FDM AugSep 2011 by Eastern Trade Media

Furniture Design And Manufacturing Asia Established Since 1986

august/september 2011

MDF Production:

All Is Well Until It Swells

Taking The Rough With The Smooth

Case-Study: The Complete Waste Solution

Parquet Flooring: Finding The True Green

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Furniture Design And Manufacturing Asia Established Since 1986

Contents august/september 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ VOL. 23 NO. 6

Market Report

20 Steep Climb Ahead

After suffering slides in terms of production and consumption due to the global economic crisis, the parquet industry in Europe is steadily climbing towards the peak achieved two years ago. By the European Federation of the Parquet Industry

Focus

24 All Is Well Until It Swells

In the first segment of a two-part special feature on medium density fibreboard manufacturing, developments in treatment techniques before and after production are discussed. These processes can help enhance the thickness swelling of the boards and improve stability in varying environmental conditions. By Dr Nadir Ayrilmis, Istanbul University

30 A Point Of Reference: Standardising VOC Emission Testing

Existing green label programmes are not supported by consistent estimates of VOC emission rate, resulting in large coefficient of variations in test results. A

reference material can help standardise the process and instil confidence in manufacturers and consumers. By Cynthia HowardReed, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Zhe Liu, Steve Cox and John Little, Virginia Tech University

Technology 34

Case-Study: The Complete Waste Solution

A comprehensive management plan featuring the production of functional pallets from waste wood fibres, leasing services and product tracking system points the way to the commercial potential of wood waste recycling. By Thomas Yeo, LHT Holdings

Taking The Rough With The Smooth

Despite the advent of modern machinery, planing wood is still a complicated process with various parameters affecting the surface roughness of planed wood. Fortunately, advanced profile measurement techniques are now available, giving wood manufacturers better options in terms of quality control. By Shahnawaz Abdul Hamid

PANELS 40

Oriented Strand Boards: The Answer To A Renewable Future

With strength and rigidity that can overshadow that of conventional plywood, and potential as a renewable material, oriented strand boards are steadily gaining a foothold in the market. By Amreet Singh

4 FDM Asia

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Cut your cost With the new ContiRoll速 generation 8

Top technology for virtually isobaric operation.

ENQUIRY NO. 261

Save up to 15% in material!

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Contents august/september 2011 • VOL. 23 NO. 6

Regulars 56 48 SURFACES & FLOORING 48

FURNITURE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY 56

Find The True Green

Décor paper has the ability to enhance the looks and mechanical properties of its substrate. Sophistication in natural designs is now blurring the line between the appearance of solidwood and composite products. By Wong Tsz Hin

Wood flooring is a lasting renewable option that can be easily repaired and recycled. Certification programmes can help ensure the environmental performance of the product amidst ‘greenwashing’ promotions. By Frank Kroupa, National Wood Flooring Association

Parquet Flooring: Back To Basics

Exploring the basics of parquet flooring from the types of flooring to its installation methods. By Frank De Meuller

Established in 1986, FDM Asia, formerly Asia Pacific Forest/Timber Industries, is a business magazine on sawmilling, woodworking, woodbased panels and furniture manufacturing. The Publisher reserves the right to accept or reject all editorial or advertising material and assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited artwork or manuscripts. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the magazine, in whole or in part, is prohibited without the prior written consent, not unreasonably withheld, of the publisher. Reprints of articles appearing in previous issues of the magazine are available on request, subject to a minimum quantity. The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the Publisher and while every attempt will be made to ensure the accuracy

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Events & Exhibitions Exhibition Review: 64 Interwood 2011 Exhibition Preview: 65 Aseanwood-Woodtech 2011 66 VietnamWood 2011

WOODS & SUSTAINABILITY 60

EPD: The Green Declaration

Environmental product declarations equip manufacturers with the knowledge to make informed decision on the ‘green’ performance of materials used in their products and ensure environmental claims are justified. By Rupert Oliver, American Hardwood Export Council

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The Academy TheChinese Chinese Academy of of Forestry Forestry

MICA (P) NO. 045/11/2010 • PPS 1204/06/2012 (022758) • ISSN 0219-2284

We are an expert supplier of MDF, PB and OSB production lines, with a good performance of 140 complete lines in China and export markets, due to our innovative technology and high accuracy of manufacturing ability.

Product in good demand:  Size 4’ X 16’ and 18 layer multi-opening production line with 150,000 cubic meter capacity per year (samply factory can visit)  Size 4’ X 8’ and 30 layer multi-opening production line with 120,000 cubic meter capacity per year (samply factory can visit)  100,000-200,000 cubic meter capacity per year continuous pressproduction line (200,000 capacity samply factory trail run in this year)

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Editorial

The

Published by:

Weight Of The

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fter a positive start to the year, the industry is beginning to show signs of slowing down. Canadian lumber producers Canfor and West Fraser Timber have both reported sharp declines in their earnings for the second quarter, mainly due to poor demand from the US as American housing starts fail to gain much needed momentum. Adding to the concern on the country’s slow economic recovery, the US dollar continues to weaken, plummeting to an all time low. The agreement between the White House and congressional leaders on raising the current national debt ceiling to avoid default will help mitigate the pressure and stabilise the currency. The same cannot be said for the Euro, which continues to fall due to uncertainty over European Union’s resolution of Greece’s sovereign debts. The devaluation of the two currencies has drastically incapacitated import spending and reduced profit margins of foreign wood product manufacturers. While these two markets continue to struggle, producers have managed to find solace in the ever-growing China market and the emerging market of India. Despite numerous predictions of a possible bubble burst, China’s housing market continues to boom. The profitability of this lucrative sector has enabled companies to purchase wood materials at much higher prices. In India, a series of economic reforms since the early 1990s have laid the foundation for two decades of strong growth. The demand for better housing has increased substantially along with the growing prosperity and economic growth. The Indian government has initiated the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) project in a bid to transform the urban landscape by providing affordable houses and better amenities for the poor. According to the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India, the country will require 27 million housing units during a five-year period from 2012 to 2017. If India can curb its high inflation rate and implement policies to ensure sustainable economic growth, its huge population will make it a sleeping consumer giant waiting to be awoken. In line with earlier forecasts that expected domestic consumption to become a key driver for Asian markets, China and India have become viable export outlets for wood product manufacturers of the region. The limp performance of western markets offers producers an opportunity to explore domestic markets. For a long time, the trend was to go west, but for now, it seems the tide has swung east.

Wong Tsz Hin

8 FDM Asia Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

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I N D U S T R Y

Industry News

News

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

Malaysia Eyes US$7 Billion Timber Export In 2011 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Malaysian timber and timber products registered a positive growth of 5.3 percent in total export value from RM19.5 billion (US$6.5 billion) in 2009 to RM20.5 billion last year, as Bernama reported. This year, the nation has targeted RM21 billion in total exports, but that will depend on the global economic performance as issues like the tsunami in Japan will affect the growth of the Rob and Stephanie Levy, Townsville Australia

industry. Timber industries in Malaysia will need to grow at an overall sustainable rate of about 6.5 percent a year to achieve the goal of the National Timber Industry Policy of RM53 billion in exports of timber products by the year 2020. The country will need the concerted efforts of all players to achieve this. The current focus is on enhancing the value addition especially from players in the furniture industry.

SFIC Led Delegation To China

furniture production and export regions in China. The visit

Singapore: Singapore Furniture Industries Council and

the council and China National Furniture Association (CNFA)

International Enterprise Singapore led a seven-member

based in Beijing.

also sealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between

delegation comprising Singapore Mozaic Brand Ambassadors

The signing of the MOU inked the commitment between

such as Eurosa Furniture, Getz Bros & Co, Harvest Link

both countries to collaborate on programmes and improve

International, Lorenzo International, Sitra Holdings (International),

industry practices in three major aspects: information

Star Furniture, as well as SFIC Institute, a subsidiary of the

exchange and bilateral business collaboration, design

council, to China.

development, and professional training. Activities include

This mission trip covered major Chinese cities such as

study missions, business matching, training seminars,

Beijing and Tianjin, which forms part of the third largest

as well as establishing the China-Singapore Designer

Trishhhh

Exchange Programme. The delegation met with China’s furniture associations such as CNFA, Tianjin Furniture Association and Beijing Furniture Trade Association to get an exclusive insight into China’s furniture retail market during its visits to Cheng Wai Cheng Furniture Mall, Ji Mei Furniture World and Ju Ran Zhi Jia (Easyhome), some of the largest furniture malls that distribute contemporary and high-quality furniture in Beijing and Tianjin. Through this mission, furniture companies in Singapore looked to explore bilateral partnership opportunities and business exchanges in the China market.

10 FDM Asia Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

Industry News

Wm Morrison Provides Opportunities For Malaysian Producers

WorldStar Licenses Fire Block Technology

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The

to use and apply, in South East Asia, including China,

opening of Wm Morrison’s non-

the patent-pending processes and solutions licensed by

food sourcing office in Hong

Fire Block Technologies from Fire Block International, a

Kong provides opportunities for

Canadian company, for the manufacture of engineered

Malaysian producers of wood

construction products from palm oil tree waste material

to the British supermarket chain’s 455 stores in the UK, according to a statement by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (MATRADE).

Haldane Martin, Cape Town, South Africa

products to gain retail access

Hong Kong: WorldStar has acquired an exclusive sublicense

with zero ignition and zero flame spread properties. Zeroignition Solution is a proprietary formula, which when used in conjunction with the patent pending Zeroignition New Materials Technology, is capable of creating a wide range of wood-based products with non-combustible characteristics. These technologies and products, which demonstrate flame

The office would directly source home and leisure products,

resistance and thermal protection, are non-toxic, pH

and would eventually serve as the company’s regional headquarter.

neutral, environmentally friendly, non-corrosive and

For Malaysian producers of wood and wood products, there are

have withstood direct heat in excess of 9000 degree

opportunities to supply small and durable furniture, especially

C without ignition or flame spread.

outdoor furniture, to the company. There is also an opportunity to supply alternative raw materials such as rattan and wicker.

WorldStar intends to introduce a line of products manufactured from palm waste materials for use in construction, including, but not limited to, sheathing,

The supermarket chain is the fourth largest in UK. Last year,

flooring, doors, shakes, interior wall and structural products.

Malaysia exported RM521.9 million (US$173.9 million) worth of

The company’s sublicense is for a 10-year term, and is

furniture, especially wood furniture, to the UK.

renewable for successive periods of 10 years each.

Stephen Ridgway, Sydney, Australia

Vietnam Wood Exports Hit US$1.7 Billion Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: Vietnam in the first six months of 2011 obtained around US$1.7 billion in woodwork and handicraft export revenue, up by US$200 million year-onyear, as foreign buyers earlier signed large import contracts given low prices, according to Saigon Times Online. However, the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City (HAWA) said local enterprises would be hesitant at large export contracts in the second half of 2011 due to input cost hikes. Speaking at a seminar on woodwork and handicraft export market expansion, HAWA chairman Nguyen

wood, making the material surge 30-50 percent in prices

Chien Thang said input woodwork materials surged by

compared to the average level.

15-20 percent in prices while output prices rose only three percent.

Vietnam has over 2,500 enterprises in the woodwork and handicraft export sector of which 75 percent has

As local firms do not want to sign big contracts given

less than 10 laborers. As many small firms will have to

fears of losses, many importers have shifted to Malaysian

close down due to high input costs, the sector may fail

exporters.

to reach the export revenue of US$4 billion as predicted

Chinese traders recently acquired large volumes of

earlier this year.

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA Aug/sep 2011

Industry News

S Baker, Sydney, Australia

IFC & Sumitomo Forestry Invest In Vietnam Hanoi, Vietnam: International Finance Corp (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and Japan’s Sumitomo Forestry Company are co-investing to build a particleboard-processing plant in Vietnam, helping create jobs in the country’s forestry sector and cutting greenhouse-gas emissions. IFC’s US$9 million equity investment in the plant helps boost Vietnam’s wood-furniture manufacturing sector, the third-largest in the world, and benefits about 700 farmers along the wood supply chain. Vietnam’s furniture manufacturing sector faces a shortage in locally sourced particleboard, one of the major wood products used in furniture making, and imports 70 percent of its needs. With an annual design capacity of 250,000 cubic metres, the plant will be able to produce particleboards that meet the specifications of major furniture processors. The project also includes the construction of an 11MW biomass-based power plant to supply its energy needs, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. The plant, owned and operated by Vina Eco Board Company, a joint venture of Sumitomo Forestry Company and Sumitomo Forestry (Singapore), is located in Long An province, a less-developed region in southern Vietnam.

Indonesia To Implement FTA With New Zealand & Australia Jakarta, Indonesia: Indonesia is ready

a schedule to lift tariffs.

cheese, eggs, vegetables, pharmaceuticals, wood and paper products.

to implement a free trade agreement

He said he hoped the paperwork

with Australia and New Zealand as part

would be completed soon so the ASEAN-

Based on the schedule, the removal

of a free trade pact signed by ASEAN

Australia–New Zealand Free Trade Area

of a further six percent of tariffs classed

and the two countries, according to The

(AANZFTA), which Indonesia ratified in

as sensitive track, which covers 1,000

Jakarta Post.

May, could be implemented this year.

items, would be reduced gradually to

Trade Ministry director general for

Gusmardi added that Indonesia would

zero percent by 2020, while the lifting

international trade cooperation Gusmardi

remove 90 percent of 10,000 tariffs categorised

of the remaining four percent of tariffs

Bustami said that the finance minister was

under the normal track once the agreement

covering 400 items would depend on

preparing items for the legal enactment

took effect. The products affected include

further negotiations.

of the agreement, which would contain

live animals and fruit, meat, fish, milk,

The negotiations on the establishment

(indonesia) Frédéric Bisson, Rouen, France

of a free trade area between ASEAN’s ten members began in 2005. The agreement was signed on February 27, 2009, in Chaam, Thailand, against the backdrop of the 14th ASEAN Summit. Indonesia, Gusmardi said, was the last ASEAN country to implement the deal. Other ASEAN member states had already implemented the free trade deal. The agreement is expected to facilitate the forging of better economic ties between the parties and pave the way towards higher investment in engaging countries.

