2. Cutting without sharp tools

Machining wood (and other materials) generally involves using a cutting tool to separate the material. For many years now, research centers have been devising a variety of alternative operating methods to avoid the use of cutting tools. The latter presents a number of constraints:

• a large tool park is required to cope with the many different types of machining;

• the tool must be kept in good condition to maintain a cutting edge compatible with production and quality requirements;

• chips and dust, pollutants and toxins, are generated and must be removed.

These observations led development laboratories first, and then manufacturers, to take an interest in machining methods other than traditional tools. Today, laser and waterjet machining are...