The current work deals with three dimensionally molded plywood formed parts. These are prepared in two different geometries using cut-outs and relief cuts in the areas of the highest deformation. Moreover, the effect of flax fiber reinforcement on the occurrence and position of cracks, delamination, maximum load capacity, and on the modulus of elasticity is studied. The results show that designs with cut-outs are to be preferred when molding complex geometries and that flax fiber reinforcement is a promising way of increasing load capacity and stiffness of plywood formed parts by respectively 76 and 38% on average.
Keywords: natural fiber reinforcement; plywood; veneer 3D moldability.