Panels & Furniture Asia May/June 2020

MICA (P) No: 079/05/2019 • ISSN: 0219-5704 • KDN: PPS 1453/11/2012(022879) • www.panelsfurnitureasia.com • MAY/JUNE 2020

Contents 

May / June 2020 • Issue 3 • Panels & Furniture Asia 

6 | EDITOR’S NOTE 

8 | NEWS 

MARKET REPORT 

18 | Supply Shocks. Demand Shocks. Aftershocks 

ENVIRONMENT REPORT 

20 | Turning the Tables: Choosing responsibly sourced 

timber to make your furniture 

IN PERSON 

24 | Global Timber: In constant pursuit of the next level 

PANELS MANUFACTURING 

30 | Highest capacity particleboard cutting plant in 

Southeast Asia 

32 | Jiangsu Baolong successfully installs first debarking 

line for OSB production in Thailand 

34 | IPCO enhances in-house training with QUICKBENCH 

36 | Stop manual patching, start upgrading veneer quality 

FLOORING 

38 | Therrawood: Bringing outdoor solutions from 

Turkey to Southeast Asia 

MATERIALS 

42 | Gabon Forest, a sustainably managed resource 

46 | Why Canadian Wood? A sustainable resource for 

emerging economies 

STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS 

48 | Fjorporten, a tower of lightness 

DESIGN 

52 | 466 Flow chairs add a touch of modern to 

historical school building 

54 | The Preservation Bench in American oak to make 

its India debut this summer 

SHOW PREVIEW 

56 | The highly-anticipated BIFA WOOD VIETNAM is back 

for its second edition 

COLUMNISTS 

59 | Wood Clinic: How to solve several issues with 

manufacturing louvered door 

64 | MMMA Newsletter: Between a forest and a 

piece of furniture: pandemic control or growth? 

64 | CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

67 | ADVERTISER’S LIST 

24 

38 

56

FROM THE EDITOR 

PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA 

HIU YAN | Editor 

The trees are 

still thriving 

Depending on which country you live 

in, you may still be staying home under 

some form of limited outdoor movement 

to flatten the curve, such as in Singapore 

or Malaysia; or you may be seeing the 

light in the tunnel as your country starts 

seeing single-digit of new cases, your 

government is easing lockdown and 

businesses are getting ready to reopen, 

such as in New Zealand and China. 

For the past few months, the COVID-19 

virus has taken the world by storm, morphing from an outbreak into a global 

pandemic. The economies of many countries have also since been falling into 

a dark abyss. 

PABLO SINGAPORE 

Publisher 

Associate Publisher 

Senior Editor 

Editor 

Business Development Manager 

Graphic Designer 

Circulation Manager 

William Pang 

williampang@pabloasia.com 

Pamela Buckley 

pamela@pabloasia.com 

Pang Yanrong 

yanrong@pabloasia.com 

Szeto Hiu Yan 

hiuyan@pabloasia.com 

YanJun Pang 

yanjun@pabloasia.com 

Edwin De Souza 

edwin@pabloasia.com 

Shu Ai Ling 

circulation@pabloasia.com 

“Authorities around the world are between a ‘rock and a hard place’: 

they need policies that both limit the spread of the coronavirus and allow 

their economies to open for business. The two demands are inherently 

incompatible, so neither one can be fulfilled,” writes Peter Fitch, founder 

of Segamat Panel Boards (Malaysia) and chairman of the Malaysian MDF 

Manufacturers Association (MMMA). Do read his insightful analysis of the 

current uncertainties and possible outcomes. (Pg.64) 

PABLO BEIJING 

General Manager 

PABLO SHANGHAI 

Editor 

Ellen Gao 

pablobeijing@163.com 

Sharon Wu 

pabloshanghai@163.net 

With manufacturing in China halted for weeks after the Lunar New Year’s 

holiday, Judd Johnson, managing editor of Hardwood Market Report discusses 

the impact of having at least one full manufacturing cycle lost during the 

shutdown. “This directly caused supply shocks that impacted essentially 

every aspect of human lives throughout the world, even if people were 

generally unaware of the risks from shortages,” Johnson cautioned. (Pg.18 ) 

On a lighter note, I would like to share with readers some success stories in 

the wood industry. 

Be inspired by Global Timber, the Danish wood trading company that 

constantly pushes boundaries through streamlining sales processes and 

placing their priority on providing clear communication to customers. The 

result? Business has been so good in 2019 that one of their challenges now is 

to keep pace with growth. (Pg. 24) 

In Thailand, Anthon saw the successful delivery and installation of its sanding 

and sawing line for Green River Panels, which started operation of its third 

production line in Trang – also its largest particleboard production line to 

date. (Pg. 30) 

As we clamber through each day, let’s take comfort in knowing that at least, 

the trees are continuing to flourish and thrive. 

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8 | NEWS 

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia 

NEW FOREST LAW TO CRACK DOWN ON ILLEGAL TIMBER IN CHINA 

CHINA’S government has implemented 

a new forest law that will take effect on 

1 July 2020, reported ITTO. 

Article 65 of the newly revised Forest Law 

clearly states that a timber processing 

enterprise shall establish an entry and 

storage account for raw materials and 

products. No unit or individual may 

purchase, process or transport trees of 

illicit origin, knowing that they have been 

cut or cut indiscriminately. 

This provision will provide a clearer 

legal basis to crack down on illegal 

timber purchasing, processing and 

transportation. It will also provide a 

clearer legal guide for timber processing 

enterprises to fulfill their duty of due 

diligence on timber legality. P 

OSHIKA DEVELOPED LIGNIN PHENOL ADHESIVE FOR PLYWOOD 

OSHIKA Corporation (Tokyo), 

adhesive manufacturer, has developed 

lignin phenol adhesive for plywood 

manufacturing. It has been testing this 

new adhesive at Niigata Gouhan Shinko 

and has acquired JAS certificate on 

January 7, 2020. 

Lignin is derived from wood and is an 

important component in the formation 

of cell walls in wood and bark. Softwood 

contains 25-30 per cent lignin while 

hardwood contains 20- 25 per cent 

lignin. When manufacturing paper and 

pulp, lignin is usually removed and used 

as fuel. However, since it plays a role in 

bonding fibres in wood with phenolic 

polymers, it is expected to be used as a 

renewable resource in adhesive materials. 

For the last 10 years, Oshika has been 

studying how to turn plant-originated 

materials into adhesive since corporations 

are now moving away from fossil fuelsderived 

materials and are racing to develop 

environmentally friendly materials. 

The lignin used by Oshika is procured 

from UPM Kymmene of Finland. Kymmene 

has been manufacturing resin from 

renewable materials like wood and owns 

a biorefinery business. 

Lignin is blended with phenol resin 

and reacts with formalin to make lignin 

phenol adhesive. Acquired JAS covers low 

formaldehyde structural plywood, termite 

treated structural plywood and standard 

plywood. P 

TELECOMMUTING IS BOOSTING OFFICE FURNITURE SALES 

WORKING from home in times of the 

coronavirus are contributing to the rise 

in sales of office supplies and furniture. 

supply manager at brand owner Inter IKEA 

Group, which is in charge of supply, in a 

report by Reuters. 

during the Olympics and Paralympics, in 

addition to a surge in tourists and new 

traffic regulations. 

In the U.S., some companies are offering 

employees a stipend to buy what they 

need to make the transition from office 

to home easier in during the current 

pandemic, reported Fox Business. 

E-commerce software company Shopify, 

which employs 5,000 people worldwide, 

is providing them with a $1,000 stipend to 

buy equipment such as office chairs, a new 

desk and lamps as they work from home 

until further notice. Music-streaming 

service Spotify, has allowed employees to 

spend $250 for a monitor and $250 for a 

chair or desk. 

IKEA: SALES OF OFFICE 

FURNITURE HOLDING UP 

Demand for office furniture is holding up 

as many people are working from home in 

the health crisis, said Henrik Elm, global 

"The sales pattern is changing. One 

area where we are selling pretty well 

compared to others is office furniture. 

People are working from home and they 

have identified needs in their homes for 

it," Elm said. 

Telecommuting trending in Japan ahead 

of the Olympics and coronavirus outbreak 

In another report by Nikkei Asian Review, 

the telecommuting trend may have 

arrived late in Japan, but is expected to 

gain momentum this year as the nation 

gets ready for the Tokyo Olympics. The 

coronavirus outbreak is also pushing 

employers to implement telecommuting. 

More employees will consider working 

from home in the months ahead as Greater 

Tokyo residents begin to dread the added 

crush of people on their peak-hour trains 

According to a Nikkei survey of some 

700 companies across Japan, the share 

of those taking up telecommuting 

programmes exceeded 50 per cent even 

back in 2019. The demand for office 

furniture among the country's increasing 

number of work-from-home employees 

is growing because most home furniture 

is not designed for long hours of work. 

Domestic office furniture makers are in 

turn adapting products for telecommuters. 

Osaka company Kokuyo sells a line of desk 

chairs with spring-loaded seats that can 

tilt in all directions as the user shifts. They 

are targeted at both private and business 

users. Kokuyo's sales of office chairs for 

personal use in 2019 were 150 per cent 

higher than those in 2015. P

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia NEWS | 9 

CHINA SEES RISE IN SAWNWOOD 

IMPORTS BUT NOT TROPICAL 

SAWNWOOD IN 2019 

ACCORDING to data from China’s Customs, China’s sawnwood 

imports in 2019 totalled 38.11 million cubic metres valued 

at US$8.591 billion, a year-on-year increase of 4 per cent in 

volume but a decline of 15 per cent in value. 

Of total sawnwood imports, sawn softwood imports rose 

15 per cent to 28.62 million m 3 accounting for 57 per cent of 

the national total, down 11 per cent on 2018. 

Sawn hardwood imports fell 19 per cent to 9.5 million m 3 

because China’s sawn hardwood imports from the top sources, 

Thailand and USA, fell 19 per cent and 44 per cent respectively. 

Of total sawn hardwood imports, tropical sawnwood imports 

were 6.05 million m 3 valued at US$2.126 billion, a y-o-y 

drop of 16 per cent in volume and 21 per cent in value and 

accounted for about 25 per cent of the national total, up 

5 per cent on 2018 levels. 

DECLINE IN THE AVERAGE PRICES FOR SAWNWOOD 

The average price for imported sawnwood in 2019 was 

US$225 per m 3 , a y-o-y decline of 18 per cent. 

The average price for imported sawn softwood was US$172 

per m 3 , down 14 per cent y-o-y. The average price for imported 

sawn hardwoods was US$386 per m 3 , a y-o-y decrease of 

11 per cent. 

The average price for imported tropical sawnwood was US$352 

per m 3 , down 5 per cent y-o-y. 

RISE IN RUSSIAN SAWN SOFTWOOD IMPORTS 

Russia was the main sawn softwood supplier to China in 2019 

and China’s sawn softwood imports from Russia rose 9 per cent 

to 17.03 million m 3 , accounting for 60 per cent of the national 

total, down 3 per cent y-o-y. 

In the meantime, China’s sawn softwood imports from 

Belarus, Germany, Sweden and Ukraine surged 393 per cent, 

349 per cent, 136 per cent and 101 per cent respectively, 

however, imports from the U.S. fell 34 per cent mainly due to 

the China-US trade conflict. 

Average prices for all sawn softwood suppliers fell at different 

rates. Average prices for imported sawn softwood from Sweden 

and Germany declined 65 per cent and 22 per cent respectively. 

SURGE IN SAWN HARDWOOD FROM CANADA 

In 2019, China’s sawn hardwood imports from the top sources 

declined and hardwood imports from Indonesia declined 

(44 per cent). However, China’s sawn hardwood imports from 

Canada surged 56 per cent to 170,000 m 3 while imports from 

the Philippines and Germany rose 18 per cent and 8 per cent 

respectively. P

10 | NEWS 


PEFC EXTENDS TRANSITION PERIOD FOR 2020 STANDARDS 

TO support certified entities and 

certification bodies during the COVID-19 

challenge, Programme for the Endorsement 

of Forest Certification (PEFC) has extended 

the transition period for its three revised 

international standards by six months. 

