FDM Asia May/June 2010 by Eastern Trade Media

Furniture Design And Manufacturing Asia Established Since 1986

May/June 2010

Sanding Machines:

Smoother At Scraping The Bond Identity:

Laminates & Adhesives MDI:

A Resin For Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Industry

Overcoming Challenges Veneer Production:

ENQUIRY NO. 150

ENQUIRY NO. 152

Contents MAY/JUNE 2010 • VOL. 23 NO. 4

Focus

18 Sanding Machines: Smoother At Scraping

Sanding is becoming more amenable to small and mediumsized manufacturers. Dr Jegatheswaran Ratnasingam & Edward Francis tell why.

Technology

24 A Resin For Today’s Industry

page

30 34

MDI is fast becoming the resin of choice with composite wood panel producers. By Iain Stanton, composite wood panel marketing manager for Europe and Asia, Huntsman

28 Making Fingerjoints Stick A combination of several factors help maximise fingerjoint quality. By Jerome Lim

PanelS

30 Veneer Production: Overcoming Challenges

Changing market conditions is forcing veneer manufacturers to reinvent themselves to remain competitive. By Malte Herrmann, head of marketing, Danzer Group

SURFACES & FLOORING 34 Hotmelts: The Bond Identity

Take a closer look at flat lamination technology and the specific properties of the adhesives system employed. By Andrew Nixon, technical customer service, Henkel

Established since 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

and authenticity of information appearing in the magazine, the Publisher accepts no liability for damages caused by misinterpretation of information, expressed or implied, within the pages of the magazine. All correspondence regarding editorial, editorial contributions or editorial content should be directed to the Editor. The magazine is available on subscription in Singapore at S$126.00 (GST applicable) per annum by surface mail. Subscription by airmail to readers in the Asia Pacific costs S$160 per annum; Europe and the Americas S$230 per annum. For further details refer to the subscription card found within the pages of each issue. For more subscription information, please fax to: (65) 6379 2806 or email: brendatan@epl.com.sg

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2 FDM Asia

Associate Of of Associate

FDM Asia is published eight times a year (printed 2nd week of issue month) by

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The Academy TheChinese Chinese Academy of of Forestry Forestry

MICA (P) NO. 209/11/2009 • PPS 1204/07/2010 (028224) • ISSN 0219-2284

ecopilot – new heights in product quality

ENQUIRY NO. 144

ecopilot, our new retrofit software from the ContiRoll® ecoline family, controls board thickness to tenth-of-a-millimeter accuracy. Variations are corrected automatically by the distance control system. What’s in it for you? Improved thickness tolerances, less waste and less sanding down.

www.siempelkamp.com

Contents MAY/JUNE 2010 • VOL. 23 NO. 4

Regulars 06 08 62 64a 64b

Editorial Industry News Calendar Of Events Enquiry Form Subscription Form

64 Page

advertisers’ enquiry numbers.

Cover credit: Danzer Group

EVENTS & EXHIBITION DESIGN & DÉCOR

40 Up Against The Wall

Wainscoating is a popular method of giving life to an otherwise dull looking wall. By Frank De Marcus

Wood & Sustainability 42 Hardwood Associations: Taking The Lead FDM Asia talks to National Hardwood Lumber Association executive director Mark Barford about the impact of hardwood associations. By Jerome Lim

FEATURES

46 MDF: The Next Generation Alternative Enjoying success in recent years, MDF’s growing demand is attributed to its versatility. By Shobhan Mital, executive director, Greenply Industries

48 Ready, Set, Growth!

Ralf Griesche, director of marketing and public relations for Siempelkamp, shares the reasons behind the company’s success

52 Exhibition Preview: China International Woodworking Machinery Exhibition 53 Exhibition Preview: Furniture Woodtech Thailand 54 Exhibition Review: World Flooring Forum 56 Exhibition Review: Malaysia International Furniture Fair 2010 57 Exhibition Review: WMF2010

48 4 FDM Asia

MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

abundant, appealing

alder. Cabinet makers, furniture designers and woodworkers have come Graded For Yield.®

to appreciate the many desirable properties of alder. It’s a beautiful wood that regenerates naturally and grows quickly. Alder has light,

consistent color and fine grain that accepts all manner of stains. It’s also strong and has uniform density so it machines well, has excellent turning properties, requires less hand work, and securely holds fasteners. Our alder is certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI), a standard that is also endorsed and recognized by the PEFC.

Working With reneWable materials is not only the right

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competitive edge as Well.

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ENQUIRY NO. 148

E-mail: alder@weyerhaeuser.com or visit our website at wy.com/alder

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The FeelGood Factor

managing director

Kenneth Tan

kentan@epl.com.sg

editor

Derek Rodriguez

derekrodriguez@epl.com.sg

technical editor

Joson Ng

josonng@epl.com.sg

features editor

he month of May saw the opening of Expo 2010 Shanghai, a colourful showcase of culture and technology, bringing the attention of the world to the middle kingdom for a six-month period. With the estimated number of visitors to hit 70 million, plenty of opportunities are expected to be generated with this event. south of China – Singapore also saw a new opening – the Marina Bay Sands, an integrated resort, introducing a second casino for the republic. Expected to be a wild financial success, there is much to be excited about in the South-east Asian country. Elsewhere in the United States, there is positive news regarding the economy, giving hopes to a solid recovery. Not to be outdone, is Europe's Xylexpo. After the timely settling of the volcanic ashes that caused major air transport disruptions to and from Europe, the continent is once again ‘open for business’. Touted by the organiser as a platform of innovation, research and solutions for woodworking machinery and technology, there were 652 exhibitors, including 225 from across the border. With some agendas focussing on the state of the art technologies and the ongoing recovery, the mood was upbeat and definitely encouraging. In this issue of FDM Asia, we are also riding in this current wave of optimism, bringing you, our readers, success stories. The panels section studies how a veneer production company overcomes challenges presented by globalisation and the financial crisis to develop products that are relevant today. Whether is it Asia, the US or Europe, barring the financial woes of Greece, the general trend is encouraging, and for the wood fraternity, this overall positive energy is definitely a shot in the arm that allows us to look ahead to the second half of 2010 with much confidence.

Tjut Rostina

tjutrostina@epl.com.sg

staff writer

Jerome Lim

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editorial assistant

Eunice Tay

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senior art director/studio manager

Lawrence Lee

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art director

Phyllis Ng

graphic designers

Zhang Yue Jeffrey Pimentel

advertising sales manager

Sim Eric

simeric@epl.com.sg

business manager (China)

Ding Yongmei

neweastern_sh@yahoo.cn

assistant business manager (China)

Yumi Gui

neweastern_sh@yahoo.cn

senior circulation executive

Brenda Tan

brendatan@epl.com.sg

contributors

Dr Jegatheswaran Ratnasingam Edward Francis Malte Herrmann Iain Stanton Andrew Nixon Shobhan Mittal

Executive Board chairman

Stephen Tay

group executive director

Kenneth Tan

financial controller

Robbin Lim

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Derek Rodriguez Editor

6 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

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Industry News

industry

News MAY/JUNE 2010

Malaysia Timber Price May Increase 5-10 Percent

New Timber Player Acquires Domtar

Kuching, Malaysia: Log and timber prices may increase by five to ten percent in the

Montreal, Canada: Domtar Corp has entered into an agreement to sell its forest

next six to nine months, according to the

products business to Eacom Timber Corporation for CAD80 million (US$79.8)

Sarawak Timber Association.

plus elements of working capital estimated at CAD30 to CAD40 million.

In a Bernama News Agency report,

Domtar will receive 19 percent of the proceeds in shares of Eacom. The

Chairman Datuk Wong Kie Yik said it

transaction is expected to close at the end of the second quarter of 2010, subject

was something that the sector had been

to material consents and customary closing conditions.

expecting after sharp drops in exports in the first two months of this year.

“Our forest products employees have demonstrated tremendous resilience throughout the years. Their sustained efforts to reduce costs and pursue the

The first two months of 2010 saw

continuous improvement of operations have positioned the business well for

Sarawak’s timber products exports suffer

the recovery,” said John D Williams, president and CEO of Domtar Corporation.

a 34.2 percent decline to RM 507,165,849

Mr Williams added that Eacom will establish its headquarters in Montreal,

(US$ 160 million) from RM 770,593,333

Quebec, where it will become one of the largest publicly-traded lumber producers

during the same period last year.

in Eastern Canada. All Domtar forest products employees will now be absorbed

Volume exports saw a similar drop of 35 percent from 900,375 metric tonnes to 585,397 metric tonnes. Mr Wong blames weather complications that made logging operations and transportation more difficult, causing a slide in the amount of major timber products exports. Speaking at the opening of STA’s annual

by Eacom. The transaction includes five operating sawmills: Timmins, Nairn Centre and Gogama in Ontario, and Val-d’Or and Matagami in Quebec; as well as two nonoperating sawmills: Ear Falls in Ontario and Ste-Marie in Quebec. The sawmills have approximately 3.5 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights and a production capacity of close to 900 million board feet. Also included in the transaction is the Sullivan remanufacturing facility in Quebec, and Domtar’s interests in two investments: Anthony-Domtar and Elk Lake Planing Mill.

general meeting at Wisma STA, he said

“With this acquisition, we pursue our vision of becoming a major softwood

that rain-induced floods made it dangerous

lumber producer and we look forward to integrating Domtar’s leading wood

for logging operations and prohibited the

products management team to ensure a smooth transition,” said Eacom CEO

rafting of logs to log landings. In contrast,

Rick Doman.

the lack of rain in February kept water

The son of former lumber magnate Herb Doman, he also said in a Montreal

levels low, allowing logs to be rafted to

Gazette report that the diminished lumber outputs from Sweden, Finland, Austria

log landings.

and Germany gives them an opportunity to supply wood into Europe from Eastern Canada.

8 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

Industry News

Myanmar Cuts Down Timber Production

World Resource Institute Staff

Naypidaw, Myanmar: Worsening forest depletion have

its 60 percent forest cover in 1975. Its various kinds

prompted authorities to cut down the country’s timber

of forest covers include freshwater forest, saltwater

output for the 2010-11 fiscal year, which starts in April,

forest, pine forest, deciduous forest, evergreen forest,

according to a Xinhua news report.

among others.

Forestry authorities have also initiated other efforts to

Myanmar raked in US$40 million from wood product

prevent deforestation, among them granting local private

exports totalling to 600,000 tonnes in 2008-2009, and

companies allocated land to grow teak and hardwood.

continues to dominate the world teak market with a 75

The Southeast Asian nation has lost 14 percent of

percent market share.

Gujarat Duty Refund Sought Gandhidham, India: Timber importers

that cutting and sawing of timber, which

pieces of logs requires that they be cut into

in the Indian state of Gujarat are seeking

had to be cut into smaller pieces for easier

several pieces.

RS 600 million (US$13.6 million) worth

transportation, is not considered processing

Imported logs can reach lengths of up

of tax refunds, said a Business Standard

and manufacturing, and hence, are not

to 80 feet (23.38 m), more than twice the

news report.

subject to VAT.

length of trucks used to transport them.

The move was a response to authorities’

So far, timber importers have yet to

failure to act on a Supreme Court directive,

avail of the refund, and the association is

which states that timber importers who

complaining of the Central Board of Excise

The timber sales in the state are expected

have already paid VAT are eligible for

and Customs insistence that sawed and

to be at RS 12 billion or US$271 million.

a Special Additional Duty refund of 4.5

cut timber is processed timber.

Myanmar, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia,

percent, according to the Kandla Timber Association. The decision came after it was declared

A letter has been sent to the Central Board to ask for a refund.

The association argued that since

as well as African, Latin American and

most of the timber is sold outside the

European countries are among the state’s

state, the difficulty of transporting huge

sources of imported timber.

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Industry News

Global Wood Chip Shipments Dip 14 Percent

Japan Wood Exports Down 13 Percent

Seattle, United States: Wood chip shipments in China defied

Yokohama, Japan: Wood exports from Japan fell 13

global trend last year when imports tripled despite a 14 percent

percent in 2009, according to the Japan Lumber Report

worldwide dip, a Wood Resource Quarterly report revealed.

quoted in a recent International Timber Trade Organization

The tripled figure enabled China to become the second largest

market report.

importer of wood chips in 2009. Pulp manufacturers in search

The strong Yen and the diminished global demand

of cheaper wood chips or wood chips with unique properties

for wood in 2009 are cited as the main reasons for the

have fueled industry growth in the past years.

decline.

The global financial crisis received most of the blame for

Japan’s log exports in terms of both volume and

the global drop in wood chip trade after it peaked at 31 million

value declined, but higher volumes of veneer, plywood

oven-dry metric tons in 2008. Nevertheless, the current volume

and fibreboard were exported.

of global wood chip trade is twice bigger than it was twenty years ago.

Log exports were down almost 22 percent because of weak demand from China and Korea. Taiwan and

Meanwhile, countries that experienced the highest percentage

Vietnam are other significant buyers of logs from Japan,

of export reduction include Australia at 22 percent; the United

and export volumes for these markets have increased.

States at 25 percent; and South Africa at 45 percent.

Vietnam Forest Land Short After Rise In Demand Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Demand for forest plantations in Vietnam are on the rise, but land for it is in short stock, a Thanh Nien news report said. Ha Cong Tuan, deputy head of the Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that residents are in search of more lands to transform into forest plantations, but currently the state’s forestry land fund could only provide so much. Only two to 2.5 million hectares of land are presently available, and these lands are ones that are either managed by local authorities or inefficient, stateowned farms. Given this amount, only one hectare of land may be allotted to each of the 20

trees after those who had received forest

The fund, which derives from the

million residents near forest areas, although

lands several years before earned money

provisions of the 2004 Law of Forest

Tuan added that a family may not be able

from harvesting trees.

Protection and Development, seeks to

to derive an income from such a land. Residents near forest lands realized the enormous economic potential of harvesting

10 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

Depending on their species, trees

expand the country’s forest land after

become mature for harvesting within five

much of it was lost to development

to eight years.

projects.

Industry News

S’pore Firm Receives Little Red Dot Award

Singapore Companies Expanding In Vietnam Singapore: Since the establishment of the Singapore-Vietnam Connectivity Framework Agreement in 2005 to promote economic cooperation between Singapore and Vietnam, Singapore companies have significantly broadened their economic interests in Vietnam. Said Chiong Woan Shin, IE Singapore’s regional director of

Essen, Germany: A Singaporean furniture company bagged

Vietnam and Cambodia: “Regional cities in Vietnam such as Hai

the prestigious Red Dot Product Design 2010 Award in Essen,

Phong City, Danang City and Can Tho City hold good potential for

Germany, marking the first time that a company from the

Singapore companies as they offer new business and investment

Southeast Asian city-state was able to do so.

opportunities for Singapore companies. Being relatively less

Made with black walnut and white oak hardwoods, Singaporean firm Air Division’s ‘Liner’ Sofa and Armchair features rail-like armrests, a strong sleek, and fluid structure, as well as goose down cushions that provides a sense of warmth and security.

developed than the traditional investment hotspots, there is less competition and hence more room for growth.” “Northern Vietnam, with its close proximity to China and manufacturing bases of multinational companies such as Canon

The design derives from herculean-sized luxury shipping

and Samsung, is suitable for Singapore manufacturers who are

liners in the early 19th century, when railings provided

looking to set up overseas plants. Singapore players can also

passengers with a sense of security

serve the transportation and logistics needs of North Vietnam’s

‘Liner’ sofas and armchairs designed in-house are made

manufacturing base, as well as the Mekong Delta area in Southern

in Malaysia with Walnut and Oak imported from the USA.

