Simulating the Gluing of Wood Particles by Lattice Gas Cellular Automata and Random Walk

In this work a mathematical model and simulation for the gluing of wood particles designated for particleboards is presented. The aim is to obtain a better understanding of the gluing process. Thus, the behaviour of wood particles during gluing is investigated and the resulting adhesive distribution across the surface of the wood particles is analysed. For developing a mathematical model, the modelling methods “lattice gas cellular automata” and “random walk” were used. The model was implemented in MATLAB and different scenarios were simulated for answering the main questions of the behaviour during gluing. The influences of different parameters on the adhesive distribution were investigated and quantitatively determined by several key figures. Based on these key figures, the effects of the mixing arm, realistic size distributions of wood particles and adhesive droplets, the transfer of adhesive, and the total mass of adhesive are discussed. Furthermore the results are compared with experimental measurements. The simulation results show that the model can feasibly be used for studying the gluing of wood particles. For a possible industrial application, additional research for developing a three-dimensional model is needed.