AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND The trade show for the cabinet, joinery, furniture, timber and panel industries
www.awisa.com
T I M B E R
P R O C E S S I N G ,
Vol.22 No.2
P R O D U C T S
A N D
www.timberbiz.com.au
S U P P L I E R S
April 2014
• Frame connection • Innovative treatment • Sawhorse specialty • Awards review
Monday May 19 Park Hyatt Melbourne Register now at frameaustralia.com
TIMBERMAN, April 2014 – 2
Longevity is one of many features of these machines S
TRONG CURRENCIES in Australia and New Zealand have given exporters some problems but, conversely, anyone buying equipment from abroad has done very well. Pallet Co., based in Adelaide, has just installed its second Stenner ST100R Resaw. This follows their initial purchase last year. Scott Dixon of importer Southern Cross Engineering commented: “We have been able to offer a premium brand like Stenner at very competitive prices due to the relative strength of both the NZ and Aussie dollar but there has also been an added benefit as the British pound has been relatively weak on the international markets.”
Southern Cross Engineering is also enjoying success in merging its own equipment with the well proven range of Stenner MHS9 Horizontal Resaws. Penrose Pine in New South Wales recently added an SCE manufactured stacker behind its existing six-head Stenner MHS9 increasing feed speeds and reducing labour input. Peter Cush of Penrose Pine said: “We put the Stenner in at the end of 2004. It has been extremely reliable during this time and the quality of cut is excellent. The addition of the stacker has allowed us to realise the potential of the Stenner line.”
n Stenner Horizontal Resaw.
n Stenner ST100R Resaw.
Stenner Ad:Layout 1
13/10/10
16:08
Page 1
Longevity has always been a trademark of Stenner equipment and this feature was noted at one New Zealand business which had been running Stenners for many years.
Scott Dixon of Southern Cross Engineering is the Stenner Product Manager and would be delighted to discuss any resawing requirements customers may have.
MHS HORIZONTAL RESAWS
PROVEN TECHNOLOGY FOR LOW KERF, HIGH SPEED, MULTIPLE HEAD RESAWING
FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT Stenner Ltd Blundells Road, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 4JX, UK Phone: +44 (0) 1884 255700, Facsimile: +44 (0) 1884 257794 Email: sales@stenner.co.uk
3 - April 2014, TIMBERMAN
Forest and wood products important part of Victoria’s manufacturing future T
HE VICTORIAN Association of Forest Industries has put a six point plan up for consideration during the Commonwealth Government’s Economic Review of South Australia and Victoria. The review was initiated following the announced closure of the Ford and Holden plants in both States. VAFI chief executive officer Tim Johnston said the Victorian forest and wood products industry was a dynamic sector of the economy, growing and processing wood and fibre to manufacture products to meet the need for new homes, buildings, furniture, paper and fuel for green energy. “We directly employ 22,000 workers and indirectly support another 40,000 to 50,000 jobs through flow on economic activity,” he said. “Around 90% of the workers in the industry are in manufacturing roles, such as furniture makers, frame and truss fabricators, and appearance product producers.
“With nearly 20,000 people working in these manufacturing roles alone, there are almost as many of them as there are people employed in all motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts manufacturing in Victoria. “Through the employment and economic activity it generates, the industry helps create sustainable futures for suburban, rural and regional communities across Victoria.” Johnston said Australia had a long and proud history of manufacturing, and that the Victorian forest and wood products industry was an important part of this. “The Commonwealth Government has clearly stated it sees Australia as having a strong manufacturing future,” he said. “Our industry will be a part of this future. “We can do this by continuing to provide the products needed to help build the more than 1.5 million new dwellings that will be needed to house Victoria’s growing
population over the next 50 years. We can also be a part of Victoria’s manufacturing future by helping mitigate our carbon emissions. “The forest and wood products industry can do this by manufacturing a wide range of products from wood; a material that is made from and stores carbon for its lifetime. We can do this by innovating and unlocking a range of values from our forest and wood products that have not yet been harnessed, such as state-of-the-art plastics and carbon fibres from the nano-crystalline cellulose derived from wood fibres, smart packaging made from paper that is able to tell if a temperature has been exceeded, and renewable energy from wood waste,” Johnston said. “However, to take advantage of these opportunities will require further investment in research and development. “The Australian, Victorian and South Australian Governments can play a role in ensuring these opportunities are not missed,” he said.
VAFI’s six point plan: 1. In order to deliver critical mass and match Australia’s overseas competitors in research and development investments, the Australian Forest Products Association has estimated at least $50 million of new investment over three years is necessary. Of this, approximately $10 million from existing public programs could be re-directed and with the right governance and priority setting structures, industry could provide some additional funding. VAFI recommends the Commonwealth Government provide this requested assistance and seed funding to help develop the proposed National Institute for Forest Products Innovation. 2. That the Commonwealth Government provide $1 million in additional new funding for a forest and wood products innovation and investment fund to resource collaborative work between industry, Government and academia
Timberman - moving with the times It will remain a high quality, bright and full colour A3 format with the change of name to Australasian Timber - to encompass both Australian and New Zealand industries. Readers will continue to receive essential industry information, including up-to-date news, product design and processes; latest industry developments and trends; plus regular stories on innovative operators.
n V AFI chief executive officer Tim Johnston.
5. That the Commonwealth Government provides $100,000 in funding for a proof-of-concept study to be conducted for the feasibility of manufacturing engineered timber components for the construction industry in Geelong. Industry could, and should, provide any extra financing needed for this work to be done. 6. That the Commonwealth Government provides $500,000 in funding for materials research and development to provide industry with the detailed technical information needed to establish engineered wood products manufacturing capability in Geelong using locally grown and processed timbers. Industry could, and should, provide the extra financing needed for this work to be done.
MAY 2014 The trade show for the cabinet, joinery, furniture, timber and panel industries
www.awisa.com
• Frame connection • Innovative treatment • Sawhorse specialty • Awards review
For over 30 years Australian Timberman, with strong timber industry ties, has been proudly serving the processing, products, suppliers and design sectors of the industry. Now for even greater effectiveness as the industry’s leading print and online publication, Timberman is “moving with the times” and will undergo a name change from next issue.
for technical advice and market research, with a focus on projects that can be made commercially viable in the short term, and will help create new business and employment opportunities in communities hit hardest by the announced closures of Holden and Ford. 3. That the Commonwealth Government develops procurement guidelines for forest and wood products. These guidelines should take into account the economic benefits to Australia, and global environmental benefits, of procuring products grown and made locally. 4. That the Commonwealth Government allocates $5 million over 201415 in funding for coinvestments with State and Local Government for upgrades to local roads frequently used by the forest and wood products industry through a competitive program designed to support those investments with the greatest potential for economic returns.
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• Awards review • Sawhorse specialty • Innovative treatment • Frame connection
australasian www.awisa.com panel industries timber and joinery, furniture, for the cabinet, The trade show
MAY 2014
Look for your copy of the Australasian Timber - OUT MAY 2014.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY - phone (08) 8369 9500 For Advertising enquiries and Media Kit contact: Norm Nelsen Ph: +61 3 9888 4820 Email: n.nelsen@ryanmediapl.com.au
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NEWS
TIMBERMAN, April 2014 – 4
AWISA 2014 – long established trade show to take place in Brisbane for the first time E
XHIBITORS HAVE certainly embraced the decision of the Australian Woodworking Industry Suppliers Association (AWISA) to move the 2014 location of the show to the Brisbane and are all looking forward to what will certainly be an exciting show. AWISA 2014 is Australasia’s trade show for the cabinet, joinery, furniture, timber and panel industries. This year, the show takes place at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre and features all the major suppliers of woodworking machinery plus all the major suppliers of cabinet hardware. The show also features tooling, manufacturing and design software, panel products, decorative products and more. The wood working industry is well used to the attractions of the Darling Harbour area of Sydney, but what in addition to the show can visitors not familiar with Brisbane expect from Queensland’s capital city? Replete with sunshine, even in August Brisbane has a climate of which most cities dream. While only a short
distance from the show venue to the attractions of the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, for those who want to stay close to the action and AWISA’s busy schedule, there is plenty to see and do at the home of the AWISA – Brisbane’s South Bank precinct. The South Bank is a place for everyone and an exciting voyage of discovery for visitors to AWISA and their partners. Millions of visitors pass through South Bank each year with its eclectic mix of cafes, restaurants, boutiques and cultural experiences. Explore the many other varied South Bank attractions that include the Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland Museum and Science Centre and Queensland Conservatorium. Brisbane’s South Bank concept was conceived in the wake of Australia’s Expo 88 and has since grown into one of the most loved precincts in Brisbane. Special accommodation deals have been negotiated for AWISA exhibitors, visitors and their partners. AWISA has made every effort to ensure that the preferential hotel and apartment accommodation at www.
n The magnificent Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.
awisa.com is value for money and conveniently located in relation to the venue. Those flying into Brisbane will find that getting to the exhibition is a seamless as it gets. The international and domestic terminals have train stations, and the Airtrain
service takes only 20 minutes to the South Brisbane station that’s right next to the exhibition halls. Details of a special AWISA discount fare will be available at www. awisa.com soon. AWISA organisers are encouraging attendees to add
Coast. It’s certainly a great time of the year to add a short holiday break – no excuses for suffering the mid-winter blues. The destinations selected for AWISA visitors and partners are all available at www.awisa.com, with many more being available
at www.queenslandholidays. com.au. For more details about exhibiting at, or visiting AWISA 2014, Timberman readers are welcome to contact Geoff Holland at AWISA on 02 9918 3661 or info@awisa.com.
AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND
a holiday to their AWISA visit. They’ve even arranged some attractive accommodation and relaxation deals on the Gold Coast and Sunshine
open the door to great machinery
P R O C E S S I N G ,
P R O D U C T S
A N D
S U P P L I E R S
April Vol.22, No.2 MEDIA
INDEPENDENT & AUSTRALIAN OWNED
Postal Address: 630 Regency Road, Broadview, South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9555 Fax: (08) 8369 9501
AWISA
the show for wood and panel processing AWISA 2014 is the international exhibition of machinery, materials, fittings and services for the Australian and New Zealand cabinet, joinery, furniture, timber and panel industries.