Vietnam, which is the base for Vietnam’s vast agricultural and

Constructed entirely from solid lumber, the company

aquaculture produce.”

gives its reason for material choice as partly aesthetic

In 2009, despite the economic downturn, Vietnam registered a

and partly because these two species are ‘harvested from

positive GDP growth of 5.3 percent, the highest in Southeast Asia.

sustainable resources.’ The range is finished in natural

Vietnam also continued to attract foreign investments in 2009, with

uncoloured wax.

a total FDI inflow of US$21.5 billion, a 20 percent increase from

The glamorous awards presentation of the Red Dot Award: Product Design will take place on July 5, 2010 in the Aalto-Theatre in Essen, Germany.

two years ago. Vietnam also experienced its lowest inflation in six years in 2009 - 6.9 percent, compared to 23 percent in 2008. For 2010, the Vietnamese government has targeted a 6.5 percent growth in GDP, as well as a controlled inflation rate of seven percent.

Middle East Demand For Exotic Timber To Rise Dubai, United Arab Emirates: A company in the international wood import industry has expressed optimism that the demand for exotic timber in the Middle East region is likely to increase over the next few years. 2010’, has pointed out that the Middle East region’s construction and development sector remains unaffected by the global economic downturn.

Shahram Sharif

Green Resources SL, which is making its debut at the ‘Dubai WoodShow

This, they added, will create a constant demand for key construction materials like wood and timber.

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Industry News

Cheaper, Greener Furniture in Vogue

Plywood, MDF Exports In China Soar

About a loves dc

Moscow, Russia: China’s plywood exports during the first two months of this year rose 67 percent to 938,000 cubic metres,

Milan, Italy: Tighter budgets and eco-conscious consumers are choosing greener and cheaper furniture, a trend indicated in the recent Milan International Furniture Fair, an AFP report said. Nature-themed designs emerged as the trend of the moment, while the use of wood and metal became more prominent in furniture construction. The article quoted trends analyst Marco Romanelli as saying that designers are also responding to consumers’ demand for practical and durable furniture as a result of the financial crisis. Buyers have now become more careful about the type of furniture they purchase, with their choices gearing more towards obtaining value for money, said the analyst. Wide-mesh fabric in rugs and designs are also gaining popularity as people seek refuge from the outside world through interiors.

while medium density fibreboard (MDF) exports grew by 95 percent compared to the same period last year. In the Lesprom News Network report, the United States received bulk of the country’s plywood export at 173,000 cubic metres, up 40,300 cubic metres from the same time last year. Plywood exports to the UK during the said period skyrocketed

Steel Price Affects Plywood Demand

to 195 percent, with South Korea, United Arab Emirates, and

Yokohama, Japan: Plywood prices have been moving up over

South Korea following suit at 118 percent, 115 percent, and 57

the past month and a number of factors have contributed to this

percent, respectively.

change, according to a report from the International Tropical

Meanwhile, the USA imported an additional 59 percent of MDF from China, while Russia bought 140 percent more MDF from the East Asian country.

Timber Organization. The Tropical Timber Market Report said the main factor driving up plywood prices is said to be the recent jump in demand and

Other countries also reported increases in MDF imports

price of iron ore in China.

from China in the same period, among them South Korea (126

This has resulted in rising steel prices in most markets. Plywood

percent), Canada (187 percent), the UAE (120 percent), and Saudi

and steel products compete in many end uses and plywood has

Arabia (10 percent).

suddenly become more competitive.

Shandong produced the majority 83 percent of total plywood exports, while Jiangsu exported the most MDF at 146,500 tonnes.

Analysts are expecting these factors to affect price structures in other sectors of the timber industry.

US Fibre Consumption Down 10.5 Percent Washington, United States: Total fibre

and non-wood fibres declined to 80

is estimated by the survey to increase

consumption by US paper mills declined

million tonnes.

from 50.6 million tonnes in 2009 to

10.5 percent in 2009, the American Forest & Paper Association said.

Total fiber consumption is estimated to increase at an average annual rate of

53.3 million tonnes in 2012, an average annual rate of 1.7 percent.

According to the Annual Fiber

2.2 percent during the three-year period

Recovered paper consumption is

Consumption Report released in

2010-12 as the US economy recovers

estimated to increase at an average

April, consumption of fibre products

from the recession.

annual rate of 3.1 percent during the

such as wood pulp, recovered paper,

12 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

Meanwhile, wood pulp consumption

same period.

Industry News

Tropical Log Demand Improves Yokohama, Japan: Demand for tropical logs from manufacturers in Japan is increasing, according to the Japan Lumber Reports (JLR), and Free-On-Board (FOB) prices are firming on the back of this renewed buying, an International Tropical Timber Organization report said. Plywood mills in Malaysia and Indonesia are maintaining reduced production levels in the face of the weak demand for plywood, but there are indications that they have started to rebuild log inventories. This is supporting an improvement in domestic log prices. Japan’s monthly consumption of tropical logs is around 45,000 cubic metres and this was maintained in January. However, there are signs of slightly higher production levels in Japanese mills, so stocks must be falling. Market prices for Sarawak Meranti Regular are currently around JPY 6,400 (US$68) per koku (equivalent to 180 ltr) cost insurance freight, up 200 from levels in March. Prices of JPY 5,400 (US$58) for Meranti Small and JPY 4,900 for Meranti Super Small are an improvement of levels seen in March this year. Supporting the upward movement in log FOB prices has been renewed active buying for the Chinese and Indian markets. The JLR is saying that log shipments during April will be affected by a diminished supply in the producer countries with Meranti Regular logs being particularly affected. Current prices for Meranti Regular are around US$190 per cubic metre, but suppliers are pushing for a price of US$200. Kapur prices in Sabah are also moving up sharply on the back of strong demand from buyers in China. Meanwhile, the same report disclosed that during 2009, EU imports of hardwood logs reached only 4.38 million cubic metres, down a massive 60 percent on the previous year. In addition to recessionary pressures and a lengthy period of stock reductions by European importers, the figures are strongly influenced by Russia’s phased introduction of log export taxes. This contributed to a 76 percent fall in the volume of EU imports from Russia during the year. However, log imports were also well down from key tropical hardwood supplying countries including Gabon (31 percent), Cameroon (22 percent), the Congo Democratic ENQUIRY NO. 129

Republic (48 percent), and the Congo Republic (59 percent).

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Industry News

Daiken To Sell Malaysian Timber In 2 Yrs

Tim Parkinson. Sheffield, UK

Kuching, Malaysia: Daiken Corp will be supplying Malaysian-grown raw materials in Sarawak when its plantation matures in two years, a Forestry Sweden news report disclosed. According to Daiken Sarawak’s executive director Kazuyoshi Katsumata, talks with timber and plywood mills are underway to sell wood from its acacia plantation, which would mature in 2012. Mills in the region, many of which had closed down in the past few years, would yield wood residues from the plantation timber, securing a steady influx of residues to the firm’s local MDF (medium density fibreboard) factories. The Japanese firm has a 3,000 hectare plantation in Bintulu, and

has already poured in US$7 million for the planting of acacia trees. The coming two years will see the planting of another 2,000 hectares. Katsumata also added that the company might consider expanding its plants once prices recover. Currently, prices of MDF boards are down due to the weak Japanese economy, according to Katsumata. Japan receives 80 percent of the MDF boards, as 15 percent is exported to other Asian countries while the rest is distributed locally. The Nanto City-based corporation pursued the plantation project to combat tight supply of raw materials. Daiken produces a total of 10,000 cubic metres of MDF from its US$200 million plants in Bintulu and Miri, Sarawak.

Forum Discussion To Promote Singapore-Taiwan Collaboration In India Singapore: International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and the

global consumer market over the years. In 2009, India grew

Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) have

by 7.3 percent despite the financial crisis and is expected to

co-organised their first forum to encourage collaboration

grow another 8.5 percent this year. It also is part of the BRIC

between Singapore and Taiwanese companies to grow their

countries that are set to become leading economies of the

business in India.

world. India is expected to become the world’s third largest

The forum was held on April 14 at the Taipei International Convention Centre in Taiwan, and attracted more than 100 Taiwanese companies, mainly from the electronics industry. Singapore’s Trade Representative in Taipei, Stanley Loh, and TAITRA deputy chairman Wayne Wu gave the opening remarks at the forum.

economy by 2050, after China and the US. Having helped Singapore companies to establish themselves in India, IE Singapore sees the next stage of their work as helping Singapore companies to broaden their customer base in India. Through this forum, IE Singapore hopes the capabilities of Singapore companies and their strengths in India will be

Three of Singapore’s successful companies in India –

better known to Taiwanese companies, leading to potential

Ascendas, First Engineering and YCH Group – were invited to

business collaboration between Singapore and Taiwanese

present on their experiences. The forum follows the opening

companies in India.

of the Taiwan Trade Centre in Singapore in December 2009,

IE Singapore also encourages Taiwanese companies to use

and adds a new dimension to the steadily growing business

Singapore as a springboard into India. Taiwanese companies

interaction between Singapore and Taiwanese companies.

that set up in Singapore can immediately connect with some

India has seen an unprecedented rise of importance in the

14 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

4,000 Indian companies that are already in Singapore.

Industry News

Global Wood Chip Shipments Dip 14 Percent Seattle, United States: Wood chip shipments in China defied global trend last year when imports tripled despite a 14 percent worldwide dip, a Wood Resource Quarterly report revealed. The tripled figure enabled China to become the second largest importer of wood chips in 2009. Pulp manufacturers in search of cheaper wood chips or wood chips with unique properties have fueled industry growth in the past years. The global financial crisis received most of the blame for the global drop in wood chip trade after it peaked at 31 million ovendry metric tons in 2008. Nevertheless, the current volume of global wood chip trade is two times bigger than it was twenty years ago. Meanwhile, countries that experienced the highest percentage

HuaLi Receives Guangdong Award Guangdong, China: State and local officials awarded HuaLi Industrial with the ‘Guangdong Provincial Level Enterprise Technology Centre’, citing its research and development contribution in the furniture industry. The Dongguan-based firm has also teamed up with Guangrun Furniture to become the official supplier of furniture edgebanding materials for the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. HuaLi, a producer of edgebanding and finishing materials for the furniture industry, maintains a RMB30 million (US$4.4 million) laboratory for its research and development.

of export reduction include Australia at 22 percent; the United States at 25 percent; and South Africa at 45 percent.

The solution: Premium quality plastic chains combined with our patented sliding rail system. The chains are working maintenance-free and unrivalled perfectly. One more advantage: The extremely narrow heating zone preserves delicate veneers and reduces shrinking considerably. This is how to splice both precious micro veneers and thick veneers.

KUP1040_Anz_FDM_Asia_FL-Innov_II_RZ.indd 1

Heinrich KUPER GmbH & Co.KG Heinrich-Kuper-Straße 10 – 15 33397 Rietberg Germany

Phone Fax E-Mail Internet

ENQUIRY NO. 147

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+49(0)5244/984-0 +49(0)5244/984-2 01 info@KUPER.de www.KUPER.de

15.04.10 17:50 www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Industry News

South Korean Companies Feeling Timber Price Pinch

Seoul, South Korea: South Korean wood product manufacturers are feeling the pinch from soaring timber prices, a Joong Ang Daily report said. The sharp price increase made it

Canfor Says China, Japan To Drive Lumber Growth

more difficult for industry players to obtain the material, with the cost of new

Vancouver, Canada: Asian markets

timber having risen 60 percent since 2009.

such as China and Japan continue to

Supply shortage and rising demand

drive growth in wood products, as

for timber in China and India have also

demand for lumber in the US market

contributed to the price spike.

sees slight improvements, according

Previously, used timber at construction sites provided a cheap alternative to new

to Canadian-based integrated forest products company, Canfor Corp.

timber, but a slowdown in property and

The firm attributed a significant

construction market have induced shorter

amount of its sales to China and

stock for used ones.

Japan, helping offset a lull in the

The last six months saw a 14 percent

US economy.

Kok Leng Yeo, Singapore

climb in particle board prices, the Korea

“Strong demand from offshore

Wood Panel Association disclosed,

markets, particularly China, continued to

prompting sector analysts to encourage

mitigate the impact from the protracted

the country to improve its timber resource

downturn in the US housing market

management.

in the current quarter,” said the firm in its first quarterly report for 2010. Canfor reported a total net income

BSW Timber Invest US$10.7M In Dalbeattie Mill

of CAD32.5 million (US$32.1 million) for the first quarter of 2010, compared to a net loss of CAD9.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2009 and a net

Earlston, UK: BSW Timber has unveiled

additional 50,000 sq m of Easi-Edge volume,

loss of CAD69.9 million for the first

progressive plans for a multi-million

whilst releasing greenmill capacity.

quarter of 2009.

pound investment at the Howie Forest

The site will also benefit from investment

They also pointed to bullish timber

Products site at Dalbeattie, following a

in a heat source facility for the operation and

and pulp prices as one of the main

successful acquisition of the company in

kilns. Current plans include the construction

reasons for growth.

November 2009.

of a biomass boiler which will use the site’s

“Lumber and pulp prices increased

The Dalbeattie mill is the largest single-

natural timber bi-products to produce

significantly in the first quarter of

location sawmill in UK and plans to invest

enough heat energy to sustainably supply

2010, and were the major reason for

over £7 million (US$ 10.7 million) into the site

the increased demand on the site.

the company’s improved results for the quarter,” the firm added.

are part of a drive to increase productivity

Tony Hackney, BSW chief executive,

from 230,000 sq m sawn timber to more

said: “State-of-the-art equipment and infra-

Nevertheless, the firm predicts

than 350,000 sq m.

structure development will help enhance

a steady albeit slow recovery for the US market within the year.

First phase investment will see a planer

value and give the sawmill total flexibility,

and grader line installed on site, which will

not only will it be the largest mill in the

“With the US economy and

almost double production of Easi-Edge

UK but it will further develop its level of

housing sector still facing significant

construction timber from 65,000 sq m to

sophistication.

headwinds, we expect to see a slow

He added: “The investment underlines

and somewhat fragile recovery of

Manufacture of this added value timber

our confidence in the growth in the market

the housing market over the coming

product will be further increased by invest-

for British timber due to a combination

months,” said the company’s CEO,

ment in a new stacker system to improve

of technological advances and the high

Jim Shepard.

operational efficiencies and produce an

cost of imports.”

120,000 sq m each year.

16 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

Industry News

Sustainable Timber Agreement For Malaysia, EU Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: An upcoming agreement currently under negotiation with the European Union guarantees sustainable sourcing for all of Malaysia’s timber exports. Reported in the Economy Watch, the pact will mandate all Malaysian timber companies to comply with legal requirements in harvesting timber. Illegal and unregulated logging has been blamed for environmental problems around the world, including destruction of wildlife habitats, landslides, floods, and soil erosion. Countries that sign a similar agreement with the EU possess a competitive advantage in timber exports, the EU said, because it would exclude Malaysian exports from further checks. Malaysia, which ships majority of its timber to Japan and the EU, drew in MYR 2.67 billion (US$ 837.6 million) in timber product sales last year, according to the New York Times. The pact requires exporter countries to take responsibility for ensuring that timber has been sourced properly. Countries with existing agreements with the EU include Ghana, Congo, and Cameroon.

