COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN BEECH WOOD AND OTHER HOME-GROWN HARDWOOD SPECIES WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FINGER – JOINTED WOODEN PANELS

Camelia BOIERIU
Lecturer Eng. – „Transilvania” University of Brasov – Faculty of Wood Industry
Address: B-dul Eroilor nr.29, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Tel/Fax: 0040 268 415315.    E-mail: cboieriu@unitbv.ro

Dumitru LICA
Assist.Prof.Dr.Eng. – „Transilvania” University of Brasov – Faculty of Wood Industry
Address: B-dul Eroilor nr.29, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Tel/Fax: 0040 268 415315.

Abstract:
Because the quantity of the used natural resources is controlled in the last years, a great importance has been given to the use of the small sized wood in the wood panels manufacturing, in order to increase the use rate of the solid wood by increasing the raw materials yield in the final product. The international and also the national tendency in manufacturing the wood panels is that of using the same species of wood in the same panel, because the joint behaviour in case of using two different species is not theoretical and practical verified and it is considered an act of courage, even the design resulted through mixing them could be quiet attractive. Is it possible to join the small sized beech wood with other hardwood species as: maple, cherry, ash, oak or nut wood in order to obtain finger-jointed panels with improved stability in shape and dimensions, to be which used both for furniture manufacturing and interior arrangements? This is a question where the answer came after performing theoretical analysis with Finite Element Method (FEM) and experimental work on the dimensional stability and planity of the panels after being exposed to extreme environmental conditions, corresponding to their functional ambiance.

Key words: finger-jointed panel, hardwood species, compatibility.