Abstract
Commercial fabrication of laminated bamboo (LB) typically requires sophisticated technology and an abundant supply of energy for pressing. However, small enterprises (with low-technology resources) have found ways to make LB in small job lots. This paper explores how small LB-based enterprises fabricate their products and discusses how potential developments can be made with their limited available resources. A literature review is conducted and three small bamboo-related enterprises are examined to determine current product potentials and investigate the possibilities for new product design and development. The results show that small enterprises use low-level technology to solve problems in all steps of LB fabrication. Some stages in the fabrication sequence can be modified to improve design quality through optimizing the use of clamps for shaping and applying color variation into the products.
