How is it made?
Chipping:
The raw material (forest thinnings, sawmill byproducts, etc.) is chipped.
Reduction to fibres:
The chips are softened by pre-heating in low-pressure steam and then fed by Archimedean screw between segmented grinding discs, one of which rotates at great speed.
Resin application:
Adhesive, usually urea formaldehyde, and wax emulsion are applied to the fibre within the inlet pipe to the drying tube.
Drying / storage:
Drying of the fibre/adhesive mix is performed in a long drying tube (blowline). The dry fibre is stored in silos to await further processing.
Mat forming:
A mattress is dry-formed on caul plates. This is gradually compressed by steel belts. For thick boards, more than one mat may be piled on another.
Pressing:
The dry mattress is pre-pressed to consolidate it and then cut and formed to press sizes, finally to be cured with heat and pressure in a multi-daylight or a continuous press.
Trimming and sanding:
After cooling, each panel is trimmed and sanded to precise dimensions.