This extension applies to the 2020 

versions of the Chain of Custody (ST 

2002), PEFC Trademarks (ST 2001) and 

Certification Body Requirements - Chain 

of Custody (ST 2003) standards. The 

transition date is now 14 February 2022. 

This extension gives certified entities and 

certification and accreditation bodies 

an additional six months to align their 

procedures with the requirements in 

the 2020 versions of these three vital 

standards. The aim of the extension is to 

give PEFC stakeholders more flexibility in 

when they move to the 2020 standards. 

In addition to this extension, PEFC has also 

provided guidance to certified entities and 

certification bodies regarding auditing. The 

document provides general procedures 

for the application of this guidance, as 

well as specific rules for initial and recertification 

audits, surveillance audits 

and verification of corrective actions. 

PEFC is the world's largest forest 

certification system. P 

INDONESIA’S CIVIL SOCIETY EXPRESSES DISMAY AT 

RELAXATION OF THE V-LEGAL REQUIREMENT 

SEVERAL civil society groups have 

expressed dismay at the relaxation of 

the V-legal requirement saying this 

undermines Indonesia's credibility in 

international markets. They say since 

it has adopted the SVLK and V-legal 

system, increase in trade could be seen in 

Indonesian wood products, reported ITTO. 

In a press release, the Coordinating 

Ministry for Economic Affairs on March 13, 

2020 stated, the policy of removing V-legal 

document from export requirements 

documents was a non-fiscal stimulus in 

the context of handling Covid-19. The 

implication is that there will be a relaxation 

of export restrictions including those for 

the timber sector. 

According to Muhamad Kosar of the 

Forestry Independent Monitoring Network 

(JPIK), elimination of mandatory Vlegal 

document requirements for export 

products is a mistake because, in the 

long term, this will reduce the credibility 

of Indonesian wood products and make 

it difficult for the small-medium timber 

industry to establish direct business with 

international buyers. 

In related news, the Indonesian Civil 

Society Coalition has sent a letter to 

the President asking for the revocation 

of Trade Regulation No. 15 of 2020 as 

this change is considered detrimental to 

efforts of improving Indonesia's forest 

governance. P 

U.S. IMPOSED DUTIES ON CHINESE CABINET IMPORTS 

IN February this year, the U.S. Department 

of Commerce announced affirmative final 

determinations in the anti-dumping 

duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) 

investigations of wooden cabinets and 

vanities imported from China, reported 

ITTO. The petitioner in this case is the 

American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance. 

Commerce has determined that 

producers and/or exporters from China 

have sold wooden cabinets and vanities 

at less than fair value in the U.S. at rates 

ranging from 4.37 per cent to 262.18 

per cent. 

In addition, Commerce determined that 

producers and/or exporters from China 

received countervailing subsidies at rates 

ranging from 13.33 per cent to 293.45 

per cent. In 2018, imports of wooden 

cabinets and vanities from China were 

valued at an estimated $4.4 billion. 

The U.S. Department of Commerce has 

recently issued final duty determinations 

on Chinese imports of wooden cabinets 

and vanities. Anti-dumping and 

countervailing duties are as follows: 

• Dalian Meisen: 269.91% 

• Foremost: 122.1% 

• Ancientree: 13.33% 

• All others: 58.89%. 

This means that almost all Chinese 

manufacturers will now face a combined 

AD/CVD cash deposit rate of about 59 

per cent. 

In October 2019, preliminary 

anti-dumping duties ranging from 

4.49 per cent to 262.18 per cent, with 

most Chinese producers facing antidumping 

duties of 39.25 per cent, were 

imposed. 

These anti-dumping duties are in addition 

to earlier countervailing duties averaging 

16 per cent, which have been in effect 

since August 2019. As a result of this final 

decision, cash deposits will continue to 

be required on all wooden cabinets and 

vanities imported from China. P


HARDWOOD PLYWOOD, WOODEN CABINETS AND VANITIES 

FROM VIETNAM MAY BE INVESTIGATED BY U.S. FOR 

TRADE DEFENCE MEASURES 

HARDWOOD PLYWOOD, wooden cabinets 

and vanities exported to the U.S. are 

among the 12 products at risk of being 

investigated for trade defence measures, 

origin fraud or illegal conveyance, 

announced the Trade Remedies Authority 

of Vietnam, reported Viet Nam News. 

The rest of the list included mattresses, 

quartz surface products, seamless 

refined copper pipes and tubes, forged 

steel fittings, steel wheels, fabricated 

structural steel, steel propane cylinders 

and carton-closing staples exported 

to the U.S., tyres for buses and lorries 

to the EU and electric bicycles to 

both the U.S. and EU. 

VIETNAM EXPORT OF HARDWOOD 

PLYWOOD TO THE U.S. ROSE ALMOST 

TENFOLD IN THREE YEARS 

For hardwood plywood from Vietnam, 

the U.S. Department of Commerce may 

initiate trade defence investigation. 

From 2016 to 2019, China exports 

of hardwood plywood fell from 

US$1.1 billion to $215.6 million 

after being subject to anti-dumping and 

anti-subsidy duties by the U.S. In the 

same period, Vietnam’s exports to 

the U.S. rose almost tenfold from 

$33.4 million to $322.2 million. 

Vietnam’s exports of the remaining 

products to the U.S. and the EU also saw 

substantial increases while China exports 

of these products dropped when the U.S. 

and the EU’s imposed anti-dumping and 

anti-subsidy duties. 

The list was announced based on the 

tracing of exports of products which were 

subject to trade defence measures by the 

importing countries. P

12 | NEWS 


DIEFFENBACHER HELPS DEVELOP SIMULATION 

PLATFORM FOR SMART SERVICES 

AFTER-SALES, including process 

optimisation, training, maintenance, 

conversions and modernisations, is 

becoming increasingly important for 

DIEFFENBACHER and others throughout 

the industry. To maximise after-sales 

potential, DIEFFENBACHER and nine 

other German companies and institutes 

have joined forces to launch a research 

project called SEAMLESS (Simulationsupported 

assistance system-based 

engineering and maintenance solutions 

for lean after-sales services). 

The aim of the project is to develop and 

provide simulation tools on a cloud-based 

platform, allowing users to combine 

different simulators synergistically 

and use them for smart services. By 

networking various simulation systems 

with each other and production plants, 

companies can learn from real-time data, 

control processes automatically and make 

better decisions. 

One potential outcome from the research 

project is augmented reality assistance 

systems for use during service visits. 

Service technicians or customers could 

be provided technical support via data 

glasses or mobile devices, thus increasing 

the efficiency of service visits. Another 

example could be wear-based planning 

of service activities. By improving 

maintenance evaluations and predictions 

using simulation-supported condition 

monitoring, impending failures of critical 

plant components could be detected at 

an early stage and proactive service visits 

could be scheduled. 

SimPlan AG from Hanau is coordinating 

the research project. Project partners 

include DIEFFENBACHER, Actimage 

GmbH from Kehl, EKS InTec GmbH 

from Weingarten, EXAPT Systemtechnik 

GmbH based in Aachen, the Karlsruhe 

FZI Research Centre for Information 

Technology, Aachen-based Innolite 

GmbH, Seeburger AG from Bretten, the 

Chemnitz University of Technology and 

the RWTH Aachen University. 

DIEFFENBACHER and nine other German companies and institutes have joined forces to launch a 

research project called SEAMLESS 

SEAMLESS is funded by the German 

Federal Ministry of Education and 

Research in the funding area “Complex 

Products, Production Processes and 

Plants (Smart Services)” and is supervised 

by the project executing organisation 

Research Centre Karlsruhe. P 

HOMAG AND 3TEC AGREE ON STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP 

HOMAG Group AG and 3Tec automation 

GmbH & Co. KG have signed a cooperation 

agreement and intend to work closely 

together in future. The aim is to achieve 

optimum software integration of 

machines from different manufacturers. 

"It happens time and again that our 

machines and plants have to be linked with 

machines from other manufacturers", 

explains Wolfgang Augsten, Executive 

Vice President of the Homag Group. "This 

may be the case for a customer's existing 

machinery or for new projects. When it 

comes to this integration as part of a 

higher-level production control system, 

3Tec can provide us with effective support 

in order to achieve the best possible result 

for the customer". 

"It is precisely this know-how that we have 

built up over many years and have a great 

deal of experience in linking machines 

from different manufacturers in terms of 

production technology," emphasises Arno 

Sturm, Managing Partner of 3Tec. 

3Tec is a leader in the development 

of software solutions in the field of 

production control systems (MES). Using 

the latest software technologies, 3TEC 

continues to develop production control 

systems to optimise the automation 

processes of industrial production - 

especially in the kitchen and office 

furniture industry. P


DONGWHA BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF MDF MANUFACTURING 

PLANT IN HANOI 

KOREA'S leading wood materials 

manufacturer Dongwha Enterprise has 

begun construction of its production 

facility in Hanoi, Vietnam, reported The 

Korean Times. 

Located in Thai Nguyen province near 

Hanoi, the plant will manufacture mainly 

laminate flooring and medium-density 

fiberboard (MDF) used for furniture 

manufacturing. 

Dongwha Enterprise held a groundbreaking 

ceremony for its new facility on 

22 nd April. 

A total 180 billion won (US$0.15 mill) 

has been invested in the plant which 

covers 50,000 square metres. Besides 

production facilities, dormitory and 

education facilities for workers and their 

families will also be built. 

The manufacturing plants for laminate 

flooring and MDF are expected to be 

completed in April and August next 

year respectively. The targeted annual 

capacity is 370,000 cubic metres for 

MDF and 3.62 million m 2 for laminate floor. 

COLLABORATION WITH VIETNAM 

RUBBER GROUP 

The plant is also expected to produce 1.07 

million m 3 of MDF, in collaboration with 

VRG Dongwha in Ho Chi Minh City, a joint 

venture between Dongwha International 

and Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG). VRG is 

a state-own conglomerate and a leader 

in Vietnam's rubber plantation and 

processing industry in Binh Phuoc. With 

the new plant, Dongwha will establish 

its presence as a dominant player in 

Vietnam’s MDF manufacturing market. 

The construction business boom in 

northern Vietnam presents a good opportunity for 

Dongwha, with Hanoi carrying out a large-scale 

city development project in its northern area. 

General Manager Kim Myung-sik of Dongwha 

Vietnam said the distance between the southern 

part and the northern part of Vietnam is 1,700 

kilometres and VRG Dongwha had difficulties 

satisfying the market demands in the north. 

"Through the construction of our plant near 

Hanoi, we will take occupation of the MDF 

and laminate floor markets in the north while 

solidifying our status as a leading player in the 

wood board and construction material sectors 

here," said Kim Myung-sik, general manager of 

Dongwha Vietnam. 

Dongwha established a joint venture with VRG in 

2008, signifying its entrance into the Vietnamese 

MDF market. It currently has a 40 per cent share 

of the MDF market in southern Vietnam. P

14 | NEWS 


FIRST RUBBERWOOD-OSB-CONTIROLL ® FROM 

SIEMPELKAMP ACCEPTED BY VANACHAI 

ON March 14, a Siempelkamp plant for 

OSB at Vanachai in Surat Thani/Thailand 

– the first OSB plant in Southeast Asia 

– was accepted. The ContiRoll ® with 

dimensions of 4' x 48.7 m also sets the 

record of being the longest 4’-ContiRoll ® 

from Siempelkamp. This milestone 

stands for almost 40 years of business 

relations between Thailand’s leading 

panel manufacturer and Siempelkamp. 

The cooperation between the Vanachai 

Group and Siempelkamp started almost 

40 years ago; the first single-opening 

presses from Krefeld were installed at 

the Chachoengsao location in the early 

1980s. In Surat Thani alone, six woodbased 

panel plants for particleboard, 

MDF, and now OSB cover all performance 

facets. The Vanachai site in southern 

Thailand is considered a mega-site 

among the few plant locations of similar 

size - panel production in Surat Thani is 

around 2 million m³ per year. 

