Features Archive

Archive of features from the global wood industry

Features By Date

January 2024

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Dieffenbacher powers up
22 January 2024 The acquisition of the assets of BERTSCHenergy has supercharged Dieffenbacher’s capabilities in the energy generation technology field. Stephen Powney spoke to Wolfgang Lashofer, managing director of Dieffenbacher Energy, and head of the new business unit Energy, and Johannes Ohlsson, head of the Dieffenbacher product group solid fuel fired power plants

Boosting recycling
22 January 2024 Swiss Krono’s Sully-sur-Loire has been the subject of extensive modernisation in recent years. Dieffenbacher has helped the company optimise and expand its wood recycling line

Harnessing the power of spectroscopy
22 January 2024 Dr Morwenna Spear FIMMM, of the BioComposites Centre, examines the use of FTIR spectroscopy to identify glues, binders and coatings used in panel products

Milestone year ends in style
22 January 2024 Dieffenbacher’s milestone 150th anniversary year finally culminated at the end of November with an event in Finland, topping off 12 months of celebration around the globe with its staff, partners and customers

New partnership adds value to OSB
22 January 2024 UK wood panels processor Trade Fabrication Systems (TFS) has been acquired by US-based chemicals producer Arclin in a move which will see benefits for both parties. Stephen Powney spoke to TFS father-and-son leadership team Howard and Adam Morris

Global PB capacity grows
22 January 2024 Panels markets have cooled greatly post-Covid, but while there may be uncertainty in key economies around the world, particleboard production capacity is still nudging up with a number of ongoing projects being delivered. Stephen Powney reports

Vyncke builds global brand
22 January 2024 Vyncke has been in the energy generation business since the 1920s. Stephen Powney spoke to Vyncke chief sales and marketing officer Jeff Mestdagh about the company’s recent developments, projects and the current market situation

Zero emission board ambitions
22 January 2024 Emulco has created AquaVeg bio-wax emulsions for wood panels suitable for eco-building. The product used in tandem with bio resins offers a route to zero emission wood-based panels using natural, environmentally-friendly ingredients. Stephen Powney reports

Italian panels sector hopes for 2024 boost
22 January 2024 Italian wood-based panel producers, like most European manufacturers, have faced their fair share of challenges over the past two years, but is the future looking potentially brighter as we head into 2024? WBPI correspondent Eugene Gerden reports

Boosting energy independence
22 January 2024 Germany-based INTEC Engineering GmbH has a long background and expertise in energy systems. Stephen Powney spoke to INTEC sales director Christian Daniel about its progress and the energy sector in general

November 2023

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Making the nucleus dance with NMR
28 November 2023 Carlo Kupfernagel, a PhD student at the BioComposites Centre at Bangor University in Wales, explains NMR spectroscopy

IMAL PAL Group Opens New Lab
27 November 2023 For our Part 2 Focus on Italy report, we interview IMAL PAL Group – the wood-based panels technology supplier based in Modena. Stephen Powney spoke to group managing director Loris Zanasi

Ireland bound
27 November 2023 Geoff Rhodes, independent consultant and former long-serving marketing and sales director at MEDITE looks back 40 years to Medford Corporation’s multi-million dollar investment in the Clonmel factory

Markets See Downward Swing
27 November 2023 Reduced demand and a generally difficult market situation has added pressure for manufacturers of particleboard. Stephen Powney looks at markets and mill investments in this Part One Focus on Particleboard report, looking at Europe and North America

Proactive customer service
27 November 2023 Wood-based panels production technology manufacturer Dieffenbacher has now had an operational presence in the US for 11 years. The company provides this update on the development of its US subsidiary.

Pagnoni Celebrates 175th Year
27 November 2023 Pagnoni has been a leading light in the world of HPL, short-cycle and compact presses for the value-added panel product industry. Stephen Powney interviews director Michele Pagnoni about the company’s developments and his view on markets.

IPPS innovation focus
27 November 2023 The International Panel Products Symposium (IPPS) in Wales covers a wide field of research papers involving wood composites. This year’s event, attended by WBPI’s Stephen Powney, saw wood scientists from across the world share their latest findings.

Becoming circular with recover
27 November 2023 Unilin Panels is finding ways to bring waste wood back into the loop through its wood takeback programme, Recover.

Evo evolution
27 November 2023 The new generation of Biele’s EVO handling system focuses on energy savings.

US Market Movements
27 November 2023 High interest rates have been a factor weighing on the US housing market, a key sector for the North American wood-based panels industry. But despite challenges, economic forecasters predict a soft landing for the US economy. Stephen Powney reports