12 FDM Asia Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

Industry News

Christopher, Shanghai, China

China Becomes Biggest Spender On BC Timber

Norbord Completes Final Phase Of US$40 Million Investment Toronto, Canada: Engineered wood-based panel manufacturer, Norbord, has completed the final phase of a ÂŁ25million (US$40 million) investment programme at its site in Cowie, Scotland. The investment improves and extends the particleboard operations and includes the replacement of a forming station and pre-press components. The completion of the final stage of works has provided the company with added operating flexibility, a broader product mix, further quality improvements, capacity growth of over 10 percent and a reduction in total manufacturing costs. This latest investment comes at time when the company and the wider wood panel industry face sustained buying power competition from the heavily Draco2008

subsidised energy sector. Seattle, US: China has taken over from the US as the largest consumer of wood from British Columbia in Canada, according to Forestry Research Associates (FRA). The market for forestry products in China is booming at the moment as the country struggles to keep up with its economic growth through construction. At the same time, the market in the US is reasonably stable, meaning that the Chinese are paying more for their timber. During May, the US bought 835,000 cubic metres of British Columbia timber, which was the largest amount, in terms of volume. However, in terms of value, China bought

Wood panels, a vital component in the construction

US$122 million worth of timber from the region, despite

industry and in furniture manufacture, are produced

the volume only totalling 746,000 cubic metres.

from virgin and reclaimed wood â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the same materials

Asian markets are willing to pay more for their timber at

which biomass energy plants are being incentivised

the moment because demand is incredibly high. Although

by the Renewables Obligation (RO), through subsidies

China imported slightly less wood than the US, volumes

levied on consumers, to burn. Unstemmed, the demand

were still up by an impressive 157 percent on the same

for wood is set to outstrip supply by a factor of four or

month a year age, while US imports dropped off by a

five fold, with imports making up the balance.

significant 24 percent.

Electricity generators, purely as a consequence of

The figures illustrate how vital the Asian market is

these RO subsidies, can afford to pay more than double

to Canadian, and indeed US, forestry industries. May

the price currently paid by the wood panel industry for

was something of a one-off as prices slid in general to

its primary raw material. This has distorted the market

enable China to exceed the US in terms of money spent

and resulted in wood panel manufacturers seeing an

on timber. However, the prices returned to their more

average wood price increase over the last five years in

normal levels in June and are not expected to slip back

excess of 60 percent, a trend which will only continue

so much in the US until the fall at the earliest.

and accelerate.

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Aug/sep 2011

Industry News

Kate Ter Haar, Miami, US

Pulpwood Prices In Western US Up Almost 50% Seattle, US: Pulp mills in Western US have seen their wood costs go up for four consecutive quarters, and this region, together with Quebec, had the highest second quarter wood fibre costs in North America in 2011, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. Douglas fir and hemlock residual chip prices in the Northwest US were up 42 percent between the second quarter of 2010 and the similar period for 2011, reaching their highest levels since early 2008. Pulplog prices have increased even more, reaching a 16-year high. Historically, the region’s pulp industry has relied on 70 to 80 percent sawmill residuals for its fibre furnish, but in 2011, softwood residuals accounted for approximately 55 percent of the softwood fibre receipts as reported by the Forest Products Association, with the remaining being chips manufactured from roundwood.

Softwood and hardwood pulpwood prices in the second quarter were unchanged from the previous quarter, but can be

The current price surge in Western US has been the result

expected to decline in the third quarter as a result of the large

of four primary factors: sawmill lumber production well below

volume of damaged wood in the region. With other North

historical volumes, high pulpmill production due to strong

American regions experiencing significant increases in wood

product prices, a reopened pulpmill in the state of Washington,

costs, the South’s low, stable wood prices continue to make the

and strong Chinese demand for logs.

region’s pulp industry very competitive.

Asian Demand Drives Timber Prices Washington, US: Briefing from Wood Resources International

driven by the fact that total timber exports from the west

has shown that timber prices in the US and Canada

coast to Asia last year were the highest in 14 years. The

increased by 20 percent last year due to increasing demand

demand in Asia is being led by China, which has developed

from East Asian markets. Softwood sawlog prices have

an insatiable appetite for raw materials to help it fulfils its

increased steadily over the past two years in all regions

economic growth potential.

of North America.

Basil Arteomov, Moscow, Russia

Some of the largest increases were in the Northwest US,

Areas in Western Canada are also seeing prices rise more than forestry firms in the east, with prices for timber from trees such Douglas fir and hemlock, rising considerably in the past two years (by between 19 and 25 percent). Despite the fact that Canadian timber prices have risen so significantly, the country still has some of the lowest cost raw materials in the world, which could be why East Asia is so keen to do business there at the moment. Another reason Asia is keen to do business with US and Canadian forestry owners is because Russia has made it increasingly difficult for other nations to buy timber from their forests. As a result, the US and Canadian forestry industries have benefited hugely from the boom in construction taking place in Asia.

14 FDM Asia Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

Industry News

Lumber Liquidators Sees Increased Net Sales In 2011 Virginia, US: Lumber Liquidators, a specialty retailer of hardwood

Canfor Eyes India As New China

flooring in the US, has announced financial results for the

Manitoba, Canada: Forest products producer Canfor is

second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2011.

hoping India becomes the new China and eventually

Net sales increased four percent to US$175.5 million in the second quarter of 2011 from US$168.7 million in the second

delivers explosive demand for Western Canadian lumber, according to a report from The Canadian Press.

quarter of 2010. Gross margin was 34.0 percent in the second

Lumber shipments have begun to trickle into the

quarter of 2011, a decrease from 34.7 percent in the second quarter

world’s largest democracy since trade barriers were lifted

of 2010. Gross margin was impacted by higher transportation

last December. Volumes are low for now, but the company

costs, a greater proportion of net sales at promotional prices, and

sees opportunities for strong growth.

increased investment in international quality control procedures,

In May, China overtook the US as the largest export

partially offset by benefits from sourcing initiatives and net

market for British Columbia lumber. In the second quarter,

sales mix shifts.

Asian shipments led by China increased by 71 percent

Net income decreased 41.9 percent to US$5.3 million

from a year earlier. Satish Krishnamurthy, Bombay, India

in the second quarter of 2011 compared to US$9.1 million in the same period of the prior year. The effective tax rate was 39.5 percent in the second quarter of this year and 38.6 percent in the second quarter of 2010, with the increase primarily due to increases in certain reserves and higher state income taxes. In the first six months of this year, net sales increased 4.8 percent to US$335.1 million from US$319.9 million of last year. Gross profit increased 4.9 percent to US$117.5 million as gross margin increased to 35.1 percent from 35.0 percent.

West Fraser Reports CAD$10 Million Earnings

International Wood Products Group, which tracks

Vancouver, Canada: West Fraser Timber has reported

Canadian lumber exports, said it plans to start tabulating

earnings of CAD$10 million (US$10.48 million) on sales

monthly shipments to India next year.

of CAD$720 million in the second quarter of 2011.

The group says Canadian exports to China increased

According to the company’s president and CEO, Hank

by 96.6 percent in the first half of 2011 and China is poised

Ketcham, historical low housing starts and economic

to import about 35 percent of British Columbia’s total

uncertainty continue to negatively affect lumber and

lumber production this year.

panel prices. However, lumber shipments to Japan are

Shipping problems, including container availability,

stable while shipments to China are continuing to grow

port loading capacity and high lumber inventories in China

at a steady rate.

could constrain shipments reaching the 35 per cent level,

In the quarter, the lumber segment generated an

Wood Markets added.

operating loss of CAD$8 million due to sharp declines in

China imported 1.8 billion board feet of Canadian

lumber prices combined with higher Canadian log costs

lumber in the first six months of the year, compared with

and a stronger Canadian dollar. Shipments to offshore

about 950 million board feet a year earlier.

markets increased in the first half of 2011 but North American markets remain weak. Pulp and paper operations generated operating earnings

US lumber exports to China have grown at an even faster rate than those from Canada, although the first-half total was lower at 825 million board feet.

of CAD$21 million.

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA Aug/sep 2011

Industry News

Renewable Energy Policy To Increase Biomass Demand Brussels, Belgium: Renewable energy policy in Europe will

Metso To Supply 100MW Biomass Boiler To GREC

generate an increase in lignocellulosic biomass demand of 44

Helsinki, Finland: Metso will supply a 100MW biomass

percent between 2010 and 2020. The increased use of biomass

boiler island and plant automation system to the

will be driven principally from the energy sector, but also from

Gainesville Renewable Energy Center (GREC) in Gainesville,

the industrial and residential sectors, according to findings in

Florida, USA.

the European Biomass Review, a study from RISI.

GREC has successfully raised nearly US$500 million

Shehal Joseph, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka

in construction financing of which, the installation represents more than 25 percent. The power plant installation will supply Gainesville Regional Utilites, the city-owned utility of Gainesville with a firm source of renewable electric power under the terms of a thirty year power purchase agreement. The biomass boiler will utilise bubbling fluidized bed technology and use waste wood from logging and mill activity as well as urban wood waste from clearing, tree trimming and pallets as the main fuel. The delivery scope includes the entire boiler island and flue gas cleaning system. Commercial operation of the plant is scheduled for 2013, and once operational, this will be one of the The key to the future development of European biomass

largest and most efficient biomass boilers in the world,

markets resides in the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supply potential and how well

providing clean electricity for approximately 70,000

it can mobilise new sources of supply, such as forest residues,

homes. The investment in this new power plant, along

agricultural residues and energy crops.

with the local biomass fuel supply, will bring more than

While technologies such as wind, solar and geothermal are developing rapidly, lignocellulosic biomass is currently the largest renewable energy source and remains attractive due to its relative abundance and reliable supply. The economics of biomass versus other resources is analysed using macro demand drivers and the National Renewable Energy Action Plans to forecast biomass demand by sector until 2020.

DSM Acquired 51% Stake In AGI Heerlen, Netherlands: Royal DSM NV has announced that it has successfully acquired a 51 percent stake in AGI of Taiwan through a subscription for newly to be issued shares combined with a public tender offer for about EUR41 million (US$57.5 million) in total. AGI offers a broad range of environmentally friendly UV curable resins and other products that are used in coatings and inks for wood, flooring, plastic and graphic arts applications. The company reported net sales in 2010 of NTD4,050 million (US$136 million).

16 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

700 jobs to the community.

Industry News

OHL Awarded Contracts For Biomass Power & Pulp Plants Madrid, Spain: OHL Group has been awarded contracts to build the largest renewable energy biomass power plant in Spain and infrastructure for a pulp manufacturing plant in Uruguay. The €125 million (US$180 million) biomass energy project, awarded by Ence, includes the engineering, procurement and construction of a power generation plant

Moelven Reports US$10 Million In Earnings Moelv, Norway: In the second quarter,

50MW, the project will cover the electricity needs of 360,000 people and is scheduled

Moelven earned NOK56 million

to be completed in one and a half years.

(US$10 million) from operations. Tobias Akerboom, Wageningen, Netherlands

and another adjoining facility for the processing of biomass. With a total capacity of

That is NOK85 million less than in the same period last year. After financial costs, profit for the quarter was NOK28 million. Operating revenues for the group in the second quarter were NOK2,170 million. In the first half, operating revenues were NOK4,123 million and operating profit NOK 29 million. The reason for the drop in operating profit from last year was largely the relatively high raw material prices for the timber consuming units compared with the price level

Besides construction, the group will undertake the operation and maintenance of both plants over a period of two years from the start of commercial operation, a

in the finished goods markets. The company expects that to see profits improve in the second

period which is extendable up to five years. The €15.81 million pulp manufacturing plant project, awarded by Montes del Plata,

half of the year, but that the annual

a joint venture between Chile’s Arauco and Finland’s Stora Enso, will be located at

profits will be at a lower level than

Punta Pereyra. The works consist of the construction of the early infrastructure for

last year.

Boa-Franc

the plant and mark a return to the country by the company after 15 years.

Tarkett Acquires Parquets Marty Paris, France: The Agen commercial

the company a production site

court has approved Tarkett’s acquisition

in Cuzorn, France, and a range

of the assets in Parquets Marty.

of wood floor products suited

The acquisition is part of the group’s

to Southern Europe, including

strategy to accelerate the development

France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and

of its flooring business in Southern

the Mediterranean, in addition

Europe, in particular its single strip

to its existing range of products

planks.

and materials. The move will

Tarkett has four production sites and

save 130 jobs in France.

Parquets Marty will benefit from

produces more than six million sq m of

The group plans to invest €13 million

Tarkett’s sales network which will

flooring each year. After the completion

(US$18.4 million) in improving industrial

expand its distribution and promote

of this deal, Parquets Marty will give

facilities at the Cuzorn site.

its range of products.

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA Aug/sep 2011

Industry News Appointments

Holmen Appoints Manager At Paper Mill

Koelnmesse Appoints Chief Operating Officer Cologne, Germany: Katharina C Hamma will become the chief operating officer at Koelnmesse. She was selected for the position during the company’s

Stockholm, Sweden: Holmen Paper

supervisory board meeting, having previously been

has appointed Kenneth Ohlsson as the

an authorised officer of the Messe München trade

new manager of Hallsta Paper Mill.

fair company. She will occupy the newly created position in a three-person top

Kenneth Ohlsson was production

management team.

manager at Stora Enso’s Hylte Paper

After studying business management and clothing technology and receiving a

Mill and will succeed Hannele Arvonen,

degree in engineering, Ms Hamma began working at Messe München in 1997. There

who will leave Hallsta at the end of

she has headed the business unit responsible for investment goods trade fairs since

August to take up new duties in the

2005. In 2008, she became an authorised officer of the company. Her appointment completes the three-person leadership team, with CEO Gerald

Holmen Group. Mikael Wahlgren, production

Böse, who is responsible for strategy, corporate development, and international

manager at Hallsta Paper Mill, will

business operations, and Herbert Marner (CFO), who is in charge of technical and

take over as temporary mill manager

financial affairs. The creation of this team is in line with the company’s intention to

until Kenneth Ohlsson takes up his

reorganise the top management team, which formerly consisted of five people.

new position later this autumn.

UFPI Appoints CEO

PEFC Appoints Head Of Technical Unit

Michigan, US: Universal Forest Products

responsible for the development, maintenance and integrity of all technical aspects

has announced that Matthew J Missad,

of the organisation’s work.

Geneva, Switzerland: PEFC has announced the appointment of Michael Berger as

former executive vice president and

Prior to this appointment, Mr Berger worked as an independent consultant in the area

general counsel, has been appointed

of environmental and quality management, organisational development and sustainable

chief executive officer of the company.

supply chain development for over ten years. He gathered experience in the development

The appointment was approved by

and revision of PEFC

the company’s board of directors and

certification systems

is effective immediately.

as an independent

Missad succeeds Michael B Glenn,

assessor, and brings

who tendered his resignation in June

with him knowledge

2011 for personal reasons. Having

started with the company as a high

and

school student working part time on

its maintenance crew, he joined the

and accreditation

Company full time in 1985 as manager of

processes.

requirements pro c e dure s cer tification

legal compliance and advanced through

In this new role, he

a number of successive positions. He

will be responsible for

was appointed executive vice president,

leading international

general counsel and secretary of the

consultation processes

board in 1996, holding those positions

and the revisions of

until his appointment to CEO.

the organization’s international standards and manage the review and endorsement

He becomes the fifth CEO in the company’s 56-year-history.

of national forest certification schemes. He will also take charge of the complaints and appeals procedures, and take over the responsibility for certification-related internal and external capacity-building.

18 FDM Asia Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

timquijano, Seatlle, US

head of technical unit at its international office in Geneva, Switzerland. He will be

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ENQUIRY NO. 280

Market Report

Steep Climb Ahead Hitchster

urther amplifying the forecast at the beginning of the year, the consolidated data provided by member companies and affiliated national associations of the European Federation of the Parquet Industry (FEP) indicates a positive development in the European parquet industry and a growth in both production and consumption volumes. Compared to the previous year, the total production in 2010 increased by 4.11 percent, whereas the overall consumption figures point to an even stronger growth of 6.81 percent.

