Surface design of wood-based board to imitate wood texture using 3D printing technology

Abstract

Wood texture has a beautiful appearance and tactile feeling, making it very appropriate for furniture applications. However, the fabrication of a wood texture on wood-based boards can be inefficient and less green when performed using conventional methods. In this study, a wood-like surface on a wood-based board was designed to imitate a wood texture using 3D printing technology. To obtain a high-quality wood texture template for 3D printing, the sharpness of the wood texture was evaluated by image sharpness models, and the scanned wood texture was optimized by colorimetric parameter and sharpness adjustments. The wood texture coating, which was mainly composed of acrylated oligomers, was UV-inkjet 3D printed on the medium-density fiberboard (MDF) from an obtained template. The properties of the printed wood texture coating on the MDF, including its gloss, wearability, adhesion, and hardness, were measured. The results showed that a wood texture coating with high processability can be feasibly 3D printed on MDF to obtain comparable decoration using commercial products.