Wood and Fiber Science (E-Journal)
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Postsecondary Educational Needs of the Wood Products Industry in the US Northern Great Lakes Region
No full textThe main purpose of this study was to identify the educational needs of forest products industries in the Northern Great Lakes region of the US and the gaps with existing postsecondary educational opportunities in the same region. A combination of interviews with educational program representatives and a survey of industry in the mentioned region was used to meet the study’s objectives. Eighteen currently active postsecondary educational programs with degrees specific to the forest products industry were identified, and representatives of 13 were interviewed for this study. In the second phase of the study, 59 forest product companies in the region were surveyed to identify their educational needs and a weighted discrepancy score was calculated to measure the educational needs for specific competencies. Most educational programs expect steady to slightly increasing student numbers during the next 5 yr. “Advisory committees” was the most commonly cited method to gather industry needs. Schools identified advanced manufacturing skills as an important industry need along with sustainability and energy efficiency. From the industry survey, a list of 21 specific competencies in six functional areas with the most need of addressing is provided, including log and lumber grading, customer relationship management, basic computer skills, quality control and improvement, lumber drying, and safety, among others. Primary processing related skills were found to be in particular need of attention by educational programs in the region. Industries reported having the most difficulty finding employees with the proper education for shop floor and production management positions
Effects of International Trade Show Marketing Strategies on Trade Show Performance: Does Experience Matter?
No full textA growing body of academic and practitioner trade show literature has highlighted the relationship between international trade show marketing strategies and international trade show performance. However, the effect of experience on the international trade show marketing strategy and performance relationship has not been addressed in the literature. This study examines the moderating effects of organizational and individual international trade show experience on the international trade show marketing strategy and performance relationship. Empirical evidence was obtained via e-mail surveys of exhibitors at the largest international furniture supply trade show in China, the China International Woodworking Machinery and Furniture Raw Materials Fair held March 27-30, 2011. Findings indicate that the main effect of trade show marketing strategies on trade show performance is dependent on the exhibiting firm’s organizational and individual international trade show experience level. Managerial implications for international trade show exhibitors suggest the need to adjust strategic planning efforts according to the company and booth staff experience level
Forestry and Forest Products in Ohio: 2011 Economic Impacts with Comparisons to 2001 Values
Get PDFMarket forces have driven the downsizing and restructuring of the US forest economy, whichprompted our assessment of the current conditions of forestry and forest products manufacturing in Ohio. We constructed a series of input–output models with 2011 data using the IMpact Analysis for PLANning system to determine the economic impacts of Ohio’s forest-based industries. We then compared the 2011 findings with those from 2001, the year for which the industry impacts had last been assessed. Direct impacts of all forestry and forest products sectors in 2011 summed to 47,200 employees, 13.7 billion in outputs. Total economic impacts were 106,000 employees, 21.9 billion in outputs. Nearly all 2011 industry values in real terms were lower than those from 2001, which were inflation-adjusted to 2011 constant dollars. Industry shifts have occurred in the state. All economic multipliers increased, which suggested a greater integration of forestry and forest products manufacturing with the state’s economy from 2001 to 2011
SURFACE ENERGY CHARACTERIZATION OF THERMALLY MODIFIED SPRUCE USING INVERSE GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY UNDER CYCLIC HUMIDITY CONDITIONS
Get PDFThe surface energy of unmodified and thermally modified spruce wood components was researched at dry and moist conditions using inverse gas chromatography. The results indicate a more pronounced heterogeneous nature of the thermally modified wood surfaces in terms of the dispersive (nonpolar) component of the surface energy, compared with that of the unmodified wood surfaces. The dispersive component of the surface energy of the thermally modified wood ranged between 44 and 38 mJ/m2 corresponding to an increase in surface coverage from a low level and up to about 10%. Suggested explanations for the more distinct heterogeneity of the thermally modified wood sample arerelated to chemical changes of the wood substance which seem to result in certain micromorphological features observed by scanning electron microscopy as alternated fracture surfaces created in the grinding process; and also possible changes or redistribution of the wood extractives. An increase of the MC, representing a change from a dry condition of approximately 0% RH to ca 75% RH, of both the unmodified and thermally modified samples seemed to have a marginal influence on the dispersive component of the surface energy. Possible implications of the results in this study can be found in the tailoring of new compatible and durable material combinations, for example, when using thermally modified wood residuals as a component in new types of biocomposites
Climatic Signals in Wood Property Variables of Picea Crassifolia
