The Swedish furniture industry is dominated by low-volume, high-variety production, with only a few firms operating high-volume models. Although interest in remanufacturing is increasing, its implementation remains limited. This study aims to strengthen circularity in the Swedish furniture industry, focusing on remanufacturing in SMEs with low production volumes and high product variety. Empirical studies with five manufacturers were conducted as part of a collaborative research project, and the data were analysed through ecosystem, circular strategy, and manufacturing strategy perspectives. The companies exhibit similar product variety, production volumes, and manufacturing strategies, but they adopt circular strategies differently, ranging from reuse and repair to remanufacturing. Multiple intermediaries in the ecosystem reduce product traceability, and the absence of information exchange with customers further constrains circular flows. The study identifies a progression towards remanufacturing that begins with customer-specific remanufacturing, develops into hybrid production combining new and remanufactured products, and ultimately requires strategic decisions on dedicated systems or outsourcing as volumes increase.

Adjusting the wood flour content enables optimisation of wood-plastic composites (WPCs) for different applications. The effect of wood flour content on the machining performance of WPCs is considerable, yet its underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, orthogonal cutting experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of wood flour content, cutting speed, and cutting depth on cutting force and surface characteristics. When the wood flour content increased from 30 to 50%, the higher composite strength resulted in greater cutting forces. However, at 70%, the weakened interfacial bonding led to a reduction in cutting force. Increasing wood content also decreased plasticity and increased brittleness, causing surface damage to shift from burr formation to more severe pit defects, thereby raising surface roughness. Increasing the cutting depth increased the cutting force (243-310%) and surface roughness (24-333%). Increasing the cutting speed also led to increases in cutting force (18-88%) and surface roughness (18-34%). Moreover, with higher wood content, cutting depth contributed more strongly to surface roughness variation, whereas cutting speed contributed more strongly to cutting force variation. These findings clarify the mechanisms of surface damage in WPCs with varying wood flour fractions and provide theoretical guidance for optimising their machining performance.

Excessive temperatures in the cutting zone can degrade the machining quality and efficiency of wood-plastic composites (WPC). Instead of parameter optimisation, cryogenic minimum quantity lubrication (CMQL) was introduced to control cutting temperature and improve surface quality. This study investigates the influence of feed per tooth and milling depth on cutting force and surface quality during CMQL milling of WPC, compared to dry cutting. Results show that at shallow cutting depths (0.1 mm), CMQL significantly reduces both cutting force and surface roughness, while weakening the effect of feed per tooth on these outcomes. Thus, CMQL is more suitable for finishing operations, where increasing feed per tooth moderately can further enhance efficiency. At larger depths, CMQL results in higher cutting forces than dry milling but effectively suppresses surface plastic deformation, reduces burrs and pits, and improves surface integrity. Overall, cutting force and roughness increase with greater feed per tooth and milling depth under both methods. These findings highlight the advantages of CMQL in improving surface quality compared with conventional dry milling, and offer guidance for optimising WPC milling performance and process efficiency.

As a high value lignocellulosic biomass material, beech wood has been increasingly used in advanced manufacturing. However, the machining efficiency and surface quality of beech wood are strongly influenced by cutting temperature. This study investigates the effects of cryogenic CO2-assisted machining on the material removal process and surface quality of beech wood. Orthogonal cutting tests were conducted on beech wood along the grain under cryogenic and dry conditions, with cutting speed and cutting depth selected as the key variables. The results indicate that cryogenic cutting reduces the cutting force by 11%-20% and the surface roughness by 6.47%-20.31% compared with dry cutting. By inhibiting the softening of hemicellulose and lignin and reducing mechanical interlocking between wood particles and the cutting tool, cryogenic cutting significantly lowers the cutting force. In addition, cryogenic cutting strengthens the hydrogen bonding interactions among cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, thereby suppressing the plastic deformation of wood. The suppression of plastic deformation reduces the formation of surface burrs and pits, thereby improving surface quality. Cutting depth significantly increases both the cutting force and surface roughness, whereas increasing the cutting speed produces the opposite effect. Statistical analysis confirms that cutting depth is the dominant factor affecting both responses under cryogenic conditions. Notably, the combination of a higher cutting speed and a shallow cutting depth improves both material removal performance and surface quality. This work clarifies the mechanisms underlying the cryogenic cutting of beech wood and provides useful insights for improving the efficiency and quality of biomass processing.

Full-Field Force Mapping of Cutting Forces Driven by Local Density Variations in Norway Spruce Wood Local density variations in wood influence cutting performance. In this study, full-field force mapping was applied to investigate the relationship between density distribution and cutting forces. Cutting forces were measured using piezoelectric transducers during cutting of Norway spruce. X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans of the workpiece provided spatially resolved density data. Force maps were constructed by aligning recorded forces with kerf positions and CT data. Results showed that cutting forces increased in regions of higher density, particularly near knot boundaries and latewood zones. Inner knot areas exhibiting lower density correlated with reduced cutting forces. Normal-force patterns were less responsive to local density changes. No self-feeding behaviour was observed. The integrated CT–force mapping technique enables spatial analysis of cutting responses in relation to anatomical wood features.

