The Wood Engineering for Sustainability Research Team

The Wood Engineering
for Sustainability Research Team

About Us

The Wood Engineering for Sustainability Research Team (WEST) under the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), an agency under the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), focuses its mission on enhancing Thailand’s economic wood industry comprehensively and sustainably through engineering and technology. The team studies and develops various wood product manufacturing processes, such as construction wood, sawn timber, wooden furniture, charcoal fuel, and waste management in factories. Additionally, relevant standards for implementing wood products in the Thai industry are promoted by working with partners from government agencies, the private sector, and communities. Finally, the sustainability of both production processes and products is assessed to align with thestainable Development Goals (SDGs) Attentive Empathetic Design (Sukkasi et al., HERD 2022)

Works

Machine and process design for Wood Products: The development of machinery production, such as cost reduction, enhancing machinery efficiency, continuous production systems to reduce labor usage, etc.

Wood Products Standard and testing: Standards of the wood products and wood products testing.

Research and development: Carbonization processes, chemicals and adhesives used in product manufacturing, chemicals for impregnation, wood composites, etc.

Product design and engineering: Computer-aided engineering (CAE) in designing wooden structures, focusing on aesthetics and properties such as strength and environmental durability. The design and development of value-added products generated from wood waste.

Waste Utilization: Management of waste from the wood production process for maximum benefit.

The computer-aided engineering (CAE) for wooden and bamboo structures

Development of charcoal kilns for rural communities

Sustainability: Study and development of indicators and methods for assessing carbon emissions and sequestration at the product level according to the LCA standards, and the application of the BCG model at the area-based level for bamboo (Lampang Model).

International-related regulations: Study international regulations related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and competitiveness enhancement of Thai economic wood industry in international markets such as EU-Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and prepare stakeholders for regulatory compliance.

Tools

Tools

1. Circular saw table

The circular saw table is a versatile worktable for woodworking tasks such as cutting and ripping wood to the desired size. The table has an overall working area of 88 cm wide by 170 cm long. It includes a vise for securing workpieces at the table’s head and slots for mounting a router, trimmer, or electric jigsaw.

2. Track saw

A track saw is a tool that enables precise cutting with minimal dust. It can cut a groove up to 2 millimeters deep without producing debris. The cutting path remains consistent throughout, regardless of the angle of the guide rail attached to the machine. It can cut very close to the wall, with a minimum distance of 18 millimeters, and can make bevel cuts from -1 to 48 degrees.

3. Band saw

A band saw is a tabletop band saw designed for cutting metal, wood, and other materials. It is used for resawing, curved cuts, and angled cuts. It can cut wood up to a maximum thickness of 165 millimeters and has a maximum cutting width of 305 millimeters.

4. One-sided planing machine

A one-sided planing machine is used for leveling wood. It can plane wood with a maximum width of 630 millimeters and a thickness range of 3-180 millimeters. The machine features a digital system for setting the planing dimensions and the thickness/thinness of the planing process.

5. Sander

A two-head sander is used for general sanding tasks. It has a sanding width of 630 millimeters and can sand wood with a thickness range of 2.5-160 millimeters. The machine features a display screen showing the sanding settings and allows for digital setting adjustments.

Services

Partners and international collaborations

The research team has integrated and built collaborations with partners in Thailand, including government agencies, private sectors, and communities. Additionally, the research team has also integrated and established collaborations with international partners, such as the International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP) and Nanjing Forestry University (NJFU).