TRADA Launches Market Development Award Hughenden Valley, UK: The Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA) has launched a new Market Development Award within industry magazine TTJ's annual awards initiative, to follow on from the ‘ Best Technical Information Support Award’, sponsored by the association for the past five years. The award is open to any company who on their own, or in partnership, has created a new market or expanded on an existing market in any way, such as developing a new product, improving the breadth of offering such as manufacturing through to long-term maintenance, or carrying out further testing or certification to create outlets for existing products. "Product development goes hand in hand with market development, but there are other ways to grow and the new award will enable us to recognise excellence. ENQUIRY NO. 149

The ultimate aim is to make it easy to specify timber," said Rupert Scott, the association’s membership and marketing manager.

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Focus

Sanding Machines:

Smoother Scraping At

Sanding is becoming more amenable to small and medium-sized manufacturers. By Dr Jegatheswaran Ratnasingam & Edward Francis

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Joelle Nebbe-Mornod. Bradford, UK

A bunch of straws: The structure of wood, shown above, mimics a bunch of straws on which sanding must produce a smooth surface

Focus

ood and wood-based panels being a natural material is not only variable in its structure but also shows different degrees of smoothness. The need to have a more or less perfectly smooth and flat surface is a pre-requisite for the manufacturing of high quality, value-added wood products. Accordingly, the sanding process is regarded as an ‘aesthetic’ task aimed primarily at improving the appeal of the product among potential customers. In a survey carried out by the International Furniture Research Group (IFRG) in conjunction with Universiti Putra Malaysia, it was found that sanding was the task that attracted the least attention among all exhibitors at the regional furniture fairs held in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Jakarta; most

respondents agreed that it was very difficult to ascertain what is an acceptable sanded quality. The non-availability of quality standards defining surface smoothness and flatness for wood has been a longstanding challenge to wood products manufacturers throughout the world, and going by the present trend, it appears that a solution is nowhere near. In this context, wood products manufacturers must appreciate the fundamentals of the wood sanding process and also the working parameters that would contribute to the final quality of the sanded wood. As we attempt to shed some light into this area, we will also discuss some of the developments that are available in the marketplace that makes the sanding tasks more amenable to manufacturers.

‘Scraping A Bunch Of Straws’ The fact that the structure of wood mimics a ‘bunch of straws,’ enunciates the fact that undulations on the surface of wood is almost impossible to remove. Hence, the main purpose of the sanding process is to generate a smooth and flat surface that could be applied with adhesives/ coatings in an economical yet aesthetic manner. The removal of undulations can be achieved by machining or sanding processes, but the latter is often preferred especially when the amount of material to be removed is small (ie: less than 0.5 mm). The sanding process is essentially a ‘scraping action’ by the numerous mineral grains mounted onto a sand paper (or rather coated abrasives). The sand

20649_Resources.qxd 20649_Resources.qxd 2/13/07 2/13/07 7:55 7:55 AM AM Page Page 11

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our resources With over 800,000 square feet of manu-

best PEOPLE

facturing space under roof, and more than 3.2 million board feet

with the best

of kiln capacity, Baillie is able to provide the volumes of

RESOURCES

North American hardwoods which you need. Together

and create

with this capacity comes the service and selection

LUMBER

on which we have built our business... a great combination.

ENQUIRY NO. 705

SOLUTIONS

THAT WORK it’s not just a product...it’s a solution.

4002 Legion Drive / Hamburg, NY 14075 / 716-649-2850 / 800-950-2850 / Fax 716-649-2811 / www.baillie.com

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Focus

Mahyar Jehazi Paul Williams. Essex, England

Sand & Corundum: Natural abrasives

paper is the cutting tool in the sanding processes, and it has a complex structure to ensure diversity to cater for different applications. Sia, Mirka, Hermes, VSM, Fujistar, and 3M are among the leading suppliers of sand papers in the world. The amount of material removed during the sanding process is determined by process parameters (ie: coarseness of the mineral grain—indicated by grit size, sanding pressure, feed speed and cutting speed), and for different types of work materials, different process parameters are required to ensure acceptable results. After all, the quality of the sanded surface is defined by its smoothness and flatness, which in turn is expressed by a surface free of defects and blemishes. However, increasing the amount of material to be removed during the sanding process will inevitably increase the process cost. In fact, studies have shown that although sanding cost can range from 5 to 10 percent of the total manufacturing cost, the actual cost of poor sanding quality can be significantly higher as it may result in product rejection and returns. Hence, finding a compromise between cost-quality-production throughputs is what technological developments in sanding are focusing on.

20 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

A Global Comeback The combination knife planer/sander in wide-belt sanding is making a comeback in the global scene. To grind, smooth, cut, or polish the workpiece, this machine uses a cutter-head followed by one, two or more abrasive material. Natural abrasives include sand, pumice, corundum, and ground quartz, while synthetically produced abrasives are carborundum (silicon carbide) and alumina (aluminium oxide). The cutter-head (planer knife) in the first stand has reduced power requirement and, together with better control of abrasive belt consumption, higher feed-speed rates and more accurate tolerances, have transformed the sanding technology for applications where high stock removal is a necessity such as in the case of wood-lamination manufacturing plants. Previously, gluedup panels were planed using 36-grit abrasives, and would require an abrasive sequence of 60/100/120 to remove the scratch pattern, and hence increases the sanding cost. However, since the planer knife removes approximately 0.25 to 0.30 mm in stock to produce a smooth surface, the 120-grit abrasive is sufficient. Recent

additions to such sanding machines have been the feed-through orbital sanders, used primarily to remove the scratch pattern produced by widebelt sanding and/or stroke sanding. A second use for this particular machine is sealer/lacquer sanding. Such combination machines use wide-belt sanding heads, followed by orbital heads, and denibbing brush units. The woodworking industry, in conjunction with many major machinery manufacturers, is constantly developing new and improved ways of sealer sanding. Sealer sanding can be performed by use of wide-belt sanders, brush machines, hand sanding, rotary brush machines and feed through orbital sanders. It has been seen, and further developed, that the denibbing of material by any of the above machine in the white wood state has greatly improved the product prior to stain and seal. It must be recognised that having a properly prepared surface has decreased the amount of labour used in subsequent processes.

From Manual To Pre-set Saving computer programs of the different individual materials to be sent

Focus answer to this is core calibrating, a process that eliminates the extra expense of copying heads on a combination machine. Without the need to copy panels that are flat, the tolerances of all machines throughout the manufacturing facility would greatly improve. The final product is the last thing to consider. If the panel is pro-cessed right from the beginning of the operation, the finish will be more uniform, thus helping to produce the best finish possible.

Healthier, More Productive Workplace As in most areas of the woodworking industry, the use of electronic control technology is helping the woodworker become more productive, from a simple terminal to the control of belt speed and

feed speed. Among small and mediumsized wood products manufacturers, there is growing interest in 15-inch wide-belt sanders that feature open throat design with smaller footprints and smaller power requirements. Advances in technology mean an accuracy of plus or minus 0.1 mm from side to side. Adjustments to the hardness of the contact roller mean extreme accuracy in sanding, even for sanding laminates of very close tolerances. Oscillating tracking of the abrasive belt provides reliable performance withâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; a tried and tested technology, as opposed to the high service and replacement parts cost associated with electric-eye tracking systems, previously promoted as a valuable alternative technology. Furthermore, improvements to dust

ENQUIRY NO. 145

through a sanding machine reduces operator set-up time and error, thereby increasing productivity in sanding workstations. There is no more manual set-up of several different items to run each individual piece of material, since it is all handled by calling up a single program for a particular piece of material that pre-sets everything on the machine. Furthermore, electronic sectional pads have greatly reduced sand-through of veneers and lacquers, which in turn has greatly increased operator productivity through less operator error and material rework. Manufacturers are starting to realise that fairly flat panels and tighter overall panel tolerances produce not only significant improvements in sand quality, but also in machining operations. The

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; MAY/JUN 2010

Focus Natural Abrasives For Sanders: Pumice & Quartz

collection design in sanding machines, closer to the head with open throat full-length of the contact roller, means more efficient waste removal, less dust in the shop, and a healthier workplace.

A Forgiving Design Another innovation has been in sanding pad mechanisms. Past technology for abrasive belt units for profile sanders included a rigid design of the sanding pad mechanism on the units, which was inflexible or stiff. The present day pad mechanisms are more forgiving and more versatile, as they can be adjusted to follow the contour of the edge. This produces a smoothing rather than a calibrating effect. Recently, innovations in set-up of abrasive belts have also been brought to the marketplace. Set-up time on abrasive belt sanding units has traditionally been a process of trial and error until the correct positioning of the abrasive pad is obtained. The forgiving design usually allows the operator to obtain a good sanding job on the first few trial pieces. Improvements in curved sanding have

22 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

also transformed sanding technology. Cathedrals and other shaped edges can now be sanded using an abrasive belt unit. When possible and economical, abrasive belts should be used to sand curved surfaces without intricate detail.

Following The Contours In the past, most sanding of shaped edges has been done using abrasive disk units. But now, computer-assisted design has enabled belt units to follow the contour of the panel. The use of such computer technology also allows for easy parts replacement. The programs are equipped with a self-learning feature to assist the operator in learning to use the machine. Ultimately, reducing or eliminating difficult-to-use technology or hand sanding will reduce time constraints in the sanding process. Recent technological developments in wide and cross-belt sander designs have generally had a

dramatic effect on the way woodworkers look at surface improvement and quality in finish polishing. The cost of this technology has come down into the range of the smaller manufacturer, and the machines are simple to operate and consistent in uncalibrated materials. In many applications, where traditional sanding machines have been upgraded, handwork and orbital sanding have been eliminated completely and new methods of finishing can be implemented with a measurable result on the bottom line, and a definable improvement in quality and consistency. Hence, woodworkers are keen to take advantage of the newer machine’s advantages, inevitably changing the way they look at the actual function of sanding in their production. This has not always been easy. Traditional sander design is concerned with stock removal. The modern finish sander is primarily concerned with providing a defined surface quality for application of modern finishing materials. This is very different in concept from the massive, heavy horsepower standard designs of yesterday.

Finding A Compromise As the global consumers of wood products demand higher value for their money, manufacturers of wood products will have to pay greater attention to the sanding processes as it affects both the aesthetic value of the product and also the overall customer appeal. In this context, the sanding processes will come under greater scrutiny not only for its operational ease, but also its final quality and cost outcomes. The future of sanding technology will revolve around finding a compromise between quality-cost-throughput, which is fundamental to the success in the wood products manufacturing sector. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 4101

ENQUIRY NO. 110

Technology

A Resin For Today’s

Industry

Versatile, high-performing and with no-added formaldehyde, MDI is fast becoming the resin of choice with composite wood panel producers the world over. By Iain Stanton, composite wood panel marketing manager for Europe and Asia, Huntsman.

DI (Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate) is an efficient resin binder that has been available for over thirty years, and its production is a complex process involving a sequence of chemical reactions resulting in a very versatile range of resins. The core use of MDI is within OSB production, but there is a growing demand for MDI as a binder for Medium Density Fibreboard and Particleboard. Because of MDI’s versatility, the possibilities are endless and almost every day we are finding new applications for this technology. A particular application in which growth is witnessed for the use of MDI is wood fibre insulation, which is widely considered to be a sustainable and green alternative to standard insulation methods and we anticipate much attention is anticipated to be given to this over the coming months.

Chemical Weld The material provides a supreme bond with the wood particles or strands as it has a reaction with the wood itself, when put under intense heat, creating a chemical weld. This is a different type of bond to the mechanical weld that formaldehyde based products produce; in the case of formaldehyde products, it is clear to see where one material starts and another ends. However, MDI bonds by forming a diffusion interphase. The resin spreads over the surface of the wood and penetrates into cracks, cell lumen and even cell walls. Penetration depths of up to 1 mm are readily achieved, which is well beyond the three-cell depths commonly assumed to be needed for wood resins to provide adequate adhesive strengths.

24 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

Technology Just As Safe There are always going to be specific environmental, health and safety procedures to adhere to when working with any chemical, and MDI resins are no different. There have been occasions when people have misconstrued the precautionary measures needed when using MDI in production as over and above that of its traditional resin counterparts. But this is simply down to misunderstanding as MDI technology is just as safe as other resin technologies to use; it is just a case of addressing certain EHS standards that the industry should be seeking to uphold for safe handling of chemicals.

Binder Benefits

In the diffusion interphase the MDI effectively becomes one with the wood and this, along with the penetration and the spread, is responsible for the high quality performances expected from MDI bonded wood including the resistance to thickness swell and the high strengths.

Advantages provided by the strong chemical weld of MDI in the production of wood panels include fast curing, ease of adding biocides or fire retardants, improved moisture resistance and an excellent strength to weight ratio. In addition to no-added formaldehyde, other benefits include: • Increased mill productivity. • Increased wood species variety and tolerance. • Increase in the panels’ physical property performance.

ENQUIRY NO. 132

Production of full MDI OSB panels on labscale

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Technology

MDI gluing process in OSB application

• Finished panels that are smooth, light and more natural in appearance when compared to those which are manufactured using formaldehyde based resins. • Compared with traditional formaldehyde options, MDI resins require a lower dosage making it a cost-effective binding option when comparing on a cost m3 basis. Formaldehyde naturally occurs in wood so when conventional Phenol Formaldehyde (PF) and Melamine Urea Phenol Formaldehyde (MUPF) resins are used in the production of wood panels, formaldehyde emission levels will be higher as a result.

Stringent Standards However, new stringent industry standards have been coming into place of late, requiring wood panel producers to limit the levels of formaldehyde emitted from their products. By using MDI resins, it is guaranteed that no additional formaldehyde

26 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

will be added to the wood panel, therefore the level of emission is limited to what naturally occurs in the wood itself. The legislations affecting producers will become more restrictive in the future, such as a California legislation that seeks to limit the permissible levels of formaldehyde emission from wood-based panels. In America, the use of MDI in the manufacture of MDF will make it ‘Exempt’ within the requirements of Section 93120.3 of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) standards Mr Stanton. The level I legislation was implemented from 1st January 2009, placing strict limits on the level of permissible formaldehyde emitted from wood based panels, and will become even more restrictive in 2011 when CARB level II comes into effect for Particleboard and Medium Density Fibreboard production. In Asia, where the manufacture of MDF and PB is more widespread, using MDI products means that manufacturers products can be classified as both CARB I and CARB II compliant as well as becoming Japanese four-star compliant. As limits to the use of formaldehyde

in wood panels are capped, more and more consumers and manufacturers are expected to find an alternative in MDI. It is clear to see the momentum that these regulations are gathering worldwide. And as a result we are seeing more producers coming to us to try MDI technology for themselves now while they can fully evaluate the advantages of making the change sooner rather than later.