20 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

The results for the year 2010 are particularly encouraging as they come after two difficult years during which, induced by the global economic crisis, the industry faced declines in consumption and production. The reasons for this promising trend reversal can be found in the general economic upswing witnessed in the past year, the strong performance of some of the larger markets in the region and the better than expected global performance of the parquet industry in Europe, in particular, towards the end of last year.

Increase In Production & Consumption The total production in FEP territories rose to a volume of 70.3 million sq m. Important increases, particularly in Germany, Austria, the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic had a major impact on the positive development of the entire sector. Consumption within the area grew by 6.81 percent, to a level of 92.9 million sq m. Important increases are witnessed especially in the Nordic cluster, Germany and France.

As for the total parquet production per type, multi-layer remains at a stable level of 78 percent. Solid, including lamparquet, increased by one percent to reach 20 percent, whereas mosaic declined by one percent to constitute two percent of the total. In absolute production figures by country, Poland consolidated its leading position with 7.71 percent, Germany remained second at 15.64 percent while Sweden comes in third at 13.3 percent. Germany is leading the other countries in terms of domestic consumption with 20.84 percent (a more than two percent market share increase compared to 2009), followed by France at 13.01 percent and Spain at 10.84 percent, edging slightly ahead of Italy which formed 10.33 percent of the market.

buzzthrill

Market Report

The per capita parquet consumption is highest in Austria (0.76 sq m) and Switzerland (0.7 sq m), followed by Sweden at 0.63 sq m. Overall, within FEP area, the consumption per inhabitant has risen from 0.21 sq m in 2009 to 0.23 sq m in 2010.

Usage of wood species in 2010 indicates that oak has advanced further to reach a 65.2 percent of the total, tropical wood species regressed significantly to a mere 7.5 percent. Ash and beech experienced upward swings with 6.8 percent and 6.3 percent respectively.

firefly EXIMIO

ENQUIRY NO. 276

Setting new StandardS in Spark detection vIsIt us at asEanwOOd - wOOdtECH 22-25 september 2011 | stand 1007

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; aug/sep 2011

ROPEAN PARQUET INDUSTRIES IN 2010 Parquet Industry on the road to recovery Market Report Katie Brady, Montana, US

mplifying the January forecast of FEP (European Federation of the Parquet ssued at the start of the DOMOTEX fair, the consolidated data provided by Outlook For 2012 ompanies and affiliated national associations indicate a positive development in Taking into consideration of the European Parquet Industry and a growth in both production & the constantly improving picture for parquet in the on volumes. Compared to the previous year, the total production in 2010 global market in 2010, the future looks by 4.11%, whereas the overall consumption figures point to anencouraging. even stronger In general, the results 6.81%. for 2011 have been evolving positively

in the past months, both in terms of result is particularly encouraging as it comes after two difficult years during consumption and production. uced by the global Economic crisis, the parquet industry also faced difficult The optimism of the industry lting in declines in areas of both consumption and production. The reasons for is strengthening mainly due to the sing tendency reversal can be found in the general economic progressiveupswing thickening of order books in the past year, the strong performance of some of the largest and climate. The and markets the improving economic than expected global result of the parquet industry in the Eurosame Area towards applies to the growing confidence of European consumers. last year. Nevertheless, FEP wants to underscore that in certain cases the However, the general ata are provisional and that therefore the possibility of some variation in the upswing is not uniform for all markets within the FEP uld not be excluded. area, with some still fighting hard to

stability, often at a lower level. production in FEP territory rose to a volume of 70,300,000 achieve m². Important Amongst the in economic particularly in Germany, Austria and the Nordic countries, but also the indicators that the European Commission s, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic had a major impact on the positive is monitoring, there is one that refuses to follow the nt of the entire sector.

Parquet production in the FEP member countries 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999(*) 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

000 m² 23.300 25.580 26.991 29.997 34.566 35.634 35.294 37.977 40.396 44.972 49.798 50.578 53.836 58.308 64.774 69.812 75.621 76.741 81.039 91.453 95.977 97.911 100.334 84.725 67.523 70.300

+ / - 000 m²

+/-%

2.280 1.411 3.006 4.569 1.068 -340 2.683 2.419 4.576 4.826 780 3.258 4.472 6.466 5.038 5.809 1.120 4.298 10.414 4.524 1.934 2.423 -15.609 -17.202 2.777

9,8% 5,5% 11,1% 15,2% 3,1% -1,0% 7,6% 6,4% 11,3% 10,7% 1,6% 6,4% 8,3% 11,1% 7,8% 8,3% 1,5% 5,6% 12,85% 4,9% 2,02% 2,47% -15,56% -20,30% 4,11%

general trend: the construction sector. In addition, raw material prices are increasing. The Euro remains strong against the US dollar, creating an intense competition against cheap imports. Parquet remains a desired flooring product: a warm, environmentally friendly, sustainable and natural interior solution. In other words, it fulfils all inherent conditions demanded from a modern product on the basis of sustainable development. Wooden floor remains the second most popular type of floors in Europe, behind ceramic floors, with 46 percent of the market. In Sweden, eight out of ten homes have wooden floor installed. The figures for Poland and Austria are 71 and 65 percent respectively. A small uplift of the market share of wooden floors in all European countries has been witnessed in the last two years. The negative economic climate is predicted to impact consumers’ spending power, but has so far shown no implication on the appeal of parquet. FDM

(*) As of 1999, figures shown represent total market in FEP area. distinction s of 1999, figures shown represent total market in No FEP area. No distinction is made is made between 'traditional' and 'new' member countries. between “traditional” and “new” member countries.

22 FDM Asia aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

ENQUIRY NO. 6001

ENQUIRY NO. 251

Redesigndesign Limited, London, UK

Focus

All Is

WELL Until It

SWELLS In the first segment of a two-part special feature on medium density fibreboard manufacturing, developments in treatment techniques before and after production are discussed. These processes can help enhance the thickness swelling of the boards and improve stability in varying environmental conditions. By Dr Nadir Ayrilmis, Istanbul University

edium density fibreboard (MDF) is one of the most commonly used wood-based panels for furniture materials in residential building because of its smoothness and excellent machining characteristics. The main disadvantage of MDF compared to plywood is that when the board comes into contact with water, it generally swells more and a higher proportion of the swelling may not be recoverable after drying. This is a result of two main factors: the inherent hygroscopicity of the wood fibres and the residual stress created within the fibre mat during hot pressing. When the MDF panel contacts water, the wood swells and some of the residual stress is released, causing an increase in the thickness of the panel.

24 FDM Asia Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

Excessive thickness swelling not only causes poor appearance, but also markedly weakens the panel. Recent studies have focused on the thermal treatment of wood fibres or post thermal treatment to produce MDF panels with higher dimensional stability. Wood that has been ‘retified’ or ‘torrified’ will exhibit improved water repellency, reduced shrinkage and swelling, higher decay resistance, reduced extractive contents, lower equilibrium moisture content and increased thermal insulating capacity. Along with these improved properties, some unwanted effects may arise in the wood, such as reduction in strength and modulus of elasticity, as well as modulus of rupture. Softwoods have shown larger reductions in strength

than hardwoods. Usually, the bending and tensile strength of heat-treated material is reported to drop between 10 to 30 percent.

Enhancement Methods There are several treatment methods which can be divided into three different means of application: pre-treatment, posttreatment, and production technology. The first group includes methods that involve treatments applied to furnish before panel hot-pressing, such as chemical or thermal modification of wood fibres or particles. The second group comprises methods applied in the consolidated panels, and thermal treatment is the most common one. Lastly, the production technology methods involve those that are related to

Focus improving resin content, mat-forming type and application of water repellents. Waxes are commercially used to improve the water repellency of woodbased panels. Oils, such as silixane systems and acrylic elastomeric coating systems, have been used to improve weather-proofing of siding panels. The use of silanes, silicones and siloxanes in wood-based panels is rather limited mainly due to their water insolubility and tendency to form silica deposits. An option to further reduce the thickness swelling of wood-based panels in their end use is to exploit the solutions that nanotechnology can offer. Employing nanotechnology on woodbased panels can result in the next generation of products having hyperperformance and superior service ability when used in severe environments.

in Thailand were treated with saturated steam under pressure at 120, 150 or 180 degree C for 15 or 30 minutes in the laboratory autoclave. The treated fibres were then dried to a moisture content of two to three percent based on oven-dry weight of fibres prior to the panel manufacture.

The fibres were placed in a rotary drum type laboratory blender after which urea-formaldehyde resin was added using an air-atomised spray system at 11 percent based on the weight of the oven-dried fibres. The temperature of the hot press, its maximum panel pressure and total press cycle were

Thermal Treatment Of Rubberwood

ENQUIRY NO. 234

Thermal treatment of wood fibres, in particular, fast growing fibres, is a very promising method to improve dimensional stability of MDF panels. Thermal treatment of fast growing wood fibres such as rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) and Eucalyptus camaldulensis has been recently studied in Thailand. Rubberwood is the main raw material for wood-based panel production such as particleboard and MDF in Asia. MDFs and particleboards produced in Asian countries are mostly used as substrate for thin overlay in cabinet and moulded door skin production. Rubberwood is highly susceptible to biodeteriorating organisms such as insects and fungi because of its high starch and sugar contents. There is a need to increase the dimensional stability and decay resistance of rubberwood in order to make wood-based panels made from its fibres feasible for exterior application. In the study, wood fibres supplied from a commercial MDF manufacturer www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Aug/sep 2011

Focus not directly associated with the fibre and thus did not promote swelling. Although thermal treatment of wood fibres improves dimensional stability of the MDF panels, mechanical properties are negatively affected by severity of thermal treatment.

Nick Hubbard

160 degree C, 5 N per sq mm and 6 minutes respectively. The thermal treatment of rubberwood fibres showed a significant impact on the thickness swelling of the MDF panels after 24 hours of water soaking at a probability level of 0.01.

Thickness swelling is one major disadvantage of MDF panels.

The thickness swelling of the panels made from the rubberwood fibres significantly decreased with increasing treatment temperature and time, while water absorption of panels was negatively affected by increasing temperature and time of the thermal treatment. As hemicelluloses are extremely hydrophilic compounds, their alteration could affect the dimensional stability of wood. Hemicelluloses, which are the most heat sensitive polymers of wood components, are hydrolysed during heat treatment, and this decreases the hygroscopicity of the lignocellulosic materials. The panels treated at 180 degree C for 30 minutes had the highest water absorption value (80.3 percent) while the lowest was for the control (72.1 percent). Wood treated at high temperatures had less hygroscopicity than natural wood. However, it shows a certain porosity and when dipped in water, and can absorb more than 20 percent of water. The absorbed water may have occupied void space in the wood and was therefore

26 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

Compared with the control group, the modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, internal bond strength, and screw withdrawal resistance of the MDF panels decreased by 6-25 percent, 11-31 percent, 16-45 percent and 5-17 percent respectively. The MDF panels made from thermally-treated rubberwood fibres at 180 degree C for 30 minutes appeared to be a practical choice for applications requiring low thickness swelling.

Application On Eucalyptus Eucalyptus is among the fastest growing hardwood trees in the world, is grown in more than 90 countries and represents eight percent of all planted forests. Despite many advantages, eucalyptus wood has some disadvantages such as high swelling, low dimensional stability, and several drying problems that limit its use. The low dimensional stability and durability are the main reasons for the low value of eucalypt wood. It may not be suitable for use in places that have large seasonal changes in atmospheric

moisture because of the high dimensional changes of the wood (14 percent). These disadvantages can also cause a loss of MDFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dimensional stability for boards containing eucalyptus wood fibres. A study was done to investigate the physical and mechanical properties of the light MDF panels made from thermally treated wood fibres of eucalyptus camaldulensis at three different temperatures (120, 150 and 180 degree C) for 30 or 60 minutes in a laboratory autoclave. The average thickness swelling of the panels was decreased by 16-54 percent depending on the treatment temperature and time. Although thermal treatment of wood fibers improves dimensional stability of the light MDF panels, mechanical properties are negatively affected by severity of thermal treatment. Compared to the control group, the modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and internal bond strength of the light MDF panels decreased by 16-37, 9-25 and 10-39 percent respectively. It was concluded that the wood fibres of E camaldulensis treated at 180 degree C for 30 minutes can be used in the manufacturing of light MDF for applications in humid conditions, such as kitchen and bathroom furniture that require improved dimensional stability. The loss in mechanical properties during heat treatment could be related to the formation of soluble acidic chemicals (eg: formic acid and acetic acid) from the degradation of hemicelluloses. These acids accelerate depolymerisation of the cellulose by breaking down the long chain celluloses (crystalline structure) to shorter chains. Depolymerisation and shortening of the cellulose polymer could affect the modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity of the wood. The internal bond strength results can be explained in terms of the elevated hydrophobicity of fibre surfaces which reduces the adhesion and penetration of the urea formaldehyde resin.

Focus Surface characteristics and overlaying properties of MDF panels are significantly affected by thermal treatment of the fibres. It has been reported that increasing severity of thermal treatment of rubberwood fibres results in smoother surface (lower surface roughness), while wettability and adhesive bond strength between overlay and MDF surface are negatively affected by thermal treatment of the fibres. Similar results were also observed for post thermal treatment of MDF panels. The oxidation of wood fibre surfaces and bulks makes the panels more hydrophobic. Hyrophobic characteristic of MDF made from thermally treated wood fibres could diminish the ability of waterborne thermoset adhesives (aminoplasts) to adequately wet the surface and establish physical adhesion.

Post-Treatment Of Consolidated Panel Thermal treatment of consolidated panels has become common practice in MDF manufacturing. Post-manufacture thermal treatment could decrease the moisture content of MDF panels prior to shipping, thereby reducing weight and improving dimensional stability. In this method, MDF panels are re-pressed and heated, with pressure enough to ensure contact between the panel and the press platens. Post-thermal treatment should not be applied to MDF panels made using urea formaldehyde resin because it is susceptible to deterioration by heat. Recently, this treatment (175 degree C for 15 minutes, 200 degree C for 30 minutes, and 225 degree C for 30 minutes) was applied to phenol formaldehyde resin

bonded MDF panels having a density of 0.80 g per cubic cm and observed reduction in thickness swelling and equilibrium moisture content (EMC). The thickness swelling values of the heat-treated specimens after 24-hour water immersion varied from 4 to 4.7 percent. The lowest thickness swelling value of 4.02 percent was obtained from the specimens exposed to the highest treatment temperature (225 degree C). The heat-treated specimens at higher than 200 degree C showed a significant reduction in thickness swelling after 24-hour water soaking. EMC of the MDF panels are generally not affected by post heat treatment at temperatures of lower than 200 degree C. This effect was consistent under both exposure conditions. However, heat-treatment temperatures of 225

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Ricardo Diaz, Los Angeles, US

Focus degree C significantly reduced the EMC by 6.4 percent at 65 percent relative humidity and by 9.9 percent at 90 percent relative humidity when compared against its respective untreated control groups. This reduction is advantageous and means that the panels should be more stable in variable environmental conditions. Based on American National Standard ANSI-A208.2, maximum thickness swelling requirement for grade 160 MDF (representing the best properties) for interior applications is 10 percent. Although the mechanical properties of wood-based panels are negatively affected by post heat treatment, formaldehyde emissions of the panels decrease with increasing severity of the treatment. Fabio Bruna,The Hague, Netherlands

The use of thermally treated fibres can increase moisture resistance of MDF panels.