The new OSB plant, ordered by 

Siempelkamp in 2017, contributes 

700 m³ per day to the total output of 

the site, or 210,000 m³ per 

year. The plant complements 

Vanachai's production 

spectrum with OSB and 

sets new benchmarks in 

the Southeast Asian woodbased 

panel market, which 

has long been dominated 

by particleboard and 

MDF plants. This latest 

cooperation represents 

another important milestone 

in Southeast Asia through 

the first industrial use 

of rubberwood in the 

production of OSB boards. 

"With the new plant, we are 

setting ourselves ambitious 

goals for the wood-based panel 

production of the future. Our boards are 

produced highly efficiently and according 

to strict sustainability criteria, and 

our plants are state-of-the-art. In this 

respect, Siempelkamp, as a partner with 

many years of experience and strong 

innovative capabilities, is the right choice 

for an ambitious project like this one," 

Shaking hands after sealing the deal in 2017, Wanthana 

Jaroennawarat (right), Chairman of the Executive Board Vanachai, with 

Henning Gloede, Managing Director Siempelkamp Pte. Singapore 

says Wanthana Jaroennawarat, Chairman 

of the Executive Board at Vanachai. 

Marc Müller, Head of Commercial 

Sales at Siempelkamp, adds: "We are 

proud to play our part in such a futureoriented 

project of a visionary woodbased 

products manufacturer with this 

plant!” P 

CHINESE GOVERNMENT DECIDES ON NEXT MOVE FOR ITS 

FURNITURE INDUSTRY AFTER BUSINESSES RESUME 

AS reported by ITTO, China’s State 

Council Information Office has reported 

the situation in the manufacturing sector 

as follows: 

DECLINE IN BOTH INTERNATIONAL 

AND DOMESTIC DEMAND 

Since the epidemic situation in China 

has been effectively controlled in the 

early stage, the resumption of industrial 

production is still good, but with the 

current situation, international and 

domestic demand is declining, which 

has caused a huge impact on some 

export-oriented furniture enterprises. 

If this problem is not solved in time and 

effectively, these furniture enterprises 

may face the pressure of shutting down. 

At present, the measures taken are 

mainly to ensure supply stability. 

ESTABLISHMENT OF ONLINE 

FURNITURE FAIRS AND EXHIBITION 

Many orders are usually made at 

important furniture fairs and exhibition in 

March or April in the past. However, some 

important furniture fairs and exhibitions 

have been cancelled due to prevention 

and control. The Chinese government 

hopes to solve this problem through 

online furniture fairs and exhibitions. In 

this regard, it is actively making further 

exploration. 

FORMULATION OF SUPPORTING 

POLICIES 

Supporting policies can help to stabilise 

the domestic furniture enterprises. 

Right now, relevant departments are 

studying how to stabilise these furniture 

enterprises through stimulating demand 

on one hand while strengthening policy 

support, policy support, financial support 

on the other hand, in order to help 

furniture enterprises. The follow-up 

work will involve further strengthening 

policy research and ensuring furniture 

enterprises can get through the current 

difficult situation. P


SOUTH KOREA ANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY DECISION TO IMPOSE 

ANTI-DUMPING DUTY ON PLYWOOD IMPORTED FROM VIETNAM 

KOREA’S Ministry of Trade, Industry 

and Energy has made a preliminary 

decision to place anti-dumping 

duties on plywood products from 

Vietnam, and requested the Ministry 

of Economy and Finance to impose 

an anti-dumping duty of 9.18 percent 

to 10.65 percent on plywood coming 

from Vietnam, reported Business 

Korea on 17 th April. 

one month from its official request. 

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry 

and Energy, abnormal prices of plywood 

products imported from Vietnam has 

adversely impacted the domestic industry. 

The plywood products that will be investigated 

include those used as interior and exterior 

building materials, furniture, packaging 

boxes and interior goods. In 2018, the 

plywood market of South Korea was 

valued at approximately 900 billion won, 

with plywood from Vietnam accounting for 

about 45 percent of the market. 

The investigations will cover the period of 

2016 to the first half of 2019. P 

The Ministry of Economy and Finance 

is expected to make a decision within 

FSC INTRODUCES 

TRANSACTION 

VERIFICATION FOR 

ALL FORESTS IN 

CHINA 

FSC will introduce transaction 

verification for all forests in China in 

2020. This transaction verification will 

cover all FSC claims made between 

1 January and 31 December 2019. 

All FSC forest management certificate 

holders in China are required to 

participate. 

Affected certificate holders will 

receive a direct notification 

from their certification body by 

14 May 2020 with further details 

on requirements. The deadline for 

these certificate holders to submit 

requested transaction data is 

14 June 2020. 

Transaction verification is a process 

of comparing and then verifying all 

transactions within a specific product 

type, group or region that are claimed 

to be FSC certified over a given time 

period. FSC and its accreditation 

body ASI have been conducting 

transaction verification on supply 

chains with selected certificate 

holders since 2017. This action is a 

response to allegations of non-FSC 

certified products being inaccurately 

claimed as FSC certified. P

16 | NEWS 


MTC APPOINTS ACTING CEO AND NEW COO 

MTC has appointed Mr Wong Kah Cane as 

its Acting Chief Executive Officer effective 

13 March 2020. Mr. Wong, who joined 

MTC on 1 November 2019 as Deputy CEO, 

takes over from Mr. Richard Yu Tuan Chong 

upon the expiry of the latter’s contract. 

Mr. Wong, 52, who graduated with a 

degree in Business Administration 

from Universiti Utara Malaysia in 1992, 

started his career transforming SMEs 

into successful enterprises by bringing 

in experts for training programmes which 

centred on strategic management, quality 

control, sales and marketing. 

He is most noted for his contributions in 

Eu Yan Sang, a traditional Chinese 

medicine company. Mr. Wong joined Eu Yan 

Sang in 2000 as its Area Sales Manager 

and in 2006, he was appointed as General 

Manager of the company leading Eu Yan 

Sang’s business development, sales and 

marketing operations as well as branding. 

Mr. Wong left Eu Yan Sang as its Senior 

General Manager to take up the post of 

General Manager at Everpro Sdn Bhd 

in 2016 and in 2018, he joined Vistage 

Malaysia as its Business Coach providing 

training for CEOs. In August the same year, 

Mr. Wong was appointed as an Independent 

Member of MTC’s Board of Trustees. 

Mr Wong Kah Cane, 

MTC’s incoming Acting Chief Executive Officer 

MTC has also appointed Mr. Roger Chin 

Chew Choy as its new Chief Operations 

Officer effective 1 March 2020. Prior to 

joining MTC, Mr. Roger Chin was attached 

to Advance Information Marketing Berhad 

where he served as its Executive Director 

since January 2018. 

A Bachelor of Law graduate from the 

University of Wolverhampton, United 

Kingdom, Mr. Roger Chin, 54, brings with 

him more than 25 years of experience in the 

financial services sector with international 

banks specialising in consumer, corporate 

and Islamic banking. 

His career in the banking industry started 

in 1993 with Standard Chartered Bank in 

Mr. Roger Chin Chew Choy, 

MTC’s new Chief Operations Officer 

1993 which was seconded to its regional 

team in Singapore serving in various Asian 

countries including Indonesia, Philippines, 

India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. He had 

also held senior management positions 

in Citibank, GE Capital, Hong Leong Bank 

and Kuwait Finance House. 

“The appointment of Mr. Wong Kah 

Cane and Mr. Roger Chin is to further 

strengthen the management team of 

MTC,” said Chairman Dato’ Low Kian 

Chuan. He added that with their combined 

fields of expertise, Mr. Wong and 

Mr. Chin will be great assets to the timber 

industry and MTC, a council under the 

Ministry of Plantation Industries and 

Commodities. P 

FORESTRY ENTERPRISES BACK TO WORK EXCEPT IN HUBEI 

ACCORDING to the State Forestry and 

Grass Administration, domestic forestry 

and wood processing enterprises are 

resuming work especially the state 

forestry enterprises, reported ITTO. 

With the exception of Hubei Province, the 

rate of resumption of work in forestry 

enterprises nationwide had exceeded 

90 per cent by 22nd March 2020. 

However, the Chinese media has reported 

that many private employers are operating 

at a fraction of normal levels because 

employees have been unable to return 

from their home provinces. 

Even after the government started 

allowing some businesses to reopen, 

many provinces still have travel 

restrictions in place. 

The People's Daily newspaper reported 

in late March that most migrant workers 

had returned to work, however no official 

figures for possible job losses have been 

reported. 

A spokesperson from the State Forestry 

and Grass Administration said that 

forestry enterprises were seriously 

affected by the epidemic; production 

costs increased, earnings dropped and 

losses increased. 

According to a survey by the China Forest 

Industry Association, more than 78 per 

cent of forestry and timber enterprises 

were affected, 14 per cent seriously so 

and 8 per cent could not survive. 

Currently, forestry and timber enterprises 

are faced with practical difficulties such 

as a shortage of raw materials, tight 

liquidity, blocked import and export of 

products and slow domestic sales. P

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia ENVIRONMENT REPORT | 21 

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18 | MARKET REPORT 


Supply Shocks. 

Demand Shocks. 

Aftershocks. 

Far-reaching effects 

of COVID-19 on the U.S. 

hardwood trade 

By: Judd Johnson 

Managing Editor, 

Hardwood Market Report 

This article considers three problems: Supply shocks, 

demand shocks, and aftershocks. By no means are 

these problems unique to U.S. hardwoods, though U.S. 

hardwoods are certainly affected. 

Manufacturing in China stayed offline for weeks after the New 

Year’s holiday. Arguably, no less than one full manufacturing 

cycle was lost during the shutdown. This directly caused supply 

shocks that impacted essentially every aspect of human lives 

throughout the world, even if people were generally unaware 

of the risks from shortages. 

Over time, global inventories of Chinese-produced finished 

goods declined. Additionally, there were manufacturers located 

in other countries awaiting parts from their Chinese sources; 

many were forced to either cease operations until the parts 

arrived or find new suppliers. Both options have challenges. 

First, it is difficult to suspend manufacturing activity indefinitely. 

Second, it is not a good time to pursue new suppliers when 

supply shortages exist. 

The outbreak of Novel Coronavirus in China 

became widely known at a time in close 

succession with the Lunar New Year. Global 

supply chains were prepared for business 

closures that normally accompany the Chinese 

New Year holiday. But, supply chains were not 

prepared for what occurred thereafter – the 

world’s largest manufacturing hub would shut 

down for a protracted amount of time. 

While supply shocks were affecting markets downstream of 

manufacturing, shuttered manufacturing operations caused 

Chinese distributors and producers to limit purchases of U.S. 

hardwoods and other raw materials. By and large, U.S. hardwood 

logs and lumber were bought to support normal manufacturing 

activity that was scheduled to resume after the New Year holiday. 

DEMAND SHOCKS: FROM U.S. HARDWOOD SUPPLIERS 

TO CHINESE MANUFACTURERS 

Of course, manufacturing did not resume immediately following 

the holiday as originally expected. Even several months after 

the government lifted quarantines, reopened travel, and 

rebooted business activities, Chinese industrial output was 

not what it was previously, and it is not what U.S. hardwood 

suppliers had anticipated. In this sense, suppliers to the Chinese 

manufacturing sector experienced demand shocks that left them 

with fewer sales and less revenue than was planned. 

Now, Chinese manufacturers are also experiencing demand 

shocks. As production facilities are coming back online and 

gaining momentum, the rest of the world is sheltering in place 

as a precaution to limit the spread of COVID-19. And because 

Chinese manufacturers are experiencing or likely will experience 

pushback in product demand, there is a ceiling on how much 

industrial output can increase until consumer activity rebounds 

globally. This establishes a benchmark for U.S. hardwood lumber 

demand going forward.