6-9 August 2014 Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
www.awisa.com
T I M B E R
ORGANISED BY THE AUSTRALIAN WOODWORKING INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION LIMITED T: 02 9918 3661 E: Info@awisa.com
n A multi-residential five-storey timber panel building project by developer Australand is well under way in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville.The project uses prefabricated timber walls and roof, with complete cassette timber floors craned into place on each building level. The Tilling SmartFloor cassette system used significantly reduces the onsite construction times with an installation rate of some 800m2 per working day, resulting in an amazing four levels constructed in six weeks. Photo courtesy of Tilling SmartStruct. See more details about this project and Frame Australia on page 8.
Advertising: Norm Nelsen n.nelsen@ryanmediapl.com.au Melbourne: (03) 9888 4820 Timber classified: n.nelsen@ryanmediapl.com.au Melbourne: (03) 9888 4820 Editorial: John Hudswell j.hudswell@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9512 Out of office VOIP (08) 7127 6370 Subscriptions:
s ubs@forestsandtimber.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9522 Accounts: Adelaide: (08) 8369 9555 General Manager: Elizabeth Bouzoudis Production: Nathan Grant Publisher and Chief Executive: Hartley Higgins Suite 103, 486 Whitehorse Road, Surrey Hills, Victoria, 3127, phone (03) 9888 4822 Conditions: Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editor/publishers; information is published in good faith and we do not accept responsibility for damage which may arise from any possible inaccuracies. All rights reserved, none of the contents may be used in any other media without prior consent from the publishers. Published by Ryan Media Pty Ltd.
WEINIG WORKS WOOD Machines and systems for solid wood processing in WEINIG quality
S4S and profiling Automation Tool / grinding systems
Ripping / cross cutting Scanner technology Optimization
Your Expert www.weinig.com
WEINIG OFFERS MORE
Windows and doors Furniture Surface sections
Finger-jointing Tenoning Coping
TIMBERMAN, April 2014 – 6
FRAME
Building trends connect with Frame 2014
I
N T ER NAT IONA L GROWTH in timber panelised construction by fabricators in Europe and North America has created interest by developers and builders in Australia to follow the same path to reduce onsite costs and move to more pre-fabricated components. Many companies supplying manufacturing equipment and systems to the global timber and prefabrication markets have experienced growth in demand by the need for greater automation to achieve higher productivity, and the increasing acceptance by builders of panel construction. Major developers in Australia including Australand and Lend Lease are well advanced in converting from traditional concrete and steel construction to timber and wood panel systems, to take advantage of the benefits in reduced building time and lower site costs. Building projects recently completed using timber panels include the world’s tallest timber high rise 10 storey building in Melbourne Docklands, and a massive all-timber
panel five storey apartment development in Parkville. This trend has generated a high level of interest from international and local companies to participate at the Frame Australia 2014 conference and exhibition, with display booths having strong representation by manufacturing equipment and building system providers. Major Sponsors of Frame 2014 are the giant Homag group supplying equipment for the woodworking industry including Weinmann timber machinery, and Hundegger, a leader in computercontrolled automated equipment for prefabricated timber construction. Other machinery and equipment suppliers participating in the exhibition display include Australian Framing Automation and Bliss & Reels with Randek, LAP Laser, and Moehringer products. A conference session on ‘Truss and frame manufacturing plants’ will include speakers on new technologies, equipment and software for greater operating efficiency and levels of automation that
n Floor cassettes at Parkville.
reduce costs and improve profitability. The speakers program also reveals future directions in building with two sessions on construction and why builders are demanding a change from traditional building methods, and are
now embracing timber panels and engineered wood as their long-term preference for residential and commercial buildings. Presentations by major developer Australand and Tilling SmartStruct will explain the benefits of prefabricated systems, and how panelised timber products are designed, fabricated and installed on building site with consideration of services integration, fire and acoustic performance in medium density timber frame construction. The Frame Australia 2014 one-day conference will be held Monday, 19 May at the Park Hyatt Melbourne to bring together delegates from design and construction of residential buildings, timber supply, engineered wood, and prefabrication.
n Betz panel construction.
n Homag panel finishing line.
FRAME
International prefabrication equipment at Frame
T
HE LATEST technologies in manufacturing equipment for prefabrication of timber wall frames and panels will be wellrepresented at Frame Australia 2014, with the majority of global suppliers attending the conference and exhibition on Monday May 19 at the Park Hyatt Melbourne. The international keynote speaker in a session on ‘Truss & frame manufacturing plants’ will be Hansbert Ott, Managing Director of Weinmann in Germany, who will deliver a presentation on developments in manufacturing technologies and equipment for timber processing and prefabrication of roof truss and wall frames, with examples of typical plant installations utilising the technologies and productivity improvements achieved. Weinmann is part of the giant Homag woodprocessing machinery group, with technology shaping the global market for prefabricated timber building utilising computercontrolled, automated machinery. A fully-integrated Weinmann plant includes a computer-controlled framing station, and other parts of the modular mix can include beam processing stations and high-speed linear saws. Machines also come with a range of CAD/ CAM-interfacing control and monitoring software options. Weinmann makes production line assembly tables, panel turning and stacking systems, and has also developed machines to process engineered wood products. These include I-beams, SIPs and solid wood panels and beams, such as Glulam and crosslaminated timber (CLT). Hansbert said “there’s increasing appreciation of the added-value and quickbuild benefits of closed frame and the fact that, as they’re finished with much more precision in a controlled environment, they’re less likely to have quality issues than sitefinished. “Some fabricators supply exterior wall panels to site with not just doors, windows and service ducts fitted, but even an initial render. These panels speed up construction, delivering weather-tight house shells in as little as three days”. Hansbert’s prediction is that the construction market worldwide will continue to head Weinmann’s way, with offsite manufacture and timber frame panels inevitably becoming more popular.
International speakers attending Frame 2014 include Martin Smith, Managing Director, J J Smith & Co (Woodworking Machinery) UK, and Export Sales Director, Modular Building Automation NL, who will present on ‘The future for automated production of timber framing and panelisation’. Martin’s presentation will show how truss and frame fabricators can progress with various steps in which automation is selectively used to improve profitability and market security. Expected volumes are critical, and he will look at ways for the smaller fabricator to automate for an increase in product quality without spending a disproportionate amount on capital equipment. Another well-known international speaker is Walter Fahrenschon, Chief Executive Officer, Hundegger GmbH, Germany, with a presentation titled ‘Future options for plants to manufacture open or closed panels for housing and multi-res developments’. Walter will present options available to existing timber frame prefabrication plants to enter into manufacture of open or closed panels for detached housing and multi-residential building developments in the future, based on the benefits gained for the fabricator and customer from experience in Europe in meeting
the needs of the building construction industry. Another Keynote speaker at the conference will be Stefan Schneider, founder and owner, CutMyTimber Inc., Canada, with a presentation on fabricators using computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and computer-numericcontrolled-robotics (CNC) to produce highly complex and efficient building systems and timber components for the building industry in North America. An exhibition display by local company Bliss & Reels will have on hand Dr Stefan Moehringer, owner of Moehringer Germany which is another well-known international brand of manufacturing equipment for more than 125 years, providing complete systems for sawmills and woodworking. Other companies exhibiting at the Bliss & Reels display include Randek and LAP Laser, in addition to Moehringer. Frame Australia 2014 promises to be the largest gathering of international equipment companies supplying the timber pre-fabrication industry attending an event held so far. It is anticipated attendees will represent the complete supply chain of structural timber, engineered wood products and pre-fabricated frames and panels for the detached housing and multi-residential dwelling markets.
n Hundegger K3.
n Wall panel.
7 - April 2014, TIMBERMAN
FRAME
TIMBERMAN, April 2014 – 8
n Floor cassettes at Parkville. Photo courtesy of Tilling SmartStruct
n Pryda fabricator floor panel. Photo courtesy of Tilling SmartStruct
The future for timber building construction
I
N EUROPE and North America, prefabricated and panelised timber construction has been used for many years and has become highly developed in efficient and cost-effective residential dwellings and multi-storey buildings. Prefabricated wood panel systems is now becoming the preferred building material in residential construction, and in Australia we started to follow the trend last year with the construction of the all timber 10-storey ‘Forte’ by developer Lend Lease in Melbourne’s Docklands. This emerging revolution in construction will be extensively discussed at the Frame Australia 2014 conference and exhibition, titled “Prefab Timber and Engineered Wood in Building Construction” at Park Hyatt Melbourne on 19 May. The most common timber building system presently used for dwellings in Australia is pre-fabricated timber trusses and frames, however, rapidly emerging
are complete floor cassettes and panellised walls, prefabricated and installed on site by mobile crane. Currently a multiresidential 5-storey timber panel building project by developer Australand is well under way in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville, with more to come in future developments. The project uses prefabricated timber walls and roof, with complete cassette timber floors craned into place on each building level. The Tilling SmartFloor cassette system used significantly reduces the onsite construction times with an installation rate of some 800m2 per working day, resulting in an amazing four levels constructed in six weeks. Rob De Brincat of Tilling SmartStruct said: “The Australand Parkville project is a testament to the advantages of prefabricated timber systems and how all segments of the industry can work together to successfully
deliver a large scale residential project with one of the biggest developers in the country. “SmartFloor is a lightweight prefabricated floor cassette system that is a fast and safe method of structural floor erection that results in a significant reduction in construction programing, and in turn development costs. “The SmartFloor cassette system has the same spanning capabilities of reinforced concrete but at a much lighter construction weight, which allows the cassettes to be installed using mobile cranes resulting in substantial savings in both the erection process and skilled labour costs,” he added. “Not only are we providing new and exciting product for the Australian market, but we have set up a support structure in the SmartStruct system to develop a timber solution for virtually any building type and to provide help and advice in every aspect from
concept to construction,” said Rob. Also emerging with a floor cassette system is connector and software company Pryda Australia, with a design utilising floor trusses that can be produced by timber truss and frame fabricators. Ella Bennett from Pryda noted “this provides our fabricator’s builder customers with an opportunity to achieve additional time saving benefits”. “The cassette floor system can be fully detailed and engineered to suit the specific project and through using either Pryda Span or Long Reach trusses greater spans can be achieved without compromising on performance or access for services. “Through recent trials conducted we have understood the significant time saving potential that can be gained through installing a complete floor system in this way compared to traditional methods,” said Ella.
