Methods of wood particle size measurement - From the technological question to informative statistics

The description of ongoing research projects give you some examples of different applications of the Fibreshape system.

Burkhard Plinke, Dr. Arne Schirp, Inka Weidenmüller; Fraunhofer WKI, Braunschweig

Abstract: The size distribution of wood fibres or particles as raw materials for fibreboards or particleboards is an important parameter for the production control. Size characteristics are currently measured using simple means such as sieve analysis which provides only weight fractions. However, contour details (e.g. length, width, aspect ratio of each particle) can de evaluated only by optical measurements. Today, automatic image processing methods for laboratory and on-line measurements are available which can be adapted to the material type. Shape measurements for manually separated particles together with weighted size distributions provide detailed information: E.g. the different lengths of particles from various wood species which originate from the same sieve fraction; the amount of shives and fibre bundles in MDF fibre material corresponding to the gap size in the refiner; different components (e.g. particles and fibres) in particle mixtures. The FibreShape system operated at WKI is a helpful tool for these investigations. In addition, using specific image processing procedures which were developed at WKI, it is also possible to recover and measure particle shapes in mat and board surfaces for a continuous monitoring of particle geometry in the production.

Reference to the Paper:
Plinke, B., Schirp, A. und Weidenmüller, I. (2011): Methoden der Holzpartikelgrößenmessung - Von der technologischen Fragestellung zur aussagefähigen Statistik. In: 9. Holzwerkstoffkolloquium, S. 177-187. Institut für Holztechnologie, Dresden, 1.-2.12.2011.

Contact: Fraunhofer WKI, Burkhard Plinke
E-mail  burkhard.plinke (at) wki.fraunhofer.de, Phone +49 531 2155 444
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