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia MARKET REPORT | 19 

Since the purpose of any manufacturing 

company is to produce, it is reasonable 

to expect U.S. hardwood sawmills 

and lumber yards to increase output 

when reaching peak production season 

this summer. It is hard to dispute this 

defined business pattern. But in doing 

so, it is unreasonable to dismiss the 

severe effects on U.S. hardwood lumber 

processing capabilities caused by the 

U.S./China trade war. Yes, tariffs on U.S. 

hardwoods are suspended for the time 

being, but financial damage has been 

done to U.S. suppliers. 

LOW GRADE HARDWOOD AND 

LUMBER AND INDUSTRIAL 

TIMBER MOST AFFECTED 

U.S. hardwood log and lumber supplies 

were low this spring as a result of 

conditions previous to COVID-19. The 

ability for sawmills and lumber yards 

to increase production is limited by 

the lingering financial strains alluded 

to above, though now, production 

capabilities are damaged further by 

contraction in domestic U.S. markets 

caused by COVID-19. 

Affected most is U.S. domestic demand 

for low grade hardwood lumber and 

industrial timber products. Until recently, 

these markets carried U.S. hardwood 

companies through the businesses 

downturn with China over the past twentyplus 

months. But, without sufficient 

markets for inherent species and full 

range of qualities produced, it will be 

difficult for U.S. hardwood lumber output 

to increase. Effects on businesses caused 

by COVID-19 are unique circumstances 

never experienced by anyone in business 

today. However, the potential outcome 

for supply shortages is reminiscent 

of 2013. P 

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and market information for North 

American hardwoods. It has provided 

reliable, expert analysis of pricing 

and market trends to hardwood 

companies throughout the world 

since 1922. Sample copies and 

subscription services for Hardwood 

Market Report ® and all other HMR 

publications are available online at 

www.hmr.com.

20 | ENVIRONMENT REPORT 


TURNING THE TABLES: CHOOSING RESPONSIBLY 

SOURCED TIMBER TO MAKE YOUR FURNITURE 

Wood is making a comeback as the raw material of choice for architects and designers. Inside and out, 

buildings around the world are featuring the natural characteristics and embedded strength of timber. 

There has been more pressure on governments and the 

related industries to be responsible in the sourcing of 

wood and ensuring that production and supply chains are 

secure and sustainable. 

With 17 million hectares of forests certified, Asia is the fastest 

growing region in the world for PEFC. However, there’s a lot of 

room to grow responsible sourcing in countries like Singapore, 

Mr Gunneberg pointed out. 

As a big consumer of imported materials for buildings and 

furniture, Singapore is in an ideal position to become a centre of 

influence, committed to responsible procurement from the region’s 

forests and plantations. 

By incorporating it into private and public sector procurement 

policies, countries and companies can help to gather the pace 

required to move towards the United Nations’ 17 Sustainability 

Development Goals. 

This was the message from Ben Gunneberg, PEFC International 

CEO, who visited Singapore in September last year for the 

launch of new accreditation programme for PEFC’s Chain of 

Custody certification scheme, now recognised by the Singapore 

Accreditation Council (SAC) and managed by Enterprise Singapore. 

IMPACT OF RECOGNISING PEFC’S COC CERTIFICATION 

IN SINGAPORE 

This scheme will provide greater support to the industry to meet 

the Green Mark requirement for Mass Engineered Timber (MET) 

and for the timber to be sourced from sustainably managed forests, 

said Ms Lee Ham Eng, Deputy Director of Enterprise Singapore. 

It also facilitates recognition and acceptance of certified 

wood products from Singapore’s key trading partners, notably 

Indonesia, Malaysia and China, all of which have PEFC endorsed 

forest certification systems. 

PEFC also asserts that Chain of Custody certification programmes 

enables companies to meet legality issues and customer 

expectations, as well as introduce traceability solutions into the 

supply chain. 

SEA: MOST OPPORTUNITY IN CERTIFICATION OF 

WOOD FOR BUILDING AND FURNITURE 

It’s in the certification of wood for buildings and furniture where 

PEFC is seeing the most opportunity in Singapore and Southeast 

Asia. 

Mr Gunneberg points out that Singapore has already made its 

mark in the region by providing the expertise of one of its smart 

companies, Double Helix Tracking Technologies, to work with 

PEFC in Myanmar to help set up forest certification processes to 

meet stringent regulations for the export of Teak to the European 

Union and United States. 

The Local Tree Project by Roger & Sons is described as an 

“ethical furniture initiative”, as it salvages abandoned logs by 

making fine furniture and wooden objects out of them.

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22 | ENVIRONMENT REPORT 


He also drew attention to The Local Tree Project, an initiative by 

Singapore wood crafts company Roger & Sons and supported 

by National Parks Board, to turn discarded logs into fashionable 

furniture, which is very much aligned with the principles of PEFC’s 

Trees Outside Forests. 

By using already-felled trees that have been cut down for urban 

development instead of importing new raw materials, the project 

shows that good quality furniture can be made with not only 

imported wood but also local waste wood, and that local trees 

can have a useful afterlife. 

PEFC is currently in talks with the Singapore Furniture Industry 

Council (SFIC) to foster the introduction of responsible sourcing 

of timber for furniture designers and makers from the Southeast 

Asia region. 

It has initiated a proposed collaboration between Singapore 

and the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation 

(STIDC), as there are already a number of certified companies 

in Sarawak available to supply the furniture industry and the 

State has 635,000 hectares PEFC-certified under Sustainable 

Forest Management. 

MALAYSIA’S CERTIFIED TIMBER LEADERSHIP 

Already Malaysia is ahead of the game when it comes to the 

use and application of certified timber. The PEFC-supported 

National Governing Body in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian Timber 

Certification Council (MTCC), has been operating for 20 years. 

MTCC and PEFC both support the view that wood is the best 

environmental and sustainable choice. 

Believing in the crucial role of architects in specifying the use of 

wood in designing and constructing buildings, MTCC collaborated 

with a renowned architect, AR Azman Zainal and members of the 

Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM), to take advantage of 

“good wood” in built structures, providing benefits for the wellbeing 

of society and the environment. 

Sustainable manufacturing and responsible sourcing are at the 

centre of Malaysian firm One-Tech, that recently became the first 

manufacturer in Malaysia producing PEFC-certified homeware 

under its DAPO brand. 

Founded in 1993, One-Tech has been strongly advocating ‘green 

manufacturing’ and sustainable design since 2013, in a desire 

to be a more responsible producer. It has future ambitions to 

make Malaysia the Southeast Asian hub for sustainable timber 

products. 

The Malaysia corporation, Sam Ling, manufactures high quality 

home furniture. As today's consumers become increasingly 

conscious about how natural resources are being used, the 

company takes pride in providing assurance that its wood 

products come from well-managed forests, in accordance with 

an approved standard, specifically MTCC/PEFC. 

From basic to ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture for convenience, 

and also flat-packed collections, its furniture products are 

principally made for export markets, with major ones including 

Japan, United States, United Kingdom and Europe. 

VIETNAM’S FURNITURE INDUSTRY 

Vietnam is another ASEAN nation which is paying renewed 

attention to the value and importance of certified forestry, 

particularly since its furniture manufacturing and export industry 

are one of the top performers in Vietnam. 

PEFC has recently been working with Government and industry 

to institute a forest certification scheme and this was highlighted 

at the 2019 Vietnam International Furniture Fair (VIFF), which 

took place last November in Ho Chi Minh City. 

The event welcomed participants from the furniture sector, 

including manufacturers of wood-based panels, joinery products, 

furniture and flooring, as well as interior designers and architects. 

PEFC discussed with invited participants the important role of 

sustainably managed forests for the furniture sector. 

The DAPO range carries the 

MTCC and PEFC labels, and is 

helping to raise the profile and 

importance of using certified 

timber in national and ASEAN 

markets. In September 2019, 

One-Tech won the MTCC 

Sustainability Award for Product 

Innovation and Diversification.

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia ENVIRONMENT REPORT | 23 

In addition, PEFC and the Vietnam Forest Certification Office 

(VFCS) held a seminar on 'Market Demand and Availability of 

PEFC/VFCS Certification', discussing possibilities to increase both 

the market demand for and the availability of certified products. 

“The endorsement of our national system will promote 

sustainable forest management in Vietnam. Together with new 

agreements we have with the European Union, this will help to 

increase the competitiveness of Vietnamese wood products and 

expand access to international markets,” said Mr. Bui Chinh Nghia, 

Deputy Director of VFCS. 

its own particular characteristics, because it is unique in terms of 

its grain, colour and lines. 

Also, wood is a carbon neutral material and healthy forests are net 

producers of oxygen through photosynthesis, the carbon is stored 

in the wood for the life of the tree and in the products made from it. 

Additionally, natural wood products are among the most energyefficient 

to produce, while making products from steel, aluminium, 

glass, concrete, and brick can require up to 126 times more energy 

to manufacture. 

SO WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT WOOD? 

PEFC asserts that wood in buildings is healthy. It has a positive 

influence on the indoor climate and therefore on the well-being 

and health of the people who live or work in the building. Wood 

is an excellent heat and humidity regulator. Walls made of wood 

breathe; they control the humidity of the surroundings. 

Wood allows for creativity in design. Wood is strong, flexible and 

attractive, and easy to work, process and finish, making it ideally 

suited to creative and innovative designs. Every piece of wood has 

PEFC, for example, works with the World Architecture Festival 

(WAF), to offer the annual prize for the Best Use of Certified Timber. 

What’s more, PEFC certification assists in meeting regulatory 

requirements, such as the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR) 

and the US Lacey Act. By gaining PEFC certification, companies 

can sell their certified timber products and maintain access to 

these environmentally conscious and demanding markets. P 

(All images are credited to PEFC.) 

SINGAPORE CASE STUDY: 

VENTURING INTO CERTIFIED TIMBER BUILDINGS 

If Singapore can make more “responsible” progress with its 

furniture industry as it has with construction, it will be welcomed 

by PEFC and Government agencies alike. 

The ten-year-old Singapore Green Building Council and the 

Building Construction Authority (BCA) are seen amongst the 

leaders in the Asia region for adopting and maintaining the 

most advanced standards in the use of sustainable materials 

for buildings. 

Singapore has also seen renewed interest in the use of 

materials from certified forests for Mass Engineered Timber 

(MET) projects, with two major buildings under way, one at the 

Singapore Management University (SMU) and one at the Nanyang 

Technological University (NTU). 

One early pioneer in advocating the use of certified Chain of 

Custody timber is Kevin Hill and Venturer Timberwork. He has 

long been a user of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glulam 

Timber – from certified European sources – in a number of projects 

in Singapore and the region for some years. 

Venturer Timberwork is also proud to be the first Mass Timber 

Contractor to apply for PEFC Project Certification in Singapore. 

Kevin Hill believes the construction industry faces specific 

challenges when proving that the timber specified and supplied 

for individual construction projects is from certified sustainable 

sources. 

PEFC solved this challenge with Chain of Custody certification 

for specified projects, or ‘project certification’, a mechanism for 

gaining independent verification of the use of certified timber in 

a one-off project with a limited duration. 

Acknowledging the sustainable choices made within the 

construction industry is becoming increasingly important, 

as engineered wood such as CLT and glulam becomes more 

mainstream. With PEFC project certification, it’s now possible 

to clearly and reliably demonstrate the decision to build with 

responsibly-sourced sustainable timber. 

The entrance canopy at JTC Furniture Hub was the first job that Venturer 

shipped "break bulk", from Europe to Asia, without having to fit the CLT 

Components into a container. The long span and heavy load of the glass 

canopy made a single spanning component a necessary engineering 

feature for this mass timber construction in Singapore.

24 | IN PERSON 

Ma 

May / June 

2020, 0, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture re Asia 

Global Timber: 

In constant 

pursuit of the 

next level 

Global Timber opened its brand-new 

headquarters south of Aarhus, Denmark, 

in January this year 

(Image credit: Global Timber/ Studio55) 

By Szeto Hiu Yan 

To say that business 

has been brisk at 

Global Timber is an 

understatement. 

