Abstract:

In the framework of teaching curricula reform according to “Bologna Agreement”, a new subject, “Projection of Production Lines”, was implemented in Master curricula of the Wood Industry Department of the Faculty of Forestry Sciences of Tirana. Immediately was noted a scarce and out of date database of values of processing rates regarding to new machineries of high technological parameters, which had begun to be used by Albanian wood industry during recent years. The same issue appeared even for some other professional subjects, too.
In this context, a study was carried out to evaluate processing rates of machineries used actually by the Albanian furniture industry. It was performed by professors and students of the Faculty of Forestry Sciences applying direct observations, securing so an up dated empirical evidence and technical information that would contribute on teaching issues, as well as on Albanian furniture industry, because the information was direct related with reduction of production cost. The study was focused on well known wood based panel furniture production companies of the country. There were observed main machineries used in batch and non batch production, calculating the time rate of engine on of machinery as well as its rate of useful process.
It was noted that a good part of machineries had processing rates less than 0.5 and only three types of studied machineries exceeded the value 0.5 of processing rate. The multiple boring machines represented the highest processing rate 0.73, due to the large number of dowels used during the furniture’s assembly process. Among the studied machineries, calibrating machine presented the lowest value of rate 0.24, followed by membrane presses with value 0.27.
As conclusion we might say that cooperation with industry was followed by essential improvement of teaching curricula, which lead to conducting and managing the education of future engineers with updating technical data according to real state of furniture industry, giving them high possibilities to fulfill requests of the job market.

Keywords:

Teaching curricula, furniture industry, machinery, processing rate.