Herein, an approach is described for a calculation concept to close the gap between lightweight construction and necessary safety for structural components made of wood materials with use in mechanical engineering. The calculation of wood‐based materials represents a challenge due to the orthotropic material behavior and the many influencing parameters on the mechanical properties. The main objective of the considerations is to predict the mechanical component behavior as precisely as possible. In the next step, the designer can use the results of the calculations to make statements about the component safety. The analyses of this article are part of the joint project “Wood‐based materials in mechanical engineering (HoMaba)”.