Science & ResearchISCO 2149
Wood technology engineer
A wood technology engineer is a person who develops materials and components made of wood, creates the production plants that make them, and inspects and monitors the production. The engineer also tests products and materials and advises clients.
Check yourself in a minute: wood technology engineer
Rate 5 of the 26 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
plan engineering activities
advise customers on wood products
adjust engineering designs
manipulate wood
perform scientific research
About wood technology engineer
Wood is the difficult part of the engineering. It is a material that was grown rather than manufactured: it varies between species, between trees and within a single board, it moves with moisture, and it is not equally strong in every direction. The engineer works from wood processing techniques and from the chemical composition of wood, which is what determines how it takes glue, finish, preservative and heat.
On the industrial side, the engineer produces the designs, plans the engineering work, plans the allocation of resources, and works from engineering fundamentals.
Testing and advising close the role. The engineer tests the products and the materials, to establish their strength, durability and moisture behaviour, and advises clients on what a material will do in the use they intend. Ensuring compliance with the safety regulations belongs here as well: woodworking machinery and wood dust are both among the more serious hazards in manufacturing.
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (26)
woodworking processeswoodworking processesSteps in the processing of wood for the manufacturing of wooden articles and types of machines used for these processes such as drying, shaping, assembling and surface finishing.wood moisture contentwood moisture contentThe amount of water contained in wood materials. The effect of wood moisture on the size and physical characteristics of the wood. Suitable moisture contents for different uses.chemistry of woodchemistry of woodThe chemical composition of every wood species, which consists of a certain percentage of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, and contains carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and other elements.engineering principlesengineering principlesThe engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.timber productstimber productsKey features, advantages and limitations of the different timbers and timber based products sold at a company and where to access this information.manufacturing processesmanufacturing processesThe steps required through which a material is transformed into a product, its development and full-scale manufacturing.woodworking toolswoodworking toolsThe various tools used to process wood, such as planers, chisels and lathes.technical drawingstechnical drawingsDrawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.civil engineeringcivil engineeringThe engineering discipline that studies the design, construction and maintenance of naturally built works such as roads, buildings, and canals.wood productswood productsThe various wood products such as lumber and furniture, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.mining, construction and civil engineering machinery productsmining, construction and civil engineering machinery productsThe offered mining, construction and civil engineering machinery products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.types of woodtypes of woodTypes of wood, such as birch, pine, poplar, mahogany, maple and tulipwood.ensure compliance with safety legislationensure compliance with safety legislationImplement safety programmes to comply with national laws and legislation. Ensure that equipment and processes are compliant with safety regulations.plan engineering activitiesplan engineering activitiesOrganise engineering activities before starting them.advise customers on wood productsadvise customers on wood productsAdvise others on the applicability, suitability, and limitations of wood products and wood based materials.adjust engineering designsadjust engineering designsAdjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.manipulate woodmanipulate woodManipulate the properties, shape and size of wood.perform scientific researchperform scientific researchGain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.use technical drawing softwareuse technical drawing softwareCreate technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software.meet contract specificationsmeet contract specificationsMeet contract specifications, schedules and manufacturers' information. Check that the work can be carried out in the estimated and allocated time.read standard blueprintsread standard blueprintsRead and comprehend standard blueprints, machine, and process drawings.plan resource allocationplan resource allocationPlan future needs of various resources such as time, money and specific process resources.monitor production developmentsmonitor production developmentsMonitor parameters to keep an eye on the production, developments and costs within your area of control.distinguish wood qualitydistinguish wood qualityDistinguish different types of wood quality schemes, grading rules, and standards. See how quality differs between certain kinds of wood, such as hardwoods and softwoods.draw blueprintsdraw blueprintsDraw layout specifications for machinery, equipment and building structures. Specify which materials should be used and the size of the components. Show different angles and views of the product.approve engineering designapprove engineering designGive consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.
