The project is based on the idea of promoting the use of forest raw materials and bio-based materials such as bamboo by developing a technology for joining wood (wood welding) where no additives of synthetic adhesives or metal joints are used.
The general hypothesis is that the project leads to an increase in the climate benefit and competitiveness of the wood industry. The welding machine has been developed at the lab-scale and is used for welding two solid pieces of wood whose thickness is at least 25 mm. To be able to utilize the great potential that the welding machine offers the wood industry, an important first step is to establish that it is possible to weld thin veneers of bamboo and/or wood. If it is technically possible to adapt a new tool to the standard welding machine, there will be a possibility to enhance the water resistance of the welded joint in the next step.
Step 1 follows the sub-goal of developing a process to be able to weld bamboo or pine veneers for use in pacifiers. The results from the project in the first step will be pacifiers of pine and/or bamboo which will be tested in a real environment by end-users. The next step of the project will focus on the development of water-resistant glue-free panels.
Participants
Luleå University of Technology (LTU), Green & Company and TinyMark AB.
Budget & time plan
The project’s total budget is 1 MSEK and the project runs during six months – between October 2022 and April 2023.