It is booming. 

Per Friis Knudsen, Global Timber’s Director Asia 

(Image credit: Global Timber/ Christian Berg)

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia IN PERSON | 25 

A 

few other signs of how well the 

company has been performing 

– the company has recently 

held the grand opening of its brand-new 

headquarters south of Aarhus, Denmark 

in January this year; its annual turnover 

in the Asian region alone was an eightdigit 

figure. 

Speaking to Per Friis Knudsen, Global 

Timber’s Director Asia, he mentioned that 

one of the challenges at Global Timber 

is “keeping pace with our own growth”. 

Founded in 2006, Danish-owned Global 

Timber is a prominent name in the 

global wood trading industry and is the 

largest stockist of hardwood in Northern 

Europe. Its large centralised warehouse 

in Denmark holds between 4000 to 5000 

cubic metres of hardwood belonging 

to more than 40 different species from 

35 countries and six continents at any time. 

When Knudsen joined Global Timber in 

2013, the company already found its 

niche in Malaysia’s and Indonesia’s wood 

flooring industry. 

“Back in 2013, Thailand was still a 

sleeping market and Vietnam was not 

explored. With these markets being where 

my strong networks lie, I gradually found 

the right people to work with us, turning 

the company into a significant player 

in those markets. We expanded quickly 

from 18 employees in 2013 to about 

35 in 2020,” recounted Knudsen. 

“Today, our best performing markets in 

Asia are Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand 

and Vietnam. We have also since ventured 

and established a strong presence in 

the furniture, doors, toys and moulding 

industries in these markets,” he added. 

Global Timber’s successful entrance into 

Southeast Asia can be largely attributed 

to Knudsen. A qualified furniture maker 

armed with expertise in the furniture 

manufacturing business, Knudsen 

Danish-owned Global Timber is the largest stockist of hardwood in Northern Europe and has a 

large warehouse in Denmark (Image credit: Global Timber/ Studio55) 

switched tracks to be a hardwood trader 

in 2009. A Danish native turned global 

citizen, he has lived and worked in the 

U.S. and Germany before heading to 

Southeast Asia in 1995. After working 

in Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, he 

eventually settled down back in Kuala 

Lumpur, Malaysia, with his wife and two 

daughters, where they have called home 

for the past 13 years. 

GREAT SERVICE: ADDING VALUE 

TO AN ALREADY EXCELLENT 

SUPPLY CHAIN 

Global Timber is well-known for its 

diverse selection of hardwood. Given that 

more than half of its business activities 

are global, with international sales 

constituting approximately 60 per cent 

of its total annual turnover, building an 

efficient logistics operation is paramount 

to the business and Global Timber has not 

only managed to achieve it, but bring it 

to the next level. 

“We tie the ends of the rope together. We 

link the sawmillers, or forest owners with 

their export markets and manufacturers 

to their source of imported material. A 

trading company needs to bring value 

to the chain by providing the service 

needed to link everything together. It is 

not only trying to have the lowest prices 

for the best quality available out there and 

then hoping we have earned money too,” 

explained Knudsen.



One way that Global Timber adds 

value to the supply chain is through 

their commitment in providing clear 

communication to customers. “In our 

office in Denmark sits a unique and 

very experienced international supply 

chain team that tie these ends together. 

The team consists of employees from 

Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Romania 

and Denmark. They speak most of the 

languages needed at both ends of the 

rope. They communicate with suppliers 

and customers to keep them updated on 

any movement happening in the field and 

any shipments on the go,” said Knudsen. 

“So we have people in most markets at 

all times. The sale staff are close to our 

customers and our procurement close 

to our suppliers.” Given any changes in 

product price or freight cost, or delays in 

shipments, customers will be informed 

promptly by staff speaking in their 

languages, if not English. “We can say 

that we are specialists in logistics on all 

continents,” said Knudsen with pride. 

NEW INNOVATIVE SALES TOOL: 

THE POWER BI 

Innovations like the use of Power BI, a 

sales tool developed by Global Timber, 

is another example of the company’s 

commitment in providing fast and easy 

access to information. 

“Power BI gives all our sales staff full 

access to most of our price lists anytime, 

anywhere. They can now have meetings 

with customers and use this tool together 

with the customer to show them the best 

possible specifications that our company 

can offer on most standard timbers. Not 

only are prices and specifications listed, 

but also photographs.” 

How has that helped its sales staff? “In 

the past, there was a lot of back and forth 

in communication before we could close a 

deal, now we only need to follow up with 

our customers on the upcoming shipment 

date. Our programmer has really done a 

great job to get our sales force up to a 

different level. We are now continuing to 

improve the interface of our software.” 

TRENDS IN WOOD MATERIALS 

Oak continues to be the bestselling 

species and the most popular wood 

materials for most wood products in 

recent years. 

“The bestselling species has to be Oak – 

American oak, European oak, White oak, 

Red oak. We even sell European oak to 

the U.S. and American oak to Europe,” 

Knudsen said half-jokingly. 

“African species also play a huge role in 

our success. Even though Africa is one of 

the more difficult areas in our business, we 

still managed to sell a very large volume 

to Asia,” he added. 

Currently, European species make up 

65 per cent of timber sold at Global 

Timber Asia, followed by American 

origin (20 per cent), African origin 

(15 per cent); 40 per cent of products sold 

are logs, with the rest being sawn timber. 

Knudsen (left) with part of the Global Timber Asia team, who are based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia 

(Image credit: Global Timber/ Christian Berg)

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia IN PERSON | 27



More beech is also sold in the last five 

years, as Global Timber has secured very 

good sources in FSC-certified beech, the 

company still offers PEFC-certified beech 

like before. 

White oak at the Global Timber warehouse (Image credit: Global Timber/ Christian Berg) 

OAK, OAK…AND BEYOND? 

resemble oak, that is how much ash and 

“Trends in flooring, doors and furniture oak looks alike.” 

unfortunately continue to be oak, oak, 

oak. Unfortunate, because there are NEW PRODUCTS 

so many other wood species that I “In recent years, we’re selling more 

personally think is under-used for birch than we ever have before. It is a 

flooring, such as walnut and ash.” trend that came up with the trade war 

between U.S. and China. Many Chinese 

“Ash should be used a lot more; it is manufacturers move production of 

more value for money in my opinion and kitchen cabinets and cabinet doors to 

its grain structure is a lot like oak but Southeast Asia and it’s an opportunity 

with many more options for finishing we hope to bank on – we have good 

because its base colour is much lighter. supply and some customers need exactly 

Its physical properties are very similar to what we can supply in birch, so that has 

oak too. One can also easily stain ash to been a great win-win situation.” 

A unique product that is sold by the 

company is smoked oak. “European oak 

is high in acid tannic, hence it is suitable 

for the ammonium fuming process, where 

the ammonium reacts with the tannin in 

the wood, penetrating through it and 

darkening the wood in black nuances that 

is also colourfast,” explained Knudsen. 

All of Global Timber’s products have 

environmental certifications or comply 

with various internationally recognised 

environmental certification. 

While Global Timber does not supply 

wood directly for construction projects, it 

is the largest supplier of outdoor decking 

in Scandinavia. A large percentage of 

families probably had barbeques on 

terraces where the handsome decking 

was supplied by Global Timber. 

Global Timber also provides a wide 

variety of dimensions of sawn timber, as 

well as in customised sizes. 

FUTURE 

In line with the move to its new 

headquarters, the company also 

implemented a rebranding exercise 

where its 12-year-old logo and website 

welcomed a new look in 2019, as well as 

expanded its warehouse by 655 square 

metres to a total of 10,000 m 2 . 

“We are also considering entering the 

Japan market,” revealed Knudsen, “we’re 

still finding the right partner in Japan.” P 

Smoked oak is a darkened wood that has gone through the ammonium fuming process 

(Image credit: Global Timber/ Studio55)

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia IN PERSON | 29

30 | PANELS MANUFACTURING 


HIGHEST CAPACITY PARTICLE 

BOARD CUTTING PLANT IN 

SOUTH EAST ASIA 

The Southeast Asian market has always been an important market of Anthon’s. One of the 

biggest projects over the years was the high capacity sanding and sawing plant for the new 

particleboard plant in Trang (South Thailand), ordered by Green River Panels Thailand in 

2017. The project has once again shined a spotlight on Anthon’s know-how in the field of 

high capacity sawing systems. 

Anthon GmbH, based in Flensburg, specialises in complex 

machine and plant systems for the panel processing 

industry. Significant emphasis is placed on board sizing 

systems including feeding, stacking and sorting systems for 

a wide range of materials in the wood and building materials 

processing industry. 

By the end of 2019, with after the successful delivery and 

installation of Anthon’s sanding and sawing line, Green River 

Panels Thailand started operation of its third production line in 

Trang, which is also its largest particleboard production line with 

a sawing capacity of up to 2,800 m³/day. 

All of Green River's requests and requirements have been 

implemented and optimised to the highest level of 

productivity: 

high capacity feeding of single 

boards 

high speed double side sanding 

automatic surface inspection 

automatic quality grading 

high capacity angular cutting 

destacking of different quality grades 

lowest tolerances of sanding, cutting and destacking 

ANTHON THROUGHFEED SAW MODEL PVL/PVQ - A 

HIGHLY EFFICIENT CUTTING SOLUTION 

PVL/PVQ, the throughfeed sawing system, is more often used to 

cut single boards or mini boards, compared to the pressure beam 

saw system. This results in significantly lower drive power of the 

sawing units and thinner saw blades - energy and raw materials 

are reduced. Currently, sawing systems are equipped with saw 

blades of approximately 3.0 to 4.0 mm width, whereas saw blades 

with twice the thickness are not uncommon with pressure beam 

saws. This is one of the reasons why well-known manufacturers 

and now, Green River Panels Trang Thailand, chose Anthon’s 

throughfeed saws systems. 

3D rendering of the Green River 

Panels Thailand Trang’s latest and 

largest particleboard production line 

LONGEST, WIDEST, HIGHEST, HEAVIEST 

PARTICLEBOARD STACK IN SEA 

The fully automatic sanding and sawing line has been in operation 

at the newly built chipboard plant in Trang since the end of 2019. 

At this plant, up to 2,800m³/day of chipboard are sanded, sawn 

to various formats and destacked with the highly efficient Anthon 

equipment. 

The particleboard stack at Green River also sets the record 

of being the longest, widest, highest and the heaviest one 

in Southeast Asia. At 7.4m long, 2.5m wide, 5.0m high and 

weighing 60 tonnes, the particleboard stack is used to transport 

particleboards from the storage to the Anthon sanding and sawing 

line for final sizing and processing before delivery to Green River’s 

customer worldwide.

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia PANELS MANUFACTURING | 31 

FULLY AUTOMATIC SANDING AND SAWING LINE 

At the infeed of the line, a Storage Transport System delivers the 

Masterboard stack to the infeed system of the Anthon Sanding 

line. When the stack is lifted, a push-feeder pushes single boards 

onto a roller conveyor where they are accelerated to a speed of 

approximately 120m/min. The newest generation of a ten-head 

sanding machine is integrated into the line for sanding the raw 

boards on both top and bottom side with a single pass, according 

to the requested quality and thickness. The sanding machines 

come with an automatic thickness measurement system that 

measure thickness throughout the sanding process 

for quality control. 

book through the cross cut saw. The cross cut saw is also equipped 

with 2x hogging units at the outer sides and 3x main saw aggregates. 

All cutting units are also equipped with soring saws to guarantee 

a perfect cutting quality. No separate waste disposal is necessary 

due to the use of chippers at the outer units. The aggregates are 

designed 

as under table 

units. This allows easy 

adjustments and effective work 

of the suction system. The controlled 

blade projection above the material 

surface ensures a good quality of the 

cut and in combination with the scoring 

saws ensures a chatter free cutting of the 

boards. The boards are guided by the push feeder and 

are transported through the saw. This ensures continuous 

transportation without vibration and highest cutting quality. 