Handsaws are well-established tools for wood processing. Handsaw tooth geometries have customarily been adapted for hand-held electric saws, which utilise higher cutting velocities. Fundamental studies in wood cutting mechanics suggest that a cutting velocity of up to 50 m s−1 has negligible effect on the cutting forces acting on an orthogonal cutting tool. There is a lack of research on the mechanisms involved in the use of native handsaw teeth for wood cutting. This study investigates how cutting velocity affects the forces acting on four bevel-ground cross-cutting teeth extracted from a handsaw blade. Conditioned specimens of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] were used in the tests. The mean densities of wood specimens were assessed using X-ray computed tomography. Cutting tests were performed on a pre-existing, custom-made cutting-force test machine. Cutting data were collected using piezoelectric dynamometers linked to a data acquisition system. Cutting velocity was controlled by the rotational speed of the arm holding the wood specimen. A customised software application logged and processed the forces acting on the teeth. The results show that the mean resultant force does not vary significantly within a 2.5–15 m s−1 velocity range. The current study suggests that velocity is nearly independent of the system mean cutting force acting on bevelled handsaw teeth cutting across the grain. The findings are particularly relevant for developing cutting tools for wood applications since knowledge from handsaw tooth geometry can be adapted for the design of cutting blades for power tools.

The lack of quantitative methods for surface-checking measurements may hinder improving the product characteristics of engineered wood flooring products built with sliced top-layer lamellae. This study evaluated the digital image correlation method for its applicability to surface checking measurements in engineered wood flooring elements with the top-layer comprising the plain sliced lamellae of oak (Quercus spp.) species with nominal thicknesses of 1.5–4.5 mm. The method involves observing full-field surface displacements of the sliced lamellae-based wood flooring specimens subjected to an accelerated sorption/desorption cycle. Detection of surface checks relates to discontinuities in surface displacements which can be interpreted from the output strain data as strain peak regions. Additionally, a surface-checking index was defined to describe the extension of surface-checking. Exposure tests were performed on a combination of coating presence and a different number of testing cycles. The main findings provide insight into the method procedure parameters, such as exposure duration, climate conditions, analysis parameters and recommendations regarding the digital image correlation setup settings and specimen manufacturing.

Surface-checking is a significant quality issue of veneer and sliced lamellae-based wood products. This study explores how surface-checking in sliced lamellae-based engineered wood Flooring (EWF) is influenced by two key structure parameters: core type and top-layer thickness. The core types assessed were a standard solid wood lamellae with a veneer back-end layer (S), a standard solid wood lamellae core with veneer back-end layers on the two sides (DS), and a single-layer oriented strand board (OS) core. The EWF element's top-layer lamellae were plain sliced at nominal dimensions of 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 mm from freshly sawn slabs of European oak (Quercus spp.). The surface-checking of EWF specimens was quantified based on a digital image correlation (DIC) method, which outputs a surface-checking index. The surface-checking results were evaluated using a Tweedie compound Poisson data distribution to fit a general linear model. The model evaluated the impact of individual factors, sliced lamellae thickness and core type, and their interaction. The checking index confidence intervals were estimated using a bootstrapping technique. Findings reveal a significant interaction between studied factors and provide insight into optimizing top-layer thickness and core construction to diminish surface-checking. A low sliced lamella thickness on standard solid wood lamellae core resulted in low surface-checking, deemed relevant for further research.

The mechanical properties of sliced lamellae are critical for structural and decorative engineered wood products. This study evaluates the impact of slicing thickness on the tensile mechanical properties of plain oak (Quercus robur L. and Quercus petraea L.) sliced lamellae, perpendicular to the grain direction. The mechanical performance parameters in terms of the modulus of rupture (MOR), strain at break, and modulus of elasticity (MOE), were analysed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and contrast analysis. Our findings indicate that slicing thickness substantially affects the mechanical properties of the modulus of rupture and strain at break, whilst the modulus of elasticity was somewhat independent of the slicing thickness. The mean MOR value increased from 0.8 to 1.43 N mm(-2) for an increase in the sliced lamellae thickness from 1.5 to 4.5 mm. The strain at break increased, on average, from 1.37 to 2.64% for an increase in the sliced lamellae thickness from 1.5 to 4.5 mm. The MOE was approximately 100-120 N mm(-2), indicating a substantially reduced stiffness compared to other sliced lamellae species and solid oak reported values. The slicing check depth ratio diminished from approximately 69% to 50% for an increase in the sliced lamellae thickness from 1.5 mm to 4.5 mm. These findings indicate a negative correlation between the slicing check depth ratio and the tensile performance perpendicular to the grain, suggesting the importance of obtaining an optimal slicing quality. This study employs digital image correlation (DIC) analysis to gain insights into the fracture mechanisms of the tested sliced lamellae and provides an alternative method for strain and stress measuring. The DIC analysis highlighted the role of slicing checks in the stress concentration and ultimate failure areas. This research provides insights into the fracture behaviour of sliced lamellae that are perpendicular to the grain, which is critical for the performance of both structural and decorative products.