Development of engineered wooden drumsticks

新玩法汉威尔的劳伦斯木材制品有限公司（Lawrence Wood）是一家生产鼓槌的小规模公司，其中约80%是由山胡桃木制成的。山核桃木是一种被广泛接受的用于制造鼓槌的木材，因为它的高密度和良好的减震能力。劳伦斯伍德主要从美国购买山核桃。然而，由于北美自由贸易协定可能重新谈判甚至终止，山核桃的价格和供应可能变得不确定。为了克服这一风险，另一种方法是寻找当地的硬木品种和/或工程木材。倡议者孟巩博士建议通过热-水-机械（THM）致密化技术，使用致密化木材制作鼓槌。预期THM致密化木材将具有达到或超过山胡桃木的密度的增加的密度，并且因此将具有类似或甚至上级的机械和声学性质。在过去的十年里，孟巩博士成功地进行了一系列关于改善低密度木材表面性能的研究项目。他和他的团队已经为大西洋地区当地生长的白杨和香脂冷杉开发了一套THM致密化工艺参数。通过优化致密化参数，这种THM技术可以很容易地转移到其他木材品种，如白色灰。从本项目的研究成果来看，后续研发工作的最终目标将是开发一条生产致密化木材的生产线，并将致密化木材鼓槌商品化。该项目预计需要6个月才能完成。THM致密木材的开发将确保劳伦斯木材有一个长期的可持续木材来源，使鼓槌。这无疑将提高加拿大木制品在全球市场上的竞争力，为木制品制造商创造新产品，并增加新的就业机会。

Lawrence Wood Products Ltd. (Lawrence Wood) of Hanwell, New Brunswick, is a small-scale companyproducing drumsticks, about 80% of which are made of hickory. Hickory is a widely-accepted wood species formaking drumsticks due to its high density and good shock absorbing capacity. Lawrence Wood purchaseshickory mainly from USA. However, the price and availability of hickory may become uncertain due topossible renegotiation or even termination of the North American Free Trade Agreement. To overcome thisrisk, an alternative way is to seek local hardwood species and/or engineered wood material(s). The proponent,Dr. Meng Gong, has recommended to use, via the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) densification technology,densified wood to make drumsticks. It is expected that the THM densified wood will have an increased densitythat reaches or exceeds the density of hickory, and therefore will have similar or even superior mechanical andacoustic properties. Dr. Meng Gong has successfully conducted a series of research projects on theimprovement of the surface properties of low density wood in the last decade. He and his team have developeda set of THM densification processing parameters for aspen and balsam fir locally grown in Atlantic region.This THM technology can be easily transferred to other wood species such as white ash, by optimizing thedensification parameters. From the outcomes of this proposed project, the ultimate goal of the follow-up R&Dresearch will be the development of a production line for making densified wood, and commercialization of thedensified wood drumsticks. This project is expected to take 6 months to complete. The THM densified wood tobe developed will ensure that Lawrence Wood has a long-term source of sustainable wood for makingdrumsticks. It will no doubt enhance the competitiveness of Canadian wood products on the global market,create new products for wood products manufacturers, and furthermore add new job opportunities.