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An education programme at the master’s level normally aims to facilitate graduates’ acquisition, mastery and application of advanced knowledge in specialised areas of education. However, there is no learning pathway that aims to improve the level of specific and transversal competencies and skills, with particular regard to those relevant for the labour market in the furniture sector, such as management, entrepreneurship, language competences and leadership toward wood and furniture industry 4.0. The methodology for this research inquiry was based upon a survey questionnaire of 54 respondents during the MAKING4.0 Seminar at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. The results were analysed from the Work Package 1 (WP1) “Analysis and comparison of the current Higher Education training offer and furniture and woodworking industry”, before the learning outcomes were defined for each of the identified topics. The definition of learning outcomes was made considering the Recommendations of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), and subsequently harmonised with the Programme Learning Outcomes defined in the Malaysian Qualification Framework 2nd edition (MQF2.0) for a Master´s Degree Level 7. The identified learning outcomes have been grouped into four modules: (1) Processes and Production of Furniture, (2) Intelligent and Sustainable Design, (3) Wood and New Materials, and (4) Innovation Management. Results of the study indicated that MAKING4.0 is in line with the actions highlighted in the Malaysian Education Blueprint (2015–2025) and the objectives of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in developing the National Industry 4.0 policy framework. MAKING4.0 aims to ensure an adequate supply of human capital and skills, as well as develop an innovative master’s degree to modernise the current training offer in wood and furniture technology processes and design around Industry 4.0 in Malaysia.

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of flat slicing processes on wood surface characteristics of the European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). The relation between wettability, roughness and machining methods were studied. Two different wood thickness (3.4 and 4.0 mm) and three levels of compression during slicing (67.5 %, 57.5 % and 47.5 % of desired veneer thickness) were used to prepare surfaces prior to testing. The smaller variation of the thickness of thinner veneers was observed. No significant impact of compression on variation of the thickness was found. The contact angle was lower when roughness measured parallel to the grain was higher. The influence of selected compression on roughness of European beech veneers measured perpendicular to the grain was confirmed. This indicated that the influence of the set of machining processes, such as pressure bar setting during slicing, is significant for wooden veneers surface properties.

The lack of knowledgeable and skilled workers is a major challenge faced by the Malaysian furniture sector. It hinders industrial productivity and its ability to move up the value-chain by adopting high technology. Therefore, in order to assess the awareness and readiness of the Malaysian furniture industry for Industry 4.0, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted with a sample of 778 large-, medium-, and small-sized furniture manufacturers throughout Malaysia. This study is part of an on-going Erasmus+ program funded by the European Commission, initiated in 2018 to develop a university-level education program to train workers capable of handling Industry 4.0 technologies for the furniture and wood industry in Malaysia. The results revealed that manufacturers of wood-based panel and metal furniture were more prepared to adopt automation and Industry 4.0 technologies compared to solid-wood and leather furniture manufacturers. The benefits from Industry 4.0 technologies include increased production capacity, product diversity, cost competitiveness, and workforce reduction. Further, the results of this study suggest that the lack of knowledgeable and skilled workers to handle Industry 4.0 technology is a concern among furniture manufacturers, and possibly the proposed university-level Industry 4.0 program may be beneficial to train workers for the future of the industry.

The possibility of using composite elements of flooring pine veneers with knotholes for the production of supporting layers has been determined. This assessment was made on the basis of the Brinell hardness measurement of the face layer of five-layer composites with empty spots in their structure imitating knotholes of various diameters (10, 20 and 50 mm). The dependencies obtained from empirical determinations were supported by numerical analysis. It was found that it is possible to use veneers with defects (empty spots) with a diameter of up to 20 mm to produce composites of three and more layers of wood (counting from the face layer). The anatomical section of the exposed wood on the face (radial cross-section, tangential section) of the layered composite does not affect the obtained hardness values., Ispitivanjem je potvrđena mogućnost uporabe furnira od borova drva s rupama od kvrga kao srednjeg sloja u proizvodnji višeslojnih podnih obloga. Ta je procjena napravljena na temelju mjerenja tvrdoće prema Brinellu gaznog sloja peteroslojne podne obloge s rupama različitih promjera (10, 20 i 50 mm) unutar strukture obloge koje simuliraju rupe od kvrga. Ovisnosti dobivene iz empirijskih rezultata potkrijepljene su računskom analizom. Utvrđeno je da je za proizvodnju podnih obloga od tri i više slojeva (brojeći od gaznog sloja) moguće upotrijebiti furnire s greškama (s neispunjenim rupama) promjera do 20 mm. Anatomski presjek izloženog drva na licu višeslojne podne obloge (radijalni i tangentni presjek) ne utječe na vrijednosti tvrdoće.

