Flakeboard has installed a particleboard laminator at its Duraflake Particleboard Plant in Albany, Oregon, preparing the company to grow market share and be ready for the recovery when it happens, according to the plant’s manager.
The equipment laminates various sizes of particleboard and can already produce up to 3,000 finished pieces a day, reports the Albany Democrat-Herald.
Currently the line is being operated on one shift, but plant manager David Leding said shifts could be added, increasing the number of workers to 41.
The computer-controlled 5x20ft press can laminate particleboard on either one or both sides, reaching temperatures of 968 degrees Celsius. The finished product is used for cabinets, furniture and shelving.
Mr Leding said the upgrade had cost several million dollars and would add 11 jobs.