Post heat treatment can reduce formaldehyde emission.

Nanotechnology compounds It is well known that the cell wall of wood exhibits porosity of molecular scale dimensions due to the partial filling of space between the cellulose microfibrils by lignin, hemicelluloses and extractives. The small-sized

28 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

nanoparticles of nanotechnology compounds can penetrate into the wood deeply, effectively altering its surface chemistry and resulting in high protection against moisture. The potential of improving the thickness swelling of commercial wood-based panels by applying nanotechnology compounds has been investigated by researchers. A recent study was conducted on nanotechnology compound SurfaPore W, which is a water-based formulation designed to harness the power of nanotechnology in order to preserve absorptive wooden surfaces. The formulation consists of three different nanoparticle sizes, specially designed to penetrate into the wood mass. The finest nanoparticles are intended to penetrate through the capillaries and bond with the hydroxyl groups of the cellulose content. The larger nanoparticles are intended to penetrate at the appropriate depth and react with the wood polymers. Finally, the formulation is completed by a nano-

emulsion of paraffin that is intended to ensure surface protection. MDF samples were immersed into a bath containing sufficient quantity of the compound for 30 seconds at room temperature. The immersion caused negligible swelling. Subsequently, excess chemical was wiped off and the samples were re-conditioned. The uptake of the solution was 155 g per sq m of the panel surface. It was concluded that the application of the compound, an aqueous wood-water repellent, resulted in a significant improvement in the thickness swelling of the panels tested. Nanotechnology compounds are aqueous wood-water repellents and are easy to apply without changing the surface appearance. They do not contain any preservatives or other hazardous solvents and can be used as a primer prior to application of varnish or any other coating, especially for exterior grade MDF. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 6101

Advertorial

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It seems a long talk about how to lower the cost. There may be three ways: First, improve the technique; Second, improve manage; Third, conserve resources. Today we will talk about technique. For example, Arron manage a factory, his business is to cut round wood into pieces.

He has many cutting machines. But these days, two problems persistently bother him. Workers are so difficult to employ, especially skilled ones. Rent is so expensive and it keeps increasing. The profit margin becomes

smaller and smaller. How to deal with it? Because of this, Arron has not have a good rest for a long time. One day, when he saw a picture, EUREKA! Perfect solution! "This is a picture from heaven I am sure!" Arron almost cries. Don't you agree? Arron call the manufacturer, he knows that this machine can cut 20-40 steres per day. Only two workers are required to operate it. And the work area needed is just 20 square meters. "I can have a good sleep today." Arron thought. "Multi-rip saw, buy tomorrow!"

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Focus

A Point Of Reference:

VOC

Standardising

Emission Testing Horia Varlan, Bucharest, Romania

Existing green label programmes are not supported by consistent estimates of VOC emission rate, resulting in large coefficient of variations in test results. A reference material can help standardise the process and instil confidence in manufacturers and consumers. By Cynthia Howard-Reed, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Zhe Liu, Steve Cox and John Little, Virginia Tech University

uilding materials and products are a significant source of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the indoor environment. Reducing VOC emissions can improve occupant health and productivity, and perhaps support lower building ventilation requirements and associated energy usage. As a result, use of low VOC emission products is a key part of sustainable or ‘green’ building labelling programmes. To demonstrate that products have low emission rates, manufacturers rely on several different emission assessment programmes. Typically, these programmes require a thirdparty independent laboratory measurement of a product’s VOC emission rate in a test chamber. Test chamber emission rates are then compared to pass/fail criteria to determine a product’s eligibility for a programme label.

Large Variations

It is common to see large coefficients of variation in material emission rates measured between different laboratories.

30 FDM Asia Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

However, existing green product labelling programmes are not yet supported by consistent estimates of VOC emission rates. For example, it is common to see large coefficients of variation (greater than 40 percent) in material emission rates measured between different laboratories for the same test material. Much of the within and between laboratory variation is due to the complexities associated with product emissions testing. First, there are multiple steps in the testing process, including: 1) selection, packaging, transport and storage of material/product samples; 2) preparation and conditioning of sample specimens; 3) operation of emission test equipment; 4) gas-phase sampling; 5) sample analysis; and 6) data analysis and interpretation. In addition, product emission rates change with time and chamber air concentrations of many chemicals are relatively low and challenging to measure. Also, test chambers and analytical equipment are not standardised and thus vary between laboratories. Finally, there are many different test methods and product labelling programmes in use today.

Focus Julian Burgess, New York, US

It is not necessary that every laboratory conducting product emissions testing use the same type of chamber or analytical equipment. However, every laboratory should be able to demonstrate that its testing equipment and methods can measure product emission rates with an acceptable uncertainty.

Inter-Laboratory Studies The most common performance-based validation approach for product emissions testing has been the use of inter-laboratory studies (ILS). Recently, Europe conducted several large-scale ILS to qualify labs for various labelling schemes, such as the German AgBB (German Committee for Health-related Evaluation of Building Products) product label. However, inter-laboratory studies require the use of a homogeneous emission source and the coordination of many different laboratories over a period of several months. And, in the end, it is only possible to characterise laboratory performance based on a measured mean value and standard deviation, not a ‘true’ reference value. One way to address several of these issues, and perhaps

Inter-laboratory studies require the use of a homogeneous emission source.

eliminate the need for expensive ILS, is to use a reference material with a known emission rate. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) defines a reference material as a substance that is sufficiently homogeneous and stable with respect to one or more specified properties, which has been established to be fit for its intended use

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Focus in a measurement process (eg: calibration of an apparatus, assessment of an apparatus, or the assessment of a measurement method). Today, there are no homogeneous building materials that have an independently known emission rate. As a result, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is working with Virginia Tech (VT) to develop a series of reference materials that mimic the emissions characteristics of real building materials and chemicals in a chamber test.

Reference Emission Materials

digital cat, Munich, Germany

The development of this reference material for product emissions testing has involved several steps. The first step was to select a suitable substrate and representative VOC for the prototype.

The polymer polymethyl pentene was determined to be a pure, uniform and stable material choice. Toluene was chosen as the first VOC since it is a chemical commonly found in building products, is relatively easy to measure, and is compatible with the chosen polymer film. The films were loaded through a diffusion process by exposing them to a toluene gas stream until equilibrium is reached between the material-phase and the gas-phase. Up to 42 films have been loaded in a single batch, with tests showing no significant differences between films produced within one batch. A microbalance holding an extra single film was also exposed to the toluene gas stream and was used to confirm the batch of films had reached equilibrium, typically after 10 to 14 days of loading. Once the films were saturated with toluene, they were wrapped in aluminium foil, sealed in a plastic bag, and placed in a cooler with dry ice for shipment to test laboratories. It has been determined that cold temperatures (approximately

32 FDM Asia Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

-20 degree C) are required to preserve the integrity of the films over time. As a result, test laboratories are instructed to store the films in a laboratory freezer until ready for use. The next step in the reference material’s development was to characterize its performance in a test chamber. Chamber tests were conducted using a test method based on ASTM’s Standard Guide for Small-Scale Environmental Chamber Determination of Organic Emissions from Indoor Materials/Products (ASTM D5116-10). The reference material test method specifies the following chamber set points: temperature (23 degree C), relative humidity (50 percent), and airflow rate (in the range of 0.050 cubic metres per hour to 0.065 cubic metres per hour). The sampling and analytical methods are left to the discretion of each laboratory. Again, the reference material is designed to be a tool for laboratories to demonstrate their ability to achieve relatively accurate results. Chamber results showed the prototype film to behave as expected with an emission profile similar to a typical ‘dry’ material (eg: flooring). Once the performance of the film was wellestablished in the chamber, the reference films were distributed to 13 different test laboratories from several countries through a series of multi-laboratory comparisons. Relative standard deviations between laboratories were often less than 10 percent, indicating the material is a sufficiently homogeneous and consistent emissions source in different chambers. Next steps in the development process include improving the material’s packaging for shipment and storage and verifying its loading and performance under different environmental conditions. There are also plans to expand the reference material development to include other chemicals, such as formaldehyde.

Prediction Via Mass Transfer Model A unique advantage of this reference emission source is that its emission profile can also be predicted by a fundamental mass transfer model. The emission of a VOC from a homogeneous dry material to a well-mixed chamber is dependent on its internal diffusion within the material, characterised by diffusion coefficient D, and its partitioning between the material-phase and air-phase at the material/air interface, characterised by its partition coefficient K. By measuring D, K, and the initial VOC concentration in the material, the film’s emission rate of toluene can be predicted for a given film thickness and surface area. Using a specific chamber’s volume and airflow rate allows the determination of the chamber air VOC concentration as a function of time.

Focus The model’s predicted results have been compared to the chamber measurements to date. In general, the model has compared well with the chamber test results when no measurement issues occurred. However, the model has also been responsible for identifying measurement issues when there are discrepancies. For example, the model identified an issue with an early sample holder design. The sample holder was designed to press the reference film flat against an aluminium platform such that the toluene would only emit from one side of the material. However, the model assuming that one side of the material was exposed underestimated the measured results indicating a larger than expected toluene source. It was later confirmed that the samples were not held perfectly flat on the platform and that air gaps existed beneath the samples. A new sample holder was designed to expose both sides of the film leading to results that match a two-sided emissions model, thus illustrating the value of the predictive model.

Possible Industrial Applications

ENQUIRY NO. 203

Once commercially available, the reference emissions source will have several potential industrial applications. First, it will provide laboratories valuable feedback regarding their chamber performance and analytical capabilities. Since the material will have an independently known reference emission rate, time-consuming and expensive inter-laboratory studies would no longer be required to assess a laboratory’s performance and test laboratories would have the option to assess their performance at any time. If a laboratory’s measured results do not match the reference value, the reference material could be coupled with an analytical check standard to identify the root cause of the disagreement. Inconsistencies between test laboratory results have been a source of frustration for several stakeholders, including 1) manufacturers who pay a lot of money for these tests but sometimes have limited confidence in the results; 2) emissions test laboratories who question the results from other laboratories, since there is no way to check the accuracy of the emissions results; and 3) consumers who have limited confidence they are actually purchasing a low emitting product. A reference material with an independently known emission rate has the potential to build consensus and confidence in emissions testing as well as level the playing field for product testing laboratories and manufacturers. And, ultimately, the consumer should be getting a better product for a healthier FDM indoor environment. ENQUIRY NO. 6102

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA Aug/sep 2011

Colin Chudyk, Victoria, Canada

Technology

Taking the

Rough With the Smooth Umberto Dattola, Brescia, Italy

by an electric induction motor. The cutterheads are positioned vertically and horizontally, allowing for simultaneous machining of the surfaces of the fed wood.

laning is a major machining process in the woodworking industry similar to milling in metals. It is essentially the removal of material from a work piece. Where once planing was done by hand, it is today achieved through the use of modern automated machinery, given the growing demand for wood and wood products. Such automated machinery used for planing are known as jointers in the US and planers in the UK and Australia. They usually consist of two parallel tables, a moveable fence set perpendicular to the tables and cutterheads powered

34 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; AUG/SEP 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

Process Parameters Despite the use of such modern machinery, the smoothness and flatness of the machined wood are often not a given. There are several process parameters which will ultimately affect the surface roughness of the planed wood. These parameters include feed direction, feed rate and the number of blades found on the cutterheads. Lack of knowledge on how they affect the surface roughness of the planed wood may result in the finished product ending up with more surface defects than it had at the start. Feed direction is a crucial factor

to consider in the planing of wood. This is because all woods have what is known as grain, a pattern of alternating regions of relatively lighter and darker wood. Generally, the grain lies in a single direction, although to the layman this may not be obvious. When planed, the cutting blades must remove excess material in the direction of the grain instead of against it. This will ensure a smoother surface on the machined wood and also prevent any possible tearing of the grain. Also, the wood should be cut tangentially to its annual rings, instead of radially, although this may vary across wood types. Another important parameter to consider is feed rate, which is essentially how fast or slow the wood is passed through the planer. Despite manufacturers always wanting to shrink production time, increasing feed rate during planing could end up costing them more. Higher feed rates usually result in rougher

As the wood panel market grows, so will demand for proper surface measurement.

in the planer and cutterhead rotational imbalance, among others. As such, it always pays to perform regular checks on the alignment of cutterheads and to replace their blades

regularly. Educating workers on grain direction in wood is also necessary, thereby preventing them from using the wrong feed direction during planing. In addition, there are superficial marks that are unique to the process of planing. Known as cuttermarks, these wave-like notches are often the unavoidable result of the kinematics associated with the rotary action of the planerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cutterheads. However, they can be minimised by ensuring that the wood that has been fed into the planer is secured tightly and by keeping the cutterheads as stable as possible.

Determining Surface Roughness Once the wood has been planed, it can then be measured to determine its surface roughness. This step is especially

ENQUIRY NO. 253

surfaces, possibly leading to more time spent later on sanding and other finishing processes. The number of blades used will also affect the surface roughness of the planed wood. In the industry, these blades, usually made from carbide, are arranged in a spiral shape around the cylindrical cutterhead, with each strand of blades positioned an equal distance from the next strand. Using a cutterhead with more blades will often result in a smoother planed surface. It is evident that much thought must go into the planing process, no matter how automated it may be. Other problematic issues that may occur and result in a rougher planed surface include the wear and tear of blades in the cutterhead, the presence of vibrations

seier+seier

Technology

For more information,please visit :www.yalianjx.cn

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; AUG/SEP 2011

Technology passing a mechanical stylus probe, known in some circles as a profilometer, across the surface of the wood. The up-and-down movement of the stylus is recorded via a computer and used for the computation of the various statistical descriptors. However, in some cases, the stylus may further degrade the surface quality of the wood by scratching or leaving indentations, which may not have been there previously. This is especially likely on softer woods such as cedar and balsa. Another instrument which is often used in the measurement of surface profiles

Current non-contact methods of surface measurement largely depend on the use of optics. In electronic speckle correlation, coherent light is shone on the surface of the material being measured. As it illuminates the relatively rough surface, it gets diffracted and forms a speckle image. This speckle image is then compared with another produced from the same surface, and the degree to which they correlate can be used as a roughness parameter. Official Navy Page, USA

important as the market drives to produce higher-quality wood products. No longer is it sufficient simply to use one’s naked eye in deciding if a piece of wood meets the required standard. Furthermore, determining surface roughness of a sample surface can actually serve as feedback to the planing process. There are many statistical descriptors that can be used to give an adequate picture of the roughness of a surface. The most common among them is the arithmetical mean deviation of the profile, or average roughness, which is an average of the absolute values of

Non-contact methods do not lead to probe wear or bounce, collect data at much faster rates than contact methods and do not influence or damage the surface being measured. distances from the mean line to the surface profile. There is also the ten-point height, which is defined as the sum of the average height of the five local maximums and the average height of the five local minimums. The maximum height of the profile is the distance between the maximum peak height and the maximum valley depth from the mean line in each sampling length.