n Floor cassette at Parkville with set-down. Photo courtesy of Tilling SmartStruct
Rising to 10 storeys the ‘Forte’ building in Melbourne’s Docklands is the tallest timber high rise apartment building in the world, also the first 5 Star Green Star residential building in the country, and is the first building in Australia using Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panels. CLT is a relatively new product often described as ‘jumbo plywood’ as crosslaminating layers of timber improves the structural properties by distributing the along-the-grain strength of wood in both directions. This means that CLT panels can be used to form complete floors, walls and roofs. These building developments have changed the landscape for future construction by saving many weeks in the time to
complete, which reduces on-site building costs and also lowers the development costs. The shift to using prefabricated timber panel construction systems is a response to increasing demand for medium-density housing in our major cities, which is essential if our population is to continue growing and remain sustainable. Furthermore, timber panel systems provide significant opportunities to move beyond the current levels of building site productivity, health and safety, speed of construction and build quality. For more information on Frame Australia 2014 conference and exhibition visit the website www. frameaustralia.com
FRAME
9 - April 2014, TIMBERMAN
Finest connectors for advanced wooden structures T
HE TIMBERbuilding sector has seen a considerable technological development over the last decade, resulting from new construction techniques that implement special calculation software and pre-cutting machines of outstanding accuracy. In order to join wood structures are usually used external metal plates fixed by means of nails, screws or bolts. Cheap and easy to install, these items often have an unappealing appearance and poor fire protection, which must be supplied with special paints or coatings. The trend today sees the increasing use of joint systems with aesthetic styling in which the forces are transmitted mechanically through metal elements embedded in the wood, not visible from the outside. Rotho Blaas is known worldwide as supplier of fastening solutions. Thank to years of collaboration with the Trento University and other research centres of excellence, the company had developed cutting-edge connectors that combine static performance and seismic structure in a pleasing aesthetic result (Figure 1 and Figure 2). The recent seismic events have highlighted the good behaviour of timber structures but how do the
connectors behave in this situation? There are two important parameters regarding to the design of wooden structures in seismic areas: the ductility and the energy dissipation of the structure. The higher the values, the better the behaviour of the structure in front of seismic stress. Let’s consider the shear strength of one of the most widely connector used in mediumsize roofs and wooden buildings: the self-tapping screws. In Figure 3 we notice that the interaction between the Rotho Blaas HBS screw and the wood beam is optimal: the bearing stress of the wood around the screw have caused the deformation of the metal element creating two plastic hinges on both sides. The head of the screw has penetrated into the wood beam due to a “cable effect “, attributable to the relation between the withdrawal capacity of the thread and the pull-through capacity of the head. As shown in figure 3 the shear capacity of the HBS screw is extremely ductile. This example refers to only one item of the timber structure. Since in the connections of wooden structure are used more that only one element, it is necessary to respect the minimum distance between connectors in accordance to the requirements of the
n Figure 3- shear strength of the HBS Screw. n Figure 2 - VGZ Full thread screws: used to build hidden joints between main and secondary beams.
n Figure 5- First flat built in X-LAM in Taiwan.
regulations in force. Rotho Blaas provides its client a new Calculation Software: “myProject” (Figure 4). It allows the computation and verification of metal fasteners for simple or complex wooden structures, such as the first flat built completely in X-LAM and with Rotho Blaas fasteners by the company KLM in Tai Chu, Taiwan. (Figure 5) Rotho Blaas is an Italian multinational company, leader when it comes to the
development and offer of highly technological solutions within the wood construction sector. Developing most of its very own products right from conception of the solution up until its launch on the market, technicians and product experts work on the design of all fixing, waterproofing, soundproofing and fall protection systems to be able to offer support during work stages. Thanks to the professionalism and specializations our technicians, the offer includes personalised support and a wide range of products in order to find solutions which are perfectly suited to customer requirements. All Rotho Blaas products are in possession of CE marking or ETA certification (European Technical Approval). Quality controls are performed on site and in production centers in order to guarantee our clients the highest quality.
Innovative Solutions for Wood Construction
n Figure 1 - Hidden Aluminium Alloy Bracket T-shaped hidden brackets for all structures.
Silvia Pugnaloni - Area Manager Australia & New Zealand Tel: +61 0481 249 196 | Email:silvia.pugnaloni@rothoblaas.com Skypename: silvia.pugnaloni.rothoblaas
TIMBERMAN, April 2014 – 10
FRAME
FRAME-work for conferences started back in the 90s By Kevin Ezard Conference Director Frame Australia Pty Ltd
T
HE INSPIRATION behind the creation of Frame Australia came from regularly attending the annual Building Components Manufacturers Conference (BCMC) in USA during the 90s, when many fabricators from Australia were going to see the latest developments and technologies in truss and frame manufacturing equipment. It all started when Greg King and I were over there and discussing the potential to do the same thing in
Australia, but we felt it required a different emphasis in conference topics to embrace timber products as well as valuable information for fabricators. The first event was held in Melbourne in 1998, with the two-day conference at Southbank, and the exhibition held within DesignBuild at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre (known as Jeff’s shed). Following this first event the Frame conferences in Melbourne were held at the Sofitel in Collins Street for the next decade, initially on an annual basis but reverting to biennial in 2006.
In 2008 the exhibition changed to a booth display within the conference venue, to allow greater participation by sponsors, and which has now become an important component of the event. From the initial emphasis on timber and prefabrication the conference topics program has gradually developed over the years and has moved into the complete supply chain of timber and engineered wood, truss and frame pre-fabrication, and the building design and construction sectors. This trend reflects the changes in residential
construction and the move to higher density dwelling developments which has opened opportunities for greater use of pre-fabricated timber and wood products in both residential and commercial building. Another trend in the speakers program is the inclusion of more international speakers to provide a global view with updates on construction trends for prefabricated timber and wood panel systems in other countries, and how those off-site production systems can be applied locally. The Frame Australia
event is unique in creating a national gathering of delegates from the complete supply chain, and the 2014 conference will attract some 350 delegates from Australia, New Zealand,
Asia Pacific region, North America, UK and Europe. Now in its 16th year we look forward to welcoming you to Frame Australia 2014 on May 19 at the Park Hyatt Melbourne.
Growing with the HOMAG Group BEGINNING AS a small family business in Germany in 1960, HOMAG has grown into the world’s largest manufacturer of industrial machines for the woodworking and furniture industry. The HOMAG Group is composed of companies around the world that produce leading-edge products. The Group has 60 exclusive sales partners and 21 of its own sales and service entities. HOMAG
Australia forms one of them. Founded in 2002, HOMAG Australia crashed into the market, surrounded by wellestablished competitors. Many suppliers had a huge market share those days, “and we had to fight our way into the market,“ says Ross Campbell, Managing Director of HOMAG Australia. The national woodworking exhibition AWISA marked the
beginning of a new era and HOMAG Australia made its way towards becoming a highly-regarded company. “Our customers appreciate our quality machinery made in Germany and our Australian-wide service. “Due to the complexity of the machines and demands of the industry, the woodworking sector does more than just buy a machine. It buys a tailored solution and a working
HOMAG partnership. From the sales team who find the right solution to the highly trained service team who install and maintain the equipment at any location, HOMAG is dedicated to customer service.
HOMAG Australia Pty Ltd 6 - 8 Tasha Place Kings Park • NSW 2148 Ph 02 8865 2700 sales@homag-australia.com www.homag-australia.com
WEINMANN – intelligent timber frame construction WEINMANN is one of the 12 machine manufacturing companies within the HOMAG Group, and specialises in efficient wood processing. Today’s questions of how to overcome the current shortage of skilled personnel and how to increase the degree of pre-fabrication or how to achieve a consistently high standard of quality of products apply to many workshop and company owners. WEINMANN provides answers and engineers solutions in
www.weinmann-partner.com
response to the challenges of modern timber frame construction. Whether carpenters or industry - WEINMANN offers a perfectly coordinated program for: • Timber-frame house construction - assembly tables, butterfly turning table and butterfly table with multi-function bridge • P roduction lines from 50 - 10.000 houses machines and lines for full automated production • Beam processing - saw centre and carpentry machine for cutting trusses and beams as well as for the production of timber frame houses • Modular construction - machines for large appartment construction and commercial building • Steel-frame house construction - machines for multi-storey construction and frame
construction with steel girders (as filling elements) • Solid wood processing CNC-controlled machine for the processing of wood panels such as CLT • SIP (Structural Insulated Panels) processing - for the precise processing of sandwich elements • Glulam timber - machine for glulam timber processing • C aravan elements machine for caravan elements processing With an automated production line and transportation systems the output may be considerably increased at lower costs: easily realizing exact production planning, efficient justin-time production and minimizing storage capacities. Personnel costs are reduced due to less manpower is needed to operate the machines.
n The multi-function bridge – the all-round talent – works efficiently and economically for automatic feeding, nailing, stapling or screwing of sheathing material, cutting/routing of windows and door openings, routing for installation of sockets and wall outlets. The bridge takes automatically sheathing from a stack and positions it on the framework, it moves above the element nccontrolled and effects nailing, stapling, drilling, routing, cutting, screwing etc.
