Assessment on Screw Fixing Failure Mode for Kitchen Cabinet Particleboard
An observation during screw fixing activities on kitchen cabinet installation was carried out. In collaboration with Signature Kitchen Ptd. Ltd., a kitchen cabinet manufacturer in Malaysia, twenty-eight (28) houses in Kelang Valley, Malaysia were selected for the study. Almost all of the sites selected have shown some damages of the particleboard during the screw fixing activities. Generally, there were cracks, chip-off or swelling occurred in between the panel surface and the screw head edges. The damages observed on the screw joint during installation are in the form of split holes, loose holes and delamination. All damages then were identified for its type of failure mode especially at the screw-driving slot and particleboard surface. Six type of failure mode were identified, documented and discussed.