Constantly Evolving The nature of this advanced technology means that this resin and its applications are constantly evolving, with significant interest coming from the Asian market of late. Asian composite wood panel producers are becoming more and more open to MDI technology and much of the focus for Huntsman is ensuring we nurture interest and cultivate an open dialogue. Part of this dialogue needs to be about educating the industry on what MDI resins are, how they can be utilised and the long-term benefits; once this message gets through, we are confident that MDI will become the resin of choice for the majority as the practical application results really do speak for themselves. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 4201

ENQUIRY NO. 130

Technology

y far the most common reason for employing fingerjointing has been economic; several lumber pieces that would otherwise have ended up in garbage dumps can, with fingerjointing, be put together to form a longer, usable piece. Lumbers of low-grade stock can be cleared out, at the same time maximise the yield of longer pieces of wood. Though it may occasionally appear disorienting as compared to seeing a long piece of wood, it can also serve an aesthetic purpose in cases of wooden furniture. But, just how can one get the most out of fingerjoints? Fingerjointing, a process that is believed to have been used in woodworking since the days of the Roman Empire, is done by gluing together two separate pieces of wood via cut-out complementary rectangular or triangular cuts. Fingerjointing is traditionally carried out using saws and chisels to carve out rectangular holes in wood edges, with carpenters sometimes experimenting with different variations. Today, this process can be done en masse in different variations using industrial machinery. Non-structural fingerjointing is usually less strong than structural ones. Often seen in rails, molding stock, sidings, and fascia boards, nonstructural fingerjoints generally have shorter and blunter â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fingers,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and is often used for short wood pieces that need to be joined with others in order to be of any use. Meanwhile, structural fingerjointing, classified into vertical, horizontal, or inclined, is usually employed in large lumber pieces such as structural beams where strength is a major concern. Hence they possess generally sharper tips that resemble the edges of a saw. Other classifications based on the shoulder configuration of a structural fingerjoint is used, and are worth mentioning despite possessing minimal effect on actual performance.

Making

Fingerjoints A combination of several factors help maximise fingerjoint quality. By Jerome Lim

Stick

Depending on how they are made, fingerjoints vary in strength, but proper safeguards can help make fingerjoints less vulnerable to Before carrying out a fingerjoint, one should keep in mind what the purpose is for.

28 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

David Numan

Vital Considerations

Technology Proper Equipment

As mentioned, if the long-term strength of the wood is a vital consideration, then a structural fingerjoint is probably the best option, since thinner tips fare stronger than blunt ones in transmitting stress. A 2008 study by Forintek on fingerjointing processes also notes that vertical profiles are relatively stronger than horizontal ones under normal production conditions. Another thing to be considered is the application and use of adhesive. While adhesives certainly play a part in the strength of a fingerjoint, most fingerjoint failures are due to flaws in the fingerjointing itself rather than the adhesive used. Nevertheless, adhesive manufacturers are advised to inform customers on the proper conditions and application necessary to maximise the glue. Otherwise, customers may end up blaming the adhesive even if the fault could have been in the fingerjointing itself.

Moisture Content The same study cites two possible reasons for the poor performance of aqueous adhesives on wood with high moisture content (MC). First, high MC wood tends to absorb less water and adhesive, leading to excessive adhesive mobility that gets squeezed out with end pressure and results in a thin glue line. The other reason involves dilution of adhesive, as wood with high MC tends to absorb adhesives remaining in the glue line, resulting in a starved joint. Non-structural fingerjoints often employ adhesives such as melamine-urea, urea, and PVA (polyvinyl acetate, otherwise known as 'white glue'), while structural fingerjoints often include the use of phenol-resorcinol, resorcinol, and melamine adhesives, among others. One adhesive company, Franklin Adhesives, cite lack of glue penetration into the wood or temperatures that are too low as one of the main reasons for fingerjoint blanks that fall apart, and recommends using wood which has a moisture content of less than 15 percent. Ideally, fingerjoints should have no gaps for excess glue to settle in, and making this possible is largely determined by the amount of wood that the machine or cutting saw removes. Woodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s moisture content can affect

Finally, speaking of machines, obtaining the right equipment for fingerjointing cannot be understated. Fortunately, modern technology has made available machines that are specifically cut out for the task. Woodworking machinery manufacturers such as Weinig have both vertical and horizontal fingerjointing lines that can process wood entry lengths of up to 300 cm, as well as heavy duty machines that process at speeds of 180 parts per minute in continuous run and 12 press cycles. Elsewhere, businesses considering wood processing versatility might want to check out Italian manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Bacci's CNC machines that can do fingerjointing in combination with other woodworking processes such as drilling, tenoning, milling, and contouring. For veneers, Marnate, Italy-based Casati Macchine offers fingerjointers that uses knives and counter-knives driven by hydraulic cylinders that can process two veneer strips. Ultimately, other factors come to play in the quality of a fingerjoint, but getting the right machine for the job, the proper adhesive application, as well as determining the proper form helps ensure the durability of fingerjoints. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 4201

ENQUIRY NO. 108

Chisels are sometimes used to do non-structural fingerjoints at home or in a workshop.

adhesive effectiveness www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; MAY/JUN 2010

Panels

Veneer Production:

Overcoming Challenges The Veneer industry is facing changing market conditions due to increased globalisation and the world economic crisis. Because of this changing landscape, veneer manufacturers must constantly reinvent themselves to remain competitive. By Malte Herrmann, head of marketing, Danzer Group

he wood industry faces significant challenges. For many companies and industries â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including the wood sector â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the rules of international competition have changed. Accelerated by the ongoing global economic crisis, the struggle for market shares has become increasingly more intense, particularly in the standard sector. Veneer producers from Europe and North America in particular are feeling the effects of this development. Producers that want to remain in a market against low-wage countries must invest in modern machinery so productivity increases to an internationally competitive level and product quality improves. In Danzer, for instance, facilities have been upgraded as part of a modernisation program. These investments in manufacturing technology halve perunit costs and raise productivity to a competitive level.

30 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

Veneer Quality Assured Ease of use is the all-important motto among companies competing for new customers and market share. Veneer producers must emphasise customer benefits, such as ease of further processing and higher monetary value. Consistent product quality through further development of manufacturing techniques is important. In doing so, every sheet is usable and falls within certain quality parameters. This can be achieved only when automatic, high-tech quality control systems are in place to check all sheets during the production process. These quality control measures are a top priority for engineering teams because customers require consistency of thickness in the veneers. Veneer sheets with differing thicknesses can present serious problems for users. With machinery, one must achieve consistency within the tolerance limits

set forth in DIN and ISO standards. In any bundle, flitch or production run, each sheet has precisely the same thickness. Customers benefit from these high standards in a variety of ways. First, users need not worry about delays when splicing veneer, because all sheets match one another precisely. Second, optimal utilisation ensures costefficient production. Finally, consistent thickness of the veneer guarantees smooth processing when surfaces have to be sanded. During the drying phase, technologies that make this process less stressful on the veneer are employed. The result is less waviness, a constant moisture content and higher elasticity. Because conventional moisture meters are not designed for the sophisticated measurement of veneers and do not function accurately with these products, new measuring devices are developed to guarantee the correct

Panels

Innovative Products & Customer Service But lower costs and higher product quality alone will not give veneer companies the desired competitive edge. Success will depend on how well premium manufacturers can meet customer

demands for innovative products and services while also focusing on the need to find new customers. Recent years have seen a dramatic decline in genuine wooden surfaces for mass-produced furniture. While veneers are widely used as decorative wooden surfaces, approximately three-quarters of the visible and invisible surfaces in mass-produced furniture are now made from cheap wood imitations produced from petroleum-based plastics. Even the constantly improving prints and designs of these substitute products cannot replace the warm feeling, and lasting value of genuine wooden surfaces. Nevertheless, these substitutes continue to represent a threat for the veneer industry. So how should the wood processing industry move forward? We believe

there are significant opportunities for wood-based products in fields that have historically been dominated by energy-intensive, non-sustainable and mass-produced materials. These materials have succeeded because they have overcome some limitations of wood. The challenge for veneer processors is to alter the properties of wood so that they can compete with these materials and capitalise on woodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true potential. With innovative products and new developments in surface technology, the veneer industry is opening up promising prospects beyond the mass market in the discerning fields of interior design and commercial construction projects. Architects and designers are once again becoming increasingly interested in the properties of wood as a material.

ENQUIRY NO. 155

amount of residual moisture for troublefree processing. User-friendly preparation of all products must be included in customisation during veneer production. Industrial customers, for example, require that suppliers not only deliver veneer in large quantities with uniform surface quality, lengths and widths, but also offer precise sorting. This creates less waste, ensures optimal utilisation and reduces processing costs for customers.

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; MAY/JUN 2010

Panels Manufacturers that want to increase demand among these target groups must enhance veneer as a material and extend user opportunities for processing and designing the real wooden surface. Historically, veneer has been used on purely flat surfaces, especially for doors and panels. However, 3D-veneer opens many opportunities for applications and designs. This represents a considerable increase in user benefits when compared to conventional wooden surfaces. Customers can use the wooden surfaces to produce high-grade and quality products. In addition to developing innovative products, it is fundamentally important that veneer producers provide services to

and its standardised selection process simplify this process considerably. This eliminates the need for timeconsuming business trips, which, particularly in view of the world economic crisis and heightened cost awareness among many companies, brings benefit. Thanks to additional functionality, the online tool not only reduces the cost of veneer selection, but also helps users customise the surfaces they want to purchase. Users can virtually splice sheets or a section of the sheet from a veneer package to create an individual surface. Photos from these joint veneers can be downloaded and integrated into architects’ drawing programs, giving them a real additional advantage in their daily work.

simplify the entire purchasing procedure – all to reduce time and costs for customers. Specifically, this means fulfilling key customer demands for efficient selection of veneer, easier procurement of goods and shorter delivery times. Use of veneered surfaces for decorative purposes begins with the allimportant selection process. If choosing veneer had once been a time-consuming task, the group’s Virtual Veneer Warehouse

Certified Timber & Timber Products

32 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

In addition to cost optimisation, product quality and customer service, sustainable and legal timber procurement is a matter of growing importance for the timber industry and will greatly influence markets in the future. Demand is increasing for timber products originating from environmentally and legally certified forests. FSC certificates attesting to responsible

and legal timber procurement are becoming increasingly important for many customers. Architects and increasingly as well furniture manufacturers demand such proof. FSC certificates are very often required when companies bid for governmental buildings or in the public procurement of timber and timber products. It is interesting to note that the most increasing demand for FSC-certified veneer is currently coming from China, surpassing even North America and Europe. What may appear surprising at first sight becomes clear when examined in more detail. For a long time now, furniture producers, architects and designers have been producing wooden products for commercial construction and interior design projects in China. This trend to make products intended for North American and European projects in Chinese production facilities is expected to increase in the coming years. As a result, FSC certification of timber products is becoming an increasingly powerful sales argument. If veneer producers wish to exploit this competitive benefit and meet the demand for FSC-certified timber products, they must have Chain of Custody certification before they sell and market products with the FSC label. Sustainable use of the high-quality, raw material wood is crucial for the wood processing industry. Only in this way can it be ensured that future generations will have access to plentiful and healthy stocks of timber. The timber industry has a pioneering role to play in the future of our forests by implementing measures and systems offering a high degree of reliability and transparency with a view to responsible procurement. FDM

ENQUIRY NO. 4301

ENQUIRY NO. 016

Surfaces and Flooring

Hotmelts:

The

Bond

Identity

Take a closer look at flat lamination technology and the specific properties of the adhesives system employed. By Andrew Nixon, technical customer service, Henkel AG & Co KGaA

34 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

Surfaces and Flooring all kinds and various plastics, as well as metals such as aluminium, steel and lead.

Adhesive Systems

Figure 1: Examples of high gloss laminated panels made with Purmelt adhesives.

he lamination of panels with a wide range of substrates including wood, wood-derived materials, metals and plastics, using a hot melt is commonly known as flat lamination. In this application, a heated roller coater is used to apply the hotmelt to the panel. A second panel or foil is then placed onto the coated panel and passed through a roller press or static press. The applied hot melts normally have a low viscosity, high initial tack, and long open time which allows the assembly of larger panels to be made. Common for this application is the use of reactive polyurethane hotmelts, although for certain applications a standard low viscosity EVA or pressure sensitive hot melt can be used. This application of applying hot melts via a heated roller coater provides possibilities to rationalise production, and solve problems seen in using traditional adhesives. Flat lamination of panel substrates is a well-established bonding technique. What is new is the use of hotmelt adhesives for such applications. In recent years, the adhesives industry has developed a number of adhesives that have been tailored to the special needs of flat lamination. Generally speaking, the term ‘flat lamination’ refers to the full-surface bonding of different kinds of substrates by means of a hotmelt. Roller coaters with heated rollers are used for this task as shown in figure 2. Basically, the entire surface of a panel is coated with adhesive, and a second substrate in the form of a panel or film/foil is placed onto the first and pressed against it. A wide range of materials can be bonded, depending on the adhesives employed. These include chipboard, MDF, HDF, plywood, pressboard, honeycomb panels, expanded foams of

The classic adhesives for flat lamination are principally urea-formaldehyde (UF), melamine formaldehyde (MF) glues and PVAC dispersion glues. While UF and MF glues are hot curing reactive adhesives, PVAC glues set physically and can also be processed in their cold state. Another group of adhesives used for flat lamination is 1K and 2K polyurethane liquid glues. These reactive adhesives are also processed in their cold state. Typical of these adhesives systems is that they require a relatively long setting or reaction time, which means that static presses with long pressing times are required, thus ruling out high throughput speeds. The big advantage of hotmelts is their high setting speed. Setting time can be adjusted to anything from tenths of a second (eg: for edgebanding hotmelts) to about 60 minutes. As such, the availability of hotmelts for flat lamination primarily accelerates throughput speed in continuous production processes. Other advantages include the absence of water in the adhesive, rapid setting upon cooling, and curing at room temperature. Table 1 summarises the advantages and disadvantages of adhesive systems used for flat lamination.

Hotmelt Systems

Like most of the above-mentioned adhesives systems, hot melt systems are normally applied with heated roller coaters. This already defines a number of requirements that hotmelts have to fulfill for use in flat lamination, for example: • low melt viscosity • high thermal stability of the melt • long to medium open time • good adhesion to a wide range of substrates Although thermoplastic hotmelts with the above properties can be used in principle for flat lamination, novel reactive polyurethane hotmelts have truly ideal properties for such applications. In addition to the processing properties mentioned, these polyurethane hotmelts display high initial tack and react with moisture to yield a crosslinked adhesive. Table 2 compares the properties of various thermoplastic hotmelts with those of polyurethane hotmelts.

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Surfaces and Flooring Table 1: Advantages and drawbacks of classic adhesives compared to hotmelts for flat lamination

Figure 2: Principle of a roller coater for flat lamination.