FRAME
11 - April 2014, TIMBERMAN
Almost seven decades of service to Australasia
E
STABLISHED IN 1948, Bliss & Reels is one of the largest machinery suppliers in Australasia, with a wealth of experience in the supply, commissioning and service of production machinery. Bliss & Reels provides a comprehensive range of services, including: •A dvice & project management • Shipping
• Commissioning and installation support • Training and after sales service • Spare parts sales • Finance • Turn-key installations Over the years Bliss & Reels has developed into the sole agents to a wide range of European suppliers to the building and construction industry with solutions for the
n Wood laser protection system, roof trusses
production of asphalt, concrete pipes, pre-cast concrete panels, masonry bricks and blocks, wire fencing, reinforcing mesh and traditional steel works. Key partners in include: • Randek: A Swedish company, founded in 1963, which manufactures highperformance machines and systems for prefabricated house manufacturing (for both timber and steel construction). • The product range consists of: cut saws, wall, floor and roof lines, roof truss systems, butterfly tables and special purpose machines. The automation level stretches from manual to fully automated depending on customers production requirements. • LAP Laser: Started 1984 in Germany, LAP Laser projection systems offer extremely accurate and time efficient set-out in production of prefabricated trusses, walls and floors that work in combination with Randek or third party solutions. With thousands of LAP systems operating worldwide, their products have proven reliability in harsh industrial environments.
n LAP laser truss joint protection
• Moehringer: For over 125 years this German manufacturer has been supplying advanced machinery to the wood processing industry. The company offers complete solutions for the sawmill, starting at log processing all the way to finished and semi-finished sawn products, in addition to technology targeted towards the prefabricated construction industry. The innovative Flexistack system automates the task of timber stacking. This labour saving technology optimally sorts the timber by customer/ product including the position of individual boards within the stack for significant productivity improvements over traditional manual labour methods.
Bliss & Reels is committed to bringing technologies to the building and construction industry which deliver greater automation and safety while being environmentally
Bliss & Reels Pty Ltd 9 Kim Close, Bulleen VIC 3105 Ph: (03) 9850-6666 Fax: (03) 9850-6666 www.blissandreels.com.au sales@blissandreels.com.au
n Auto eye truss system
n Auto eye truss system, operator interface
friendly. It also values the importance of long lasting relationships with both customers and suppliers and looks forward to a successful future together.
n Flexistacker 3D timber stack optimisation
FRAME
TIMBERMAN, April 2014 – 12
Long-standing US-based organization supports Frame Australia By Charles Barnes Director, International Marketing APA
H
EADQUARTERED IN the State of Washington (U.S.A.), APA – The Engineered Wood Association (“APA”) is honored to serve as a sponsor for one of the Australian housing industry’s premier activities in 2014 - Frame Australia. APA was founded in 1933 as the Douglas Fir Plywood Association, was renamed the American Plywood Association in 1964 and changed its name again in 1994 to reflect the geographic diversity of its membership (United States and Canada) and its members’ engineered wood product mix, including softwood plywood, oriented
strand board (OSB), glued laminated timber (glulam), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), wood I-joists, structural composite lumber (SCL) and, most recently, cross laminated timber (CLT). With 73 employees, APA services the industry through assisting with North American and international mill certifications and product testing, conducting applied research (primarily on construction systems and components) and engaging in market support and development to expand usage of engineered wood products both domestically and internationally. In addition to having one of the longest histories of any non-profit trade association and certifying agency for engineered wood products
in the world, APA is also believed to be the largest based on members’ collective production volume. The single largest end use market for the majority of this collective production is North American wood frame housing construction. Building on this experience, APA also actively supports promotion of wood frame construction in numerous key countries around the world, including Australia, Japan and elsewhere. Having significantly increased membership over the past six years when other U.S. wood product associations and certification agencies fell victim at the time of a huge drop in new U.S. housing construction, APA’s membership base is now as strong and diverse as ever and has 54 producing member
Fastening solutions are a specialty AIRCO FASTENERS, with both leading brands Airco and Senco, specialise in tailoring loan tool and fastener supply solutions which provide wall frame and truss fabricators with a complete range of: • Collated Strip Nails • Staples • Coil Nails • Corrugated Fasteners • Loan Tools to suit • Conversion of framing tables to fit Airco / Senco tools Included in the Airco offering, is (where required) the supply of new mounting brackets to fit new loan fastening tools to existing plant equipment. Airco offers industry experienced staff, familiar with fastening solutions to provide advice on the latest equipment available – fastening solutions are our speciality, not just an add on range. Airco is an ISO 9001 accredited company with set quality benchmarks in place recognising our commitment to product quality, leadership, systems and the sound and stable process
which delivers a consistent product and service offering. Our service package is backed up by company warehousing in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Townsville, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin. In-field technical support staff conduct the servicing of fastening tools provided on loan in most locations. Loan fastening tools are serviced on-site on a time and day of mutual agreement with loan tools, spare parts and the labour cost included in the negotiated fastener pricing. For further information please visit www.aircofasteners.com.au or telephone 1300 139 015.
FRAME & TRUSS SOLUTIONS STRIP NAILS | STAPLES | BRADS | COIL NAILS | CORRUGATED FASTENERS | TOOLS-TO-SUIT
On-site Tool Servicing and Training
www.aircofasteners.com.au | www.senco.com.au | 1300 139 015 WAREHOUSING IN SYDNEY•MELBOURNE•BRISBANE TOWNSVILLE•ADELAIDE•PERTH•DARWIN
companies with 156 member mills located in 23 U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces. Listed are total 2013 North American production volumes (including members’ and nonmembers’ production) for each major product category, percentage used for residential construction/remodeling as well as the APA member share of total production: Structural panels (plywood and OSB): 26.5 million cubic meters; 65% of total is used for new residential construction and home remodeling; APA member market share is 83% of total production. LVL: 1.62 million cubic meters; 73% of total is used for beams and headers in new residential construction; much of the remaining LVL is used for I-joist flanges and is also used in new residential construction; APA member
market share is 72% of total. Glulam: 388,000 cubic meters; 51% of total is used for new residential construction and home remodeling; APA member market share is 80% of total. Wood I-joists: 190.7 million linear meters; 80% of total is used for new residential construction; APA member market share is 70% of total. The progressive North American and Australian housing industries recognize the role of wood frame construction as the most sustainable, efficient, costcompetitive and safe building method for residential construction in our respective countries, and engineered wood products are playing an ever increasingly important role as building technologies and systems evolve. APA is honored to join our
n Charles Barnes.
Australian colleagues and support Frame Australia 2014 toward an even brighter future for wood frame housing.
Flexibility, accuracy, reliability AS THE industry leader in CNC timber processing machinery with more than 4500 machines operating throughout 43 countries worldwide, Hundegger strives constantly to provide the safest, fastest, most flexible and accurate machinery possible with reliability that is second to none. In the last eight years we have strived to set the standard throughout the frame and truss industry and worked hard to install more than 60 machines throughout Australia and New Zealand and established a designated service centre and spare parts stores to maintain and support our growing client base. With a range of machinery to suit every area of timber processing for the building industry we boast machines for fast and basic component cutting such as our SpeedCut series and soon to be released TURBO-Drive right through to massive automatic tool changing robots such as our PBA-Drive for CLT processing and the ROBOT-Drive for flexible carpentry applications. As far as the Frame and Truss industry is concerned the SpeedCut machine has very much become the benchmark saw capable of not only cutting, mitering and labeling a stack of four truss components in a single pass it can also trench, mark and cut top and bottom plates and even dock the ribbon plate at the same time, thus making it a true one stop shop. We have acquired a fantastic customer base with many becoming repeat customers as they either upgrade or
expand to have multiple saws. We have also begun to expand into other markets with the sale of two K2 machines in the area and are certainly looking for more opportunities to evolve this wonderful timber industry and its possibilities that until now have been very much limited to Europe and North America.
Australasia 58A Whiteside Road, Clayton, VIC, 3169, Australia PO Box 1181, Clayton South BC, 3169 Email: enquiries@hundegger.com.au Website: www.hundegger.com.au Phone: (+61) 3 9540 0130 Fax: (+61) 3 9543 3766 ABN: 140 834 29 850
FRAME
13 - April 2014, TIMBERMAN
n Hyne T2 Blue treated structural pine framing for use south of the Tropic of Capricorn.
n Aerial view of Hyne’s Tuan plant.
Hyne Timber – proudly Australian since 1882
H
YNE TIMBER is Australia’s largest privately owned timber producer, with state-of-the-art mills manufacturing a diverse range of timber products for the building and construction industry. In operation since 1882, Hyne has continued to innovate its products to meet the demands of today’s building environment. Its range of industrial, structural and engineered timber products include termite resistant treated timbers T2 Blue, T2 Red and T3 Green that are guaranteed against termite damage and are made from Australian plantation pine. Hyne Timber are also Glulam timber experts and can help you deign and construct with this incredibly versatile, strong and sustainable product. The Glue Laminated Timber range includes Hyne Beam 17, 18 , 21 and LGL. This range of softwood and hardwood glue laminated beams has been developed to cover almost any kind of structural application, indoor or outdoor, straight or curved and particularly in high load and long span applications where performance is critical. Hyne Timber knows it needs to continuously earn the right to be a supply partner of choice and welcomes feedback from customers on supply and quality at all times. Hyne Product Info Service 1300 30 4963. info@hyne.com.au HYNE T2 BLUE Hyne T2 Blue is treated structural pine framing for use south of the Tropic of Capricorn. With a 25 year guarantee against termite damage, it brings a low cost peace of mind against termites that home owners need when buying a new home. More than 200,000 homes built so far with zero reported termite damage is testament to the quality and popularity among Australia’s biggest home builders of this product. Hyne T2 Blue is manufactured in Australia using plantation pine grown in Australia, meaning that this renewable product is both good for the environment and the local economy. The H2F treatment is an envelope treatment that repels termites using the
same chemicals as found in flea collars and other insect repellants. It is totally nontoxic to mammals and can be cut, notched and disposed of in normal landfill. There is no need to seal or coat cut ends as the treatment acts as a repellant and will deter the termites from going near the product. Builders and serious DIY’ers choose Hyne T2 Blue for its guaranteed quality and the low cost guaranteed protection against one of Australia’s most damaging pests. The CSIRO has found that termites don’t just attack timber houses- steel and masonry homes are just as likely to be targeted. (Cookson, 1999) Termites are a serious threat to the family home, yet normal household insurance does not cover damage caused to your home by termite infestation. HYNE T3 GREEN Made for the great Australian outdoors, Hyne T3 Green is H3 treated pine for use above ground in weather exposed applications. It is guaranteed against rot and decay as well as termites for 25 years when installed and maintained correctly. Used in deck and verandah construction all over the country, T3 Green is machine graded pine, which is straighter and stronger than comparable F7 rougher header. Hyne T3 Green is the safer choice when building outdoor play areas for children as it contains no harmfull chemicals, and is non-toxic to mammals and safe to handle. Hyne T3 Green contains the following: • Insecticide – to protect against borers and termites • Fungicides – to protect aganst rot and decay • Mouldicide • Green colouring pigment for identification When constructing outdoor structures, standard building practice calls for the coating of timber to prolong its lifespan. This includes any cut or notched ends. Hyne Timber provides technical data sheets
n Hyne’s glue laminated timber range includes Hyne Beam 17, 18 , 21 and LGL.
