The largest particleboard plant in North America takes shape

16 March 2017

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Close to the famous Great Lakes and the border between the US and Canada, Chile-based Arauco is investing in the construction of a particleboard plant with a planned capacity of 800,000m³/year in Grayling, Michigan.

For the first time, the company is purchasing a complete plant from Dieffenbacher.

The initial decision for the two companies to work together came in January 2016, followed by a phase of detailed engineering and concluding with the signing of supply contracts at the end of 2016.

The highlights of the scope of supply are Dieffenbacher’s EVOjet P gluing system, which uses up to 15% less glue; and the continuous CPS+ press, which, at 10ft wide and 52.5m long, will be one of the largest particleboard presses in the world.

"Arauco always exercises prudence when it comes to committing to new development. Therefore, we are all the more pleased with the confidence that Arauco has shown in us with its decision to choose the CPS+," says Bernd Bielfeldt, head of the Wood Business Unit at Dieffenbacher.  

The contract also includes dosing silos for the chips, a glue mixing station, forming stations and the forming line; as well as the raw board handling system, the sanding line and the Lukki bearing system ­­– which Arauco has already had good experiences with at its other sites.

The new production site in Grayling will manufacture particleboards with a thickness of 6–40mm, intended almost exclusively for furniture production.

Caption

Sealing the deal: management personnel from Arauco and Dieffenbacher