LASER INCISION FOR MECHANICAL REINFORCEMENT OF WOOD-BASED COMPOSITE MATERIAL

DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SCIENCE AND ADHESION AND ADHESIVE BOND- ING HAVE LET TO INCREASED EFFICIENCY IN THE USE OF FOREST PRODUCTS. HOWEVER, TO IMPROVE THE PRODUCTIVITY OF FABRICA- TION OPERATIONS AND TO EXPAND THE USE OF WOOD-BASED MATERIALINTO APPLICATIONS IN WHICH IMPROVED SHEAR AND BENDING STRENGTH INCREASE RELIABILITY AND STRUCTURAL LIFE, IT IS NECESSAY TO INCREASE THE INTERLAMINAR BOND STRENGTH OF MULTIPLE LAYER COMPOSITE MATERIALS. THIS PROPOSAL SUGGESTS THE USE OF LASER INCISION BEFORE ADHESIVE BONDING OPERATIONS, TO IMPROVE SHEAR AND BENDING STRENGTH BY MEANS OF MECHANICAL INTERLOCKING AND BY ESTABLISHING SITES FOR OUT-OF-PLANE REINFORCEMENT USING ADHESIVELY BONDED FIBERMATERIAL. THE OBJECTIVES INCLUDE DETERMINING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF WOOD COMPOSITE MATERIALS, SELECTING THE MA- TERIALS WHICH COULD BE MOST SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED BY LASER EXCISION, EVALUATING OPTIMAL INCISION SHAPE, PATTERN AND SPACING, DESIGNING A MODEL LASER SYSTEM, DEVELOPING SIGNAL ANALYSIS AND PROCESS CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR PRECISE LASER MACHINING, EVALUATING BOND STRENGTH AND INTERFACIAL PROPER- TIES, INVESTIGATING THE PARAMETERS WHICH INFLUENCE BOND STRENGTH BY CONVENTIONAL DESTRUCTIVE AND NONDESTRUCTIVE METHODS AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF A PROTOTYPE SYSTEM FOR EX- TENSIVE FIELD TESTING AND ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT IN PHASE 2TH SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT LIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED WOOD-BASED COMPOSITE MATERIALS WITH FAVORABLE MECH-ANICAL PROPERTIES BY ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES WHICH ADDRESS EXISTING BONDLINE PROBLEMS.