Mechanical behavior of five non-traditional species for furniture production from shaped parts: Relationship with gluing parameters (viscosity and consumption) Mechanical behavior of five non-traditional species for furniture production from shaped parts: Relationship with gluing parameters (viscosity and consumption)

Abstract

The furniture industry faces the urgent need to replace traditional, overexploited timber species with others greater availability. The objective of this study is to identify the species with the best mechanical behavior for the manufacture of furniture using veneer shaped pieces, based on the technical evaluation of 5 species from EAF Macurijes in Pinar del Río and EAF Costa Sur in Artemisa. A classificatory method was created to identify the most influential factors in the shaping process, highlighting the glue consumption, glue viscosity and species. Ten specimens for each species were analyzed by means of standardized tests (GOST) of compression, static bending and splitting, processed in laboratories of the MICONS and the University of Pinar del Rio, which were compared by means of the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Corymbia citriodora stood out with the highest resistance to compression (71,78 ± 1,92 MPa) and bending (101,92 ± 3,2 MPa), significantly exceeding the other species. Using response surface models (RSM) and the L-BFSG-B algorithm, the gluing parameters were optimized, identifying 140-150 s/BZ4 for viscosity and 170-180 g/m² for glue consumption as optimal ranges. These values maximize mechanical strength and reduce spillage during shaping. The results validate C. citriodora as an optimal material for high performance furniture, offering a sustainable alternative to species at risk.