Wood K plus: „Wooden“ it be smart

Wood has a long tradition of use in branches such as furniture-making and the construction industry. One of its major advantages is its renewability, which makes it a material of the future. The “WoodSigns” project that began in February promotes wood’s transition to a material that is at once highly functional and beautiful to look at. By functionalizing wood in innovative ways the project aims to open up new areas of use for it, such as the automotive and aviation industries.

One aim of the research work is to use sustainable technologies to create smart and functional real-wood veneers for use in jet aircraft interiors. Where there are currently switch elements and conventional electronic components such as LED lamps, wooden components are to replace the plastic parts with sustainable natural products. Apart from ensuring functionality, the aim is also to develop uniform and smooth wood surfaces that enhance the elegant appearance of the interior.

To achieve this, the consortium is formed of three partners, each of which contributes expertise ideally suited to the particular tasks: Silicon Austria Labs GmbH, Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH – Wood K plus and F/LIST GmbH. At the conclusion of the project a demonstrator is to be presented: a smart wood veneer that has been optimized by means of surface finishing and functionalized using methods of additive manufacturing. The demonstrators will be examined to assess their suitability for use in aviation and their (low) inflammability.

More details:

Wood K plus (wood-kplus.at)