AUTOMATIC SURFACE INSPECTION THROUGHOUT THE 

SANDING PROCESS 

After the sanding process, the board surface is automatically checked 

for defects with an automatic surface inspection system. If a board 

shows defects, these boards will be separated and transported 

into a drop box system for stack building of b-quality boards. 

Boards without defects are further transported to and though 

the Anthon longitudinal through feed saw Model PVL. This first 

rip cut saw is equipped with 2x hogging units on each side and 

a main saw aggregate which performs a centre cut. All cutting 

units are also equipped with soring saws to guarantee a perfect 

cutting quality. The boards are transported by a top pressure 

system through the saw. This ensures a continuous transportation 

without vibration. Behind the saws, adjustable guides are installed 

to avoid board displacement during sawing, results in highest 

accuracies and stable sizing within minimum tolerances. 

After passing through the rip saw, the cut single boards are 

transported to a so-called book building station. Single boards 

are stacked up to a maximum height of 65mm. When the 

preselected book height is reached, the mini-book or single board 

is transported to the preparation of the cross cut saw Model PVQ 

which has a width of approx. 7.600mm. 

ENSURING THE HIGHEST CUTTING QUALITY 

Prior clamping and cutting the mini-book or single board is 

aligned in longitudinal and cross direction. The aligned mini-book 

or single board is fixed by a push feeding system which pushes the 

DESTACKING AND GRADING MADE EASY 

After the final cutting the mini-books or single boards are transported 

to the destacking section for stack building of the final board size. In 

3x drop box systems, the stacks can be graded to different quality 

grades. Prior destacking, the drop boxed are supplied with bottom 

protection boards on which the mini-books or single boards are 

stacked. Every mini-book or single board are aligned. An adjustable 

rake aligns the boards against fences in longitudinal and cross 

direction. All drop boxes are built with driven roller conveyors 

mounted on lifting tables. If the final stack height is reached, the 

stack is transported in cross direction out onto the connected chain 

conveyor and further into the storage. 

WHOLE LINE CONTROL USES NEWEST PROGRAMMABLE 

LOGIC CONTROLLER 

The whole line control is based on the newest programmable logic 

controller Siemens Simatic S7-1500. All operating elements are 

mounted in a control desk placed in the middle of the line, giving the 

operator an overview of the total sanding and sawing plant. 

With an actively cultivated mix of competence in heavy mechanical 

engineering and innovative EDP-solutions, Anthon has been opening 

up new markets since 1865. In line with the motto “Tradition and 

Innovation”, the Anthon’s drive to improve and optimise products 

has been persistent. Its 150 employees in Flensburg work together 

on development, production and worldwide sales of the company's 

product range. P 

All images are credited to Anthon.



The first OSB debarking line 

produced and installed by 

Jiangsu Baolong 

JIANGSU BAOLONG INSTALLS FIRST 

OSB DEBARKING LINE IN THAILAND 

Jiangsu Baolong has successfully installed its first OSB debarking line for VANACHIAI group; 

the project is also the first OSB production line in Thailand. 

This first OSB production line in Thailand has an annual 

output of 220,000 cubic metres. The performance 

test for Jiangsu Baolong’s debarking line was conducted 

in January 2020 and accepted by the customer thereafter. 

When Vanachai group, one of Asia's leading particleboard and 

MDF manufacturers, decided to build the first OSB production 

line in Thailand, they collaborated with Jiangsu Baolong to 

customise the debarking line, consisting of a set of drum 

debarker machine that is 21 metres in 

length and four metres in diameter, as well 

as an automatic feeding system starting 

from the debarker to strander. 

Jiangsu Baolong Electromechanical 

Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is one of the 

key enterprises in the Liyang city of 

Jiangsu province in China. It is a hightech 

enterprise and a member of the 

China forestry machinery association. 

"Baolong" has been selected and 

recognised as a "Best-known brand of


the Jiangsu province" many times, and has 

won the "China’s best-known brand" before. 

Its main products include wood debarking and 

preparation line, drying system, drum and rotary 

debarkers, drum and disc chippers, wood and 

flake screen, re-cutter, flaker and double-stream 

mill, silo and transportation equipment that 

have been sold in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, 

Mexico, Vietnam, Japan and other countries. P 

The debarking line installed at 

VANACHAI’s plant in Thailand 

(All images are credited to Jiangsu Baolong)



IPCO ENHANCES 

IN-HOUSE TRAINING 

WITH QUICKBENCH 

New training tool to support in-house belt technicians 

Press belt manufacturer IPCO has 

enhanced its customer support 

capabilities with the introduction 

of a purpose-designed demo/training 

bench that can replicate production line 

repair conditions. 

Representing the latest addition to 

the company’s QuickTool range, the 

QuickBench is a strong framework unit 

designed to hold a section of the steel 

belt. The frame itself can be adjusted to 

accommodate different sizes of belt and 

belts of any thickness. A pair of clamps 

on either side of the unit grip the belt 

section in place and these can be then 

be tensioned to ensure that training 

procedures are as realistic as possible. 

“Customer support is central to the way 

we work,” explains Sascha Porst, Global 

Product Manager (Press Belts), “and the 

QuickBench is a great example of this.” 

IPCO QuickBench and QuickDisc Plus 500 

“Belt damage is an unfortunate but 

unavoidable reality of the manufacturing 

process and when this happens, 

customers need to know that their belts 

can be returned to a condition as close 

as possible to initial production standard. 

While our Global Service Support team 

is always on call, some repairs can be 

carried out in-house if technicians have 

access to the right tools and training, 

resulting in a significant reduction in 

downtime. This is what we aim to do with 

QuickBench.” 

SERVING AS A DEMO UNIT FOR 

SPECIALISED REPAIR TOOLS 

As well as enabling IPCO to train 

technicians on belt edge repairs, welding, 

grinding and suchlike, the QuickBench 

also serves as a demo unit for specialised 

repair tools such as the QuickDisc Plus 

500, the latest in a range that enables 

the replacement of a damaged area of 

steel press belt. 

In its basic form, the QuickDisc is used to 

remove the damaged area and produce 

a circular blank replacement from the 

extra length of belt that IPCO supplies 

with each order for this purpose. The 

use of a special cutting tool produces a 

clean-cut hole to such precise tolerances 

that no additional treatment such as edge 

grinding is necessary. 

The QuickDisk Plus 500 is the most 

advanced model in the range. It has 

a self-contained cutting and welding 

system that can remove and replace 

damaged areas up to 480 mm in diameter.


Other tools available include the QuickCutter, used for 

cutting and preparing belts for welding up to 4 mm thick; the 

QuickGrinder, which enables engineers to achieve a smooth 

surface with minimal thickness deviations, even over large areas; 

and the QuickPeener, a portable shot peening unit specially 

designed for flattening deformed press belts without having 

to halt production. 

ENSURING QUICK AND PRECISE BELT REPAIR 

“These and other tools and techniques are available to 

customers around the world,” says Porst, “and we are able to 

deliver training and education through local seminars. This 

service – this reassurance – is a key reason why customers 

continue to place their trust in IPCO.” 

“Press downtime can be extremely costly so we are geared up 

to providing a rapid and efficient response to press belt issues 

anywhere in the world. And with the market moving towards 

ever thinner boards – produced at speeds up to 2 500 mm/sec 

– belts repairs need to be as close to perfect as possible, so we 

continue to invest in the precision technologies necessary to 

deliver the highest standards.” P 

IPCO’s Quick Bench is designed to hold a section of a steel belt



STOP MANUAL PATCHING, 

START 

UPGRADING 

VENEER 

QUALITY 

Are you still patching veneer by hand? Everyone in the 

woodworking business knows that manually patching holes 

and knots in veneer can be a tedious and time-consuming job. 

Adjusting knives, positioning sheets manually and keeping 

the veneer quality consistent also takes a lot of manpower. 

That’s why one of the biggest advantages in adapting to more 

efficient ways to patch is the savings on labour. With a good 

patching machine, the labour-saving ratio can be up to 1:10. 

Patching with a machine is faster, more efficient and safer. 

However, when investing in patching machinery the pros 

and cons should be calculated precisely. Does it give 

more yield, does it lead to labour savings, how often does the 

machinery need to be maintained and does it really do a better 

job? The tradition of patching manually is deep-rooted, but there 

are better and more efficient ways to patch veneer. 

“The technology itself isn’t new since patching machines have 

been on the market for a long time. However, the quality of the 

machines and especially the dies used in them have significantly 

improved in the last few years, and Raute P2 technology has set 

a new benchmark” says Shawn Cheo, Vice President of Raute 

Asia and Oceania, Singapore. 

With one-man operated patching machinery, the labour costs 

decrease significantly. This is simply due to the fact that the 

machine can patch a sheet full of defects even 10 times faster 

than when patched by hand. While wood is a delicate material 

and needs a lot of manual effort, patching might not be a task 

you want to do by hand. 

“The patch needs to be the same quality as the rest of 

the sheet, but when done by hand, the hole and the patch 

are never the same shape or size,” states Jukka Siiriäinen, 

Raute Group Vice President, Grow. “This leads to irregular 

quality. As we all know, a human can never be as precise 

as a machine. With a patching machine, the patch is perfectly 

fitted for each defect thus upgrading the veneer quality,” 

he adds. 

KEEPING IT TOGETHER WITH BUTTERFLY PATCHES 

Because the quality of the end product is the main point of 

patching, the shape of the patch and how it is cut make a lot 

of difference. With manual patching, the shapes and sizes vary, 

and the quality is uneven. With a good machine, the patch fits 

the defects perfectly and there’s no need for manual repair and 

gluing of the patch afterwards. 

“With manual patching, there’re always going to be defects on 

the edge of the patch, but with P2 butterfly patches, the patch 

is secure since the patch holds firmly and doesn’t pop off later 

in the production process,” Shawn Cheo states.


RAUTE P2 PATCHER CUT 

The patch 

holds firmly 

and doesn’t 

pop off. 

PATCH 

90° 

VENEER 

FIRM HOLD 

ANGLE 

CONVENTIONAL 

MACHINE CUT 

PATCHING 

PATCH 

VENEER 

LOOSE HOLD 

Raute butterfly patches 

even suit joint patching 

Hand patched 

MANUAL PATCHING COMPARED TO 

RAUTE P2 PATCHER MACHINE 

Capacity example 

Repairing need 

120 000 M 3 / Year 

12 patches / veneer sheet 

Manual 

P2 Patcher 

Repairing Capacity Pcs/H 210 750 

Workers Needed 102 28 

SAVINGS IN OPERATORS - 73 WORKERS 

The P2 die lifespan is around 

50 million patches, and sharpening 

interval 2 million patches. 

Themo-bond taping 

to repair veneer splits. 

A butterfly type patch is the 

recommended veneer patch 

type. The P2 butterfly patches 

ensure a bigger contact area 

and better adhesion than 

oval shaped patches. With 

P2 butterfly patches, you 

can save up to 25 per cent 

in patching material costs 

compared to the boat type 

patches. Due to their retention 

properties, butterfly-type patches bear double the load 

compared to other patch types. 

“But defects vary in shape and size. That’s why we make 

several different patch types and sizes. We can also offer 

an integrated thermo-bond taping feature in our patching 

machines, depending on the customer needs,” adds 

Marko Perttilä, Portfolio Manager, Raute. 

With a patching machine, 

the patch is perfectly 

fitted for each defect 

thus upgrading the 

veneer quality 

Jukka Siiriäinen, Raute Group 

Vice President, Grow 

WHY WOULD YOU INVEST? 

“Usually mills see the biggest 

expense not as the machine itself, 

but the possible maintenance. But 

with a die that lasts for around 

50 million patches, and a robust 

machine structure, you can use 

the same patching machine for 

15 to 20 years and minimise 

maintenance costs,”Jukka 

Siiriäinen, Raute notes. 

