An Elementary Production and Mechanical Property Evaluation Method for Wood-based Materials Using a Milk Carton and Teaching Practice

Abstract

Junior high schools conduct several learning activities in technology classes involving manufacturing with wood-based materials. However, these activities require numerous tools and a considerable amount of time. Moreover, such classes require the development of a simple method to evaluate the mechanical properties of wood-based materials. Therefore, we developed easy methods to manufacture wood-based materials by using a milk carton rather than a wooden forming box that compresses wood shavings or a wood powder mixed with adhesives, and further evaluated their mechanical properties based on the principle of a Charpy impact testing machine. In junior high school technology classes, students used the new method to manufacture and improve upon the quality of particleboards and wood powder boards. These newly developed methods for manufacturing wood-based materials and evaluating their mechanical properties were easy and simplified the processing work. The results indicated that these methods were useful teaching resources as evaluated using the plan-do-check act cycle.