an nz history story Laminex New Zealand Taupo plant installed to sand both PB2 and PB3 board and the drum debarker was installed in the logyard at a total cost of $4.8 million. The plant produced its first board on the 17th of December 1974 with an annual output of 50,000 m3.
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he Laminex New Zealand Taupo plant has produced a variety of particle board and MDF board products since the site was first commissioned in 1968. Today, the site produces a fine surface medium density particle board known as Superfine; this plant was first commissioned in 1974. It employs 34 people, and produces approximately 50,000m³ of board per annum in a range of thicknesses from 9mm to 35mm. Approximately 85% of all production goes into the New Zealand market with the remaining exported to Australia.
Rhesa Goldsbury, Plant & Engineering Manager, Taupo Plant.
• History • 1942 Fletcher Holdings Ltd, original parent company of what is today Fletcher Wood Panels, began manufacturing plywood for the New Zealand market. • 1968 beginning of Taupo site as Fletcher Holdings subsidiary company Fletcher Timber Company, later to become Fletcher Wood Panels. • Build particle board plant (PB2) in Taupo to utilise timber from its Tauhara forests. • 1973 builds thin particle board plant (Bison) at Taupo. • 1974 builds thick particle board plant (PB3) on the Taupo site. • 1977 name changed to F l e t c h e r Wo o d P a n e l s Limited. • 1984 first MDF plant started at Taupo site. • 1985 commissioning of MDF plant. • 1986 first export orders to Japan. • 1993 NSL (New Standard Lakepine) gave the plant the capacity to use sawdust as a part replacement of hack chip. ISO9002 certification achieved. • 1996 Thin particle board plant (Bison) closes. • 1999 EO MDF released to market.
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2000 Wood panels Runner up National training company of the year. Upgraded to ISO 9001 certification. 2001 Wood panels Champion training company of the year. Separate refining lines for chip and sawdust for MDF plant. 2003 Fletcher Wood Panels Sustainable Business Award 2003. Lakepine MDF is now exported to Australia, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Korea, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands. F4S (Super EO) MDF released to market.
The Beginning In 1953 the Plyco Products Division of the Fletcher Timber Company Limited began to examine the economics and practicality of particleboard manufacture. The first manufacture of particleboard in New Zealand, as far as can be determined, was in the Fletcher's Plywood laboratory in Christchurch on an experimental basis by Pat Craighead. New Zealand's first commercial particleboard plant (PB1) was built in Christchurch in1957. The plant had a multi-daylight press 2400 x 1200mm designed to manufacture medium density particleboard. The company decided to build a second particleboard plant (PB2) in Taupo to utilise suitable timber from its Tauhara forests in 1967
adjacent to the company's recently built sawmill. Construction started in May 1968 and the plant made its first board in May 1969. This plant had a six daylight Dieffenbacher press 3600 x 1800mm and a thickness of 9 to 32mm and was built for a cost of $2 million. The plant went onto continuous operation in November 1969. The following year the plant's output was increased by 66% with the addition of two driers, a flaker and a forming head. The annual output from this plant was 50,000m3. Bison In 1972 the company took the decision to enter the thin particleboard market with the building of BM1 (Bison Mende 1) plant. This plant had a roll press which made a board 2100mm wide and to any length the customer required. Thickness range of 2.5mm to 8.2mm and was built for a cost of $2.8 million. Annual output from this plant was 39,000 m3. PB3 In 1974 the company took the decision to increase the output of thick particleboard from the Taupo site which led to the building of PB3. This plant had a single daylight press and made a 7500 x 2400mm board in a thickness range of 9 to 33mm. At the same time this plant was being built, a four-head Bison sander was
MDF In 1984 the building of the company's first MDF plant started. This was to be the largest plant on site having an annual output of 110,000 m3. The plant made its first board on the 25th of September 1985. Two years later output was increased up to 165,000 m3 by the installation of a further refiner, dryer, furnace and forming head. NSL In 1993 project NSL (New Standard Lakepine) was commenced which incorporated series refining, right at the leading edge of technology. The major part of the project was the installation of two new Hymac 60 inch refiners, sawdust processing equipment and new fully enclosed surge bins. The project gave the plant the ability to use sawdust as a part replacement, instead of the more costly hack chip. Product development and certifications From 1998-2003 the site went through a period of intensive product development. During this time, the thickness range of Lakepine was extended to 40mm, and E0, Armour, Colorati, Armour Black, and F4S (Super E0) were among the new products released to market. During 2004-2005, the site achieved certification to JISmark for its MDF, ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), A u s t r a l i a n Wo o d P a n e l s Association (AWPA) Product Certification Scheme (accredited by JAS-ANZ), and also upgraded its ISO 9001 certification to the year 2000 version.
JOINERS Magazine December 2013 page 59