ORIGINAL Method for evaluating the influence of wood machining conditions on the objective characterization and subjective perception of a finished surface Cristina L. Coelho Luisa M. H. Carvalho Jorge M. Martins Carlos A. V. Costa Daniel Masson Pierre-Jean Me´ausoone Received: 21 February 2007 Ó Springer-Verlag 2007 Abstract A method for evaluating the influence of the operating parameters of wood machining (planing, sanding) on the quality of a finished surface was established. The influence of each of the operations involved was studied using different strategies. For the planing operation, three levels were established (Level 1, 2 and 3) by determining different values for each of the major process parameters (tool rotation speed, feed speed, depth of cut). For both, surface preparation and polishing, two levels were established with a fixed setup. Finally, as finishing products, two different transparent coatings were selected (water-borne and solvent- borne). The quantitative evaluation of the state of the surface was assessed by means of an artificial vision system for the determination of the pseudo-roughness of wood surfaces. A filtering method based on fast Fourier transforms was applied and it was possible to derive three criteria for evaluating the resulting profile. Introduction The finishing, i.e., application of a decorative and protective coating on the surface of the material, is the last operation in the manufacture of an object. The quality of the finishing can be assessed by objective parameters of performance C. L. Coelho (&) Á L. M. H. Carvalho Á J. M. Martins Department of Wood Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal e-mail: cmcoelho@demad.estv.ipv.pt C. L. Coelho Á L. M. H. Carvalho Á J. M. Martins Á C. A. V. Costa LEPAE - Laboratory of Process, Environment and Energy Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal D. Masson Á P.-J. Me´ausoone ENSTIB - E ´ cole Nationale Supe´rieure des Technologies et Industries du Bois, Henri Poincare´-Nancy 1, 27, rue du Merle Blanc, BP 1041, 88051 EPINAL cedex 9, France 123 Wood Sci Technol DOI 10.1007/s00226-007-0166-1