The data available in the literature concerning wood cutting forces permits to build models or to simulate the main wood machining processes (milling, sawing, peeling, etc.). This approach contributes to a better understanding of formation of wood surfaces and chips and the data may be helpful to optimise cutting geometry, reduce tool wear, improve tool material, and to size tool-machines. The models may also be useful for industrial application in two ways: (1) providing data to optimise the settings for a given operation (batch approach), and (2) building predictive models that could be the basis of an online control system for the machining processes (interactive approach). A prerequisite for this is that numerous machining tests on different wood materials are performed based on experiences with different kind of tools and experimental devices. With a focus on potential industrial applications, the emphasis of this review was on the wood peeling process, which is a very demanding special case of wood cutting. Although not so many industrial machines are equipped with expensive force sensors, there is a lot of high quality information available about cutting forces which may be useful to improve the scientific or technological knowledge in wood machining. Alternative parameters, such as vibration or sound measurements, appear to be promising substitutes in the praxis, particularly to feed online control systems of any wood cutting process.

Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is a well-known high-performance engineered wood product suitable for structural applications. However, the peeling process can induce lathe checks of the veneer with various depth and spatial frequencies. In this study, a finite element model (FEM) is proposed to describe and to analyze the influence of veneer lathe checks on the elastic properties of LVL. Firstly, the typical lathe check depths and frequencies were determined by means of different compression rates of the pressure bar when peeling. These experimental results served as input to the model to compare the influence of check depth and frequency on the elastic behavior of an LVL beam in four-point bending. The checks were modeled as free spaces in the cross-section that can be partially filled with glue. The results show that the longitudinal modulus of elasticity is marginally affected by checking, while the shear rigidity of the LVL beam is significantly reduced in edgewise bending if checks are not glued. Gluing checks, even under consideration of a low Young’s modulus of glue, highly reduces the effect of checking on the elastic mechanical properties of LVL.