on the best use of its products and has a dedicated Hyne Product Info Service to answer any questions regarding Hyne Timber use. Hyne Beam 17 is part of the Glue Laminated Timber range from Hyne Timber, with Hyne Beam 18 , 21 and LGL. Hyne Beam 17 is the strongest softwood glue laminated beam available, and suited to a variety of structural applications, particularly in high load, long span applications where performance is critical. Hyne Beam 17 is ideal for lintels over large window and door openings, garage beams and roof beams when timber is the preferred building product. Hyne Beam 17 is readily available in a range of commonly used sizes and lengths with special beams available to order, providing the service that builders and contractors expect. Builders also appreciate the ease of use as Hyne Beam 17 is much lighter and easier to install than steel. Hyne Beam 17 is available Untreated as well as H2 treated for internal applications providing protection against termite and borer attack and H3 Treated for external, above ground, weather exposed applications. Hyne Beam 17 is classified as an E2 product in accordance with AS 3959–2009 Construction of buildings in bushfire prone areas. If using in weather exposed applications refer to Hyne Technical Data Sheets 5, 6, 8 and 9. For any technical help regarding the use of Hyne GluLam, Hyne have timber experts ready to advise best practice
and help with engineering. Technical Info 1300 30 4963. hyneassist@hyne.com.au
Hyne Design 7 is the most comprehensive free structural timber design software available. Not only does Hyne Design contain all the Hyne ETP and Frame products and references to our literature, it has the products of all major Australian Engineered Timber Suppliers. You’ll also find enhanced connection details, as well as the opportunity to print hard copy span tables in an easy to read, practical format. An easy to use interface with different levels of use means that beginners to engineers can use HD 7 for their work in timber structure design. Hyne can also help with training and assessment of competencies with the program, ensuring
you get the best use out of a vast array of domestic and commercial construction applications to comply with relevant Australian Standards and the BCA. Having HD7, available for free from the Hyne website, can let you offer a timber design and take-off service to your customers efficiently and accurately. Further, Hyne Design contains information regarding “stock sizes” available from Hyne Wholesale allowing you to choose Hyne products that are readily available in the location of your projects. To find out more about Hyne Design and download your FREE version, visit hyne.com. au or call Hyne Product Info Service on 1300 304 963.
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FRAME
TIMBERMAN, April 2014 – 14
50 years of service and still going strong P
RYDA HAS been an integral part of the building industry in Australasia for 50 years, particularly in timber truss and frame solutions with the development of a diverse range of timber connectors and structural brackets all engineered through its fully-integrated design and production software. Today Pryda remains a trusted Australian brand on building sites, in trade stores and in offices of architects, engineers and designers. At this year’s Frame Australia, Pryda will be
• For more information, please contact Pryda on 1800 810 741 or visit www.pryda.com.au
showcasing its Trussed Floor Cassette solution for subfloor and upper stories. The development of a panelised floor cassette solution has been driven by the significant changes in the Australian construction climate which have created a real appetite for faster, more cost effective ways to build. Pryda Trussed Floor Cassettes combine all the elements of a floor system including, floor trusses, strong backs, insulation and particle board flooring, into a number of large but manageable floor panels which are pre-fabricated off site in a quality controlled environment. The panels are then transported to site and lifted into place to form the complete floor in a matter of hours – offering significant savings in on-site labour and cutting build time. Add this up over a number of projects and builders will quickly see
increased productivity and capacity enabling additional profits to be realised without increasing overheads or compromising quality. As well as applications in upper stories, Pryda has joined forces with a concrete free foundation system called Surefoot in order to create a complete solution for subfloors. Surefoot is a fast and cost effective way to ground posts of any size without the need for digging, excavation or cement. Its engineering principles are based on piling technology using a combination of skin friction and point bearing. A patented steel plate secures pins in place resulting in a foundation spreading over a greater surface area achieving larger load capacities. As a system, Surefoot and Pryda Trussed Floor Cassettes complement each other well. The increased span of the floor
• For more information, please contact Databuild on 1800 800 860 or visit www.databuild.com.au
cassettes when compared to traditional sub-floor systems enable the number of stumps required to be reduced significantly. Plus, the concrete free nature of the Surefoot means that there is no need to wait for concrete posts or strip footings to cure before Cassettes can be installed. All in all, the complete foundation and subfloor can be supplied and installed in under two days by just one supplier. Pryda will also be joined on its stand by Databuild who, like Pryda, has a long history in the building and construction industry proactively and continually developing industry specific estimating, accounting and payroll software for almost 40 years, making it intuitive to the building process. As a complete building software solution, Databuild’s integrated system streamlines the way you process
information from creating the initial quote through to receiving your final payment all while leveraging the data in your system to automatically produce reliable information and reports that would normally take hours or days to produce manually. On display at Frame Australia will be the latest release of software featuring for the first time, online licensing activation. Users will now be able to activate licenses themselves 24/7 via an internet connection, cutting down the wait time to actually start using the software in your business. Another addition will allow supervisors to approve orders for the Accounts Department eliminating a double and triple handling of invoices. Together with the ability to quickly and easily identify the most and least
profitable areas of your business through automatic Job Cost report generation, automatic invoice checking functionality and the ability to set-up payments to both your suppliers, tradesman and staff, Databuild is one very smart package for the entire business from Estimating to Accounting and Payroll. To learn more about the Pryda and Databuild offer, join them on Stand 1 at Frame Australia on Monday 19th May 2014. Pryda & Databuild are part of the USA-based Illinois Tool Works Inc., a Fortune 200 diversified manufacturing company operating across the globe for more than 90 years. Other successful brands in the ITW stable also operating across the Asia Pacific region include Paslode, ITW Buildex, ITW Proline, Ramset and Reid Construction Systems.
n Flooring made easy.
Get creative with timber in commercial building design WHETHER FOR an aesthetic refurbishment or new build, using timber in commercial building projects adds texture and warmth, balancing the visual impact of more industrial materials and finishes. According to Clinton Skeoch, market development manager with Boral Timber, “Australian hardwood timber has long been used as an indoor and outdoor flooring solution as well as for traditional structural applications, and is a practical choice for its sustainable qualities and durability. However, many building designers are now using timber in a variety of other applications to add unique yet functional features to commercial buildings.” The University of Western Sydney’s Climate Change and Energy Research (CCER) Facility illustrates the distinct way in which timber can be used creatively. Boral’s Blackbutt timber battens were used in the construction of four fully functioning thermal chimney stacks which hang above the building’s main atrium. The timber battens were also incorporated into wall and ceiling linings as an acoustic control, to absorb direct sound in public areas. Skeoch continues, “Commercial building designers and architects often specify timber for ceiling linings, wall panelling and cladding – both interior and exterior. External timber cladding can be used indoors for a distinctive look. Also, laying F27 structural timber horizontally or vertically across unsightly existing walls is a smart makeover idea and can keep costs and labour to a minimum. Boral’s range of structural hardwood and softwood products offer the strength and versatility that is required in many residential and commercial applications. Boral’s green and kiln dried hardwood structural timber products are suitable for many outdoor requirements such as bearers and joists, stair components and exposed external beams. Boral Timber’s structural softwood products are suitable for dry, protected building applications such as wall frames, trusses and subfloor construction where additional security against termite damage may be desired. Seasoned structural softwood is easy to work with and a cost effective building material making it popular for residential and commercial building purposes including roof, wall and floor framing and applications. Boral Timber is sponsor of the Frame Australia conference which will take place on 19 May in Melbourne. Frame Australia is a national event and provides a forum on markets, products and systems for timber and wood used in detached housing and multi-residential dwellings. n Boral Timber’s Kiln Dried F27 structural timber used at UWS Climate Change & Energy Research facility.
www.boral.com.au/timber National free call 1800 818 317 When the message matters IT’S IMPORTANT to get the right message to the right people at the right time. Whether it’s to promote products and services, provide advice to end customers or communicate with employees, speciality services such as public relations, marketing communication and advertising can help get your message through to key target audiences. Write Away Communication + Events works has worked with companies in the construction, forestry, technology and equipment manufacturing sectors for many years. If you’d like to find more about Write Away or how the team can help with your communication plans, call Adam Benson on 02 9978 1400 or visit the Write Away website www.writeaway.com.au.
FRAME
15 - April 2014, TIMBERMAN
Frame Australia 2014 speakers program FRAME AUSTRALIA 2014 SPEAKERS PROGRAM • 7 .30 to 8.30am Delegate Registration • 8 .30am Session 1 TIMBER & ENGINEERED WOOD PRODUCTS Session Chair – TBA Keynote address ‘Timber and wood fibre engineered products in global and local construction markets’ Dr Tony Pugel, Senior Manufacturing Technologist EWP, LP Building Products, USA LP Building Products is one of the world’s largest producers of engineered wood products with 24 mills and over US$2 billion annual sales. The topic coverage will include evolution and future technologies for OSL and LSL strand based products, whole log processing technology, manufacturing flexibility and third point price options between timber and LVL, lower cost alternatives to traditional products, weather and fire resistant treatments, environmental impact issues, and more. ‘The emergence of engineered wood products in New Zealand commercial buildings’ Andrew Brown, Principal Civil & Structural Engineer, Opus International Consultants, NZ Engineered wood products have now emerged as a viable material for the construction of commercial buildings in New Zealand with a number of timber buildings, particularly in Christchurch as part of the earthquake rebuild. These buildings incorporate the latest research in resilient timber seismic systems, and utilise developed knowledge on how to achieve cost-effective, prefabricated designs that significantly reduce construction time on site, to gain a foothold in the commercial building sector.