Get PDFLittle attention has been given to climatic signals in wood properties. In this study, ring width(RW), annual average microfibril angle (MFA), annual average tracheid radial diameter (TRD), andannual average density (DEN), as the annual and intra-annual wood property variables, were measured at high resolution by SilviScan-3 on dated Picea crassifolia trees. Dendroclimatological methods were used to analyze climatic signals registered in wood property variables. RW, MFA, and TRD negatively correlated with temperature and positively correlated with precipitation in the growing season, whereas the reverse was true for DEN. Climatic signals recorded in the earlywood were similar to those measured for the full width of the annual rings. Climatic signals recorded in latewood were very weak except for latewood MFA. This study showed that wood property variables could be extensive resources for learning more about the influences of climate on tree growth and how trees adapt to ongoing climate change
EFFECT OF KNIFE WEAR ON SURFACE QUALITY OF BLACK SPRUCE CANTS PRODUCED BY A CHIPPER-CANTER
Get PDFEffect of knife wear on surface quality of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill) B.S.P.) cants machined by a chipper-canter was evaluated. A set of eight canting knives with six levels of edge recession (207, 290, 349, 449, 519, and 549 mm) was studied. Logs were fed at 145 m/min through the canter headrotating at 726 rpm yielding a nominal feed per knife of 25 mm. For each edge recession, two sides of the logs were machined at either unfrozen (above 14C) or frozen (below 23C) wood temperatures. Laserscanned profiles across the grain of 16 knife marks on each cant were evaluated for roughness and waviness parameters and depth of torn grain. The results showed that, regardless of log temperature, waviness and roughness were positively affected by edge recession. Roughness was more sensitive than waviness to changes in edge recession. Surfaces in general were smoother in frozen logs than in unfrozen logs. Maximum depth of torn grain appeared to not be significantly affected by knife wear. The results provided useful information for improving the performance of the chipper-canter in terms of surface quality
EFFECTS OF CUTTERHEAD DIAMETER AND LOG INFEED POSITION ON ENERGY REQUIREMENTS OF A CHIPPER-CANTER
Get PDFEffects of chipper-canter cutterhead diameter and log infeed position on maximum power and energy consumption during processing of black spruce logs were evaluated. Two cutterhead diameters (661.5 and 448.7 mm) combined with three infeed positions or vertical distance from the cutterhead axis center to the bedplate on which the log was supported were studied. A mean angle of attack of the chipping edge was calculated for each infeed position. Linear cutting speed was fixed at 23.5 m/s. Rotation speed and feed speed were adjusted to obtain a nominal chip length of 25.4 mm. Fourteen logs for each cutting condition were transformed in frozen and unfrozen wood temperatures. The results showed a significant effect of cutterhead diameter and wood temperature on maximum power and energy consumption. Power and energy consumption were lower when processing with the 661.5-mm compared with the448.7-mm cutterhead diameter. These parameters were also greater when cutting frozen logs compared with unfrozen logs. Although cutting action of the chipping edge was the principal contributor to energy consumption when processing with a chipper-canter, its angle of attack had a negligible effect on this consumption. This happened because of an opposite effect of the knife path length (arc formed by engagement of the knife into the log). These results gave useful information for estimating changes in power and energy consumption within the studied range of infeed positions (or angles of attack of the chipping edge) and cutterhead diameters
RELATIONS OF FIBER LENGTH TO WITHIN-TREE VARIATION OF ULTRASONIC WAVE VELOCITY IN FAST-GROWING TREES
Get PDFThe within-tree variation of longitudinal wave velocities in Acacia auriculiformis (AA), Eucalyptus dunnii (ED), and Melia azedarach (MA) was experimentally investigated. The velocities in the longitudinal direction (VL) exhibited a minimum value near the pith. The minimum values in AA, ED, and MA were measured to be 4000, 4600 and 3600 m/s, respectively. VL increased from the pith to the bark. On the other hand, the velocities in the radial and tangential directions exhibited constant values. The radial variation patterns of the VL coincided with those of fiber length (FL). VL exhibited a strong correlation with the FL at a 1% significant level. These findings revealed that wood properties such as FL greatly influence the velocity in the longitudinal direction
Characteristics of Torques for Driving Screws into Wood-Based Composites
No full textCritical torque factors, typically used for screw-driving behavior, were used to investigate characteristics of torque behavior in wood-based composites. Factors investigated were wood-based composite type, embedded screw orientation, and pilot-hole diameter. Recorded torque-time curves, which illustrated the complete process of driving screws into wood-based composites, indicated that screw torques behaved differently in sides and faces of wood-based composites and that the whole screw-driving process can be divided into two phases. Critical torques of these two phases on torque-time curves were defined and named. Statistical analyses of evaluated factors on critical torques, such as maximum drive torques (MDT) and stripping torques (STT), indicated that those factors had significant interactive effects on critical torques. Oriented strandboard materials evaluated had mean MDT from 1.04 to 1.75 Nm, mean STT from 3.30 to 5.91 Nm, and mean STT-to-MDT ratios from 3.18 to 3.53. Particleboard materials had mean MDT ranging from 1.01 to 1.84 Nm, mean STT ranging from 3.12 to 6.05 Nm, and mean STT-to-MDT ratios ranging from 3.08 to 3.29
2015 Award Presentations
No full textThis SWST Distinguished Service Award is given in recognition of distinguished service to the profession as a whole and for extraordinary contributions in wood science and technology. Such service may have been made in any educational, technological, scientific or professional area directly related to the profession of Wood Science and Technology in furtherance of the objectives of the Society as outlined in its Constitution and Bylaws. Guidelines for the award and past recipients can be found at http://www.swst.org/news2/awards/dsaguide.html. Committee: Alain Cloutier (Chair), Jerrold Winandy, Jim Funck, Sue Anagnost, Todd Shupe.The 2014 awards go to: Douglas J. Gardner and Victoria L. Herian. Their comments accompanying receipt of the 2014 SWST Distinguished Service Award are published in this issue of Wood and Fiber Science