Profile Measurement Instruments Thankfully, many advanced profile measurement instruments are available today which remove the hassle of dealing with all the mathematical data. These instruments quickly churn out values for surface roughness and waviness. They can be broadly categorised into two groups based on their method of measurement: contact and non-contact. The contact method of measuring surface roughness is seen as more traditional and usually involves the user

36 FDM Asia AUG/SEP 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

is the atomic force microscope (AFM). This device provides a 3D image of the surface and can pick up features with dimensions of barely a few nanometres. The AFM tip ‘gently’ touches the surface of the material being measured and records the force between them, which are typically Van der Waals interactions. The AFM can be used in either contact or non-contact mode, depending on how far its tip is held from the surface. As with the use of the stylus the AFM in contact mode can result in the deformation of soft materials.

Non-Contact Methods Unlike contact methods, non-contact methods of surface measurement are seen as more favourable and are the preferred choice for many quality assurance departments today. There are several reasons for this. Non-contact methods do not lead to probe wear or bounce, collect data at much faster rates than contact methods and do not influence or damage the surface being measured.

Advances in laser technology hold greater promise for surface metrology.

In triangulation, laser light emitted from a sensor is shone onto the wood surface. The reflected laser is then passed through an imaging lens and the subsequent image is formed on a detector. As the laser traces the wood surface it is measuring, its projected image on the detector changes location, often due to bumps and kinks on the surface. The extent to which this change in locations occurs defines how rough or smooth the wood surface is. Shadow analysis is yet another technology that has emerged in recent years to determine surface roughness. Light from a projector is directed onto the surface to be measured. A curtain installed in the light path close to the

surface creates a shadow on the measured surface. An image of the border of the shadow is then captured and digitised using a digital signal processor. This type of shadow analysis is quick and accurate and can be used extensively on a wide range of porous materials including wood. The simplicity of the system also makes it easy to maintain and inexpensive. The last non-contact method that deserves mention is light sectioning. Despite its futuristic name, it is actually a technology that has been in use since half a century ago. A light stripe is projected from the side of the sample on to the surface to produce a light section. This light section, in following the wavy contours of the cuttermarked surface, produces a wavy profile. A

Colin Chudyk, Victoria, Canada

Technology

Processes such as planing will have to improve, in light of better-educated consumers.

triangular relationship between the height of the cuttermark wave and the height of the light section’s wave can be formulated. This helps in calculating the widths and heights of the cuttermark waves.

Future Of Planing Despite having to deal with bettereducated consumers with higher expectations, the wood industry will take pleasure in the availability of better profile measurement instruments. These instruments, when used to measure surface roughness on planed wood, allow for tighter quality standards to be enforced. Furthermore, knowing the various characteristics of a planed surface, either through contact or non-contact methods, will serve as effective feedback in fine-tuning the planing process, from adjusting feed rate to changing one’s blades. Ultimately, companies will hope to be able to perfect their planing process, producing machined wood that meets their desired standard in the minimum amount of time. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 6201

Wide Belt Sander Manufacturer In China Good FRIEND, Best Win-win. BSGR-RP13C wide belt sander

– more innovative over traditional wood sander TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES • national patent: ZL 200520023029.8 • frame is fixed on the integral steel panel on both sides of the machine body in order to ensure its stable performance • equipped with FYH or ASA bearing from Japan, Schneider electrical elements from France, Autonics coder from Korea, Delta PLC system and branded touch screen from Taiwan. The high configuration ensures reliable and accurate performance of the machine • features high rigidity and stability, high precision and long service life due to its integral structure design. CONTACT INFORMATION

Qingdao FRIEND Wood-working Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Add: 1st Yinghai Industrial Zone, Jiaozhou, Qingdao City, Shandong, China. Tel: +86-532-85270988 • Fax: +86-532-85270990 • Email: sales@qdfriend.com Web: www.qdfriend.com; www.cnwoodworkmachine.com; www.woodworkmachinery.asia; www.woodworkmachinery.es

ENQUIRY NO. 285

KEY TECHNICAL PARAMETERS • Working width: 40-1300mm • Working thickness: 2.5-80mm • Speed of sand belt: 22;18m/s • Size of sand belt: 1330×2250mm • Machine size: 3000×2800×2020mm • Machine weight: 3300kg

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RIGHT ON

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TARGET! Meeting Your Business Needs! When the numbers have to count, FDM Asia will help you meet your business targets. 1 and ONLY BPA-audited woodworking publication in the Asia Pacific region 25,000 potential buyers and business partners are waiting to see your products & services. Advertorial, eMail Blast, Loose Inserts, Print, Exhibition or eMedia, we customise programmes tailored to suit your business needs and marketing budget

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ENQUIRY NO. 265

Panels

Oriented Strand Boards:

The Answer To A

Renewable

Future

Siempelkamps

he oriented strand board (OSB) industry has been growing since its inception over 30 years ago. OSB panel was born out of a need for wood with higher bending strengths as compared to regular flat-pressed panels, cheaper alternative to combat the increasing costs of peelable logs such as veneer plywood, and the search for a more renewable and sustainable option to harness wood. By the 1990s, the production capacity of OSB has reached 6.8 million cubic metres and it is anticipated to hit 21 million cubic metres by 2015. Today, OSB panels are recognised by the US and Canada as equivalent to, for the same uses, as plywood on a thickness-bythickness basis. These panels have emerged as a competitor to plywood and have steadily become an effective substitute for construction panels. Industry analysts predict that a decline in plywood manufacturing in many countries, due to limited large log supplies and environmental concerns, will increase the demand of OSB in the future.

Production capacity is expected to hit 21 million cubic metres by 2015.

40 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

Siempelkamps

Panels Composition OSB is made from both softwood and hardwood species depending on the availability and location of the production plant. Southern pine is favoured from the softwood species while yellow poplar is one of the most commonly used hardwood species. However, the mix can also come from other species such as oak and soft maple. The finished panels are characterised by its mix of many wood strips placed in a non-uniformed fashion, which is different from regular plywood. Its main competitor, plywood, is made from several sheets of wood that has been peeled off a log. These sheets of veneer are then glued together into a board, giving it a uniformed look. OSB panels, however, are made up of cross-oriented layers of wood strips and look altogether different from plywood. They present an incoherent exterior, which can be made up of different shades, depending on the type of wood strips used. The non-homogeneous nature of OSB may sometimes lead consumers to feel that they have been short-changed by their contractors with wood of inferior quality. Despite their deceiving appearance, the boards can be manufactured to a range of rigidness and strength according to the requirements of application.

Production Process An OSB panel goes through an entire production process that starts from an unprocessed log and ends at a finishing stage before it can be packaged and sold to consumers. The process starts off with the harvesting of logs, after which the logs are brought back to the plant where it gets processed through debarking and flaking. Flaking creates uniformed pieces of wood out of the log according to the plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requirements for the next stage. The bark that has been removed is often used as fuel for the drying and heating process later. The flakes are then dried until the moisture content is reduced to about four to six percent. When the flakes are dry enough, they proceed to the screening stage where wood materials that are too small for OSB mat formation are removed.

Processes include flaking, dry and mat formation.

The remaining flakes proceed to the blending stage where resin binders, phenol formaldehyde and diphenylmethane diisocyanate, and wax are added. Mat formation occurs next where the cross-directional layers are formed. It takes approximately 50 layers of strands to make one sheet of OSB. However, thickness of individual layers can be varied to give different panel thicknesses. The layers are pressed under intense heat and pressure to form a rigid and dense structural panel. After which, the panels are cooled, cut to size, stacked and packaged for shipping.

Advantages Of OSB The strength of OSB products can be tailored for intended use and it is dimensionally more stable than natural wood. These panels can achieve a significantly higher bending strength than regular flat-pressed panels. OSB manufacturing has a wood recovery rate as high as 78 percent according to the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products of Virginia Tech University. This means that it www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Aug/sep 2011

Ryo Chijiiwa, California, US

Panels

Panels can be used for load-bearing applications in construction.

Main Applications OSB can be used for both structural and non-structural applications, such as furniture frames, decorative wall panelling, shelving, packaging and crating, pallet manufacture, dry storage pallets and industrial tabletops. It is also particularly suitable for load-bearing applications in construction and is widely used for flooring, roof decking and wall sheathing. However, it is recommended to leave some gap between panels during installations to allow for expansion to occur so as to prevent buckling. Although most panels are treated with sealants to prevent moisture retention, OSB panels are prone to decay if left exposed in moist environment for prolonged period of time. This is a common problem to all wooden platforms.

42 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

Environmental Considerations & Research Environmental concerns have been a long-term issue for any industry and the forest product industry is no exception. Governments around the world have put pressure on plants to reduce emissions of its chemicals and other waste by-products. There is a growing trend towards recycling and elimination of waste. The waste in question not only refers to chemicals in the resin binders and end by-products such as contaminated liquids, but also of raw materials for manufacturing. Resin-adhesives are high on the list of concerns as they are a significant source of emissions. Resin producers are continually trying to find ways to reduce emissions without affecting product performance and manufacturing cost. Adhesives can form up to 30 percent of the total cost involved in producing and marketing the panels. hestophanes

will take about 1 kg of wood in the form of logs to produce a 0.78 kg OBS panel, which equates to less wastage. OSB panels are made from abundant, fast growing, small diameter aspen-poplar, which reduces the demand for old growth timber. Crooked, deformed, small diameter trees, which would otherwise have little commercial value, can also be used, maximising forest utilisation. The boards have no soft spots unlike other kinds of wood and can be manufactured into panels of up to 8 x 24 inches, far larger than plywood. OSB is squarerÂ than plywood and has more negotiable dimensional tolerances.

OSB panel properties allow for uses such as flooring.

Panels Renewable Raw Materials Renewability is another area of interest where research on soy products and lignin is being conducted to ascertain its possible inclusion in resin technology. These developments would enable the use of new adhesive systems based on renewable resources. Lignin can help replace 15 to 35 percent of phenol in binders. Although at the moment, soy-based adhesives are not as cost effective and are difficult to produce when compared to their counterparts, they offer a renewable and less toxic alternative. It would alleviate formaldehyde and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions caused by current resins. These emissions are known to cause respiratory, allergic or immune problems.

Spray Atomiser & Infrared Spectroscopy Other developments include spinning spray atomisers, which allow for lower resin solids application through better distribution, on-line devices which continuously monitor board quality as opposed to random board analysis, and infrared-based systems that measure the quality of each wood strand prior to mat forming. Spinning spray atomisers are binder application devices, which are suspended along the drum axis where the wood strands are placed. As the strands are tumbled in the drum, the atomiser allows for small molecules or resins to be distributed more evenly amongst the wood strands as they pass by the application device. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy can be used to predict stiffness and bulk density of wood strands before they undergo mat formation. Stands put through the NIR process show a density range, which means that end product panels can be strengthened by using strands of optimal densities and stiffness.

Bright Future

ENQUIRY NO. 282

OSB panels have come a long way since it was first introduced and have proven itself to be a comparable competitor to its counterparts. The panels are gaining popularity as a more renewable source to our wood needs because it uses wood of a faster growth rate that can be regenerated from sprouts, making reforestation after harvesting much cheaper. Expansion of the OSB has propagated from North America to Europe and is beginning to make inroads into Asia. With increasing production capacity, these panels are competing on the same levels as counterparts such as plywood and may one day dominate the market as a competent and FDM renewable alternative.

ENQUIRY NO. 6301

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Aug/sep 2011

Panels

CaseStudy

The Complete

Waste Solution A comprehensive management plan featuring the production of functional pallets from waste wood fibres, leasing services and product tracking system points the way to the commercial potential of wood waste recycling. By Thomas Yeo, RFID project manager, LHT Holdings

ecycling of wood waste has the benefits of reducing waste stream and avoiding the need of harvesting wood. According to Singapore Key Environmental Statistics in 2009, the generation of wood and timber waste amounted to around 0.27 million tonnes per annum. There are several methods that are generally adopted in the treatment of wood waste. For a land-scarce country

44 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

like Singapore, dumping the waste at a landfill is not a good option. Incineration is one the most effective ways in handling wood waste, but approximately 1.28 tonnes of carbon dioxide is released per tonne of waste combusted. The natural option to be considered would be the recycling of wood waste into functional products. Recycling helps

eliminate the need of cutting more trees for raw materials, allowing them to sequester and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Besides, the recycling of wood waste also delays the release of carbon dioxide that is stored within the wood.

Panels The sufficiently dried chips will be mixed with adhesives and pressed into final products. The crushed chips can be shaped into various forms with specially designed moulds. At the pressing station, the material undergoes a high pressure and temperature steaming process that results in pest and fungus elimination.

Carbon Assessment In order to appreciate the environmental benefits of technical wood, the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology conducted a study assessing the carbon footprint of a door made from the recycled wood material as compared to virgin hardwood.

Be part of Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing Woodworking Community

Waste wood is consolidated and shredded before further processing.

Technical Wood This is facilitated by reusing waste wood to produce a 'new wood' known as technical wood (engineered compress wood), a high-density fibre composite material that is strong enough for various applications. The wood is consistent in texture and colour, and is chemical and pest resistant, fire retardant and low in moisture content. For the production of this material, various types of waste tropical hardwoods are collected from different industries. The consolidation of waste wood is then shredded into wood chips for storage before further processing. Feeding the wood chips through a metal separator with a magnetic drum, unwanted metallic components such as nails are isolated so that they would not interfere with the manufacturing process. Before the wood chips are ready for pressing, their moisture content is removed by means of a dryer and a suction fan to lower than 10 percent. The lack of moisture helps strengthen stability and reduce thickness swelling of the wood.

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Panels International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) has set standards which requires wood packaging materials, such as pallets crates, boxes and dunnage used in transport cargo, be treated and marked, with the objective to develop a uniform standard to control pests in wood packaging materials used in global trade.

Process Flowchart Quality Check The conditions of wood products are visually inspected in the initial stage. Badly infested wood will be rejected and will not undergo heat treatment process.

Heat Treatment Process

RFID tagged pallets allow users to track the particular stage of storage or transport.

Life Cycle Assessment was done based on the principles and framework denoted by ISO14040/44 while the quantification of carbon emissions is performed according to the standards of PAS2050. The results showed that the carbon emission of technical wood door is 21 percent lower than that of the virgin

carbon emission of the virgin hardwood doors are engineering scrap during manufacturing, energy consumption during production, low harvested log to planed timber conversion rate and long distance transportation of the lumber from source to the plant. Although technical wood door demonstrated lower carbon emission, its environmental performance can be further enhanced with the usage of resin alternatives and the implementation of a more energy efficient recycling process.