Optional (24) — show
business management principlesbusiness management principlesPrinciples governing business management methods such as strategy planning, methods of efficient production, people and resources coordination.environmental legislation in agriculture and forestryenvironmental legislation in agriculture and forestryAwareness on environmental legislation, policies, principles relevant for agriculture and forestry. Awareness of the impact on the environment of local agricultural procedures and practices. Means to ...design principlesdesign principlesThe elements used in design such as unity, scale, proportion, balance, symmetry, space, form, texture, colour, light, shade and congruence and their application into practice.paper chemistrypaper chemistryThe chemical composition of paper and the substances that can be added to the pulp in order to change the paper properties, such as caustic soda, sulfurous acid, and sodium sulfide.paper production processespaper production processesThe different steps in the manufacturing of paper and paperboard products, such as pulp production, bleaching, and pressing.cost managementcost managementThe process of planning, monitoring and adjusting the expenses and revenues of a business in order to achieve cost efficiency and capability.wood cutswood cutsDifferent ways of cutting wood, across the grain or parallel with it, and radial or tangential to the core. The behaviour of cuts of wood under different circumstances and the optimal cut for a given ...types of pulptypes of pulpKinds of pulp are distinguished based on their fibre type and the specific chemical processes through which they were created.sales strategiessales strategiesThe principles concerning customer behaviour and target markets with the aim of promotion and sales of a product or a service.logisticslogisticsThe management of resources such as materials, time, and information to control the flow of products between the point of origin and the point of use. This includes the production, packaging, storing ...ensure compliance with environmental legislationensure compliance with environmental legislationMonitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation....oversee construction projectoversee construction projectMake sure that the construction project is carried out in compliance with the building permit, the execution plans, the performance and design specifications, and the relevant regulations.plan product managementplan product managementManage the scheduling of procedures which aim to maximise sales objectives, such as forecasting market trends, product placement, and sales planning.study prices of wood productsstudy prices of wood productsBe aware of current market studies and forecasts concerning supply, demand, trade and prices of wood and related products.inspect wood materialsinspect wood materialsCarry out a thorough inspection of wood material using appropriate methods, instruments, tools, and other apparatus.oversee quality controloversee quality controlMonitor and assure the quality of the provided goods or services by overseeing that all the factors of the production meet quality requirements. Supervise product inspection and testing.identify hazards in the workplaceidentify hazards in the workplacePerform safety audits and inspections on workplaces and workplace equipment. Ensure that they meet safety regulations and identify hazards and risks.wear appropriate protective gearwear appropriate protective gearWear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.inspect building systemsinspect building systemsInspect buildings and building systems such as plumbing or electrical systems to confirm compliance with regulations and requirements.check quality of raw materialscheck quality of raw materialsCheck the quality of basic materials used for the production of semi-finished and finished goods by assessing some of its characteristics and, if needed, select samples to be analysed.use CAD softwareuse CAD softwareUse computer-aided design (CAD) systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation of a design.manage timber stocksmanage timber stocksInspect the stock to find out how much is left. Identify any damaged, faulty, or out of date items and move them to the appropriate location. Follow stock rotation methods to ensure stock is used effe...perform project managementperform project managementManage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project's progress in order to achieve a specific g...check durability of wood materialscheck durability of wood materialsCheck the categorisation and different levels of durability of wood materials.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a wood technology engineer do?
Wood technology engineers develop materials and components made of wood, construct production facilities and control and monitor the production. They also examine products and materials and advise customers.
What skills does a wood technology engineer need?
A wood technology engineer needs 26 essential skills, including woodworking processes, wood moisture content, chemistry of wood, engineering principles, timber products.
Will AI replace wood technology engineer jobs?
The AI disruption score for wood technology engineer is 49/100 (moderate risk). Skills most exposed to automation: monitor production developments, read standard blueprints, paper production processes. Most resilient: types of wood, wood products, chemistry of wood.
AI Replacement Risk
49/ 100
Moderate Risk
Low riskHigh risk
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