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The Department of Forest Management and Forestry at the University of Agriculture will open a new wood technology laboratory that will enable students to acquire knowledge of the entire wood processing process, starting with the processing of round material and ending with the production of products. Development of the laboratory cost nearly one million euro.

The laboratory is equipped with equipment for sawing logs up to one meter in diameter and drying timber up to 4.7 meters in length. One of the most important equipment for research on material technology is the thermal treatment furnace, which according to researcher Linnar Pärn has great scientific potential. "For example, this device allows us to look at how to process wood in such a way as to preserve the desired physical and mechanical properties and improve resistance to environmental influences and pests," said Pärn.

Depending on the degree of processing, the surface treatment of the wood in the heat treatment plant increases and the color changes. In addition, the rot resistance of the wood is increasing and the deformations caused by moisture, which, according to Pärn, are important in both interior and exterior finishing are increasing.The newly purchased machines include a 60-ton plate with pressed plates designed to develop and test various wood panels, including plywood and other composite boards. However, the vacuum membrane press allows curved details to be coated with various coating materials, including veneer. The last grind is given to the wood using a calibration machine in the laboratory, Pärn added.

On a daily basis, the laboratory can be a platform for practical study, wood technology research, as well as cooperation with various wood processing companies.