Polymer Solutions Group Acquires Michelman’s Wood Release Agent Product Line

by | Aug 23, 2017 | News

A Polymer Solutions Group (PSG) company, Sasco Chemical, announced that it has acquired the wood release agent product line of Michelman, Inc., a supplier of release agents to the engineered wood market.

PSG is a manufacturer of specialty polymers and additives for the rubber, wood, consumer, construction, and medical industries. Michelman is a global developer and manufacturer of environmentally friendly advanced materials with surface additives and polymeric binders.

In 2015, Sasco opened a release agent production facility in Albany, Georgia and has expanded its business in the wood release agents market over the past several years by leveraging its core competencies around anti-tack products primarily sold into the rubber industry.

“The acquisition of Michelman’s Michem wood release agents will advance PSG’s strategic goal of growing its product portfolio of functional materials for the construction industry,” said Mike Ivany, president and CEO of PSG. “Specifically, this solidifies PSG and Sasco as a dedicated supplier to the engineered wood market and provides a platform to expand PSG’s presence into other technical and geographical areas.”

To ensure a smooth transition, Michelman will continue to manufacture the acquired products for PSG while the production capacity is increased at its production facilities. Over the next few months, Sasco’s wood products and the newly acquired products from Michelman will be integrated into PSG’s functional materials business segment and will be sold under PSG’s existing brand name, TechKote.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/polymer-solutions-group-acquires-michelmans-wood-release-agent

Eco-Friendly ‘Plyscrapers’ Are On The Rise

by | Aug 21, 2017 | News

Ever since the 10-story Home Insurance Building in Chicago was called the first “skyscraper” in 1885, architects have been striving to create ever-taller buildings. Ten stories quickly became 20, 20 became 50, and on and on. In 2009 the Burj Khalifa in Dubai became the world’s tallest building, with its 154 floors towering above ground level.

So why is the mayor of Portland, Oregon, calling a modest 12-story tower set for completion there next year “a true technological and entrepreneurial achievement?” It’s not the affordable housing the building affords, nor its dozens of bike racks or even the roof farm that has Ted Wheeler gushing. It’s that the Framework apartment building will be made almost entirely of wood.

Once completed, Framework will be America’s tallest wooden building and its first “plyscraper” — a high-rise building built with panels made of cross-laminated timber (CLT). These modular sheets are made from cheap, sustainable softwood that are glued or pinned together in layers — a bit like super-strong, super-thick plywood.

While the raw material might vary in quality, CLT (also known as mass timber) is engineered to be stronger than concrete. CLT panels resist earthquakes and even fire, charring instead of catching alight like the lumber in typical homes.

Plyscrapers can be bolted together in days, and they require a fraction of the labor use to erect traditional steel-and-concrete high-rises. “You don’t need an experienced master carpenter to do this,” says Casey Malmquist, founder of Columbia Falls, Montana-based SmartLam, one of only two CLT manufacturers in the U.S. “It literally goes together like Legos.”

From NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/tech/eco-friendly-plyscrapers-are-rise-here-s-why-ncna793346

Maine Company Seeks To Produce Innovative Wood-Fiber Insulating Boards

by | Aug 18, 2017 | News

Maine’s glut of softwood fiber created by closed paper mills makes the state an ideal location for a factory that can produce insulation board from wood, a Belfast architectural and construction firm says, and it’s trying to find a European manufacturer that shares that vision.

GO Logic, which specializes in energy-efficient buildings, says it’s negotiating with undisclosed companies that make wood-based insulation board in Europe, where the product already is in commercial use. The goal is to have a plant operating here within two years.

Two of GO Logic’s executives also attended an affordable housing conference Aug. 3 and 4 in Philadelphia. One of them, GO Logic co-founder Matt O’Malia, was an invited speaker and discussed the company’s efforts. They also planned to line up commitments from a retailer in the New York City area to carry the product, as well as some contractors and a prefab builder. That’s crucial to attracting financing.

GO Logic also has been in discussions with a Maine lumber company that could be a source of sawmill waste, as well as a family-owned lumber yard with nine stores in Maine’s midcoast.

Taken together, these actions are another example of how businesses are looking at Maine’s abandoned paper mill sites and surplus capacity in wood harvesting to create new opportunities. Other efforts involve biofuels, agriculture and electricity generation.

From the Portland Press Herald: https://www.pressherald.com/2017/08/17/company-works-multiple-angles-to-produce-innovative-insulating-boards-in-maine/

Timber Structures Worldwide Show Potential Of Wood Construction

by | Aug 14, 2017 | News

Roofs made from wood are one or the rarest roof types to find around these days, as concrete slab and shingles take over, according to Choice Solutions Roofing and Exteriors Co. In Oklahoma City.

Wood is not seen as strong as some other materials when it comes to construction, but in general well-maintained roofs made of wood can have a lifespan that ranges from 30 to 50 years. Having a wooden structure on top of a house has several good qualities, and it can look great. Here are some examples of wooden structures which are not the average roof that will provide an idea of how unique and marvelous structure topped off with wood can become.