Pallet System

hardwood door without taking into account avoided impact (the need of harvesting trees and delaying of release of carbon emissions). If avoided impact is factored in, its carbon emission is 1.2 times lower than the virgin hardwood door. The main contributors to the higher

46 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

One product that can be manufactured with technical wood is wooden pallet which is commonly used to support goods during transportation. A pallet is the structural foundation of a unit load that allows handling and storage efficiencies. Technical wood can be made into different components of a pallet or moulded into a complete piece. A popular option amongst overseas customers is the DIY pallets consisting of pre-cut

Wood products that passed visual inspection will be put into oven for heat treatment with ambience temperature of oven averaging 60 to 70 degree C. Six probes are inserted into the wood core to measure the temperature. A data logger is used to log data for audit purpose.

Repeat Heat Treatment Process Woods that do not attain a wood core temperature of 56 degree C for a minimum of 30 minutes will repeat the heat treatment process.

Cooling Process On completion of the heat treatment process, woods that have maintained a wood core temperature of 56 degree C for a minimum of 30 minutes are left for cooling.

Stencilling IPPC Mark IPPC mark and lot ID control are stencilled onto pallets. Reports are printed for verification by authorised operator.

Storage Final products are stored in proper warehouse to avoid cross contamination.

Malaysian Wood_Eng54x240.pdf

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Aug/sep 2011

4/25/11

Panels

At the pressing station, the material undergoes a high pressure and temperature steaming process that results in pest and fungus elimination.

RFID Tagging The solution comes in the form a convenient tagging system that requires minimal manual input. Using radio frequency identification (RFID)

technology, a small RFID tag is attached to each pallet without any interference on the work surface. As these tags pass through special gates setup with radio frequency sensors at the various depots, their numbers will be logged and registered. The information will then be uploaded onto a centralised system where users can assess from their computers. The sensors installed on the gates are sensitive enough to pick up the movement of the tags even at high speed. The operating system also allows multiple tags to be logged at the same time. This means that operators can stack multiple pallets and transport them without having to slow down for the system to register the tags, ensuring efficiency of the process. At each checkpoint, users can input critical data such as type of goods, destination and storage period to further enhance the information exchange. Verification process ensures that goods are accurately loaded into trucks and traced accordingly. This system improves traceability, enabling increased efficiency and flexibility in logistics operations. As a result, overall costs are reduced and resources optimised. FDM C

CMY

ENQUIRY NO. 252

components that users can assemble readily. This allows the parts to be packed compactly to save space to facilitate storage and transportation. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive market, having a functional product alone is not enough to sway the requirements of demanding customers. A big emphasis must be placed on service and support. As an incentive to entice potential customers to utilise its products, the company developed a pallet rental scheme. This programme lets clients enjoy the convenience of easy goods handling without the need to invest heavily on pallets. The results are minimised pallet wastage, reduced warehouse storage costs, no pallet maintenance expenses and lower capital investments. When it comes to transportation of goods, the primary concern is on traceability. Both manufacturers and buyers want the assurance that their goods are heading where they are supposed to. A tracking system which enables user to identify the particular stage of storage or transport will help address this concern.

ENQUIRY NO. 6302

Finding The

True

Green I

t seems that everywhere you turn these days, everyone is claiming that their product is green. The problem is that many of these claims can be misleading, and many in the environmental community have coined a term to describe this process: ‘greenwashing.’ Greenwashing merges the words ‘green’, which represents environmental friendliness, and ‘whitewashing’, which represents the covering up of wrongdoing. In simplified terms, greenwashing is falsely

48 FDM Asia AUG/SEP 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

claiming a product is environmentally friendly when it is not. The reason for this trend is clear: more and more consumers are demanding the use of green products in their homes and businesses, but they often do not understand what green really means. Being ‘green’ is much more than just being a rapidly renewable material. To truly recognise the green attributes of a product, one must look at its entire life cycle, from cradle to grave. It is not a matter of simply whether raw materials can be replaced quickly, but also how those materials are procured, what energy sources are used when making a finished

product, and what happens to them once their useful life comes to an end.

Renewable Flooring Option When it comes to flooring, wood flooring is the only flooring option available that is completely renewable. Its raw materials are produced in a factory called a forest, and it uses a renewable source of energy to produce it, called the sun. No other flooring option uses fewer natural resources to produce its raw materials, and best of all, when the raw materials used to make wood floors — trees — are harvested, they are replanted to replenish the resource for generations to come. In past years, many environmental

Surfaces & Flooring groups criticised wood producers for clear-cutting their forests to harvest their raw materials. That simply is not the case for hardwoods, which are used to manufacture wood flooring. Hardwood forests are selectively harvested to maximise product yield, while sustaining the future supply of the raw materials. In fact, it is critically necessary to harvest hardwood forests in this fashion for several reasons. First, it is necessary to remove the top canopy from time to time so that smaller trees can emerge from the forest floor and grow to their full maturity. Second, a tree has a finite lifespan, and when it reaches maturity, it begins to die. When this process occurs, it is important to harvest the tree before it becomes useless as a raw material. Third, during their growth period,

hardwood trees take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen as a by-product. When a hardwood tree reaches the end of its growth cycle, this process reverses itself. The tree actually stops taking in carbon dioxide, and produces it instead. Therefore, it becomes necessary to harvest

the tree before it becomes detrimental to the environment as opposed to being helpful.

Easy Maintenance The focus on rapidly renewable materials as a green attribute is a difficult component

Specialized in Producing Hydraulic Presses

LAMINATING PRODUCTION LINE

SHANGHAI QIULIN MACHINERY CO.,LTD.

SHANXI QIULIN Tel: +86-354-2411812 Fax: +86-354-2411813 GUANGDONG QIULIN Tel: +86-757-27737650 Fax: +86-757-27737670 SHANGHAI QIULIN Tel: +86-21-69151280 Fax: +86-21-69151281 Email: qiulinmc@qiulinmc.com.cn Website: www.qiulinmc.com

PLYWOOD HOT PRESS

PLYWOOD COLD PRESS

ENQUIRY NO. 284

WOOD DOOR PRODUCTION LINE

LAMINATING HOT PRESS

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Surfaces & Flooring to measure as well. As a flooring material, hardwood floors last in excess of 100 years when properly maintained. Unlike other flooring materials that need to be replaced when they begin to show wear and tear, wood floors can be renewed time and time again. In most cases, a simple pad and recoat of the flooring is all that is needed to restore the wood to its original lustre. If the wear is more significant, the floors can be sanded numerous times throughout their end-use life to remove scratches, dents, stains and other blemishes. There is usually no need to replace wood floors with new flooring material. In almost all cases, it is possible to renew or repair the existing material to extend its end-use product life. However, when it does become necessary to replace the existing material, it is important to note that the inventory of replacement product has been ready and available for about a half century. That is possible because it takes about 40 to 60 years for a hardwood tree to reach full maturity. Since wood floors last in excess of 100 years, the raw materials and resulting flooring inventory are available long before they are actually needed.

Another environmental attribute of wood flooring is something that occurs during its useful product life. Wood actually retains carbon dioxide after it is harvested, so even after the raw materials have been manufactured into wood flooring, the flooring material continues to store carbon. This process continues for the entire service life of the flooring. When hardwood flooring does reach the end of its service life, it is the only flooring product available that can be completely recycled. The flooring can be salvaged to use for other purposes, it can be chipped and used as mulch or other end products, or it can be used as a combustible source of energy. In fact, much of the waste material used to produce wood flooring is used to provide heat and other energy to the plants that manufacture the end products. There is also a growing side market which has emerged in the past few years that makes good use of the waste material produced when making wood flooring. The sawdust and other small bits of wood are compressed into pellets that are combustible and used as

a heating source in ecologically friendly homes and businesses.

Environmentally Friendly Production The production of wood floors is one of the most environmentally friendly flooring manufacturing processes as well. A life cycle analysis of hardwood flooring by the University of Wisconsin has shown that solid wood floors use less water and energy to produce than any other

flooring option studied, including carpet, tile, and linoleum. Wood floors also had no harmful air emissions for substances like methane and nitrogen oxides that contribute to atmospheric warming and human respiratory ailments. A similar study of engineered wood floors showed a much greater yield from the productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s raw materials since engineered wood floors are manufactured using a series of wood plys. These plys are assembled on a perpendicular axis to the ply above or below it to increase the dimensional stability of the wood, and even though it

50 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; AUG/SEP 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

Surfaces & Flooring

Certification Schemes Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification offers assurance of environmental and social performance in the forest products industry. As a result, demand for FSC certified wood has increased during the past few years based on an increase in consumer desire for environmentally responsible building products. However, in the US, FSC certified forests represent only a small percentage of the standing forest volume. Approximately 270 million acres of working forest in the US are owned by small forest owners, but only 2.5 million of those are certified to FSC standards. The FSC Procurement Group, an initiative of the National Wood Flooring Association’s Responsible Procurement Program is working to remove the barriers

to become certified, and increase the amount of certified wood available in the US. The programme has received approval from environmental groups, several of which have joined the group, including the Rainforest Alliance, Domtar, FSC Family Forest Alliance, Scientific Certification Systems, and the Nature Conservancy. The US Renewing Forest Seal is awarded to companies that source their wood from US renewing forests. These forests are identified in US Department of Agriculture Forest Service studies, which conclude that US hardwood forests in the 33 states east of the Mississippi River are growing faster than the timber harvested or lost through mortality. This means that the material used from these forests is replenished at a rate that exceeds harvest. In other words, more trees are planted than are cut down, which ensures our natural resources will be available for generations to come. In fact, the USDA Forest Service report shows that the average growth to removal ratio is 1.9, which means that for every tree harvested, nearly two are added in its place. Companies that carry this seal are also audited by Scientific Certification Systems, an outside third-party, and must meet all controlled wood standards. The programme also works to recognise wood flooring imported from other countries that is sourced from renewing forests as well. The ‘Legal Import’ seal identifies companies that source their imported wood from countries that are considered to be at low risk for illegal logging. For wood imported from countries that are not considered to be low risk, the company must conduct an audit by a third-party provider to verify that the wood was legally logged. This is just one more way to ensure that the wood we rely on as an industry will be available for generations to come. FDM

ENQUIRY NO. 204

is not a solid wood product by definition, it is still a product composed 100 percent of wood. The top ply is composed of high-quality wood, while the middle and lower layers can be manufactured using wood of a lesser quality, or even a different species, therefore increasing the yield of the raw materials. In this way, there is less waste material from manufacturing the finished product, resulting in more yield of the raw materials from each tree harvested, which means that fewer trees need to be harvested in the first place.

ENQUIRY NO. 6401

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA AUG/SEP 2011

Surfaces & Flooring

Parquet Flooring:

Back

Basics Exploring the basics of parquet flooring from the types of flooring to its installation methods. By Frank De Meuller

William Warby, London, UK

ood flooring is often chosen for its warm and natural look in a home. When choosing wood flooring, an option for those favouring a decorative effect is parquet flooring. The art of parquetry is the combination of wood pieces in different shapes and sizes to create a pattern or mosaic, and is applied to furniture as well as hardwood flooring. The contrasting colours will also add on to the pattern, and this can be achieved with the use of different woods as each type comes with its own unique colour. The patterned parquet flooring come in tiles and can be installed in blocks. These days, parquet flooring is a term that is sometimes used to describe a wood product that is generally manufactured for flooring purposes.

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Katie Brady, Montana, US

Surfaces & Flooring

Solid parquet, laminate and veneer parquet are three types of parquet flooring options available. The choice depends on various conditions such as the function of the area that the flooring will be installed, the cost, ease of installation, and of course, the image that will contribute to the overall look of the room.

Solid Parquet Flooring

The art of parquetry is the combination of wood pieces in different shapes and sizes to create a pattern or mosaic.

Solid parquet flooring is made from solid natural wood, and comes in strips or panels. The flooring can be maintained easily, and will last for a long period of time if installed properly. Due to its natural origins, it also corresponds to the demands for eco-friendly products.

This type of flooring gives room for customisation, with an array of options in the type of species, stain and finish. Depending on the way the strips, panels or blocks are arranged, patterns can be created, with popular ones such as the herringbone, basketweave and

patterned tiles. Solid wood panels can be installed by being nailed or glued down. As wood absorbs moisture, it will be susceptible to swelling. To prevent this, the installation area would have to remain dry. For humid atmospheres, the wood is left to acclimatise to the surrounding until its dampness is proportionate to the atmosphere. The flooring is suitable for all areas, except the bathroom. Popular types of wood for parquet flooring are maple, cherry, pine, oak, and other types of exotic wood.

Laminate Flooring A lower budget replica of solid hardwood parquet is laminate flooring. Made from fibres, the laminate is imprinted with an

ENQUIRY NO. 258

Laminates, Veneers & Solids

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John Loo, California, US

Surfaces & Flooring

Exposing the flooring to high moisture content can result in the flooring to warp or swell. The finishing can be treated with a sanding polish.

Installation Methods There are various ways to install parquet flooring, and these methods will depend on the type of parquet that is being installed, and differs from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Tongue & Groove

image in the likeness of wood, giving the room the desired image, at a lower cost. It is also easy to clean and easy to maintain. The laminate has a number of layers with the first layer made of strong material, and the decorative image on the second layer. The decorative wooden appearance is done on melamine paper, and is then layered with water resistant extruded wood fibres such as MDF or HDF. The laminate is then topped with a layer that regulates the tensions within the material. For installation of this type of flooring, the laminate is glued on top of plywood. A hard, clear coating is then applied on the surface to protect the laminate. This protection is made from resin-coated cellulose.

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Laminate wood flooring is suitable for most areas, however, due to its wood properties, it is not particularly suitable for locations subjected to a high level of moisture. This includes areas such as bathrooms, washrooms and saunas. Exposing the flooring to high moisture content can result in the flooring to warp or swell. The laminate can withstand dampness more than solid wood parquet, however, should the laminate become damaged, the whole laminate parquet flooring would have to be replaced.

Veneer Parquet Flooring Another option to consider is veneer parquet flooring, which is a thin layer of solid wood placed on top of cheaper woods such as plywood.

Easing installation of parquet flooring is the implementation of the tongue and groove method. Solid wood boards are fitted together at their edges, and does not require the use of adhesives. The ‘groove’ is a slot that has been cut on one edge, while the ‘tongue’ is a deep ridge on the other side of the board. As such, each piece of wood can be fitted and aligned to form a flat surface. This also minimises water seepage through the floorboards.

Nail It! A classic way of installing parquet flooring is by nailing it onto a sub-floor. Suitable for solid wood parquet, the method is sometimes referred to as ‘secret nailing’ as the nails used can be concealed. The nails go through the floor board’s tongue, which is then fitted onto the

Andrew McMillan

Surfaces & Flooring

other floorboard, and in doing so, the nails are concealed. The installation method is considered to be complicated and costly, however, as the flooring is not directly installed onto the concrete floor, there is room for insulation. The wooden floor expands and contracts, and so nailing it will permit such movements, and prevent warping. The sub-floor is a framework of wood, such as an OSB that covers the base concrete floor.

