Аннотация
This study investigates the effects of pressing speed and adhesive content on the physical and mechanical properties of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) panels produced from pine-oak fiber mixtures. Panels were manufactured under industrial conditions using the available production settings, including pressing speeds of 400 and 420 mm/s and adhesive content levels of 10.7% and 11.2%. The evaluated properties included density, modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), internal bond strength (IB), surface soundness, screw withdrawal resistance, thickness swelling (TS), and water absorption (WA). The results showed that density varied significantly among the groups (p<0.05), with lower values obtained at lower pressing speed. Internal bond strength was significantly higher at the lower pressing speed, whereas screw withdrawal resistance was significantly higher at the higher pressing speed. In contrast, MOR, surface soundness, thickness swelling, and water absorption were not significantly affected by the investigated production conditions (p>0.05), while MOE showed a limited but statistically significant variation (p<0.05). Although density differed among the groups, the results indicate that panel performance cannot be explained by density alone, and that pressing conditions play a dominant role in determining mechanical behaviour. In conclusion, under the investigated conditions, pressing speed had a more pronounced influence on the balance between core integrity and screw holding performance in MDF panels than variations in adhesive content. However, no consistent improvement associated with the higher adhesive content was observed under the available production conditions.