Adhesive

Advantages

Drawbacks

UF, MF resins

Inexpensive, reactive, high thermal stability

Hot curing necessary, long pressing time, presence of water

PVAC glues

Cold processing, high thermal stability

Presence of water, long pressing time

1K, 2K PU glues

Reactive, high thermal stability, cold processing, broad adhesion range

Limited open time, long setting time and pressing time

Hotmelts

High processing speed, continuous processing

Limited thermal stability, high processing temperature

The basic principle of polyurethane Reactive, continuous and high processing Reactive High processing temperature speed, high thermal stability, broad hotmelts is that they cure in two hotmelts adhesion range stages. Physical setting, similar to that of thermoplastic hotmelts, takes place in the first stage, while the second stage involves chemical Traces of moisture are sufficient. crosslinking due to the adhesiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reaction with moisture. Moisture from the air and from the substrates normally is enough for curing. In extreme cases like metal/metal bonding hummidity can be easily adjusted. Chemically, polyurethane hotmelts consist of NCO-terminated polyester/polyether prepolymers. The NCO groups of these prepolymers react readily with water molecules, resulting in H2O NCO PUR NCO CO2 high molecular and crosslinked adhesive molecules as shown in figure 3. The crosslinked adhesives film cannot be melted again (unlike Urea Urea Urea Urea that of a thermoplastic hotmelt) and displays high strength, thermal stability and moisture resistance. The moisture-induced reaction is accompanied by further chemical reactions with the Figure 3: Cross linking principle from PUR-Hotmelt NCO groups at the processing temperature in the melt of the polyurethane hotmelt adhesive. Practical Experience This means that the viscosity of the polyurethane hotmelt The working principle of a process for flat lamination with a melt slowly increases on the roller. The open time of the hotmelt polyurethane hotmelt is shown in figure 4. As is usual with without adhesives take-off is about one to two hours. During bonding processes, the panel materials undergo pre-cleaning. continuous production processes, this is not a problem. Depending on local conditions, preheating of the panels may However, in discontinuous processes with longer periods of then be necessary. inactivity, the adhesive should be removed from the rollers and The adhesive is then applied with a roller coater. The rollers the rollers cleaned with a suitable cleaner. are supplied with adhesive from a separate pre-melter. Pre-melter After application of the adhesive to the substrate, the systems commonly have volumes of 20 or 200 ltr. adhesive has an open time during which the substrates have In these systems, a drum-melter is used, so that only as to be joined. It may be possible to extend open time by heating much polyurethane hotmelt is melted and pumped through the substrates (a). heated lines to the applicator rollers as is currently needed. This After the joining and pressing of the coated substrates, the method is ideal polyurethane hotmelts, which are sensitive to adhesive sets and builds up its initial strength (b). This bond both temperature and moisture-sensitive. Tank systems in which strength is usually sufficiently high that the bonded parts can the adhesive is often exposed to high temperatures for a long be transported, sawn, milled or worked in other ways. time are unsuitable. Bond strength then increases further due to the chemical When coating the substrate, it is important to apply the curing of the adhesive (c), which can take anything from six to optimal amount of adhesive to the surface. The rate of application three days, depending on the adhesives system. This period is set by adjusting the doctor roller/application roller gap, while depends on other factors as well, such as substrate and ambient the adhesiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delivery rate is simply measured gravimetrically. temperature, humidity and substrate surface strength. Other factors affecting adhesives application are the line

36 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

Surfaces and Flooring Table 2: Comparison of the properties of hotmelt systems for flat lamination Processing temperature

Processing viscosity

Open time

Substrate materials

Bond thermal stability

Moisture resistance

Cost

EVA

180-200°C

Medium

Short (reactivation)

Limited (wood, CB, MDF, decor paper)

70-120°C

Low

Polyolefin

180-200°C

Medium

Short (reactivation)

Limited (wood, CB, MDF, decor paper)

120-140°C

Medium

Low

PSA

150-170°C

Medium to low

Long

Limited (wood, CB, MDF, decor paper, polystyrene)

80-110°C

Low

Medium

Low

Short Medium Long

Very wide range (wood, CB, MDF, plastics, foils/films, aluminum, many metals etc.)

120-150°C

Very high

High

Hotmelt type

Reactive polyurethane

120-140°C

speed of the adhesives rollers, as well as the temperature and viscosity of the adhesive. After the adhesive has been applied, the panels are joined or the film/foil is laminated by means of a roller press system. Bonding has to take place within the adhesive’s open time and depends on temperature and ambient conditions (eg: drafts).

To extend open time, the adhesive can be additionally heated with IR heaters. The substrates are usually laminated with roller presses, although much better bonding results are achieved with belt presses and short-cycle static presses. The latter presses are strongly advised for difficult-to-bond substrates with high memory forces. As mentioned before, there

The Altendorf WA 8:

The benchmark for quality.

Altendorf WA 8 NT with non-tilting saw unit and manual rise/fall adjustment of the main saw blade.

Altendorf WA 8 TE with motorised rise/fall and tilt adjustment of the main saw blade.

Since Altendorf was established in 1906, the company has repeatedly set new standards. Now you can experience this for yourself with the Altendorf WA 8. It makes light work of everything from simple but precise squaring cuts through to complex angles, and is ergonomical and easy to use. With a level of quality all its own, the WA 8 lives up to the promise of the international market leader.

Altendorf WA 8 X with motorised rise/fall and tilt adjustment of the main saw blade and motorised adjustment of the rip fence.

F E AT U R E S Sliding table length 2,000, 2,600, 3,000 or 3,200 mm Cutting width 1,000 or 1,300 mm Cutting height max. 100, 125 mm

ENQUIRY NO. 125

Altendorf WA 8 T with manual rise/fall and tilt adjustment of the main saw blade.

Altendorf Asia Sdn. Bhd. No. 45, Jalan TPP 1/1 · Taman Industri Puchong · 47100 Puchong, Selangor D. E. Malaysia Phone +60 3 8060 9689 · Fax +60 8061 9689 · altasia@tm.net.my · www.altendorf.com

sd_WA8_Anzeige+Produkt+171x122_01 1

02.02.2010 9:48:38 Uhr www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Surfaces and Flooring Table 3: Polyurethane hotmelts for different applications QR and ME* Purmelt types

Field of application

Standard product

For universal applications, very broad range of substrates

Very high initial strength

Materials with high memory forces

Product for long assembly times

Material with low memory forces, long pressing time necessary

UV-stable product

Bonding of glass, Plexiglas and other laminates exposed to light

Product for thermal reactivation

Wooden furniture industry, materials with high memory forces, thermal reactivation necessary

Conductive hotmelt

Computer floors and the like

Cleaner

Cleaning agent for roller coaters

Figure 4: The working principle of a process for flat lamination with a polyurethane hotmelt

is a need to clean the rollers after prolonged periods of inactivity and before the machine is switched off.

Health & Safety At Work

Reactive polyurethane hotmelts normally contain a certain percentage of monomeric diisocyanate. These monomers can become volatile at processing temperatures, which may be as high as 170 deg C. These polyurethane hotmelts are subject to mandatory hazard labeling. Since hazards may arise during use of the adhesives, it is always advisable to install suitable extractor systems. During the curing of the adhesive, the isocyanate molecules react completely with water to form urethane or urea groups, and by doing so excludes risks due to isocyanate emissions from the cured adhesive. Polyurethane hotmelts can thus be used safely in furniture, home interiors and vehicles. To minimise hazard potential during

Viscosity Medium Approximately 10,000/130 deg C High Approximately 18,000/170 deg C Low Approximately 4,000/130 deg C Medium Approximately 9,000/130 deg C High Approximately 60,000/130 deg C Medium Approximately 17,000/130 deg C -

Open time

Cohesion build-up

2-4 min

Fast

Up to 10 min

Very fast

45 min

Very slow

2-4 min

Medium

10 s

Very fast

2-4 min

Medium

application at high temperatures and possibly during open processing, the ME (Micro Emission) polyurethane hotmelts with a residual monomeric isocyanate content of < 0.1 percent has been developed. Comparative measurements by independent bodies have Cleaning the adhesives roller confirmed that, when correctly processed, ME products release up to 90 percent less isocyanate vapors than conventional PUR hotmelts.

Reactive Polyurethane Hotmelt Types

For the many different applications in the market, there is a broad range of reactive polyurethane hotmelt types. Table 3 presents an overview of them. The main applications are covered by standard products. For bonding problems involving high memory forces arising immediately after lamination, high-viscosity adhesives that have to be applied with preheating or thermal reactivation are used.

The Round Up

Hotmelts, and particularly polyurethane hotmelts, for the flat lamination bonding process have been introduced to the market over the last two years. The technical advantages of reactive polyurethane hotmelts lie in their fast setting and in the possibility of achieving laminate bond strengths comparable to those of reactive adhesives. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 4401

38 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

ENQUIRY NO. 143

DesignDecor

Up Against

The Wall Wainscoting is a popular method of giving life to an otherwise dull looking wall. By Frank De Marcus

alls are crucial components of any building. They serve as a solid boundary between the interior and exterior of buildings, provide a platform to support roofs and ceilings, and organise the space within buildings. Besides providing the buildings blocks to structural integrity, walls are one of the main elements to consider when determining the look and feel of the building’s interior and exterior.

Wainscoting Wall paneling is a decorative method to improve the aesthetics of a wall. It involves covering the wall with either semi-rigid or rigid components. One kind of paneling is wainscoting, which is usually installed on the lower part of walls and often reach up halfway up a wall. Originally, wainscoting was conceptualised as a means of protecting the room from rising dampness. Today, besides providing visual appeal to an otherwise empty wall, their purpose can be to shelter the wall beneath it and provide a surface that is easy to clean and maintain. High traffic areas are therefore a favourite spot to deploy wainscoting. Compared to paint or wallpaper, wainscoting is generally more hardy. The three common styles of wainscoting are raised panel wainscoting, recessed panels and beadboard wainscoting.

40 FDM Asia May/Jun 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

Raised Panels Tracing back to 17th century England, raised panel wainscoting is a formal style of wainscoting. It is often used in formal home environments such as living rooms, dining rooms, foyers, home offices and private dens, studies or libraries. Much of the time, raised panel wainscoting are a simple affair, with strips of vertical wood set in rows. More complex designs such as those with carved moulding can also be found however.

Recessed Panels Recessed (or flat) panels, on the other hand, date back to 19th century America. Used mostly in family-oriented, home environments such as living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens and family rooms, it is a less formal alternative to raised panels. In recessed wainscot paneling, the individual panels are set further in than the stiles and rails. It also features straight edges, in contrast to the beveled edges in raised panels.

Beadboard Wainscoting A popular paneling style in the 1920s, beadboard wainscoting is beadboard that is installed on a wall to wainscoting height. Beadboards are often installed so that the beaded lines run vertically. However, they are sometimes installed horizontally for a different effect. Commonly found in less formal gathering

DesignDecor

places, they are often painted in colours, adding to their informal nature. Traditionally, beadboard wainscoting is edged matched; each strip connects to the next via a tongue and groove arrangement. The strips will expand and contract in response

to changes in moisture in the environment, so sometimes a slight gap is visible between the strips. In the past, the strips were variable in width, typically from 2 - 3 inches wide, and less than 1 inch thick. An installation could have uniformly sized strips or strips with varying widths. ENQUIRY NO. 4501

Website: www.qiulinmc.com.cn

Specialized in Producing Hydraulic Presses

Main Products:

Wood-Based Plate Hot Press Secondary processing press series Collage hot press series Parquet Production Line Wooden door hot press Furniture pressing machine series Other special pressing machine

ENQUIRY NO. 141

• • • • • • •

s h a n G h a i q i u l i n m a c h i n e ry c o . , lt d SHANXI QIulIN Tel: +86-354-2411812 GuANGdoNG QIulIN Tel: +86-757-27737650 SHANGHAI QIulIN Tel: +86-21-69151280 Email: qiulinmc@qiulinmc.com.cn

Fax: +86-354-2411813 Fax: +86-757-27737670 Fax: +86-21-69151280

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA May/Jun 2010

Wood & Sustainability Hardwood Associations:

Taking

FDM Asia talks to National Hardwood Lumber Association certified association executive and executive director Mark Barford about the impact of hardwood associations. By Jerome Lim

The

Lead A

s rising temperatures have made sustainability and green technologies the buzzword of the latter half of the decade, consumers have had an increased awareness on the effect of man-made products on the environment. Wood products did not have it any easier, as environmentalists and promoters of sustainability called for alternatives to anything wood from tissue papers to hardwood floors. In this regard, tree harvesting has been generally associated with environmental destruction, as these precious soakers of heat-trapping carbon dioxide tumble under the chainsaw from forests and tree plantations around the world. Contrary to popular opinion, however, hardwood associations who are on the forefront of tree harvesting have taken the lead in ensuring that these carbon dioxide gobblers keep flourishing. FDM Asia talks to Mark Barford, certified association executive and executive director of the National Hardwood Lumber Association on how hardwood associations are managing sustainability.

Mark Barford

42 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

FDM: Could you summarise the steps that the NHLA and hardwood associations in general are making to ensure the sustainability of hardwoods, both in North America and Asia? MB: Hardwood Associations have advocated sound forestry practices and wise use of the forest for decades.Â The hardwood industry understands that proper forest management will result in healthier forest and forest growth rate will easily exceed the rate of tree removal. Without healthy, sustainable forests the industry which employees hundreds of thousands of people would cease to exist. The hardwood industry places value on forest land and encourages landowners to use their property wisely and keep it in a forested state.Â

John Nyberg, Denmark

Wood & Sustainability

Specific activities by NHLA include: sponsoring a detailed program for NHLA members to illustrate to the people within their community about the value of trees and a membership category for foresters and large landowners who work together to maintain the health of the forest. These groups also work with lawmakers to encourage laws that protect forests from fire and insects, along with tax incentives to encourage good forest management. FDM: What are the biggest challenges you face in promoting hardwood sustainability? MB: The biggest challenge is educating the public or end user. To produce hardwood lumber products, it is necessary to disturb the forest and cut trees but most people do not understand that when a hardwood tree is cut another tree grows in its place. Instead, they assume that hardwood trees are like coal or metals which are mined and depleted. We must be able to show the consumer that it is okay to harvest a hardwood tree just as it is okay to harvest wheat or corn. The US hardwood inventory now stands in excess of 10,000 million cubic metres and is growing at a rate of 40 million cubic metres per year after harvesting.

ENQUIRY NO. 154

FDM: What factors do you think have contributed to a shift in emphasis to hardwood sustainability? MB: The world is beginning to understand that increased population puts a strain on the Earth’s resources and due care should be taken to protect the Earth. As such, more people are demanding that products be made from materials that are sustainable. There is also a realisation that forest management practices vary from country to country, and consumers would prefer that wood used to create products come from areas where sustainable forestry practices are in place.

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Wood & Sustainability FDM: Which regions/countries ‘set the pace’ in terms of sustainability management of hardwoods? Which one(s) need more improvement in terms of this area? MB: Temperate hardwoods grown in North America are naturally sustainable with nearly twice as much volume added to the forest each year as is being removed. Many other temperate hardwood areas are being cut on a sustainable basis as required by the laws governing the countries in which they grow. In areas where the government is less involved, and the practice of forestry has not been as well taught to the industry, improvement is needed. FDM: Could you give us a few examples, if any, of an endangered hardwood specie(s)? What is being done to ensure sustainable supply (of the species)? MB: There are no endangered temperate hardwood species. Although there are literally thousands of species of trees growing in our forests, there are really only a few hundred that are harvested for use in products. None of these is being cut at a level to endanger their future existence.