Preservers Association of Australia • Morning Break • 10.55am Session 2 TRUSS & FRAME MANUFACTURING PLANTS Session Chair - TBA Keynote address ‘The latest technologies in manufacturing for prefabricated timber construction’ Hansbert Ott, Managing Director, Weinmann Germany An overview of developments in manufacturing technologies and equipment for timber processing and production of prefabricated components, with examples of typical plant installations utilising these new technologies and the benefits to be gained. Also the trend to panelisation in Europe with new construction methods including CLT, which is becoming much more important as a construction material with different ways of use, and new technologies to simplify handling and processing. ‘The future for automated production of timber framing and panelisation’ Martin Smith, Managing Director, J J Smith & Co (Woodworking Machinery) UK, and Export Sales Director, Modular Building Automation, NL Truss and frame fabricators can progress with various steps in which automation is selectively used to improve profitability and market security. We will look at a number of different markets and see how they have addressed these challenges; why fully closed panel solutions have worked in some countries and not others; and ways for the smaller fabricator to automate for an increase in product quality without spending a disproportionate amount oncapital equipment.
SUPPLY OF TIMBER & WOOD SYSTEMS FOR CONSTRUCTION
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING WITH TIMBER PANELS TO LOWER COSTS
Session Chair - TBA Keynote address ‘Technology in timber construction: from sketch to manufactured prefab system’ Stefan Schneider, Founder & Owner, CutMyTimber Inc., Canada The process from an initial ideas sketch to final production of timber components will be outlined, along with North American building project examples and how the technology in software and automated equipment is applied for successful construction outcomes. Also the potential output capacity to meet increased demand for prefab off-site building systems, and use of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and computer-numeric-controlledrobotics (CNC) in automated assembly lines to efficiently produce highly complex components for prefabricated buildings.
Session Chair – TBA Keynote address ‘Residential building projects up to 5 storeys using panellised timber systems for construction benefits’ Kase Jong, Estimating Manager, Australand Property Group A construction revolution is underway with Australand currently building a 5 storey multiresidential project in Melbourne, with the latest stages using prefab timber walls and roof, and complete cassette timber floors craned into place which significantly reduces the onsite construction times and improves safety on site. This timber panel system is the way of the future to achieve better financial returns, greater volumes of building, and lower costs for more affordable housing.
‘Future options for plants to manufacture open or closed panels for housing and multi-res developments’ Walter Fahrenschon, Chief Executive Officer, Hundegger GmbH, Germany A global perspective of how Hundegger customers have embraced panelisation and their experiences when entering into timber panel system production, with reference back to the potential options and skills required by frame and truss fabrication plants in Australia to enter into manufacture of open or closed panels. Specific examples of utilising computer control of cutting and processing by Hundegger customers, and the collaboration required between manufacturing and construction to meet the builder’s needs.
‘How panelised timber systems are designed and built successfully’ Rob de Brincat, Commercial Development Manager, Tilling SmartStruct Panelised prefab timber systems in multiresidential buildings are proving to be successful and rely on key factors during planning and construction, starting with the building design and engineering certification; design for fire and acoustic performance; supply chain structure; pre-fabrication of panels and/or cassettes; delivery and handling; installation and services integration. The supply process is critical in meeting construction schedules to obtain the time savings required for cost reductions to be achieved.
‘Building blocks of the future – why timber is on the way up’ Ric Sinclair, Managing Director, Forest & Wood Products Australia. Around the world, the timber industry is on the way up (and it’s not just about building heights). Over the last few years, there have been a number of important changes in the timber industry and its interaction with the built environment that is helping build new markets, improved systems and stronger value chains. FWPA is helping to facilitate these changes in the Australian market through its generic marketing, R&D investments and standards and codes program. Discussion forum with all speakers and additional panel members as follows: •S imon Dorries, General Manager, Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia •D avid Marlay, National Secretary, Timber
‘Plant production requirements – Understand the facts’ Ian Currie – Business Development Manager ANZ – Fabrication, Pryda Australia Market demands often require prefab plant owners to re-evaluate how they produce & cost their product, and any investment in new equipment is usually significant. You need to be sure that purchasing machinery will be right for your needs by conducting a thorough review to determine if and what equipment is required. Business reviews use various tools to collate and decipher the data to enable smart decisions on where to invest in your plant. Discussion forum with all speakers and additional panel members as follows: • Dr Stefan Moehringer, Owner, Moehringer Germany • Charlie Hutchings, Director, Hundegger Australasia • 12.40 to 1.20pm • 1.20pm Session 3
‘Experiences and feedback from a recent timber panel manufacturing tour of Europe’ Johann Betz, js betz consulting, New Zealand A tour of timber panel manufacturing in Europe last November visited a cross-section of innovative prefabricators and projects to study methods of panelised prefabrication and housing construction. The group from NZ and Australia comprised wood processors, prefabricators, builders, architects, engineers and government delegates to gain insight and provide feedback on the potential for timber panel plants in local markets, encouraging plans in NZ for panel manufacturing to meet rising demand in building. Discussion forum with all speakers and additional panel members as follows: • Scott Hedges, Principal, Bygghouse, USA • Pryda fabricator (TBA) • Afternoon Break • 3.45pm Session 4
‘Do the costs stack up for commercial building in timber?’ Andrew Dunn, Timber Development Association / WoodSolutions Results from a cost comparison of tradition building design and materials against timber commercial buildings, comprised of four buildings rigorously subjected to cost planners scrutiny - a 7 storey apartment building; 6 storey office building; portal frame structure and 2 storey aged care building. Outcomes show timber systems are competitive in costs and can be quicker to construct; where cost differences occur, and the benefits timber construction may have over traditional materials. Discussion forum with all speakers and additional panel members as follows: • Dylan Brady, Director, Studio 505 Architects • Matt Gaunson, Procurement Manager, Metricon Homes • 5.30 to 6.30pm Closing Hospitality • Tony Pugel. • Kase Jong • Stefan Schneider. • Hansbert Ott.
n Hansbert Ott.
n Stefan Schnieder.
n Kase Jong.
n Tony Pugel.
IN THE FRAME
TIMBERMAN, April 2014 – 16
Innovative wood treatment gets building code approval A
N ENGINEERED wood product that has the potential to transform building construction has been included in the New Zealand Building Code. Laminated beams made from glued veneers of radiata pine are well known for their strength, stability and uniform sizing. Now improved durability can be added to the list. Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) treated with Azotek, a novel product developed by New Plymouth-based Zelam Limited, has been included in the NZ Building Code as an acceptable solution for internal framing. “This is a world-first,” says Zelam marketing manager Noel Coxhead. “It essentially makes wet solvent treatments for LVL and plywood obsolete and opens the door to much wider use of LVL framing in building construction. “LVL is the key to precision construction using wood. But because of the well-known difficulties associated with wet solvent treatment of LVL, wood processors have been reluctant to go down that track. “It is difficult to get traditional treatments to penetrate the glue layers that bond the layers of LVL and plywood. The liquids involved also affect the dimensional stability of the finished product – which needs to be dried after treatment. “In contrast, our new treatment takes place during manufacture, so the finished timber is dry and ready for use as soon as it rolls off the production line. Because the treatment compounds are present from the surface to the core of the timber, it can be drilled, sawn and notched during building construction without any loss of integrity or need for retreatment.” Azotek-treated LVL has been available on the NZ market for more than 12 months, enjoying a steadily growing market share from designers and builders seeking precision wood products. Its first commercial use was in Christchurch’s cardboard cathedral, where LVL beams were used for the main structural elements. But despite having Standards approval as a treatment, the previous lack of formal Building Code approval has been a barrier to the wider use of Azotek-treated LVL, says Nelson Pine Industries (NPI) Australasian sales
engineer Andrew van Houtte. NPI has been producing Azotek-treated H1.2 LVL since 2012. Because it is a dry process, van Houtte says treated beams have precise tolerances, adding to the dimensional stability that LVL is known for. “To my mind Azotek is the best treatment on the market. In a technical sense it is better than anything the industry has ever seen – exactly the right amount of chemical is applied and it penetrates throughout the product. It takes durability to a whole new level. It also has great environmental and health and safety credentials.”
and decay organisms, and a barrier against selection for resistance.” Before Azotek was approved as an H1.2 treatment for LVL it was tested in rigorous trials by Scion and in-house by Zelam. These were designed to determine Azotek’s performance in conditions designed to simulate what happens when water leaks into a wall cavity. Although Azotek-treated LVL has New Zealand and Australian Standards approval for H1.2 treatment, it is sold only in New Zealand, because the H1.2 standard does not apply in Australia. Trials of Azotek H2 and H3-treated
BRIEFLY Gales blow in orders for timber company
THE recent gales blew in some good news for Worcestershire based Forest Garden, the UK’s leading manufacturer of core and decorative garden timber products. The company from Hartlebury Trading Estate has recruited more than 100 new workers to its team to help meet peak production demand for replacement fence panels and garden sheds following storm damage. The jobs have largely been created in Forest’s inhouse production and manufacturing teams, where production levels have reached more than four times the norm.
Xylexpo promotion
The Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Australia Inc. is promoting Xylexpo 2014, the 24th Biennial world exhibition for woodworking technology and components for the furniture industry that will be held from 13-17 May 2014 at Fieramilano, Rho Fairgrounds, Milan, Italy. If you are interested in attending or for further information contact Luca De Leonardis on (02) 8354 0777 or via email at trade@icciaus.com.au.
American Forest & Paper Association appoints new leader
n Untreated (TOP) and treated (BELOW).