All in all, manual patching will soon be history. Machines win in 

every aspect: quality, efficiency and safety. The quality of the 

veneer is upgraded, and the veneer recovery can be up to 30 

times more than with composing. And of course, it’s a cliché but 

true, safety is always key. Not a single hand will be harmed by 

a knife anymore. Last but not least, end product rejects due to 

veneer hand patching errors will be significantly reduced with 

high quality patches. P 

All images are credited to Raute.

38 | FLOORING 


THERRAWOOD: 

BRINGING OUTDOOR SOLUTIONS 

FROM TURKEY TO SOUTHEAST ASIA 


TherraWood’s decking 

that is made with the 

unique WPC material 

Since 2008, Istanbul-based TherraWood has been manufacturing and supplying wood polymer 

composite outdoor solutions to more than 54 countries and with more than 230 projects 

worldwide. While its biggest markets have been in the Middle East and the Western countries, 

TherraWood has set its sight on further horizons with the aim of bringing its products to 

Southeast Asia. As TherraWood makes its stop in Singapore, PFA took the chance to speak with 

Philippe Van Wassenhove, Managing Partner of TherraWood Middle East.

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia FLOORING | 39 

TherraWood is perhaps best known for its unique wood 

polymer composite (WPC) material, which is solely 

manufactured by the company at its manufacturing 

facilities in Corlu, Tekirdag, 100km west of Istanbul. 

WPC is a unique blend of PVC, high quality wood fibre and 

other proprietary components, creating a cost-effective, 

durable and safe material that resembles the appearance 

of wood for both residential and commercial outdoor 

recreational areas. With WPC, TherraWood produced a range of 

outdoor solutions that include decking, siding, fence, pergola 

and railing. 

On what makes WPC outperform similar materials from 

other competitors, Van Wassenhove shared that “one of the 

differences is that we are using PVC as a component, while 

many other manufacturers are using PE and PP. PVC is a 

harder component compared to PE or PP, hence we are able to 

offer hollow profiles for some products such as WPC-coated 

hollow aluminium railings, combining strength, durability and 

lightweight into one.” 

Besides, products made from WPC require low maintenance and 

are resistant to decay, insects and UV damage. Coupled with 

anti-slip and splinter-free properties, the composite material 

can be used to make safe structures for outdoor environment. 

The products also come in a range of elegant colours. “The main 

component for the decking’s top coat is rice husks, which can 

prevent water penetration.” 

For the environment conscious consumers, products created 

from WPC are 100 per cent recyclable and FSC certified. 

“We have always been using the same supplier providing us with 

cut-off, therefore we know the quality of the pine wood used is 

always the same,” said Van Wassenhove. 

MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST ASIA 

A prominent brand in the Middle East, 50 per cent of 

TherraWood’s productions are exported. 

“Our biggest market is in the Middle East region, followed closely 

by Europe and Northern America. For Asia, we still have to invest 

more in marketing our products. We are actively looking for partners 

that will distribute and promote our materials in Southeast Asia,” 

said Van Wassenhove. 

TherraWood is currently operating at an annual capacity of 

6000 metric tons and has 65 employees, including production

40 | FLOORING 


workers. All production steps — wood 

grinding, polymer recycling, wood drying, 

mixing, extrusion, tooling and surface 

treatment are completed in-house. 

TherraWood also saw three joint ventures 

since 2015. The first is TherraWood 

Middle East Fzc, located at Sharjah Airport 

International Free Zone, that has a 400 

square metres warehouse and office 

facilities. The second is TherraWood 

North America LLC which is headquartered 

in Richmond, Virginia with 1,000sqm 

warehouse facilities in Atlanta. 

High profile projects that have used 

TherraWood products include Microsoft 

Turkey Head Office (Istanbul, Turkey), 

L’Oreal Head Office (Paris, France), Hilton 

Türkbükü Resort (Bodrum, Turkey), 

Trump Towers (Istanbul, Turkey) and 

St. Regis Hotel (Dubai, UAE). P 

All images are credited to TherraWood. 

Therrawood’s pergola 

TherraWood’s decking, pergola and fences are used in this housing project

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia FLOORING | 41

ADVERTORIAL 

42 | MATERIALS 

Aerial view of Gabon’s Furniture 

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Manufacturing Asia Cluster 

Gabon Forest, a sustainably 

managed resource 

Gabon lies on the equator in the central west part of Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to 

the west, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea to the north and the Republic of the Congo to the 

southeast. It is a picturesque country with rich natural resources. 

Gabon’s climate is classified as equatorial tropical, with an 

extensive rainforest system covering 22.8 million hectares 

i.e. almost 88 per cent of the territory. There are three 

major forest types: 

• evergreen rainforest in the west characterised by abundance 

of Okoumé and Ozigo 

• the central Gabonese forest covering most of the country with 

abundance of species like Azobé and Ayous 

• semi-deciduous forest with dominance of Limba, Wenge and Ayous 

With a low overall population density and 60 per cent of its 

population living in urban areas, there is little anthropogenic 

pressure on Gabon's forests. The Gabon government has 

indicated an average annual deforestation rate of 0.12 per cent 

or 10,000 ha per year. All forests in Gabon is owned by the state. 

The 2001 Forest Code divides forest into two categories i.e. First 

Category (13.5 million hectares) include Production Permanent 

Forest Estate (PFE) managed by private concessionaires and 

the protection PFE managed directly by the state. The Second 

Category (8.3 million hectares) belongs to the non-PFE, known 

as domaine rural, includes open access forest for hunting, 

agriculture, mining and gathering of NTFPs, sacred forests and 

community protected area for which rights are limited to local 

communities. 

NEW SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT LAW 

Gabon has gone through structural reforms affecting the forest 

and timber processing industry. The new forest law emphasises on 

Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) as the overall approach in 

forest harvesting. Forest management plans are fully developed 

for over 9.25 million hectares of forest in concessions and were 

under preparation for another 2.5 million hectares of forest in 

concessions since 2011. An estimated 8.42 million hectares of 

the natural production PFE is under SFM, including 3.37 million 

hectares of forest were certified under the FSC (some of them 

also had ISO 14001 and Keurhout certificates) as of June 2010. 

Gabon’s low deforestation rate and forests rich in valuable 

timber species are among the best prospects for a healthy and 

sustainable forest and timber processing industry. Reforestation 

has been continuously promoted, and selective thinning and 

clearing have prevented the over exploitation. Over 50 firms are 

engaged in the harvesting of Gabon’s forests. Forest concessions 

covering about 12 million hectares have been granted by the 

Gabonese Republic. The timber industry of Gabon already 

represents an extremely significant growth potential. 

A WIDE ARRAY OF TIMBER SPECIES FROM GABON 

Gabon's forests offer enormous possibilities with a logging 

potential of 12.5 million hectares with more than 400 species. 

Until 2010, i.e. before ban on export of raw logs, Gabon was 

the largest exporter of raw wood in the region, and its sale 

represents 20 per cent of Africa’s raw wood exports. Gabon’s 

reserves of exploitable timber is estimated to be upwards of 400 

million cubic metres which includes 130 million m 3 of Okoumé, 

15-25 million m 3 of Azobé and 10-20 million m 3 of Padouk.

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia MATERIALS | 43 

Gabon’s rainforests are home to many timber species

44 | MATERIALS 


WENGE 

Wenge is the premier dark hardwood from the 

forests of Gabon and suitable for contemporary 

interiors as it blends quite well with glass and 

stainless steel. Due to its dark colour, it is well 

suited for straight or clean line furniture and is 

quite popular in Europe. 

ALTERNATIVE SPECIES FOR TEAK 

Iroko, Beli, Tali and Okan species can be 

considered as alternative species to provide 

teak-like finish. These species are quite popular 

in Asia and Middle East for furniture and 

joinery. Tali and Okan are extensively used in 

furniture manufacturing in Vietnam, mainly for 

export and has helped Vietnam to become the 

second largest exporter of furniture after China. 

Furniture made out of these species is very 

popular in Asian and American markets. 

Cabinets made from the premier dark hardwood, Wenge 

LIGHT COLOUR TROPICAL WOOD SPECIES 

Light colour tropical wood species from Gabon includes Izombe, 

Movingui and Bilinga. These species have appearance similar to 

Merbau / Kwila and are suitable for furniture as well as joinery 

and interiors. 

Bench made with Iroko 

HIGH-END WOOD SPECIES 

Kevazingo (Guibourtia Spp.) is the most expensive and coveted 

wood species from the forests of Gabon. Trunk diameter of 

150 cm is quite common for Kevazingo. Live-edge table tops made 

from it are in high demand in China because of its natural beauty 

and its relation to customs and beliefs of Chinese community 

world over. 

REDWOOD 

Padouck is a dark coloured redwood found in Gabon; quite 

similar to Rosewood and suitable for outdoor furniture as well 

as joinery. Outdoor flooring, decking and garden furniture made 

out of it is exported to European markets. It is resistant to 

damage from weather elements. Padouck is also very popular 

in southern part of India due to its red colour and high density. 

Door and door frames made from Padouck are very popular in 

the Asian markets. 

Live-edge table tops made from Kevazingo are popular in China 

Padouck live-edge table

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia MATERIALS | 45 

Ready-to-use sheds are provided in Gabon SEZ’s Furniture Manufacturing Cluster for furniture manufacturers to kickstart production quickly 

CHANGE HAS JUST BEGUN 

Gabonese Republic had banned exports of raw logs in 2010. 

Thereafter, to facilitate the secondary and tertiary processing 

of timber within the country, Gabonese Republic has developed 

1126 hectares SEZ at Nkok in partnership with Olam International, 

Singapore to provide ready and reliable infrastructure. Gabon 

SEZ offers an array fiscal incentives to industrial investors which 

includes complete exemption from all taxes (income tax, corporate 

tax, capital gain, MAT, VAT, customs, Property Tax), reduced rate 

of export duty (0-2 per cent) and permission for 100 per cent 

repatriation of profits. 

GABON WOOD HUB: FIRST FURNITURE MANUFACTURING 

CLUSTER IN CENTRAL AFRICA 

Nkok SEZ also has 60,000 square metres of ready-to-use sheds 

as Furniture Manufacturing Cluster to promote manufacturing of 

finished products i.e. furniture in Gabon. Such sheds are provided 

on rental model in module of 500 m 2 to furniture manufacturers 

intending to start their unit in the Furniture Manufacturing Cluster. 

The cluster also offers common facilities like: 

Kiln Drying: With a dedicated 1000 m 2 per month capacity, kiln 

dryers are installed to serve furniture manufacturing units. 

Show Room: A show room of over 3000 m 2 can provide the space to 

showcase furniture manufactured in the cluster. 

Packaging and Logistics: 2000 m 2 of packaging and 4000 m 2 of 

logistics facility are available within the cluster for customs clearance. 

As of now, there are 12 units working from this cluster. The quality of 

raw material i.e. wood available and huge variety of wood species found 

in Gabon is a unique opportunity for any furniture manufacturing unit. 

Matured wood of any size, any length is available in good quantity on 

sustainable basis. Furniture Units are starting manufacturing of upscale 

furniture for customers in Asian, European and the U.S. markets. Furniture 

majors like Wolf Mobile from Germany; Artemano from Canada; Terry as 

well as Williams-Sonoma from the U.S.; Habufa from Netherland, have 

expressed their interest to buy furniture manufactured from sustainably 

harvested wood available in Africa. Solid wood furniture made from 

various wood species like Beli, Tali, Sapeli, Mouvingui, Wenge, Padouck 

and Kevazingo is of pertinent interest to many furniture majors. 

Moreover, major import houses in the U.S. and Europe have taken a resolution 

to source minimum 30 per cent of furniture done with SFM compliant / FSC 

certified wood by 2020 and this SFM compliant / FSC certified wood with 

genuine Traceability and Legality certificates is easily available in Gabon. 

For business, investment and trade enquiries, please get in touch with 

team of GSEZ at gsez@olamnet.com or at +24102001086. P 

All images are credited to Gabon SEZ.

Why Canadian Wood? 

