Wood processing

Wood processing is an engineering discipline in the wood industry comprising the production of forest products, such as pulp and paper, construction materials, and tall oil. Paper engineering is a subfield of wood processing.

The major wood product categories are: sawn timber, wood-based panels, wood chips, paper and paper products and miscellaneous others including poles and railway sleepers.

Forest product processing technologies have undergone extraordinary advances in some of the above categories. Improvements have been achieved in recovery rates[clarification needed], durability and protection, greater utilization of NTFPs such as various grain stalks and bamboo, and the development of new products such as reconstituted wood-panels. Progress has not been homogeneous in all the forest product utilization categories. Although there is little information available on the subjects of technology acquisition, adaptation and innovation for the forest-based industrial sector, it is clear that sawmilling has been far less affected by the spread of innovations than the manufacturing of panel products.[1]

Wood processing produces additives for further processing of timber, wood chips, cellulose and other prefabricated material.


To look at more perspectives of wood processing you can learn many ways from different countries. This source I found explains a process that Russia uses for there wood processing and will help understand more of the general process. [2] Although learning how wood processing works gets you so far it is important to learn how to get into manufacturing and selling the processed wood you will need some guidance. [3] Some major key points to think about while discussing wood processing are what are the main aspects that go into it. Things such as small and large operations. To break it down even further there are 4 main steps to processing wood. They are cutting, the planning, shaping, and the sanding. It is important that every one of these steps is organized and done right for the wood to be the best quality it can. [4] On the other side of the wood processing discussion is are there any bi products of processing wood. Some things that are left behind in the mills are bark, sawdust, and black liquor. These bi-products are used to keep fueling the mills. This is a really good way to not harm the environment but also save money using this as fuel. [5]

  1. ^ "Wood processing". Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
  2. ^ Barr, Brenton Marshall (1970). The soviet wood-processing industry: a linear programming analysis of the role of transportation costs in location and flow patterns. University of Toronto. Department of geography. Research publications. University of Toronto. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0-8020-3259-1.
  3. ^ Schmithüsen, Franz; Kaiser, Bastian, eds. (2014). Entrepreneurship and management in forestry and wood processing: principles of business economics and management processes (1. publ ed.). London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-59101-0.
  4. ^ Nur, Nur (2021-02-23). "The main types of wood processing". Volpato LASM. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  5. ^ "Wood Processing Residues – Wood Energy". wood-energy.extension.org. Retrieved 2023-12-04.