Float It!

without the use of nails or adhesives. Commonly used for the installation of laminate parquet flooring, the flooring comes with a ‘click system’ on all sides of the board, allowing these boards to fit together. The parquet flooring is laid on top of a sub-floor, which could be an existing floor. Sometimes, the flooring can be laid over flooring made from various other materials such as cork, fibre or felt. This would aid in reducing noise or vibrations. The floating installation method is low in cost, and is an easy and quick way to install flooring. However, as the flooring is non-acoustic, noise cannot be neutralised. FDM

The floating floor method allows the installation of parquet flooring simply by attaching the section together,

ENQUIRY NO. 6402

Stick It!

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Another flooring installation method is the gluing of flooring onto the sub-floor. Using special adhesives for parquet flooring, the base floor has to be completely dry and level before starting the installation. It is important to note that the type of adhesive chosen has to comply with the flooring type. Waterproof membranes might also be needed to cover the existing floor. The parquet flooring is laid on the adhesive covered surface, and is fitted with tongues and grooves. The gluing down method is acoustic and can cancel out noise. It is also easy to install, and repair in case of localised damage. For areas with varying humidity and temperature, this method ensures less movement of the flooring.

| WagnerMeters.com

*Accuracy proven by multiple independent university studies.

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Furniture Design & Technology

Egger

Naturally Sophisticated Décor paper has the ability to enhance the looks and mechanical properties of its substrate. Sophistication in natural designs is now blurring the lines between the appearance of solidwood and composite products. By Wong Tsz Hin

écor paper is a high-quality special paper that is bonded to a suitable substrate (eg: wood composites) using synthetic resins. As the use of wood-based panels without any form of enhancement to their surface appearance diminishes, décor paper has become an important element in the manufacturing of woodbased products, such as furniture and flooring, that improves aesthetic appeal, physical properties, as well as surface resistance. The alpha-cellulose base papers of the decorative films are typically impregnated with an appropriate synthetic

56 FDM Asia Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

resin, urea formaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, acrylic, phenolic resins or a combination of these. It is essential that the papers have a high moisture resistance and the right amount of porosity to accept the proper amount of resin as the surface quality is critical when creating decorative designs using gravure printing processes. Resin-impregnated paper is a preprinted or solid-colour decorative paper that has been saturated with a melamine, phenol or polyester resin. This type of paper has the capacity to bond to a composite board without a resin while providing a resin-rich

finish on the surface under heat and pressure. The self-bonding overlays are first saturated with reactive resins and then partially cured. Curing is completed as the papers pass through the hot press during the lamination process and the resins form a hard cross-linked thermo-set material.

Influence On Properties The type of resin used for impregnation of the décor paper directly influences the property of the substrate. According to a research by Bartin Univeristy, particleboards coated with décor paper

Egger

Furniture Design & Technology Digital printing services enable furniture and panel makers to create products that accommodate the trends of intended markets.

strength can be achieved with the addition of 5 percent urea formaldehyde if necessary. the making of wood-based products. The institution demonstrated that it is feasible to produce particleboard without the use of adhesives by adding 20 percent of impregnated décor paper waste to the raw material. Higher

Natural Demand The trend in consumer taste is moving away from sleek, high gloss surface finish towards more natural designs. In terms of colour, there is a growing

Maximum yield minimum waste.

vations de Inno Saw Bla

ENQUIRY NO. 283

that has been impregnated with melamine formaldehyde resins show better resistance and surface properties compared to those impregnated with urea formaldehyde resins or both. Phenolic-impregnated paper overlays are known to resist weather better than those impregnated with melamine or urea. It has also been reported that varnish type plays an important role in end use applications. Results of a study conducted by Karadeniz Technical University has shown that polyurethane-based varnish displays stronger resistance to scratching and abrasion compared to cellulosic varnish. Surface coating processes are found to improve the bending strength, modulus of elasticity and thickness swelling, and at the same time reduce formaldehyde emission. In a separate study, décor paper grammage (weight per unit area) was identified as the controlling parameter on the mechanical properties of the decorative papers and surface quality of the overlaid particleboard panels. It was discovered that as the raw décor paperweight increases, the properties of the paper and the mechanical properties and abrasion resistance of the overlaid panels significantly improve as well. The University of West Hungary offered a possible solution to waste décor paper materials produced during

DSG Not ad NG

inhe

DSB Tw

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Sueddekor

Furniture Design & Technology

Virtual simulation allows users to visualise their designs before sending them for production.

Digital Printing Another possibility facilitated by technology is the implementation of customised designs created by individuals through digital printing. Such application requires a special type of paper that can be inkjet printed on without losing its capacity to be impregnated using normal method and resin systems.

58 FDM Asia Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

After printing, the base paper can be converted into décor paper and pressed onto substrates without losing opacity. Small batch printing has become commercially viable due to the availability of economical equipment setup and materials. Companies are bringing this opportunity one step further by providing a comprehensive integrated cycle involving décor development,

in a virtual room setting. Users can adjust configurations to ensure their design concepts are accurately implemented before sending for them for production. The process helps increase efficiency by lowering the time requirement from designing to visualisation, reduce costs incurred with sampling and minimise associated risk with the introduction of new products.

visualisation and final production. Through specialised software, users can realise and amend their initial concepts in digital form. Once they are satisfied with the results they observe on screen, they can proceed to create small batch samples or simulate actual implementation in a virtual setup.

More importantly, digital printing services enable furniture and panel makers to create products that accommodate the trends of intended markets and the preferences of target customers, which are often influenced by geographic location, culture, ethnicity, habits, among other factors. The flexibility has the potential to offer smaller manufacturers or design-centric films to fashion unique products offering without paying premium prices. FDM

Egger

preference for softer, more neutral colours like, white, grey and brown in contrast to the more striking ones like black and dark maroon. Increasing demand in the market for natural designs that resemble raw materials such as wood is a step back to basics, aided by modern sophistication. Companies such as Hornschuch, Egger, Suddekor and Schattdecor are redefining their product lines by offering added depths in their designs to create a more three dimensional effect. The presence of artificially created imperfections such as use, plane, tool and saw marks, knots, crossfires and florets not only increase authenticity, but also induce the illusion that the wood product is handcrafted. Besides the intentional introduction of unique markings, the creative application of colours of different hues also creates the impression of indention and curves, fooling the naked eye into believing that the surface is as rough as it looks. The key to this is the randomisation of patterns using different cavity and grain shapes of varying sizes that appear inconsistently through long stretches of the paper.

Virtual Showroom Egger’s Virtual Design Studio and Suddekor’s Digital Collection enable the illustration of design application

ENQUIRY NO. 6501

ENQUIRY NO. 273

Nicholas, Pennsylvania, US

Wood & Sustainability

The

Green Declaration

EPD

major international effort is underway to ensure that Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) become a key part of the material selection process in the building sector. Despite their growing significance, awareness of EPDs among most material suppliers is still relatively low. EPDs are third-party verified ecolabels that disclose the environmental performance of products in much the same way as a nutrition label discloses nutritional performance. They can be prepared by industry associations for generic products (eg: American red oak lumber) or by companies for specific product lines. The development of EPDs is a response to the confusion that arises from the wide variety of environmental claims made by material suppliers, some of which may be genuine and others bogus. A huge array of labelling systems has evolved, many certifying only a small part of the material supply chain, which in reality may

60 FDM Asia aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

Mark Levisay, Virginia, US

Wood & Sustainability

Legislations are in place to ensure products available in the market are produced from materials that are harvested legally.

have only a marginal impact on the overall environmental footprint of a product. The development of EPDs also responds to a criticism of those building rating systems like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which allocate environmental credits to construction materials in an uncoordinated way on the basis of single attributes. This approach produces inconsistent results. For example, LEED credits ‘regional materials’ (defined as those harvested and processed or extracted and processed within 500 miles of the project) despite life cycle assessment (LCA) demonstrating that transport contributes only a relatively small proportion to the overall environmental footprint of most materials. Similarly, the LEED credit for ‘rapidly renewable’ materials cannot be justified on environmental grounds, sending out the wrong signal with respect to competing land uses. It implies that it is environmentally appropriate to remove forests managed on a long rotation for timber in favour of shortrotation agricultural crops.

Benefits Of EPDs EPDs can overcome these problems by delivering information on the full environmental impact of a material or product across its entire life cycle. They help to ensure that efforts to reduce one impact do not result in environmental degradation elsewhere.

International standards have been developed to ensure that the information provided in EPDs is comparable and that environmental assessments are performed in the same way and yield the same results no matter who does the analysis. Requirements for LCA are set out in the ISO 14040 series of standards including, for example, rules for stakeholder consultation and peer review to ensure credibility. Requirements for EPDs (or ‘type III environmental declarations’) are found in ISO 14025. Amongst other things, ISO14025 requires a programme of Product Category Rules (PCRs) which are the detailed instructions on how to perform the LCA for EPDs in specific sectors. In 2007, basic requirements for product category rules for EPDs for building products were set out in ISO 21930. Use of EPDs is expanding rapidly in Europe where they provide the foundation of green building rating systems, including DGNB (Germany), BREEAM (UK and Netherlands) and HQE (France). Formal Europe-wide standards for preparation of EPDs and their use in environmental assessment of whole buildings are currently being prepared by CEN, the European Committee for Standardization. The EU is also developing a proposal that would require mandatory provision of basic EPDs for all products requiring CE Marking. Starting this year, France is already phasing in a mandatory requirement for EPDs for all consumer goods. www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA aug/sep 2011

111 Emergency, New Zealand

Wood & Sustainability

Life cycle assessment has demonstrated that transport contributes only a relatively small proportion to the overall environmental footprint of most materials.

Sustainable Wood Supply An important starting point for preparation of EPDs in the wood sector is to assess the sustainability of harvesting at source. Forests act as carbon sinks, since trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it as carbon. When the trees are harvested, much of the carbon remains stored in all the ensuing products, thus mitigating climate change. Under the terms of EPD programs and carbon footprint standards (like the UK’s PAS 2050 standard), wood products may only be credited with this carbon storage effect if they derive from a renewable source where growth exceeds harvest. A detailed analysis of US government forest inventory data gathered at regular intervals over the last 60 years demonstrates that the volume of hardwood standing in US forests increased by more than 100 percent from 5.2 billion cubic metres to 11.4 billion cubic metres between 1952 and 2007. Due to very low levels of hardwood forest utilisation, projections of US hardwood supply indicate that harvests could rise from current levels of less than 100 million cubic metres to in excess of 250 million cubic metres within the next 40 years without threatening long term sustainability. Analysis of hardwood growth and removals indicates strong potential to significantly increase supply of most American

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hardwood species, particularly soft maple, tulipwood, red oak, white oak, ash, hickory, and hard maple. Furthermore, due to declining domestic demand for US hardwoods over the last decade, a much larger proportion of supply will be available to supply export markets. Current US hardwood lumber exports of around 2.5 million cubic metres a year could, in theory, rise to over 15 million cubic metres without detriment to the forest resource — although in practice achieving such an increase is constrained by availability of hardwood logging and processing capacity in the US and intense competition in export markets both from wood and non-wood products.

Life Cycle Inventory Data PE International is compiling life cycle inventory (LCI) data for kiln dried American hardwood lumber from point of extraction in the forest through to point of delivery to the importers yard. The work builds on a project of the US Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) which is creating a comprehensive and consistent LCI database covering forestry and logging practices, sawmilling and some aspects of kiln drying. CORRIM’s data on hardwood forestry operations in the US is sufficiently comprehensive that the company has been able to concentrate its research effort on other processes. It

is refining the CORRIM data on hardwood kiln drying — which provides generic data for ‘hardwood lumber’ — to take account of variations between hardwood species and thicknesses. An online questionnaire has been issued to hardwood processors in the US to collect more detailed data on the kiln drying component. The questionnaire also covers the energy mix (bio-energy versus fossil fuels) during kiln drying and details of transport distances and modes of transport of logs and lumber within the US. Companies covering a wide range of processing types and locations are being asked to complete the questionnaire to ensure data is broadly representative of the export industry as a whole. Information from the questionnaire will be used to produce industry average LCI data for different species and thicknesses of US hardwood lumber and veneer at point of delivery in major European and Asian markets. The data collection process, which currently covers US hardwood lumber only, will soon be extended to include US hardwood veneers. After the primary data collection for lumber and veneers is complete, this will be compiled and linked with other LCI data sets (eg: region-specific power mixes, transportation and fuel production processes). This will provide all the data necessary to compile generic EPDs for American hardwood lumber and veneers.

Erin Khoo, Singapore

Wood & Sustainability

The use of biomass in kiln drying helps to make material more green.

targeting of measures to improve environmental performance. In some cases, it may be better to switch materials to improve the overall environmental profile of a product. In others, there may be better opportunities to improve performance through adjustments in the supply, processing, use, and disposal of the existing preferred material. An EPD programme provides the information necessary to make these judgements. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 6601

Sensitivity Analysis Of Environmental Impact

ENQUIRY NO. 108

The environmental implications of specifying American hardwoods in place of other wood and non-wood materials for several specific furniture and joinery products will be measured in future. A small number of specific products from manufacturers in Europe and Asia will be selected — for example a chair manufactured in Germany, a table manufactured in Italy, or a door manufactured in Spain — to undertake a detailed sensitivity analysis. An overall design, function and service life will be agreed for each product, and then the environmental impact of using different combinations of materials assessed. Account will be taken not only of the life cycle impacts of delivering the various materials to the manufacturer, but also of the implications of the different materials for service life and end-of-life handling. The data will not only inform material suppliers and manufacturers of the relative environmental impact of using American hardwoods compared to other materials, but also of where the environmental ‘hot spots’ lie within the supply chain of these materials. In the end, this is the real strength of an LCA based approach to material specification applied through use of consistent and comparable EPDs. It allows much better www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA aug/sep 2011

Exhibition Review

Interwood I

nterwood Taipei 2011 was held from July 7-10, 2011, at Taipei World Trade Center, Taiwan. This year’s show played host to a total of 174 exhibitors covering 1,070 booths. The four-day event attracted 5,040 visitors, including 900 overseas buyers from Japan, China, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Indonesia and Australia. To inspire more research and development, organisers teamed up to host the Competition of Woodworking Machinery Good Design and Good Products Awards. The awards gave recognition to 22 products by 17 exhibitors. Among them, eight products were given the Excellent Product Awards in their respective lines of expertise.