He says most of the LVL produced by NPI is used in common structural applications, such as beams, rafters, joists, lintels and bearers. Coxhead says Azotek is made up of two fungicides that are widely used on food crops, but are new to wood treatment – triadimefon and cyproconazole – plus bifenthrin, a standard wood treatment insecticide. “Finding suitable fungicides was a long journey for Zelam. We had many set-backs. Not only did the active ingredients have to be fit-for-purpose, they had to be readily available and affordable,” he says. “Azotek is the only combination that met all the essential criteria. Having two fungicides in the mix means it provides broad spectrum protection against rot
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LVL and plywood are now underway and Coxhead says these are looking very promising. H2 treated framing is widely used in Australia, because this standard of treatment provides termite protection. When approvals come through for Azotek H2 and H3-treated LVL and plywood, these are likely to be well received by wood processors and builders on both sides of the Tasman. “But the bigger prize is likely to be the United States, where a lot of engineered wood is used in housing construction. Already wood processors there are showing a lot of interest.” Large dimension plywood after the H1.2 decay test. The Azotek-treated sample is at the bottom and the untreated sample at the top
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has elected Domtar President and CEO John Williams as the new AF&PA board chairman. Also elected to officer positions by the AF&PA Board are First Vice Chairman Mark Gardner, president and CEO of Sappi Fine Paper North America, and Second Vice Chairman Mark Kowlzan, CEO of Packaging Corporation of America. Chairman, President and CEO of Graphic Packaging David Scheible will serve as the immediate past chairman. Beginning terms as members of the AF&PA Board of Directors in 2014 are: Richard Arnold, Old Town Fuel & Fiber; Roger Hagan, Port Townsend Paper Company; Debabrata Mukherjee, Ph.D., Finch Paper LLC; and Peter G. Watson, Greif Inc. The AF&PA Board of Directors currently consists of 30 top industry leaders representing the broad spectrum of the paper and wood products manufacturing sector. The American Forest & Paper Association serves to advance a sustainable U.S. pulp, paper, packaging, and wood products manufacturing industry through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy.
15 years of excellence
ENTRIES FOR the 15th annual Australian Timber Design Awards close on 27 June. This year entries may be considered for seven Application Awards and 11 Recognition Awards (previously the “Best Use Of” Awards). Additional awards include the Sustainability Award, the Rising Star Award, the Small Budget Projects Award -- and the very popular People’s Choice Award. Winners will be announced in mid-September at the Awards Presentation Night in Sydney. The Australian Timber Design Awards has been honouring excellence in timber design for 15 years. Entry is open to architects, builders, designers, engineers, interior designers and landscape architeczats. Categories cover all major applications, small budget projects, sustainability, a People’s Choice Award and a Rising Star Award.
Beware: ‘not fit for purpose’ A COURT decision has ruled plywood sheets manufactured in China and recently used in the construction of a NSW building were “not fit for purpose” and failed Australian standards. The costly outcome again drives home the message that such imported uncertified material – in this instance showing delamination – tested by authorities in China and purchased by a tradesman at a cost well below the price of local products, does not necessarily guarantee it is ‘fit for purpose’. Plywood and veneer wardrobes and joinery items imported from China and installed on a multi-unit building project in northern NSW last year were condemned after the Department of Housing found emission levels had “soared through the roof” and the health and safety of occupants was put at risk. The project cost the developers an additional $1.3 million to replace the furniture and employ plumbers, electricians and tilers in a complete re-build after the non-compliance order.
n Laboratory technician Karrin Ryan marks up plywood samples for formaldehyde testing at the EWPAA laboratory in Brisbane.
FEATURE
17 - April 2014, TIMBERMAN
Real timber sawhorses built lucrative trades for people with a disability By Lara Caughey
O
NE THING has remained solid in the timber industry – the demand for traditional sawhorses from tradesmen despite the changing industry landscape and technology. Each worksite, garage or workshop needs a sawhorse and thus it has remained one of the most useful pieces of carpentry equipment in high demand. Queensland’s Horizon Business Enterprises [HBE] general manager Trevor Hulbert said the business had produced more than a quarter of a million sawhorses since its inception more than 30 years ago and is still going strong. “We often get comments like it’s a real sawhorse,” he said. “Our traditional sawhorses have withstood the test of time. There are plenty of cheap imports but our product is one of a kind lasting many years. “We are the only company in Australia who still produces this simple product which is held in high esteem by people in trade-based professions.” Trevor explained HBE sawhorses came in two models:
The tradesman sawhorse specifically designed for the tradesman with its strong and robust design. The Aussie sawhorse suited to the home handyman and provides a solid, safe work platform. Its traditional, strong and classic structure has not only ensured consistent sales to hardware chains it has also resulted
in meaningful paid employment at HBE for 33 people with a disability. Since its inception, HBE has provided employment for many staff with some working in the company for 25 years. Redland Bay resident Paul Ballard has held down his job at HBE for a quarter of a century. “I love working here and earning a wage,” he said. “I feel like I’ve found my feet here [working at Horizon Business Enterprises].” Other products Some of HBE’s other leading product lines include hardwood garden stakes, concreter pegs, tree stakes and painted marker pegs. Woodford Folk Festival assistant event site manager Karen McBride said HBE garden stakes were in high demand for Woodford Folk Festival on the Sunshine Coast in 2014. “They were used for marking out car parks and in the camp grounds and helping support essential signage,” she said. “Without them a lot of people could have got lost and were essential for our safety management.” Trevor said HBE hardwood garden stakes were made exclusively
from untreated Australian hardwood. “The stakes are used extensively in commercial nurseries and home gardens, by concreters, surveyors and in the mining industry,” he said. Trevor said HBE could engineer business solutions and customise products to business needs.
n Horizon Foundation supports 1400 each year with a disability. The Horizon Foundation was established 30 years ago. It has received an Australia Day Award for Community Services and has been listed in BRW’s ‘Top 50 Great Places to Work.’
“We have many product lines and would welcome new businesses to get on board that can really make a difference to the lives of people with a disability,” he said. HBE offers wooden stakes, pegs and sawhorses for purchase. They also provide many B2B services such as mail house, direct mail, (re)packaging, rework processes, sample bag assembly, printing support and much more. Businesses interested in further information or people with a disability who are interested in applying for a position should telephone 07 3823 2463. Horizon Foundation offers a number of services to support people with a disability or injury in South East Queensland such as employment, community access, respite, early intervention, post school options, recreation and lifestyle, accommodation, training and Your Life Your Choice.
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TIMBERMAN, April 2014 – 18
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Will the FWA apprentice wage increase kill apprenticeships?
Membership is certainly worthwhile
By Colin Fitzpatrick Chief Executive Officer Timber & Building Materials Association (Aust.) Ltd
I
N LATE 2012 and early 2013 there was considerable reporting by the media about a claim made by the unions to Fair Work Australia (FWA) for an increase of up to 50% for a first-year apprentice’s wage and 33% for a second-year. This would potentially raise the wages of a first-year to 75% of a tradesperson and 80% for a second- year. The unions argued that wages needed to rise to address low apprentice completion rates and to encourage more people to complete vocational training and boost the skill level of the Australian workforce. At the time many Australian businesses and business groups expressed their alarm over the unions’ claims and many even suggested that the
apprenticeship was dead if the increases were awarded. Other comments by business groups and the media included “Apprenticeship RIP” or “Apprenticeships will fall by 12,000 within the construction industry alone if these pay increases are approved” or “Apprenticeships are about training and an investment in the future for both the employer and for the apprentice. It is illogical and unsubstantiated by research that a wage increase for apprentices would ‘fix’ the skilled shortages in this country. It will, in reality, do the reverse, by discouraging employers from creating opportunities for apprentices to be employed.” What really did occur? FWA released its final decision in December 2013 and a recent audit and
updating of the awards has seen the actual results to be far less than the increases being publicised in the media. The truth is that: Apprentice wages will increase for apprentices employed after the 1st January 2014. 1st year apprentice wages will increase to 55% of a tradesman’s wage for apprentices with a HSC and 50% of a tradesman’s wage for apprentices without a HSC. 2nd year apprentice wages will increase to 60% of a tradesman’s wage for apprentices with a HSC and 55% of a tradesman’s wage for apprentices without a HSC. A further 5% increase will occur on 1st January 2015 to all categories. Apprentices employed after the 1st July 2014 under Modern Awards will be paid 50% of what a tradesman is paid and if they have a HSC they will be paid 55%.
What are timber industry employers expected to pay in 2014? For employers employing under the MA000071 Timber Industry Award this currently means: 1st year apprentice increases were limited to 95c per hour for apprentices who have completed their HSC. There was no increase for 1st year apprentices who have not completed their HSC. 2nd year apprentices increases were limited to 96c cents per hour. What are timber industry employers expected to pay in 2015? For employers employing under the MA000071 Timber Industry Award this will mean a further increase of approximately $1 per hour per apprentice. So, the truth is the media and others were speculating on an increase of between
Becoming a member of TABMA is a win-win for virtually any business in the industry. TABMA has strong links with most other industry associations such as TTIA, FWPA, Timber Queensland, AFPA, TDA NSW (where TABMA is represented on the board), NSW FPA, TMA (where a representative from each association attends the other’s board meetings), WADIC, Australian Windows Association, ForestWorks, Hardware Association of South Australia (HASA), Fitec, Timber Training Creswick, FIAA and ATIF. It is the belief of the TABMA board and management that cooperation and unity among the many industry associations and bodies is vital to the success of our industry and adds strength when the opportunities to lobby Government arise. But it’s not just those crucial ties that can mean a big difference when it matters. Being a member of TABMA also offers you group buying discounts and an exclusive trade credit insurance plan. Then there’s help with placement of trainees and apprentices; there’s industry-specific staff recruitment; industrial relations advice; WH&S audits. Add to that impressive list CoC certification advice, technical advice, national networking opportunities, plus the annual timber industry dinner. It’s not a matter of why you should be a member, it’s a matter of when!
$4.00 and $5.00 per hour in late 2012 and 2013 and this never occurred. What actually occurred was an increase of below $2.00 per hour delivered over two
years (95 cents in 2014 and approximately 95 cents in 2015.) For a full breakdown of award changes contact TABMA or the TTIA.
