Retrofitting ancient timber glulam mortise & tenon construction joints through computer-aided laser cutting

Area of Science:

• Timber engineering
• Manufacturing technology
• Computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM)

Background:

• Traditional joinery methods for timber frames can be labor-intensive and prone to variability.
• The demand for efficient and precise fabrication techniques in timber construction is increasing.
• Glued laminated timber (glulam) offers structural advantages but requires accurate joint fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the efficacy of laser cutting for fabricating glulam mortise and tenon joints.
• To rationalize the use of laser cutting technology in timber frame construction.
• To explore the potential for rapid, high-quality manufacturing of timber joints.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 3D modeling software (Google SketchUp) to design mortise and tenon joints.
• Employed a laser cutter (TH 1390/6090) and compatible software (Laser CAD v7.52) for fabrication.
• Conducted trial-and-error experiments using plywood for joint prototyping and testing.

Main Results:

• Laser cutting significantly accelerated the manufacturing process for glulam joints.
• Achieved superb quality and high uniformity in fabricated mortise and tenon joints.
• Identified benefits including precision, minimal waste, reduced noise, and small heat-affected zones.

Conclusions:

• Laser cutting is a highly effective technique for the rapid manufacturability of high-quality glulam mortise and tenon joints.
• The computer-aided laser cutting approach offers significant potential for timber frame construction and built environment applications.
• Further development may involve optimizing software for direct 3D image processing to streamline the workflow.