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The strength and diversity of these products underscore the endeavors from Taiwanese producers to meet international market demand by providing more convenient and functional machines with enhanced technology and other advantages. The feature forum, ‘The Information Communication Technology Value Added Application Conference’ was a highlight of the exhibition. Those at the talk were given a special presentation by the Precision Machinery Research & Development Center, which introduced the use of information technology to bring added value to machinery products. At the discussion on ‘Safety Technology of Woodworking Machinery in European Union’, visitors received

July 7-10, 2 011 Taipei World Trade Center Taipei, Taiwa n

news on European Union CE certification procedures and related knowledge in safety design at the discussion. The understanding of international regulations and standards will help manufacturers expand into oversea markets. The show’s special one-on-one meetings that allow buyers to meet producers individually for negotiations are projected to have generated US$31.3 million in business contracts. These procurement exchanges were organised by Taiwan Trade Development Council, who invited 15 guests from five countries to hold talks with 24 exhibitors over a total of 106 meetings. According to the show survey, buyers noted that the exchange sessions provided them with products of relevance that meet their demands. The next installment of Interwood Taipei is scheduled for July 2014. FDM

ENQUIRY NO. 6701

Exhibition Preview

Aseanwood Woodtech 2011 A seanwood Woodtech Malaysia 2011, the 7th ASEAN International Woodworking Machinery, Timber Processing and Furniture Manufacturing Supplies Exhibition, will be held at Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, from September 22 – 25, 2011. The show incorporates Furnitech 2011, the 7th ASEAN International Exhibition of Machinery and Accessories for Furniture Production, Upholstery and Furnishings; and Forest 2011, the 7th ASEAN International Forestry Management Timber Supply, Handling and Storage Exhibition. Participating at the fair are five national groups from China, Germany, Italy, Spain and Taiwan. Besides these groups, 400 local and international participants are expected to be present. With over 15,000

sq m of exhibition space, the show aims to attract 15,000 visitors from the region. Visitors at the show will be exposed to exhibitors from companies offering products ranging from woodworking machinery to fitting accessories. Makers of woodworking machinery, furniture fitting and accessories, and timber processing tools will gather to showcase their products and engage in knowledge sharing that will benefit visitors while creating business opportunities. The wood-based industry, a main driver of the Malaysia’s economic growth, is regarded as an important segment of the nation. Over the years, the wood industry has undergone changes as the country becomes a major exporter of processed and unprocessed wood.

September 22 – 25, 2011 Putra World Trade Center Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The woodworking industry is strongly linked to the furniture manufacturing industry. The demand for wood products in the furniture sector has soared in recent years and the trend is expected to continue. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 6702

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA aug/sep 2011

Exhibition Preview

Vietnam International Woodworking Industry Fair 2011 October 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 15, 2011 Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), Vietnam

ietnamWood 2011, the ninth edition of International Woodworking Industry Fair, will be held in Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from October 12 to 15, 2011. This biennial event will feature 450 booths spread over 12,000 sq m of floor space. A total of 245 exhibitors from 19 countries, such as China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, US and Australia, will be showcasing their products at the fair. The previous edition of the show, held from September 24 to 27, 2009,

attracted around 12,000 visitors and buyers. A similar figure is expected for the event. According to the Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association, Vietnamese wood product exporters have already secured contracts worth US$3.4 billion this year, reaching the figure for the whole of last year. Wood export in February totalled US$200 million, bringing the exports value in the first two months of the year to US$548 million, a surge of 17.6 percent over the same period last year. The country aims to become one of the leading wood product exporters and

furniture manufacturer in Asia. The show serves as a vital platform to address the needs and anticipate the demand of the domestic furniture industries. The exhibit profile includes drying equipment, joinery equipment, joinery and moulded products, equipment and instruments for furniture industry, abrasive and cutting instruments, equipment and wood waste treating devices, machinery and equipment for primary wood treatment, pneumatic instruments, and machinery and equipment for timber. From a survey, the organiser has found that most Vietnamese manufacturers are equipped with outdated and unsynchronised machines and tools for processing natural wood, especially for the processing of fine products and surface technology. FDM

ENQUIRY NO. 6703

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ENQUIRY NO. 278

Calendar of Events

2011

August

17-20: Mexico International Furniture Fair Expo Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico Tel: +52 33 3343 3400 Email: carlos.delgadillo@afamjal.com.mx Web: www.tecnomueble.com.mx

7-10: China International Furniture Fair China Import and Export Fair Complex Guangzhou, China Tel: +86 20 8912 8062 Fax: +020 8912 8251 102 Email: yuw@fairwindow.com.cn Web: sepciff.fairwindow.com

Diamond Island Convention & Exhibiton Centre, Cambodia Tel: +886 2 2659 6000 Ext 322 Fax: +886 2 2659 7000 Email: steven@chanchao.com.tw Web: www.asiamachinery.net

National Show Centre Dublin, Ireland Tel: +00 44 0 1474 536535 Fax: +00 44 0 1474 536552 Email: exhibitions@nelton.co.uk Web: www.nelton.co.uk

11-14: IFMAC 2011 31-4: Bife-TIMB Romexpo Exhibitions Centre Bucuresti, Romania Tel: +40 21 207 10 00 Ext 1096 Fax: +40 21 207 70 70 Email: bife@romexpo.ro Web: www.bife.ro

September 6-9: Dragon Furniture Fair Qianjin Exhibition Center Shunde, China Tel: +86 0757 2388 8888 Fax: +86 757 2388 8799 Email: info@qianjin.com Web: www.qianjin.com

Jakarta International Expo Indonesia Tel: +886 2 2595 4212 Fax: +886 2 2595 5726 Email: event@kaigo.com.tw Web: www.kaigo.com.tw/ifmac

13-16: International Fair For The Wood Furniture and Forestry Industries Expotrade Convention Center Panara, Brazil Tel: +55 41 3027 6707 Fax: +55 41 3029 6486 Email: femade@hanover.com.br Web: www.feirafemade.com.br

14-17: FMC China 6-10: International Furniture Market Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang, Malaysia Tel: +603 8024 7736 Fax: +603 8024 7735 Email: info@ifm.net.my Web: www.ifm.net.my

To be considered for inclusion in the Calendar of Events, send details of event (name, date, venue, organiser contact) to: The Editor FDM Asia Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd 1100 Lower Delta Road EPL Building #02-05 Singapore 169206 Tel: (65) 6379 2888 • Fax: (65) 6379 2805 Email: fdmasia@epl.com.sg

Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center Tennesse, US Tel: +901 399 7551 Email: l.browne@nhla.com Web: www.nhlaconvention.com

22-25: Aseanwood Woodtech 2011 8-10: Woodworking Ireland 2011

25-28: Cambowood 2011

21-24: NHLA Annual Convention & Exhibit Showcase

Shanghai New Int’l Expo Center Shanghai, China Tel: +86 21 64371178 Fax: +86 21 64370982 Web: www.fmcchina.com.cn

15-18: Cairo International Wood & Wood Machinery Show 2011 Cairo International Convention Centre Egypt Tel: +971 4 28 29 299 Fax: +971 4 28 28 767 Email: marketing@cairowoodshow.com Web: www.cairowoodshow.com

Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Trade-Link Management Services Sdn Bhd Tel: +603 7842 9863 Fax: +603 7842 7863 Email: info@tradelink.com.my Web: www.tradelink.com.my

28-30: Japan Home & Building Show 2011 Tokyo International Exhibition Center Tokyo, Japan Tel: +81 3 3434 1988 Fax: +81 3 3434 8076 Web: www.jma.or.jp/jhbs/en/

October 6-8: The Wood Machinery Exhibition Simmonscourt, RDS Dublin, Ireland Tel: +00 353 (0) 1 288 8821 Fax: +00 353 (0) 1 288 3127 Email: david@exhibitionsireland.com Web: www.woodmachineryexhibition.com

12-15: VietnamWood Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam Tel: +886 2 26596000 Ext 322 Fax: +886 2 26597000 Email: service@ccie.com.tw Web: www.linkage-vn.com

22 – 25: Index Dubai 2011 Dubai World Trade Centre Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 (0) 4 4380355 Fax: +971 (0) 4 4382357 Web: www.indexexhibition.com

Kindly indicate the events you are interested in and fax the sheet/s along with your details in the Product Enquiry Page to (65) 6379 2806 or enquire online at www.fdmasia.com

*All details subject to change without notice. Please check with organisers for updates.

ENQUIRY NO. 271

Product highlights Felder: Edgebanders

Koch Technology: Machining Centre

On an effective working length of 2.4 m, the Felder G460 has a premilling unit with diamond-tipped cutters. The premilling unit's depth of cut is adjustable from zero to two mm according to different edge thicknesses. The multifunction trimming unit carries out radius trimming, bevel cuts and flush trimming. Two powerful highfrequency motors operating at 12,000 rpm ensure good trimming results. A twoaxis adjustment system, the ‘Quick Set’, enables fast conversion by measuring the thickness of a sample edging to set the multifunction trimming unit to the optimal position. Control system ‘x-motion plus’, available to the G500 edgebander range, allows users to select the desired operating mode with a button on the 5.7 inches control panel. The selected units are raised pneumatically, which eliminates the need to open the hoods for making manual unit settings.

The Frontline-400 is a machining centre for six-sided operation of small parts in longitudinal throughfeed. Work pieces are fed into the working station by means of a numerically controlled (NC) belt conveyor with restricted guidance. In the working station, the work pieces will be handled by a NC gripper.

ENQUIRY NO. P681

The machine can process small and narrow parts with a width of 60-420 mm. Due to its modular structure, the machine can also be equipped with a grooving, milling and/or dowel insertion unit. BD-smart is a double-sided drilling machine for the production of furniture components (narrow parts). The machine enables five-sided operation in the capacity range of 7-15 pieces per minute. ENQUIRY NO. P683

Format-4: CNC Centres

Kuka Roboter: Robot Controller

The ‘H30’ CNC machining centres are available in standard or long version, and feature 25 vertical drills, 10 horizontal drills, and grooving saws in the X and Y direction. The inverter-driven main spindle is available with air or liquid cooling; the HSK F63 tools and units are picked up automatically. Up to 50 tool stations can be installed. A 2-way pick-up tool and unit station enables quick

The Quantec robot series covers the high payload range from 90 to 300 kg with reaches of up to 3,100 mm. A harmonised range of 15 robot types makes it possible to determine the exact robot model suited for the required motion profile.

access from the machine stand to tools with diameters up to 270 mm. The CNC control system for Format-4 panel saws can achieve up to seven controlled axes and allows for adjustments in tenths of mm or in seconds for each axes. ENQUIRY NO. P682

70 FDM Asia Aug/sep 2011 | www.fdmasia.com

The KR C4 controller features a clearly-structured and simple system architecture that concentrates on open data standards. All integrated control modules have a joint database and infrastructure which they use and share intelligently. ENQUIRY NO. P684

Product highlights Limab: Board Scanner

Wagner: Moisture Meter

The BoardProfiler is a system for the scanning of boards on conveyors, providing board measurements for grading/sorting or trim saw optimisation. The system uses high precision laser sensors that provide a detailed board profile measurement. The number and location of the sensors can be chosen to suit particular needs.

Featuring Wagnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s IntelliSense Technology, the MMC220 measures in the wood, not on the wood, giving readings not skewed by surface moisture. The meter measures from 5-30 percent moisture content, and is best suited to wood thicknesses from 0.75 inches to 1.5 inches. The tool is programmable to allow user to select from its extended range specific gravity (SG) settings, eliminating the need for manual correction tables for either domestic or exotic wood species. The Press-and-Hold feature gives user the ability to take moisture measurements without line-of-sight visibility. Designed for flooring manufacturers and installers, furniture and cabinet makers, lumber suppliers, contractors, builders, inspectors, architects and engineers, it can deliver fast, accurate and easy-to-operate moisture measurements without surface damage.

The boards are measured using a series of high speed lasers typically mounted every 300 mm. This enables the entire profile of the board to be determined. The lasers use the principle of optical laser triangulation and will measure to any type of wood green or dry. The machine is capable of measuring board width and thickness at multiple positions, shape defects, side bow, flatness, twist and board cup. ENQUIRY NO. P685

ENQUIRY NO. P687

Suddekor: Laminate Foil

Wintersteiger: Band Saw

DFin supermatt is a laminate finish foil with low gloss level that is characterised by its dirt-repellent surface. The foil is anti-fingerprint and provides a noticeable roll-off effect when it comes into contact with water. By using electron beam hardening in the manufacture of the finish foil, the end product is formaldehyde-free and therefore caters to the demand for non-toxic products. The film can be processed using standard contemporary laminating systems for coating furniture construction wood materials. The black version can be used as chalkboards as the chalk can be easily removed.

The DSB Twinhead NG has a compact standard configuration, with a cutting width of up to 310 mm and a kerf as narrow as one mm. The maximum block height is 165 mm, with a cutting height of up to 100 mm. Instead of overstretching the band-saw blade, the machine uses an automatic band tracking control to keep the band-saw blade in position on the saw pulleys. Apart from preventing wear and retaining the inner saw band tension, this also preserves the working surface of the deflection pulleys. Combined with the carbon guides, this optimal saw blade tension allows an aggressive positioning of the saw blade guides. As a result, the saw blade tension is concentrated in the cutting area.

ENQUIRY NO. P686

ENQUIRY NO. P688

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Advertising Index Enquiry Number

Advertisers / Agency

Page Number

263

American Hardwood Export Council IFC

025

American Lumber Co

274 Baillie Lumber Co

199 Bino (SH) Machinery Co Ltd

273 Chan Chao International Co Ltd (Vietnamwood 2011)

281 China Foma (Group) Co Ltd

279 Dieffenbacher GmbH Maschinen - und Anlagenbau OBC

253 DunHua Yalian Machine Co Ltd

287

French Timber

204

Fulpow Industrial Corp

276

Firefly AB

267

Huntsman (Belgium) BVBA IBC

258

Holy Wood Industrial Corp

264 Internet Wood Glue Co Ltd

180

Jeffer Machinery Co Ltd

234

Java Berhad

278

Koelnmesse Co Ltd (Interzum Guangzhou 2012)

252 Malaysian Timber Industry Board

271 MIFF Sdn Bhd

280 Northwest Hardwoods Inc

285 Qingdao Friend Woodworking Machinery Manufacturing Co Ltd

284

Shanghai Qiulin Machinery Co Ltd

261

Siempelkamp Maschinen - und Anlagenbau GmbH & Co KG

286 Taihao Woodworking Machinery Co Ltd

108 Taihao Woodworking Machinery Co Ltd

5 29 63

265 Trade-Link Management Services Sdn Bhd (Aseanwood woodTech 2011)

251 Technik Associates Inc

282 Tong Fong Cutters Co Ltd

203 Wen Chih Machinery Industrial Co Ltd

268 Wagner Meters

283 Wintersteiger SEA Pte Ltd

200 Wemhoener (Changzhou) Machinery Co Ltd

Legend:

Advertisers with e-Brochures

This quick reference guide is provided as an additional service. The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or ommission.

ENQUIRY NO. 180

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PA N L EPLL A S TS P AE N P LN AT N Even today, after more than 130 years, one thing above all drives us when we build complete lines for the wood panel industry: the development of concepts and technologies which not only satisfy but also delight our clients. To reduce material and energy costs, to boost productivity, or to ease the burden on the environment with intelligent solutions, for example. This is what we live for â&#x20AC;&#x201C; now and in the future.

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