FDM: There is a perception that using hardwood or wood alternatives in general are better for the environment and more sustainable since it translates to less trees being cut down. How do you respond to this? In this and similar contexts, how is the NHLA promoting hardwood sustainability to the general public? MB: The misconception lies in the idea that cutting down hardwood trees is bad. Since hardwood trees grow back, they are often the more sustainable solution than the use of alternatives, especially when compared to plastics and metal which are not renewable. NHLA has produced an informational brochure entitled ‘Why North American Hardwoods’ designed to point out the sustainable advantages of North American hardwoods. The brochure is disseminated by NHLA members and staff as they travel throughout the world attending various trade shows, meetings and conferences.

44 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

FDM: Would you have examples of situations where activities/policies/actions have resulted in actual change? MB: Since the importance of healthy forests came to the public’s attention approximately 40 years ago, a number of regulatory and informational programs have been developed and implemented. These programs have encouraged private landowners* to better manage their forests for the many uses a forest can have. As a result, many landowners now actively manage their forest and place them in trusts to ensure that the land will continue as a working forest, forever. (*There are approximately 10 million non-industrial private landowners in the United States. These landowners hold 58 percent or 291 million acres of the total 504 million acres of timberland.) FDM: What needs to be improved in ensuring hardwood sustainability? What further steps should be taken? MB: The next step is more extensive and far reaching education and promotion efforts. The North American hardwood industry is working together to determine how this can best be done and to be sure it is a worldwide effort. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 4601

ENQUIRY NO. 135

Features

MDF: The Next Generation Alternative Enjoying success in recent years, MDF’s growing demand is attributed to its versatility. By Shobhan Mittal, executive director, Greenply Industries

carcity of natural resources has made it necessary to optimise their use. Today more than 95 percent of harvested trees can be put to good use – thanks in great part to the increased deployment of engineered wood products. Among these, medium density fibreboard, or MDF, has enjoyed remarkable success in recent years. It first made its mark in United States in the mid-‘60s and became popular due to its versatility. It is now used worldwide and internationally traded. There are more than 100 plants producing MDF worldwide. Among its trend-setting by-products are wheat straw and post-consumer recycled wood.

46 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

What Is It? Medium density fibreboard (MDF) is a composite panel product consisting of cellulose fibres combined with a synthetic resin or other suitable bonding system, and joined together under heat and pressure. Additives may be introduced during manufacturing to impart additional characteristics. It is flat, smooth, and free of knots on the surface and the grain patterns are very minute. The density is homogenous and intricate machining leads to superior finished products. There is minimum wastage when compared to other substrates. Stability and durability are its important aspects and

can be maneuvered into complex patterns. It also has a very high tolerance level.

All Around The House MDF is widely used in the manufacturing of furniture, kitchen cabinets, door parts, mouldings, millwork and laminate flooring. MDF panels are manufactured with a variety of physical properties and dimensions suited to the design of the end product. Common end products include doors, jambs, millwork, edge shaping and machining, embossing, laminate flooring, laminating and finishing, moulding, office and residential furniture, panelling and store fixtures, among others.

Features

Experts paint an optimistic outlook on the growth of key end-use sectors for MDF – housing construction and furniture manufacturing. MDF markets have become more mature over the years, and are now more price-competitive; these factors are driving producers to improve quality and develop new products and markets. Production, which used to be the domain of North America and Europe, has now shifted significantly to Asia and China. The past few years have seen a wide range of changes in the MDF category. Japan has always been innovative in using MDF; other countries are also following suit, while the European countries lead the way in the development of laminate flooring.

Growing Potential

ENQUIRY NO. 140

Moving To Asia

applications such as flooring, zero-rated formaldehyde emission MDF, MDF panels in place of plywood panels, and applications requiring fire and water rated MDF. By 2013, North Asia will be producing 45 per cent of the world’s MDF, and China alone will be producing 41 per cent. The engineered panel industry in India has been growing at 20-25 per cent largely due shifting consumer preference which is witnessing increasing demand for ready-made furniture made on machines, using MDF and particle boards. Today, the demand for MDF in the subcontinent is roughly 1600-1800 cbm per day, which is growing at 25 percent per annum. The domestic installed capacity is only 1100-1200 cbm per day, which has not grown. This demand-supply gap is managed through imports. The interior infrastructure industry is making rapid strides with modernisation and capacity expansion world over. The amazing versatility and growing demand for MDF is expected to change the face of the industry. MDF is surely here to stay. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 4701

There is growing potential for MDF to be used more extensively in many www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Features

Growth!

Ready, Set,

Speaking to FDM, Ralf Griesche, director of marketing and public relations for Siempelkamp, shares the reasons behind the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success.

FDM: Could you give us a brief introduction to Siempelkamp? RG: We are based in Krefeld, Germany and are a leader in manufacturing of machineries and plants for the production of wood-based panels for the woodworking industry, such as particle boards, MDF and OSB boards, as well as boards made from rubber, mineral aggregates and plastics. In the

48 FDM Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

metal forming section, we design and produce presses for a wide range of applications in industry. Our group was established in 1883. In 2008, we celebrated our 125th anniversary. The three key businesses of Siempelkamp are mechanical and plant engineering, nuclear technology, and foundry technology. Among them, the mechanical and plant division contributes

Features 70 percent of the total turnover for our group, while the nuclear and foundry divisions take up 20 percent and 10 percent respectively. We have 22 subsidiaries and over 10 sales and service companies located in different countries worldwide.

FDM: What is your global marketing strategy? RG: Siempelkamp has established an extensive sales network worldwide, we have set up many subsidiaries and sales offices in North America, South America, Europe, East Europe, Russia, China, Southeast Asia, Australia and other countries and regions. In our headquarters, we have invested a lot in R&D to continuously enhance the quality and performance of our products in the past several years. Meanwhile, we have also made sustained improvements and updates to the modules of our equipments upon their specific application and condition in different markets. The market share held by Siempelkamp’s machineries in countries like North America, China and East Asia, etc is huge. Our business performance in 2009 was satisfiying, with all our national and international production facilities at full capacity. The Machinery and Plants division of Siempelkamp received new orders amounted to e200 million (US$272 million) in 2009, including four large ContiRoll press lines and four 4’ ContiRoll press lines which were specifically designed for China. At present, our capacities and delivery schedule are already fully booked into the year 2011.

FDM: How does Siempelkamp position itself in China? RG: China remains one of the most important markets for us, and we have showed continued growth over the years. As early as 1957, we delivered first press to China. Since 1988, more than 30 lines using ContiRoll technology have been sold in China. The introduction of 4’ ContiRoll is based on our knowledge of the Chinese market and its production environment. At present, the MDF markets face some major challenges such as a raw materials shortage and financing difficulties. The demand of Chinese fu rniture industry with high quality MDF boards is on the rise, our product can provide a solution to those enterprises by means of its high usage and low maintenance cost. With our machine, our Chinese customers can cater directly to the popular Asian board sizes of 4’ x 8’ and 4’ x 9’ without the need for expensive cut-to-size lines. Although the presses sold in China might be comparatively small, they pack just as much punch as their bigger counterparts, the 8’ and 12’ presses.

In 2004, Siempelkamp set up a production facility in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province with 200 employees and a sales office in Beijing. The Wuxi facility manufactures parts of the forming and press lines with ContiRoll for the Asian market. Here, our know-how and quality management combines Chinese manufacturing skill to fulfill the Chinese market requirements for innovative products. In 2010, with a further e1 million (US$1.36 million) to be invested for new precision machinery in Wuxi, Siempelkamp China is geared for ongoing growth.

FDM: What’s your take on the trend of the Chinese wood-based panel industry? RG: After years of unremitting efforts, China’s wood-based panel industry has progressed considerably and has established a strong foothold, while becoming the top MDF producer globally. Since the first double steel-belt continuous press manufactured in Germany in the 80’s, continuous press has become the mainstream hot press equipment for wood-based panel manufacturing industry. At present, almost 85 percent of large wood-based panel production lines are equipped with those press lines. However, in China, the main press used in wood-based panel production is still multi-layer hot press. Continuous press has many advantages: high yield, good quality, raw materials and energy optimisation, With the international competitiveness of China’s woodbased manufacturers continuously increasing and the demand for strengthening economic interest while expanding production scale and varieties surging up, the international market prospects and potential for continuous press will present a new scene.

FDM: What KIND OF IMPORTANCE DOES YOUR COMPANY PLACE ON R&D? RG: Our technical and technological expertise has been a crucial factor in the ongoing development of our company since 1883. This expertise was created out of a principle of innovation which is particularly reflected in our own research and development centre, one of the largest in the timber industry. Our R&D centre operates with the goal of achieving higher quality and capacity based on the optimisation of resource and energy saving areas. With mechanical technology becoming more complex day by day, we formed an interdisciplinary team of technologists, chemists, physicists and process engineers and researchers who engage in optimising new processes, products and

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Features of services including project management, engineering, construction of machinery, manufacture and assembly of plant on site, automation of plants, etc.

FDM: What are the special features of your Key product—ContiRolL?

Visitors check out Siempelkamp’s innovations at WMF 2010

equipment. The main activities of our R&D centre is divided into three areas: customer-specific investigations on existing plants, further development of existing machinery and development of new technologies, processes and machinery.

FDM: What is your corporate philosophy? RG: Our group advocates four corporate philosophies. One - Advanced technology: we are constantly improving the performance and potential of our existing products and win a leading edge in the development of new techniques and procedures. Two - Competent employees: we always provide regular training to our employees while motivating them by setting up objectives and fair conduct principles. Three - Sound business practice: this is based on the credibility of our attitude and actions both within the company and towards our customers. Four - Customer satisfaction: we offer innovative technology and comprehensive services at competitive prices which make our products offer maximum availability and cost-effectiveness.

FDM: What is Siempelkamp’s core competitive edge? RG: The machines and service from Siempelkamp are reliable, those 220 continuous lines that have been installed and are running worldwide are a clear testament. We are dedicated to providing customers with the most suitable solution; we can build particleboards, MDF, HDF and moulded door lines according to key parameters like the wood type and sheet size of the panel that you want to make. What we offer is an all-round service where everything comes from one source. In cooperation with our subsidiaries, we provide a series

RG: The unique selling feature of ContiRoll is the patented flexible press infeed section. It is suited for the production of particleboards, MDF/HDF, OSB as well as CSL which boasts many advantages like cost-effectiveness, precision, security, reliability, etc. We believe a flexible solution will be the focal point for the wood-based panel industry. In this way, our innovative 4’ ContiRoll plant concept for MDF can achieve the target for reducing investment and production cost. The line speed is 1,200 mm/s with a daily capacity of 350 – 610 m³. Meanwhile, the 4’ ContiRoll can produce a variety of products with different specifications, from thin MDF of 2.5 mm to LDF with density down to 500 kg/m3. In the long run, a reduction in the panel cutting and sanding loss will greatly increase the revenue of those wood-based panel manufacturers.

FDM: Tell us more about the ‘Ecoline’ concept that is applied in ContiRoll. RG: Our ContiRoll lines have gone through several cycles of development, and their design has gained market acceptance for a wide range of requirements. In 2009’s Ligna exhibition, we displayed the ‘Ecoline’, a range of products consisting of five modifications to continuous forming - and presselines that can help to save up to 20 percent in material costs. The package consists of the ‘Ecochanger’, which makes sequential product changeovers possible without production interruption, then material losses are reduced and lines can be smoothly adjusted from one product to the next. In connection with the thin board technology, the ‘Ecoscalper’ levels out differences formed in older lines during mat forming. The ‘Ecopilot’ increases the performance of existing plants by improving the thickness tolerances. The ‘Ecocalibrator’ provides an evenly distributed pressure so that the adhesive bonds are less stressed during pressing and the curing of the glue occurs homogeneously. This package contains another featured product: Prod-IQ is a modular software and a production management system tailored to the specific requirements of the wood-based panel industry. It is based on a wide range of modules which have been developed in close collaboration with users in the wood industry. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 4702

50 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

E G

R A T

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 2 times the coverage with our print magazine and online edition, eFDMAsia Over 25,000 industry professionals subscribing to our magazine (combined readership figures for print and online edition)

Optimising The Nesting Solution

Green Building Practices

Wood Species And Sustainability

Techie Furniture: CADCAM does it

Batch-size 1

IMA-Solutions for batch-size 1, new freedom – level with process optimisation. For an economic and smooth production, the IMA engineering department worked out tailor made solutions for the automised batch-size 1 production: optimised machine usage with minimised workpiece gaps.

MICA (P) NO. 209/11/2009 • PPS 1204/07/2010 (028224) • ISSN 0219-2284

MARCH 2010

Solutions

We show the future of

January / February 2010 VOL. 22 NO. 1

March 2010 VOL. 22 NO. 2

January / February 2010

Cover Price: US$10.00

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Photo credit: Eran Sandler, Tel Aviv, Israel & Brian Lary, Madison, US

Forest ManagementBeyond the Red Tape

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For more information, contact: Sim Eric Advertising Sales Manager Tel: (65) 6379 2866 | Fax: (65) 6379 2805 Email: simeric@epl.com.sg

A Malaysian AbodeMaking it Happen

Furniture Design And Manufacturing Asia Established Since 1986

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Exhibition Preview

International China Woodworking Machinery Exhibition

2010

Dalian World Expo Plaza & Dalian Star-Sea Convention & Exhibition Center June 10-13, 2010 • Dalian, China

espite last year’s global financial crisis, China Furniture and Woodworking Machinery Exhibition was a complete success. Four hundred and fifty-four exhibitors from 17 countries gathered at the fair, spanning from furniture manufacture, woodworking machinery and technology, components and raw material supply. Among international exhibitors, 106 of them made contact with 15,000 buyers—12,000 of them from China alone. Buyers from the second and third market increased by 22.6 percent compared to 2008.

Export-Oriented As one of the biggest international furniture trade fairs in northern China, this year’s China Furniture & Woodworking Machinery Exhibition sticks to the slogan “Export-oriented, combined with developing domestic market.” Key trends for this year’s exhibition include scale maximising, highspeed automation, energy conversation, sustainability, and branding. Furniture and components suppliers from 14 countries and 20 provinces are participating in the show to be held from June 10 – 13.

Japanese Market As the only trade fair in China targeted at the Japanese market, China International Woodworking Machinery Exhibition was 14 years in the making, offering platforms for Japanese furniture players to penetrate the Chinese market, while at the same

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time boosting Chinese enterprises with Japanese buyers. A Japanese Premier Furniture Pavilion will showcase more than 20 manufacturing enterprises from top Japanese furniture brands in a 2,000 sq m area. More Japanese furniture dealers are expected to visit the fair, creating more business opportunities for Chinese and Japanese industry players.