The Centre Pompidou Metz has a hexagonal pattern of a load-bearing timber roof structure which is visible at night through its transparent covering membrane. It is interesting to know that the inspiration of the roof comes from a woven Chinese hat. Before this one-of-a-kind structure was created, it was studied from every angle to ensure that it would withhold heavy weather conditions. This woven like structure roof is made out of wooden beams, spaced 2.90 meters apart, forming a hexagon pattern that is 90 meters wide.

The timber used is glue laminated which enables the different lengths of the beams and makes them more resistant. It is without a doubt an astounding structure due to its complex curves and counter curves and therefore it is one of the most challenging and largest structure built up to date.

The mesh can allow the roof to expand 40 meters, made from protective fabric which consists of fiberglass and Teflon, forming a membrane over the wooden structure. This layer helps the inside temperature to stay natural. This building was created for displaying art and the goal behind the innovative structure was to draw tourism to Metz, France.

Read more on this from Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/architectural-products/timber-structures-show-potential-wood-construction?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news

PELICE 2018 Will Focus On New Projects

PELICE 2018 Will Focus On New Projects

by | Aug 9, 2017 | News

PELICE 2018 Will Focus On New Projects

Organizers of the sixth Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE) announced the first wave of exhibitor sponsors for the event to be held April 13-14, 2018 again in the Grand Ballroom North of the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

The 2016 PELICE set a record attendance of 450 industry professionals, including representatives from 32 wood products producer companies. They heard 50 presentations on new project development, production technologies, industry issues and forecasts.

PELICE, which is hosted by Panel World magazine, covers the veneer, plywood, OSB, MDF, particleboard and engineered wood products sectors. The 2016 event was supported by 80 equipment and technology exhibitor sponsors.

PELICE exhibitor sponsorships include Gold, Silver and Bronze packages.

The early Gold sponsors for 2018 include B&W MEGTEC, Hexion, Sandvik, Sigma Thermal-TSI, Dieffenbacher and Siempelkamp.

First wave of Silver sponsors includes: Argos Solutions, Atlantic Combustion, Baumer Inspection, Biele, Con-Vey, Electronic Wood Systems, Georgia-Pacific Chemicals, Globe Machine, Grenzebach, IMA Schelling, IMAL-PAL, Meinan Machinery Works, MoistTech, Pallmann Industries, Player Design Inc., Process Combustion Corp., SUGIMAT, Timber Products Inspection, Westmill Industries and Willamette Valley Co.

Early Bronze sponsors are Automation Industries, CMA Engineering, Flamex, Georgia Forestry Commission, GreCon, Steinemann Technology and Wechsler Engineering.

The 2018 event will continue a theme that was begun at the 2016 conference—New Plant Development and Construction. Several speakers in 2016 addressed ongoing projects, all of which will have started up by this PELICE.

PELICE 2018 will also feature several speakers addressing ongoing new plant development.

“The attendees seem to enjoy hearing about projects that are in the course of construction, and the different considerations that a producer company encountered from project inception to this point in time,” comments Rich Donnell, Co-Chairman of PELICE and editor-in-chief of Panel World magazine. “In addition to these presentations, we hope to have some speakers bring up to date new projects that were addressed at the last PELICE and which have started up—the question being, did project evolvement and startup go as planned?”

The conference features eight keynote speakers over the course of two days, and then the conference breaks into three meeting rooms, with each room featuring a series of technical presentations on new machinery and equipment technology development.

“PELICE 2018 will be our sixth one, and it’s also a 10-year anniversary since the first one in spring 2008,” Donnell observes. “It’s been a heck of a ride for the wood products industry, and our event, during those 10 years. We greatly appreciate the support of those who participate.”

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FraserWood Innovates With High-End Wood Products

by | Aug 7, 2017 | News

Just off the winding Sea to Sky Highway running along the coast from Vancouver to Whistler, B.C., the unique wooden architecture of the Squamish Adventure Centre beckons tourists to stop in.

The building is almost entirely made of wood. The timber roof is shaped like two massive discs jutting out of the center of the structure almost like wings, separating the building into two sections.

The company behind the eye-catching structure is Squamish’s own FraserWood Industries. FraserWood opened its doors to Canadian Forest Industries in early April to show us how they turn cants into strong and beautiful custom timber products at their facility in Squamish, B.C.

The company has been in operation since 1998 when owner Peter Dickson purchased a radio frequency (RF) kiln from his former employer, Canfor. Today the company not only operates two RF kilns to dry massive timbers, but has expanded into custom planing and re-sawing, joinery and CNC milling and glulam.

The bulk of FraserWood’s customers are timber framers, but they also sell to building supply centers and log home builders. With a staff of more than 30 including scientists, engineers and R&D specialists, last year was the most productive in the company’s history, with more than 1.5 million bdft of high-value timber passing through the facility.

From Wood Business: https://www.woodbusiness.ca/sawmilling/mills/fraserwood-innovates-with-high-end-timber-products-4387