Energy Consumption for Furniture Joints during Drilling in Birch Plywood

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to support eco-design ideas and sustainable manufacturing techniques by examining the energy consumption related to drilling holes for different furniture connections. The experimental model is a simple piece of furniture made from birch plywood with three different types of joints. Eccentric joints, confirmat screws, and dowel measurements of energy consumption with a CNC drilling and milling machine show different values for every kind of connector. The energy consumption was measured using a portable power quality analyzer, specifically the PQ-box 150 manufactured by A:Eberle GmbH & Co. KG Nürnberg, Germany. This device likely adheres to industry standards for energy measurement, ensuring accurate and reliable results. The measurement process involved recording energy consumption at different stages of the machining process, allowing for the analysis of specific cutting work and total energy consumption for various joint types. Dowels exhibit the lowest energy consumption at 0.105 Wh for one furniture joint, confirmat screws at 0.127 Wh, while eccentric joints, despite their higher energy consumption (0.173 Wh), offer enhanced transportability and assembly flexibility of a piece of furniture. Specific cutting power for one selected piece of furniture was 227.89 J/mm3 for dowels, 190.63 J/mm3 for eccentric joints and 261.68 J/mm3 for confirmat screws.