More In Store As with other overseas and domestic furniture trade fairs, the exhibition underwent massive promotional and advertising campaign in magazines, newspapers, the internet, and radio. Preparations included personal visits to key markets at home and overseas

such as Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, the USA, Guangzhou, Shanghai, to further promote show awareness. Tickets and flyers to be distributed take advantage of the organiser’s base of potential buyers, providing backup for exhibitors to develop the domestic market. Most exhibitors would agree with the observation that visitor quality and quantity have been rising every year. Indeed, this exhibition may now have come into its own as a brand show in northern China. It remains to be seen, but it is likely that, with the resurgence brought about by a rebounding global economy, this show has more things in store to wow exhibitors and visitors alike. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 4801

Exhibition Preview

Furnitech Asia 2010 I

n the previous year, the conglomeration of global economic expansion and soaring income in real estates showed a promising sign of ascending income in the furniture industry. As a result, the construction and building materials industry enjoyed a 108 percent growth rate, while the real estate industry had a 21 percent growth rate in 2009. As for this year, both industries are growing perpetually, attracting investors and entrepreneurs throughout the world to establishing more business in Thailand. Therefore, in healthy competition, it is important to find new industrial opportunities to stay inside the game, especially before a corporate titan could even set foot. In response to economic expansion, Reed Tradex and Thai Furniture Association (TFA) will organise Furnitech Asia 2010, a series of Furnitech Woodtech. This exhibition is scheduled for June 24 to 27 in BITEC, Bangkok.

Furniture Doctor Is In Furnitech Asia 2010 is housing a ‘Furniture Design & Production Clinic’ kiosk, which provides suggestions and solutions to furniture industrialists facing business challenges. In addition, Furnitech Asia 2010 is also holding ‘Furniture Technical Forum’ to share and discuss new possibilities to perfecting furniture manufacturing. The upcoming show emphasises its exhibition in furniture manufacturing machineries and technologies, as well as furniture fittings, parts, components, and materials for producing furniture, as to welcome constantly sprouting economic developments.

BITEC Bangkok • June 24-27, 2010 • Bangkok, Thailand

With the theme ‘Fulfilling Furniture Solution. Furthering Regional Success,’ Furnitech Asia 2010 aims to be a furniture manufacturer rendezvous where entrepreneurs can network and exchange new ideas, information, and discuss the possibility of significant furniture production. Moreover, the exhibition will also showcase new furniture-producing machineries and technologies as well as the aforementioned fittings, parts, and materials. Products and services comprise of 150 brands from 10 countries, with 15,000 visitors expected to come to an exhibition will provide new opportunities to key demands.

Opportunities For Furniture Manufacturers Being the only furniture equipment production and technology show in Thailand, visitors benefit from meeting new furniture manufacturing machineries and technologies as well as furniture parts, fittings, equipments, and materials; all from 150 leading brands, from 10 countries. Furthermore, aside from showcasing products and services, Furnitech Asia 2010 also holds conferences and activities such as the Furniture Technical Forum, and Furniture Design and Production Clinic. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 4802

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Event Review

March 22 – 23, 2010 • Radisson Hotel Pudong Century Park • Shanghai, China

World Flooring

Forum

nding on March 23, the World Flooring Forum (WFF) attracted more than 500 attendees from over 10 countries around the world. There were 54 speakers from the five continents who presented and shared their experience. The event also saw 100 global media. WFF was held at the crossroad of low carbon economy and post financial crisis. With the principle of promoting the coordination and cooperation among the nations, the conference was pushed further from ‘Sino-USEuropean Wood Flooring Summit’ to deepen the understanding and

54 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

cooperation among the governments, associations and companies in a high level communication platform across the nations and regions. Compared to its precedents, the WFF expands horizontally by having more representatives from the developing countries and emerging markets and extends vertically to cover the whole industry chain. Themed ‘Low Carbon and Global Opportunities’, the conference discussed the key issues of wood flooring industry in trade, standards, technology, product, marketing, and so on.

Government Support WFF was organised by China National Forest Products Industry Association (CNFPIA)，Chinese Academy of Forestry, and hosted by Flooring Board Special Committee of CNFPIA, Research Institute of Wood Industry and VNU Exhibitions Asia. WFF also gets official support from State Forestry Administration and Shanghai Municipal Government. The industry development and especially the low carbon industry need the support from government. The positive attitude and strong support from the Chinese government at this conference shows a solid foundation for all the

Event Review

flooring professionals to explore the massive opportunities in this country. Through this platform, the government was also able to interact with the industry people in order to make better policies.

Global Views One of the highlights of the conference was the global market overview presented by six keynote speakers from Europe, US, Brazil, South Africa, India and China. On behalf of the most influential wood flooring associations in those regions, they shared their in-depth perspectives of the current status and prospects of the wood flooring markets respectively. According to the analysis of Mark Elwell, the board of directors of NWFA, optimism has emerged because of the 30 percent increase in property sales in the second season of 2009. He estimates that we can see a long term steady growth for the US wood flooring market. Marco Antonio Beirao, board of

directors from ANPM saw great potential in Brazilian hardwood flooring market, and therefore encouraged the Chinese manufacturers to pay more attention to Brazil. Regarding the Chinese flooring industry, Ye Kelin, the director of Research Institute of Wood Industry, China Academy of Forestry, shared his opinion that Chinese flooring industry has to change from cost oriented to value added technology oriented growth. After that, Juergen Fruechtenicht, the president of EFPI looked into the future of the European wood flooring market, and stated that the products with more complex look in texture and colorful wood panels will be the trend in Europe.

The speaker from another BRIC country India, Deepak Dahlowt, the honorary convener of CCPS, was very optimistic about the Indian wood flooring market with the strong growth in real estate market. Steven Suntup, the vice chairman of SAWLFA analysed the market potential in South Africa and stated that the main wood flooring consumers are the relatively wealthly people who make up 6 million out of 48 million. Due to the high cost performance of Chinese wood floors, they are very popular in South Africa. The conference heated up in the afternoon as the six consecutive panel discussions kicked off. More than 40 top leaders from the biggest Chinese manufacturers and global distributors got together to discuss the market trend, technology innovation, material applications, distribution, branding and so on. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 4803

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; MAY/JUN 2010

Exhibition Review

MIFF

2010

March 2 – 6, 2010 • PWTC/KLCC/MECC • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

laying host to 20,179 visitors, including 6,823 international buyers, the Malaysian International Furniture Fair 2010 (MIFF 2010) ran from March 2 – 6 at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and the Matrade Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC). International visitors from 140 countries and region consisted of those from the ASEAN region (19.7 percent), Europe (16.3 percent), the Far East (11.5 percent), other Asian countries (11.3 percent), the Middle East (12.6 percent), followed by Africa (10.6 percent), America (8.3 percent) and Australasia (9.7 percent).

Exciting Exhibits ‘Green’ was certainly a buzzword among the 571 exhibitors at MIFF 2010 and ID Trends, as visitors were the first few to witness some exciting new trends and materials showcased at the fair. Among the ground breaking designs and materials shown were the Firefly Folding Table from TAZ Open Systems, which is made out of a revolutionary new MDF material that is recyclable and have the potential to change the industry. The table won the Gold Award in the MIFF Furniture Excellence Award. Elsewhere, Kitapanel Wood Product’s Binary Stool used waste MDF-board materials from their kitchen cabinets, winning the Occasional Category in the Furniture Excellence Award. Other ‘green’ materials seen at MIFF 2010

56 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

included parallel oil palm strands (POPS), which was developed by Blue Mountain Resources in collaboration with the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM). Meanwhile, the new segment titled ID Trends in conjunction with MIFF 2010 at MECC brought unexpected surprises for both its exhibitors and buyers. Many ID Trends exhibitors managed to secure export deals for the first time as international buyers saw some new and interesting products, and proceeded to place orders at the fair.

Competitions & Seminars Among the highlights at MIFF 2010 were the three competitions held in conjunction with the exhibition – Furniture Excellence Award, Best Presentation Award and The Ideation Award. A panel of local and international judges was elected to sift through numerous entries and emerge with deserving winners who showed innovativeness and creativity in product designs and booth displays. In addition, seminar speakers Dr Tan Yu Eng, Jennifer Curtis and Dr Jegatheswaran Ratnasingam gave useful insights to industry players on what is ‘green’ furniture, and how maximising this trend can be beneficial to all furniture manufacturers. MIFF 2011 will take place from March 1- 5, 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 4804

Exhibition Review March 10 – 13, 2010 • China International Exhibition Center (CIEC) • Beijing, China

WMF2010&

FAM

he 13th International Exhibition on Woodworking Machinery and Furniture Manufacturing Equipment (WMF2010) and The 13th International Exhibition on Furniture Accessories, Materials and Wood Products (FAM2010) closed on March 13, 2010. This four-day event attracted trade visitors from 73 countries and regions, reaching a visitor attendance of 26,018. Through the display of cost-effective woodworking machinery, equipment and materials, the shows have been drawing the attention of global trade visitors in every edition and this year was no exception. Many Chinese associations had confirmed their visit almost half year before the show opened. The response of overseas buyers was encouraging too. Buyer groups from Algeria, Bosnia, Japan, South Korea, India,

Indonesia, Iran, Lithuania, Romania, Russia and Turkey had come and supported the fair.

Concurrent Activities Series of concurrent events were held during the show. Over 200 exhibitors had joined the ‘Booth Special Design Competition’ and visitors voted for ‘The Most Creative Booth Design Award’, ‘The Most Contemporary Booth Design Award’ and ‘The Best Display Award’. In addition, technical seminars including ‘The Application of Electrical / Thermal Energy Plant in OSB / MDF / PB Industry’, ‘FCS (Full Control System) for Wood Based Panel Sanding Machine’ and ‘PIM All-Carbide Wood-working Drill and Application’, provided valuable opportunities to all industrial players for learning up-to-date technical skills and

2010

attaining the latest market information.

International Event The exhibiting area of WMF2010 andM2010 reached 60,000 sq m, occupying all halls in CIEC. The shows received enormous support by 583 renowned exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, together with seven pavilions including Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI), Taiwan Woodworking Machinery Association (TWMA), Qingdao, Shanghai and Lunjiao Woodworking Machinery, showcasing the latest machinery and technology to the industry, demonstrating 2,000 latest machines and equipment, related technologies and products at the fairground. The next edition will be staged in Beijing in March 2012. FDM ENQUIRY NO. 4805

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA May/jun 2010

Wintersteiger: Thin-Cutting Frame Saw

SCM: Boring & Routing Centre

The DSG Notum thin-cutting frame saw from Wintersteiger employs an electronically controlled servo feed for the machine's feed rollers, allowing measured amounts of material to be removed per each saw tooth. The symmetrically constructed saw frame allows continuously even tension on the saw blades to improve cutting accuracy and sawblade lifespan. Cutting height is standardised to 266 mm (101⁄2 inches), giving the basic machine capability to cut lamellae for the production of extra wide multilayer parquet, door elements and panels. The machine features a touchscreen display as well as a central operation cockpit that removes the need for a mechanical set-up work.

A Computer Numerical Control (CNC) boring and routing centre for nesting operations, the Pratix N12 has a four by eight feet table and CNC controller with a high density, multilayer phenolic worktable. For maximum integration, the Pratix has an electrical cabinet and vacuum pump incorporated into the machine base, and a control panel with Xilog software. The N12 is available with a rake system, increasing production of cabinet parts, MDF doors and store fixtures. Other product features include vacuum areas with a patented mag-netic system, a digital inverter-controlled routing speed, and a safety system with protective cage and photocells for loading and unloading.

Enquiry No: 4911

Enquiry No: 4912

Renolit: Window Film Laminate The Exterior film laminates from Renolit showcase 15 colour combinations from metallic to wood grain effects. With nearly all colours fitting well against a white facade, the Exterior features wood effects that, instead of using actual photographs of wood, come with its own original wood effects. Effect examples include the Portuna Chocolate effect that mixes black, redviolets, and silvers to mimic streaky coniferous wood; and the Wisconsin XD, an American walnut design that combines dark and light browns with silver pigments and grey undertones to accentuate the detail of wood.

Enquiry No: 4913

CDM Décor Papers: Watertight Decorative Overlay AquaSeal from CDM Décor Papers is the decorative overlay that has the flexibility to support flat lamination, profile wrapping, membrane pressing, slatwall grooving, V-grooving and post-forming. It offers the industry a durable, practical and cost efficient option for the majority of commercial and residential applications. The product is manufactured using an eco-friendly, formaldehyde-free process that limits the emission of greenhouse gases, saving about 20,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. In addition, it is recyclable, adding to reusable fibre resources and can be safely burned for energy production, making it an environmentally sound choice.

Enquiry No: 4914 www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Product highlights

Altendorf: Sawing Machine

Hettich: Board Fastener

Altendorf’s WA 80X sawing machine boasts a motorised rise/ fall and tilt adjustment of the main saw blade, an eye-level operating panel, as well as a sliding table length of 2000, 3000 or 3200 mm or others upon request. Its motorised rip fence features a low-maintenance, fivepoint recirculating ballspindle system that is well protected by its integration into the aluminium profile. The saw unit is electronically balanced as a fully assembled unit, with extensive use made of cast components. A crosscutmitre fence does both crosscuts and mitre cuts, while a Rapido scoring tool is capable of adjusting cutting width to match that of the main blade in no more than three minutes.

With its ‘hettinject’ connecting technology, Hettich’s lightweight board fastener ‘hettinject VB insert’ completely disappears in the lightweight board when attached, and can be used for very thin top and bottom panel layers. Fittings are set and glued into the rear end face of the shelf, and as part of the improvement process are now available with a 3 or 5 mm hole for fastening fittings. The product received the 2009 iF Product Design award and an ‘Honorable Mention’ from the 2009 Red Dot Design Award. Meanwhile, the shelf support “hettinject Titan” makes it possible to construct shelves from frameless lightweight boards.

Enquiry No: 4901

Enquiry No: 4902

Weinig: Planing & Moulder Machine

Witte: Milling Machine

The planing and moulder machine Powermat 2500 from Weinig boasts feedspeeds of up to 200 m per minute and a touchscreen with additional flexibile control units inside the cabin. Feed rollers convert aggregates safely and precisely into feed performance, while a feed unit is slidable and adjustable to accommodate new widths. Tool changes can be done via a lifting system that automatically places the tool in the right position. The product’s fully encased interior allows changeover work via a walk-in cab. Equipped with a flip pod vacuum system for fixation, Witte’s V22 Flip Pod milling machine is suitable for applications on large machines as well as for machining processes on wood and plastic work pieces. With its seals designed and developed to clamp natural fibre materials and rough or uneven surfaces, the outer workpiece contours remain free, allowing chamfers, radii, and undercuts on the outside to be milled. The machine’s six flip pod chucks have a regular grid of pockets into which the pods are inserted, while plates, operated separately, allow for the milling of different sized work pieces.

Enquiry No: 4903

58 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

Enquiry No: 4904

Vectric: Modelling Software

KCD: Cabinet/Closet Software

The VCarve Pro 5.5 from Vectric picks up where version 5 left off with its enhanced interactive trimming and support for wrapping and saving toolpaths for rotary axis machining. With a scissor trimming tool to trim vectors to intersection points and automatically re-join them where possible, the product also allows zoom pan in 2D view that is useful even for users without a middle buttom roller mouse. Other product features include enhanced 3D view settings, OpenType fonts support, rapid plunge gap, as well as improvements to postprocessor.

KCD’s version 9 software has a 3D Express View for quick 3D views with the mouse, as well as a change colour group that allows colour changing by room. Beading is now possible on frame cabinets with the beaded face frames, while screen views can be saved in either Windows Bitmap (bmp) or Jpeg (jpeg). DXF mesh files can be imported to one’s library, along with import drawing information that can be drawn from E Templates in KCD. The product includes a list of cabinets with hinging information, a library of Osborne wood products, print preview that is available on cutlists and drawings, and new textures such as new wood grains and granites.

