ABSTRACT
The cost of timber processing is determined primarily by the cost of tool maintenance, which in turn is related to properties of the timber, and also to the type and design of the saw or planer blade. Steam bending of certain timbers is a long-established process that was used extensively when it was fashionable to have furniture with rounded lines. The area of wood-based panels is recognised as being the fastest growing area within the timber industry over the past few decades. There are an infinite variety of panel types though there are only four principal ones: plywood, particleboard (chipboard), oriented strand board (OSB) and medium-density fibreboard (MDF). The strength and modulus of elasticity of the laminated product will usually be higher than that of the timber from which it was made. The following three products are similar in concept to glulam, but are formed from much smaller wooden components: laminated veneer lumber, parallel strand lumber and laminated strand lumber.