Fair Work Commission four-yearly review of modern awards By Brian Beecroft Chief Executive Officer Timber Trade Industrial Association THE FAIR Work Act requires that the Fair Work Commission (FWC) must conduct review of modern awards every four years. The FWC has published an issues paper setting out the process for conducting this review. It will be conducted by a Full Bench of the FWC over the next 18 months. The review will follow the form that parties will be required to make submissions to a Full Bench on an award by award basis, rather than by application. The four-yearly review will consist of an initial stage that considers the legislative framework under which the Review will be undertaken and identify common issues, followed by an award stage which reviews the awards in four groups. Each stage is expected to last from four to six months with some overlap
between each stage in order to complete the review by mid2015. Recent award variations There have been recent variations to all modern awards with respect to consultation about changes to hours, superannuation, individual flexibility arrangements, and apprentice wage rates and conditions of employment. There has also been an order issued by the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal. Consultation about changes to hours As of 1 January 2014, all modern awards now require any employer wishing to change employees’ regular roster or ordinary hours to consult with staff, provide information about the change and invite their views about the impact of the proposed change and consider those views. This new consultation
requirement will not apply to employers with an operating enterprise agreement that was voted on before 1 January 2014, but similar consultation provisions must be included in an agreement made on or after 1 January 2014. Individual flexibility arrangements All modern awards have a clause allowing an employer and employee to enter into an individual flexibility arrangement (IFA) to observe specified parts of the award differently. The FWC recently varied the standard clause to allow up to 13 weeks notice of withdrawal from an IFA by either party (instead of the previous maximum 28 days notice) and also to make clear that an IFA cannot be entered into with a prospective employee as a condition of employment. The 13 weeks notice will only apply to IFAs that are made from 4 December 2013
The benefits of membership of the ttia The Timber Trade Industrial Association (TTIA) is a completely independent, non-profit, federally registered employer organisation. It is the key national employer Association in the timber and timber products industry, providing practical advice to employers on a range of employment related and safety issues affecting the workplace. The TTIA’s long term staff are specialists in all areas of the timber industry regarding industrial relations and Workplace Health and Safety. Our telephone advisory service means that our inhouse specialist industrial staff are just a call away, helping employers to find the most effective way to manage their businesses. The TTIA has a dedicated OH&S unit, along with a full-time solicitor who is available to help Members with any employment law issues which may arise. The TTIA Hotline is one of the most utilised services by our Members. The hotline is a valuable resource for providing answers on a range of timber specific issues including: •A ward interpretation •R ates of pay and allowances •A nnual leave, personal leave and long service leave •O ccupational Health & Safety matters •T ermination of employment •L egal issues surrounding redundancies • Worker’s Compensation advice •D iscrimination issues Members are able to access this service via the hotline as frequently as they require and are provided with staff mobile numbers if urgent advice is needed after hours. Hotline: 02 9264 0011 As an employer these days is required to navigate a constant raft of legal changes and deal with numerous government agencies and outside bodies, the TTIA provides the low cost essential back up that any business, large or small, needs in today’s business environment. Join today. If you are interested in becoming a Member or would like some further information, please contact the above number and we will be pleased to assist you.
Manual includes guidance for specifiers THE TIMBER Veneer Association of Australia (TVAA) is an industry organisation representing all facets of the wood veneer industry. Members include veneer producers, veneer merchants, veneer processors, panel layers, and suppliers of associated products such as coatings. Formed in 1987 as the Decorative Wood Veneered Panel Producers Association, the TVAA has come a long way since its early beginnings. The association has a range of publications to assist the building industry in the correct use of veneered products. Most of this material can be downloaded free of charge from the TVAA website at www.timberveneer.asn.au
The popular Veneer Products Information Manual was completely revised in 2013 and is available as a download, or in hard copy format. The manual includes guidance for specifiers on making veneer decisions, and shows different ways of assembling veneer leaves, including book matching, slip matching, and so on. Copies can be obtained by phoning the TVAA Technical Representative, Peter Llewellyn, on the association’s information line 1300 303 982. Inquiries from industry and the public are welcomed on this special phone line. Basic information is provided on the spot free of charge, while more complicated
problems can be referred to the TVAA technical committee. The TVAA’s Technical Committee is led by Dr Barbara Ozarska, from the School of Resource Management, Institute of Land and Food Resources, University of Melbourne. Dr Ozarska is highly qualified, with specific expertise in furniture design and the use of veneers. An inquiry that requires testing, detailed investigation and a written report can be carried out on a fee-forservice basis. The cost of the inquiry will depend on the time involved, as well as any laboratory material and equipment used in the investigation.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Location, product choice and fixing method – all go hand in hand Are all products suitable for installation in all locations? David Hayward, ATFA Technical Manager, looks into this interesting question and outlines aspects that need to be considered to achieve floor performance.
I
T HAS often been said that if you use the right product in the right place then you won’t have a problem and when it comes to timber flooring products this is certainly true, however, the other aspect in the equation is correct and appropriate installation procedure. Frequently we see floors that are not performing as expected. This occurs with solid timber floors, engineered product and products such as bamboo. The question that is often asked .... what went wrong? Well, there are three factors involved -- the product, the location and the method of installation and each of these needs to be carefully assessed. When considering the product it must be realised that all flooring products are susceptible to moisture uptake and loss depending on the environment. When this occurs a change in dimensions will also occur and as such it is necessary to understand that this affects different products differently. Irrespective of the product used, provision for expansion is required with each and failure to provide the required allowance will result in problems. The reason that engineered products are laminated is to improve dimensional stability, however, there are still small changes in both width and length that do occur and must be accommodated. Specific engineered products differ markedly in both construction and moisture content and under high humidity conditions, movement and performance will also differ. Simply, if you are installing products of different types then don’t assume that one product will have the same requirements as another. Read the instructions whether these be industry-based or recommendations specific to the product, and follow them. The second aspect to consider is location. So often we see products of all types performing well in a
n Buckled particleboard subfloor in a high humidity environment
particular area or location. All is going fine...... and then the product is used is a different location – facing the sea, in the tropics, in a bush clad shady gully etc. In some instances the conditions in these localities may exceed the recommended in-service environment for the product and this can be contributed to if the flooring is laid part way through project construction, prior to wet trades being completed (A practice that occurs but not recommended). Again, when a product is being considered for a specific job, particularly in moist localities, be aware of product suitability aspects that may be gleaned from the supplier and any installation instructions and product guarantees. The final area to consider is the installation method itself. In moist locations the boards are often going to want to move more than in drier environments and this is going to a result in greater expansion and more pressure on the fixing system. This applies equally to engineered product and solid flooring (including pre-finished and bamboo). Aspects including the manufactured moisture content and method of fixing are of prime importance. You need to
Consumers changing industry landscape By Eric Siegers Executive Officer Timber Merchants Association I’VE READ a number of reports recently that demonstrate the dramatic shift in the way consumers are changing the industry landscape. From AT Kearney to McKinsey indicate that while it is true more people are purchasing on line for a variety of items their research is clearly demonstrating that people still want to have the showroom experience, and get information face-to-face for products deemed to be of high importance. Homes and cars tend to fall into this category. These product categories highlight that while research on line is important, understanding friends’ experiences has become vital. In fact word of mouth continues to be the number one source of information. That said consumer expectations of convenience are only increasing as they acquire more and more information online that leads the consumer to believe they can get the product they want in the time frame they need. The explosion of smartphone driven shopping, the advent of show-rooming (consumers that browse stores and buy from the cheapest source) only underscores the situation many in the retail sector of the timber industry face. Many of today’s supply chains are simply not set up to handle the demand for speed and convenience in a cost effective manner, and the timber and hardware sector are creaking under the strain of the new multi-channel world. This dynamic state of affairs means that for companies to survive they must view things from the customer viewpoint and no longer from a product supply stance. This is radical thinking in an industry that has always focused on the supply from the forest and the availability of resource. So, this situation requires new thinking and a true paradigm shift. Collaboration is the key
n David Hayward
consider that the swelling force may exceed the fixing strength if possible expansion is not appropriately accommodated. Therefore, in essence it is necessary to consider specific products on their merits, be aware of possible limitations to product performance associated with locality and if satisfied with these aspects ensure that the method of installation and fixing is appropriate.
Longevity inspires anniversary celebrations TIMBERLINK AUSTRALIA celebrated its first anniversary on 1 February and continued the celebrations throughout the month recognizing and thanking key partners and stakeholders including employees, customers, suppliers and the regional communities who have been a part of the company for not only the first year of trading but over many years through different ownerships. The longevity of their customers deserve to be recognised, as some have reached and are well over their 100th year in business, while many others have also proven themselves with the test of time at 20 years plus. “In deciding how to recognise and reflect on our first year of business as Timberlink Australia, it was important for us to feel proud as employees working for a significant Australian manufacturing business but also to recognise the longevity of the customer businesses in various industry segments that we partner with,” said Ian Tyson,
19 - April 2014, TIMBERMAN
Timberlink’s CEO. Though Timberlink is celebrating its first anniversary, it has been quite a significant first year for the business, including rebranding the newlyacquired business back in early 2013 while maintaining and growing employment for more than 400 personnel, many of whom have decades of experience in their fields – saw doctors, specialty trades, supply chain, sawmill optimisation, and timber sales and customer service. Also announced during their first year of business was significant ongoing investment at the manufacturing sites of Tarpeena and Bell Bay to remain internationally competitive and improve the resilience of the business to perform throughout the cycle. In particular the Tarpeena Sawmill has now started a $20 million upgrade to be completed over the next three years, assisted by a $7.8m grant funded by the South East Forest Partnership Program.
This is where an association such as TMA is truly able to help its members and industry. The collaborative nature of an association means that we are able to help address many of the challenges presented to individual companies in a cost effective and timely manner. For instance the TMA is working on making certain there is: • a solid understanding of market shifts through collaborative research, • Providing access to energy and fuel deals that assist in retaining competitiveness on costs. • Industrial relations work to ensure that representation is appropriate to the sector – given the latest news from the Government this will become an imperative for businesses as enterprise agreements are again revisited. • workers compensation advice line so as to ensure that premiums are not affected • reviews of OH&S practices so that worker safety and work place practices are monitored and corrected in advance, • A showroom to monitor consumer tastes and trends, and ensure the industry message is managed as early as possible in the sales cycle. • Staying on top of digital developments such as Reno exchange and Timber Smart • Advisory to connect with the market place that we are an industry that can provide accurate and real time solutions. Obviously the TMA is working hard to provide these services and will continue to do so, however, at the core of any association is the need to be able to work collaboratively so that the business environment is supported by Government, industry and now the whole supply chain. In a multi-channel world there is more reason to be part of a cooperative so that we all grow by understanding the dynamic environment in which we operate, and then tailor our individual businesses according to the way we can build our unique response to it.
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