Enquiry No: 4905

Compact as never before

Enquiry No: 4906

Innovation Changing

Precision, which leaves everything behind Quality, which is more than convincing

ENQUIRY NO. 146

Advantage - the next Generation - Now

Further information on www.ima.de CPB Import-Export Woodworking Machinery CC PO Box 6089 Roggebaai l 8012 ZA-Cape Town Phone +27 21 426 141 5 2010_Anzeige_Advantage_CPB_EN.in1 1

20.04.2010 11:38:43

www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2010

Product highlights

Felder: Sliding Table Panel Saw

Makita: Orbit Sander

Featuring an outrigger table, a telescopic crosscut fence, and a 1,100 mm crosscut fence for crosscuts between +45 degrees and –45 degrees, Felder's K975 professional sliding table panel saw features a ‘precision mitre index system’ that enables users to select preset positioning stops at increments of five degrees as well as 22.5 degrees. Its Felder 900 cast iron saw unit boasts cutting height of 133 mm with a 400 mm saw blade, dimensioned saw arbor with double bearing sits, and electronic angle adjustment with digital LED display. Other product features include a grooving cutter, scoring unit, circular saw shaft, as well as an automated control panel for adjusting sawblade height and angle.

The 5-inch, BO5041K random orbit sander model from Makita has a variable speed control dial (4,000 to 12,000 OPM) to match sanding speed to the material. An ergonomic rubberised palm grip and handle improves operator comfort and control, while adjustable front handles allow for sanding in corners and confined areas. With its 1/8-inch random orbit action, the product features a pad control system for controlled pad speed upon startup as well as a pad brake designed for reduced gouging. The sander, which has a dust collection system with built-in vacuum port adapter for dust collection, uses quick-change 5-inch (8-hole) look-and-loop abrasive paper.

Enquiry No: 4907

Enquiry No: 4908

Grass: Sub-Surface Guides System Grass' Dynapro subsurface guide system allows guide rails to move without annoying noise or resistance. The system's abrasion-resistant plastic rollers are able to handle loads of up to 60 kg with little problem while running. With a soft-close cushioning system that enables gentle closing, the product, being the world’s first sub-surface guide system with integrated, three-dimensional adjustment, allows an entire drawer to be tilted and adjusted vertically and horizontally. Its mechanical opening system makes it possible to install large, handle-free front panels that open by a light tap, while an electro mechanical opening system allows doors to open automatically.

Enquiry No: 4909

60 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

Kerfkore: Lightweight Panel

Foamkore-Green from Kerfkore is an environmentally NAF (no added formaldehyde) product that provides a lightweight panel with structural integrity at a reduced weight. It consists of a Eucalyptus fibre hardboard face with a polystyrene foam core. The product is made from recovered and recycled materials and can help qualify for LEED credit points for MR 4.1, MR 4.2, and EQ 4.4. Foamkore-Green provides over 60 percent weight reduction when compared to particleboard and MDF in ¾ inch thickness, and provides the ability to apply a variety of edging options including conventional hot melt edge-banding, internal material strips and external material bands. Enquiry No: 4910

Calendar of Events 2010 *All details subject to change without notice. Please check with organisers for updates.

MAY 12-15 – Interzum Moscow Crocus-Expo IEC Moscow, Russia Koelnmesse GmbH Tel: +49 221 821 ext 820 Fax: +49 221 821 2574 Email: info@koelnmesse.de Website: www.interzum-moscow.com

18-21 – Hanoiwood & Furnitec 2010: Vietnam International Wood & Wood Machinery Show Giang Vo Exhibition and Fairground Hanoi, Vietnam Tel: +886 2 2659 6000 ext 322 Fax: +886 2 2659 7000 E-mail: steven@chanchao.com Website: www.vietnamwoodexpo.com/hanoi

21-23 – Timber and Working With Wood RNA Showgrounds Brisbane, Australia Everything Exhibtions and Events Tel: +61 2 9974 1393 Fax: +61 2 9974 3426 Email: info@eee.net.au Website: www.eee.net.au

26-29 – Woodprocessing Ukraine 2010 Palace of Sport “Spartak” Lviv, Ukraine Gal-Expo Tel: +380 32 297 06 28 Fax: +380 32 297 06 27 E-Mail: exhib@galexpo.lviv.ua Website: www.galexpo.lviv.ua

JUNE 2-4 – Furniture Shanghai Shanghai New International Expo Centre Shanghai, China Shanghai Buying Exhibition Tel: +86 21 50552222 Fax: +86 21 50321966 Email: shby888@hotmail.com Website: www.furnitureshanghai.com

2-4 – IFFT Summer Edition 2010: Interior Lifestyle Living International Furniture Fair Tokyo Tokyo Big Sight Tokyo, Japan Mesago Messe Frankfurt Corporation Tel: +81 3 3262 8453 Fax. +81 3 3262 8442 Email: info@interior-lifestyle.com Website: www.interior-lifestyle.com

AUGUST 19-Sept 4 – Homes Middle East Furniture and Furnishings Show 2010 Expo Center Sharjah Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Expo Center Sharjah Tel: +971 6 5770000 Fax: +971 6 5770111 Email: info@expo-centre.ae Website: www.homesmiddleeast.com

10-13 – China Furniture and Woodworks Dalian Star-Sea Convention and Exhibition Centre (DSCEC) China National Furniture Association (CNFA) and Dalian Northern International Exhibition Company Tel: +86 411 82538681 Fax: +86 411 82538616 Email: market@sinoexhibition.com Website: www.sinoexhibition.com

24-27 – Furnitech Woodtech 2010 - International Furniture Production & Woodworking Machinery, Equipment and Technology Trade Exhibition BITEC Bangkok, ThailandReed Tradex Company Tel: +66 2686 7299 ext 7239 Fax: +66 2686 7288 E-mail: furnitech@reedtradex.co.th Website: www.furnitechwoodtech.com

JULY

24-27 – Wood Products and Technology Tra & Teknik 2010 Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre Gothenburg, Sweden Elmia Fairs / Svenska Mässan Tel: +46 31 708 80 00 Email: tra@svenskamassan.se Website: nemonet.swefair.se/templates/ StartPageMain____1059.aspx or www.snipurl. com/vioy9

25-28 – IWF 2010: International Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Supply FairGeorgia World Congress Centre Atlanta, Georgia, US Tel: +1 404 693 8333 Fax: +1 404 693 8350 Email: iwf@iwfatlanta.com Website: www.iwfatlanta.com Fax: + 852 2516 5024 Email: publicity@adsale.com.hk Website: www.woodworkfair.com/WMF10

15-18 – Furnitex 2010 Melbourne Exhibition Centre Melbourne, Australia AEC (Australian Exhibitions and Conferences Pty Ltd) Tel +61 3 9654 7773 Fax +61 3 9654 5596 Email: furnitex@aec.net.au Website: www.furnitex.com.au

22-24 – Woodmach Cebu Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino Cebu, Philippines Global-Link MP Events International Inc Tel: +63 27508588 Fax: +63 27508585 Email: jing@globallinkph.com Website: www.globallinkmp.com

SEPTEMBER 1-5 – The 24th International Famous Furniture Fair 2010 Guangdong Modern International Exhibition Center Guangdong, China Tel:+86 769 85900111 Fax: +86 769 85585780 Email: fbf@3f.net.cn Website: www.3f.net.cn/e/index.asp

Calendar of Events 2010 3-6 – China International Home Furniture Fair 2010

13-16 – 2010 NHLA Annual Convention & Exhibit Showcase

China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex Guangzhou, China China Foreign Trade Guangzhou Exhibition Corp & China Foreign Trade Centre Tel: +86 20 26088888 Email: marketing@fairwindow.com.cn Website: www.cftc.org.cn/cn

The Fairmont Hotel/Hyatt Regency Vancouver, Canada National Hardwood Lumber Association Tel: +1 901 399 7551 Email: l.covington@nhla.com Website: www.nhlaconvention.com

7-10 – Furniture China 2010 Shanghai New International Expo Centre Shanghai, China Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo International Exhibition Co. Ltd. Tel: +86 21 6437 1178 Fax: +86 21 6437 0982 Email: furniture@ubmsinoexpo.com Website: www.furniture-china.cn

8-11 – Woodpro Africa 2010 Johannesburg, South Africa Specialised Exhibitions / Allworld Exhibitions Tel: +27 11 835 1565 Fax: +27 11 496 1161 E-mail: roz@specialised.com Website: www.woodpro.co.za

OCTOBER

15-18 – Maison Bois 2010 Angers Parc Expo Saint Sylvain d'Anjou, France Atlanbois Tel: +33 2 40 73 73 30 Fax: +33 2 40 73 03 01 Email: www.salon-maison-bois.com

19-20 – MTC Global Woodmart 2010 Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Malaysian Timber Council Tel: +603 7803 2276 Fax: +603 7803 3276 Email: Fairsconnection@gmail.com Website: www.globalwoodmart.my

NOVEMBER 16-19 – Wooden Construction Krasnoyarsk 2010 Siberia International Exhibition Business Centre Krasnoyarsk City, Russia Restec Exhibition / Krasnoyarsk Fair Exhibition Tel.: +7 812 320 6363 Fax: +7 812 320 8090 Email: main@restec.ru Website: www.restec.ru

DECEMBER 4-12 – Bangkok Furniture Festival Impact Exhibition and Convention Centre Nonthaburi, Thailand Tel: +66 2314 0855 Fax: +66 2319 8337 Email: service@unionpan.com Website: www.unionpan.com

24-27 – Homex and Household Expo 2010 Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre Hong Kong, China Hong Kong-Asia Exhibition (Holdings) Ltd Tel: +852 2591 9823 Fax: +852 2573 3311 Email: hkexhi@hka.com.hk Website: www.hka.com.hk

3-6 – W10 Industrial Woodworking Exhibition National Exhibition Centre Birmingham, UK Huddlestone Ltd Tel: +44 01629 530 998 Fax: +44 01629 530 999 Email: info@w10exhibition.com Website: www.w10exhibition.co.uk

8-11 – Index Furniture 2010 Bandra-Kurla Complex (MMRDA Grounds) Mumbai, India Universal Expositions Ltd Tel: +91 22 28302870 Fax: +91 22 8216140 Email: marketing@ueindia.com Website: www.indexfairs.com

Kindly indicate the events you are interested in and fax the sheet/s along with your details in the Product Enquiry Page on page 72a to (65) 6379 2806 or enquire online at www.fdmasia.com

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 #04-02. Singapore 169206. Tel: (65) 6379 2888 | Fax: (65) 6379 2805 | Email: fdmasia@epl.com.sg

Advertising Index Advertisers / Agency

PG No.

150

AMERICAN HARDWOOD EXPORT COUNCIL

IFC

145

AMERICAN LUMBER CO

705

BAILLIE LUMBER CO

132

BECKER ACROMA THAILAND LTD

152

DIAMOND WOOD NANJING MANUFACTURING CO LTD

155

E-CHAIN MACHINERY CO LTD

083

FRENCH TIMBER

156

FRIEDRICH KLUMPP GMBH

IBC

140

FULPOW INDUSTRIAL CORP

147

HEINRICH KUPER GMBH & CO KG

149

HOMAG ASIA PTE LTD

151

HUNTSMAN (BELGIUM) BVBA

OBC

146

IMA Ag Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

143

IWF 2010

130

JAVA INCORPORATED BHD

129

JEFFER MACHINERY CO LTD

135

SHANGHAI UBM SINOEXPO INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION CO LTD (FMC 2010)

141

SHANGHAI QIULIN MACHINERY CO LTD

144

SIEMPELKAMP MASCHINEN- UND ANLAGENBAU GMBH & CO KG

108

TAIHAO WOODWORKING MACHINERY CO LTD

110

Technik Associates Inc

153

TONG FONG CUTTERS CO LTD

154

WEN CHIH MACHINERY CO LTD

148

WEYERHAEUSER MARKETING

125

Wilhelm Altendorf GMBH & Co KG Maschinenbau

016

Wuxi Kemar Stainless Steel Treatment Plate Co ltd

ENQ. No

Legend:

1 31 7

Advertisers with eBrochures

Head Office

Representative office

Sim Eric Tel: (65) 6379 2888 Fax: (65) 6379 2806 Email: simeric@epl.com.sg

Ding Yong Mei Tel: 86 21 6276 8394 Fax: 86 21 6276 4170 Email: neweastern_sh@hotmail.com

SINGAPORE Eastern Trade Media Pte Ltd 1100 Lower Delta Road EPL Building #04-02 Singapore 169206

SHANGHAI, CHINA SHANGHAI NEW Eastern Media Co. LTD 15D Block B, Victoria Plaza, No.1068, Xikang Rd, Shanghai, P.R, China 200060

Regional Sales Representatives

ENQUIRY NO. 153

Taiwan

Robert Yu Tel: 886-4-2325 1784 Fax: 886-4-2325 2967

Japan

Ted Asoshina Tel: 81-3-3263 5065 Fax: 81-3-3234 2064

Korea

Young-Seoh Chinn Tel: 822-481 3411/3 Fax: 822-481 3414

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

www.fdmasia.com 64 FDM Asia MAY/JUN 2010 | www.fdmasia.com

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Direct Printing Technology from Klumpp Coatings ...has opened up revolutionary new possibilities in surface design for laminate floor manufacturers.

We add value to your surface The advantages of DPL in short overview • Very short processing time Compared to laminate manufacturing, HDF-floors only need 3-4 min production time at a belt speed of 100 m/min and more.

• Reduced storage time Lasting cooling down phases are not required for printed HDF-Floors. It is possible to format the boards directly after leaving the lacquering line. This safes storage time and space.

• High flexibility in colour tone and decorative pattern With the printing method, down time for colour and pattern changes are extremely low, as it is only necessary to change the printing sealer and / or the printing rollers and colours. The colourless layer remains the same with all decorative and colour tone varieties.

Besides, Klumpp Coatings is manufacturing surface solutions and products for a wide range of fields from standard to specialities: Digital Printed Laminate

ENQUIRY NO. 156

Direct Printed Laminate

Parquet

PVC

Furniture

www.klumpp-coatings.com

No Added Formaldehyde â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Right Choice

I-Bond resins, the family of no added formaldehyde MDI resins from Huntsman, are the natural choice when trying to satisfy emissions standards like CARB I and II, or the Japanese F****.

To find out more about the many benefits of the I-Bond range of no added formaldehyde resins, please contact us: Huntsman, No. 452 Wen Jing Road, Minhang Development Zone, Shanghai 200245. Email: ibondwood@huntsman.com. Telephone: +86 21 6462 6868

www.ibondwood.com

I-BONDÂŽ is a registered trademark of Huntsman Corporation or an affiliate thereof in one or more, but not all, countries.

ENQUIRY NO. 092

With over 25 years experience of supplying resins to the wood panel industry, Huntsman have developed a range of products designed for the manufacture of Medium Density Fibreboard and Particleboard. I-Bond, no added formaldehyde resins provide a cost effective solution today, whilst meeting the environmental challenges of tomorrow.