imparted to products or solid residuals. Extensive study and continued monitoring of treated effluents suggest few or no concerns regarding the compatibility of current effluents with healthy aquatic systems.

Regional employment trends of wood-based industries in Germany’s forest cluster: a comparative shift-share analysis of post-reunification development

After reunification in 1990, Germany’s forest cluster developed anew and employment in the wood-based industries differentiated very quickly. With more than 900,000 employees, it is now considered one of the most important industrial sectors in the country. This paper analysed general trends in the development of employment of wood-based industries in the German forest cluster between 1999 and 2006. Shift-share analysis was considered to be the most appropriate way to determine regional differences in the subsection DD/20 ‘Manufacture of wood and wood products’ of the code “Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community, Revision 1.1” (NACE): the sawmill industry, the wood-based panel industry, the wood construction industry, the wood-based packaging industry, and the miscellaneous wood products industry. This method decomposed the change of employment into three different components that are due to that change: national trends, (industrial) sectoral trends, and regional conditions. Employment in the selected wood-based industries showed a significantly larger decrease than overall trends in both the producing industries and the whole economy of Germany: a continual loss of employees could be observed over the time period, affecting almost all of the selected wood-based industries. However, federal states in western and eastern Germany experienced divergent trends between 1999 and 2006, as different absolute and relative regional share components indicated in the shift-share analysis. This method allows of identifying regional disparities and characterising regions with positive (mainly eastern federal states) and negative (mainly western federal states) rates of employment growth. The research suggests that positive employment trends in eastern Germany’s wood-based industries can mainly be attributed to regional factors such as comparatively higher subsidies for new investments, lower labour costs, lower land values or infrastructural peculiarities.

Work climate, innovativeness, and firm performance in the US forest sector: in search of a conceptual framework

Innovativeness can help companies differentiate themselves, with the ultimate goal of securing survival and improving performance. Modern theories in organizational behavior look at innovation as something that starts with individual creativity but that is also affected by the work environment. Using one broad industry sector, the US forest products industry, this study attempts to integrate into a unifying model the concepts of work climate, innovativeness, and firm performance using structural equation modeling. Results support the proposed theoretical model, with some modifications, finding a positive and significant relationship among all factors. Having innovation as a core part of a company’s strategy and fostering a climate for innovation positively affects the degree of innovativeness and performance of a company. This is especially true for secondary or value-added wood products manufacturers. A climate for innovation is characterized by high levels of autonomy and encouragement, team cohesion, openness to change and risk taking, and sufficient resources available to people. Lack of a validation sample suggests treating the model as tentative until further testing.