En este trabajo, los autores presentan el análisis llevado a cabo para evaluar la falta, las necesidades y las competencias y habilidades requeridas sobre las tecnologías habilitadoras clave (KETs) de la Industria 4.0 (I4.0), tanto en la educación superior como en la industria del mueble, la madera y la manufacturación en Europa. El análisis también evalúa el nivel de implementación de las últimas tendencias tecnológicas en este mismo sector. El análisis se realizó en el marco del proyecto europeo MAKING 4.0, donde un completo set de encuestas se lanzaron a agentes directamente involucrados en el sector del mueble y la madera para conocer, de primera mano, cuáles son sus impresiones acerca del conocimiento actual y el demandado por la I4.0, obteniendo resultados donde se demuestra el bajo nivel de competencias y cualificación en este sector industrial, tanto a nivel educativo como en la industria, además de la falta y necesidad de adaptación de la oferta formativa actual sobre la I4.0 y sus KETs. Se concluye que existe una disparidad evidente entre las competencias actuales de los trabajadores y aquellas que adquieren los estudiantes de ciclos formativos (VET) y educación superior (HE) con respecto a lo demandado por la I4.0, debiéndose cubrir y solventar en los próximos años a través de nuevas iniciativas de formación, capacitación y adquisición de competencias necesarias, como por ejemplo, el proyecto MAKING4.0.

A test method was developed to evaluate the surface characteristics of veneers produced using the peeling process. Rotary cut Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) veneers, which were produced from logs soaked at 65 °C for 42 h prior to peeling and dried at 125 °C, were used as the test specimens. The pine veneers were produced under industrial conditions. The density variation of the round wood was determined using X-ray computed tomography, the thickness variation of the pine veneers was measured using an optical microscope, and the structure of the veneers was examined using a scanning electron microscope. The pine wood was characterised by the density variation in the transverse section. At the same moisture level, broad-ring pith-adjacent juvenile sapwood had a lower density compared with that of perimeter-adjacent mature wood. The clear lack of density homogeneity was seen in the width of the subsequent annual growths. The roughness of the pine veneers demonstrated significant variation, depending on the tool angle (17° and 21°), wood area (sapwood and heartwood), and veneer side (tight and loose). The veneer thickness had a significant impact on the roughness values measured perpendicular to the grain.

In the paper, by way of background, the role of Polish furniture industry in the world and in Europe is discussed and current trends in the field of furniture manufacturing management are presented. Further, an analysis of the technological process in a furniture company is performed and the research questions are identified. Based on this, the main aim of the research is provided – a concept of a new lean production control system based on Glenday sieve, artificial neural networks and simulation modeling. The aim of the present approach is to plan and execute the production program effectively and maximize the use of workstations at variable and hardly predictable demand for sets of furniture. The paper presents the methodological approach, results and discussion on the suggested solution., U radu je predstavljena uloga poljske industrije namještaja u svijetu i Europi te trendovi u području upravljanja proizvodnjom namještaja. Nadalje, provedena je analiza tehnološkog procesa u poduzeću za proizvodnju namještaja i identificirane teme istraživanja. Na temelju toga defi niran je osnovni cilj istraživanja – koncept novog sustava lean kontrole proizvodnje koji se temelji na metodi Glenday sieve, umjetnim neuronskim mrežama i simulacijskome modeliranju. Cilj opisanog pristupa jest učinkovito planiranje i izvršavanje proizvodnog programa te maksimalna iskorištenost proizvodnih kapaciteta pri promjenjivoj i teško predvidivoj potražnji namještaja. Rad prikazuje metodološki pristup, rezultate i raspravu o predloženom rješenju.

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of two machining processes on European oak wood surface characteristics. The relationships between wettability, free surface energy and machining methods were studied. Sawing and slicing, with or without sanding, were used to prepare surfaces prior to testing whether they produce surfaces with different characteristics. For the wood surfaces machined by slicing and sawing, there was a significant difference in contact angle measurements. This indicates that the influence of machining processes such as slicing and sawing on contact angle value is remarkable. Sanded surfaces showed good wettability and high process roughness.

This work compares the effectiveness of local reinforcements of pine beams. Test beams were reinforced with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) tape and layered laminate bamboo composite (LLBC) plates. The effective length of local reinforcement reached 5% of the entire beam length. Beams were tested to determine static bending strength in accordance with the EN-408 (2012) standard. On the basis of testing and calculations, it was concluded that local reinforcement with both reinforcing materials caused a significant (p < 0.05) gain in load capacity and modulus of elasticity. The LLBC, which has a tensile strength 25 times lower and a modulus of elasticity 17 times lower than CFRP, resulted in the highest load capacity. This phenomenon is related to the more uniform stress distribution on the composite with LLBC plate - glue bond - wood layers and lower strain within the bond in comparison to the CFRP reinforcement. Therefore, critical stresses within the bond were not exceeded, which often happens in reinforcement with materials of high modulus of elasticity (such as CFRP tape).

Veneer densifi cation was performed at 105±3 ºC under pressure of 1,8 N/mm2 for 30 s. The approach allowed to reduce 20-mm thick plywood pressing time by 12-25 % when compared to the non-densified controls. It was found that densifi cation did not affect shear strength of the plywood which met the requirements of the respective standards., Stlačivanje furnira provedeno je pri temperaturi 105±3 ºC i tlaku 1.8 N/mm2 tijekom 30 s. Na taj je način omogućeno skraćenje vremena prešanja furnirske ploče debljine 20 mm za 12-25 % u usporedbi s kontrolnim uzorcima od nestlačenih furnira. Istraživanje je pokazalo da stlačivanje furnira ne utječe na čvrstoću smicanja furnirske ploče koja zadovoljava zahtjeve odgovarajućih normi.