A sustainable resource 

for emerging economies 

About 200 million seedlings are planted every year in B.C. as part of sustainable forest practices. 

British Columbia 

(B.C.), Canada is 

recognised as 

a world leader in 

sustainable forest 

management. About 

95 percent of the forests are owned 

by the Government of B.C. Each year, 

the Government allows less than 

one percent of the forest to be 

harvested and ensures that over 

200 million new trees are planted. 

In this way, B.C. makes certain there 

will be trees for generations to come. 

Independent studies have confirmed 

Canada has some of the most 

rigorous forest laws in the world. 

This is further supported by Canada 

being the international leader in forest certification. The majority of B.C.’s 

harvest comes from operations that are certified to the Programme for 

the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) system and/or Forest 

Stewardship Council (FSC). 

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF IMPORTING 

CANADIAN WOOD 

Customers can be assured that sourcing wood products from Canada 

will not have a negative environmental impact when it comes to 

transportation. An independent study showed that the environmental 

benefits of harvesting trees, producing wood products in mills, 

transporting them to ports and shipping them overseas far outweigh 

any negative impact from the process. This is because trees store 

carbon while they are alive, and then afterward in the lumber and in 

finished products. 

CANADIAN WOOD: A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE IN VIETNAM 

MANUFACTURING WITH WOOD 

B.C., Canada is your trusted source for wood products from 

sustainably managed forests. As a natural, renewable resource, 

wood’s versatility, character and individuality are unmatched. 

THE UNIQUE ADVANTAGES OF CANADIAN WOOD 

Some of the B.C. species available in Vietnam are Western Hemlock, 

Douglas-Fir, Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF), Western Red Cedar and Yellow 

Cedar. The design flexibility of Canadian wood makes it suitable for a 

wide range of applications, both structural and aesthetic. 

WESTERN HEMLOCK 

Western Hemlock is ideal for 

solid wood furniture and interior 

finishing. Known for its even colour, 

excellent machining properties, 

and being non-resinous, Western 

Hemlock can be finished naturally 

or stained to create traditional or 

contemporary appearance. Due 

to its high strength, knotty grades 

of Western Hemlock are ideal for 

structural applications. 

DOUGLAS-FIR 

Douglas Fir, highly prized as one 

of the strongest softwood species 

in the world, is used extensively in 

structural applications, including 

timber-frame construction and 

glue-laminated beams. Its attractive reddish-brown colour and 

distinctive grain make its clear grades ideal for joinery products 

(window frames, doors, cabinets, and panelling). 

SPRUCE-PINE-FIR (SPF) 

The Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF) group is mainly a mix of white spruce and 

lodgepole pine. Due to its dimensional stability and superior gluing 

properties, SPF is used extensively in the flat-packed furniture industry. 

Due to its strength and light weight, SPF lumber is used extensively 

in wood-frame construction. 

WESTERN RED CEDAR 

Western Red Cedar is one of the world’s most naturally durable 

softwood species, making it ideal for outdoor furniture, exterior siding, 

fencing, and playground equipment. Its appealing dark colour and 

soft, lightweight texture makes it suitable for various interior finishing 

applications as well. 

YELLOW CEDAR 

Yellow Cedar is a species quite unique to the coastal mountains of B.C. 

It is easy to work with and therefore is prized for applications such 

as joinery and carpentry, decorative panelling, furniture, moldings 

and cabinetwork.

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia NEWS | 17

48 | STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS 

Fjordporten, 

a tower of 

lightness 


Fusing tradition and innovation, 

Fjordporten at Oslo central station 

merges transport, work, leisure 

time, culture and business into 

a forward-looking and 

robust hub. 

Fjordporten is designed to combine effective traffic 

logistics with appealing internal and external urban 

spaces. This is achieved by high architectural 

quality and streamlined transfers between the various 

means of transport, resulting in a clear architectural 

identity that emphasises on sustainability.

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS | 49 

REFERENCE TO THE CITY’S HISTORICAL USE OF 

WOOD 

Fjordporten comprises a tower with a base building. The 

tower mainly houses offices, while the base building 

contains service functions for transport users. The building 

volume interacts with the towering "cathedral space" in 

the existing Østbanehallen and tapers downwards with 

inspiration from Oslo's landscape and buildings.

50 | STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS 


By combining the use of timber with modern materials such as 

concrete and high-tech glass, these materials made a subtle 

reference to the time when the city was built from wood. 

Maximising the daylight entering the building, the workspaces 

have shared infrastructure, break rooms and informal meeting 

places to facilitate a flexible, mobile working life. "Green lungs" 

in the form of vertical connections across multiple levels and 

terraces with vegetation provide ample contact with nature 

and its landscape. The tower will provide public areas, as a 

contribution to city life. 

A DESIGN THAT EMPHASISES LIGHTNESS 

At the base, the different areas are designed to be easy to 

navigate. The building structure is clearly evident and facilitates 

smooth transfers between the various means of transport. A 

wooden pergola of lightweight mesh structures defines the 

central railway station's new main entrance, while spacious 

amphistairs connect the area to Østbanehallen’s food market. 

Outdoor atriums and roof lights ensure optimal daylight 

conditions in the base. P 

Client: Bane NOR Eiendom 

Size: 45770 m² 

Location: Oslo, Norway 

Year: 2017- 

Architect: C.F. Møller Architects in collaboration with Reiulf 

Ramstad Arkitekter 

Collaborators: Bollinger Grohmann, Transsolar 

Prizes: Architizer A+Awards - Unbuilt Commercial, finalist, 2018 

1 st prize in architectural competition, 2018

BIFA WOOD 

VIETNAM 2020 

www.bifawoodvietnam.com 

27-30 October 2020 

Venue: 

Binh Duong Convention & 

Exhibition Centre (open ground) 

Duong Hung Vuong, Phu Hoa ward, 

Thu Dau Mot city, Binh Duong province, 

Vietnam 

Google Map 

QR code 

Exhibition Site 

WOOD & 

WOODWORKING 

MACHINERY 

EXHIBITION 

Enquiries For International Exhibitors 

Pablo Publishing Pte Ltd 

3 Ang Mo Kio Street 62 #01-23 Link@AMK 

Singapore 569139 

Tel: (65) 6266 5512 

Email: williampang@pabloasia.com 

info@pabloasia.com 

WeChat 

Jointly organised by 

BINH DUONG FURNITURE ASSOCIATION (BIFA) 

PANELS & FURNITURE Group 

BINH DUONG FURNITURE ASSOCIATION

52 | DESIGN 


466 FLOW CHAIRS 

ADD A TOUCH OF 

MODERN TO HISTORICAL 

SCHOOL BUILDING 


466 of PlyCollection’s Flow chairs recently filled the Jelgava State Gymnasium’s 

concert hall in Latvia, adding a touch of modern to this historical building that 

was built before World War I.

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia DESIGN | 53 

With a clean, timeless design, the Flow chair brings an 

understated sophistication to any space. Furniture 

connoisseurs will certainly appreciate the construction of 

Flow where no screws or metal joints are used, resulting in elegant, 

smooth lines. It is also light, both in terms of looks and weight. The 

Flow chair personifies a minimalistic perfection – there is simply no 

unnecessary details. 

With an excellent backrest angle and height, the chair has every back. 

Elegance, lightness, versatility, stackibility 

This wooden chair with a stable frame is made of bent plywood with 

variable thickness in the curves. Due to the stackability of these 

wooden chairs (up to 10 pieces), they are easier to keep and move. 

Produced in Latvia, the Flow chair was designed by famous Danish 

designer Jakob Berg. It is available in a range of finishing. P 

All images are credited to PlyCollection.

54 | DESIGN 


The Preservation Bench was recreated in 

American white oak for Downtown Design Dubai 

(Image Credit - Brett Rubin) 

The Preservation Bench in 

American oak to make 

its India debut this summer 

Houtlander and AHEC collaborative installation to go on display at Index Mumbai and Delhi 

A 

collaboration first presented in 2019 by the American 

Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and Houtlander is 

making its way to Mumbai and Delhi this summer as 

part of Index - a leading interior design exhibition that has been 

held annually for the past 30 years. 

‘The Preservation Bench’, crafted with American white oak, 

is a collaborative installation between Houtlander and AHEC 

and will be on display at Index Mumbai (June 4 - 7) and Delhi 

(July 24 - 26). 

Houtlander will also showcase its award-winning 

‘Interdependence Two’ bench, a twisted slatted seat for two 

people to sit intimately facing each other, at the shows. 

FROM THERMALLY-MODIFIED AMERICAN RED OAK TO 

WHITE OAK 

The Preservation Bench, in thermally-modified American red 

oak, was first presented at 100% Design South Africa in August 

last year and then recreated in American white oak for Downtown 

Design Dubai, which ran from November 12 - 15, 2019. The

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia DESIGN | 55 

Interdependence Two (Image Credit - Hayden Phipps) 

piece going to India was built in American white oak since it is 

intended to remain indoors. 

Known for its modern take on spindle furniture, the two 

designers re-worked their signature style to celebrate the 

sapling growing from the forest floor, seeking the light and 

growing up towards the canopy. 

Three grounded benches in American white oak curve into one 

gravity-defying twisted form that seemingly disappears into 

the air. 

“AHEC’s participation at Index Mumbai and Delhi follows 

an extremely successful showing of the Preservation Bench 

at Downtown Design Dubai last year. We are confident that 

visitors will appreciate the beauty of Houtlander’s design, 

which incorporates American white oak and is a masterpiece in 

timber design and craftsmanship. With a minimal environmental 

footprint, which speaks to the inspiration behind it, we hope 

this unique commission will inspire the next generation of 

furniture designers and specifiers in India whilst demonstrating 

the versatility and beauty of American hardwoods and the 

ability to push the limits of the material,” said Roderick Wiles, 

AHEC Regional Director. 

According to Houtlander, no other material that furniture is made 

out of can claim to be carbon negative. The bench therefore is 

a visual representation of the furniture ‘coming out of the air’ 

and meant to suggest the form and function of a park tree with 

a bench offering some shade. The bench is an expression of 

the fact that the material being used comes out of the air - it 

is carbon which has been absorbed out of the air by the living 

forest and converted into timber. 

WHITE OAK USED CAN BE REPLACED THROUGH 

NATURAL REGENERATION IN LESS THAN 1 SECOND 

AHEC has calculated that all the white oak used to make the 

bench would be replaced through natural regeneration in the 

U.S. hardwood forest in less than 1 second and, while in use, 

the Preservation Bench will keep 733 kg of CO 2 

equivalent out 

of the atmosphere. 

“Our collaboration with Houtlander has resulted in a fascinating 

approach to working with an age-old material. This unique 

exercise has not only thrown the spotlight on the beauty of 

American white oak, but it has also helped in increasing the 

understanding of the material for the designers involved with 

this project. Celebrating the versatility of timber in design and 

the enormous variety that can be achieved with one material, 

the Preservation Bench demonstrates the performance potential 

of sustainable American hardwoods. By showcasing the bench 

at Index, we want to ignite new thinking and excite designers 

about new ways to use wood, particularly underutilised, yet 

widely-available American hardwoods,” concluded Wiles. P

56 | SHOW PREVIEW 


The highlyanticipated 

BIFA WOOD 

VIETNAM 

is back for 

its second 

edition 

Year 2020 marks the second year 

for the highly-anticipated biennial 

BIFA WOOD Vietnam. 

The event is jointly organised by two of 

the most influential brands in Southeast 

Asia’s timber and woodworking sector: 

Binh Duong Furniture Association (BIFA) 

and Panels & Furniture Asia Group of 

wood magazines. 

BIFA represents the wood processing 

industry in Binh Duong province. It 

supports members with market 

development, products, raw materials 

and technology. It also works with 

the government to influence policies 

favourable for business. BIFA also works 

closely with the Vietnam Timber and 

Forest Association (VIFORES), Handicraft 

and Wood Industry Association of Ho 

Chi Minh City (HAWA), Handicraft and 

Wood Industry Association of Dong Nai 

Province (DOWOOHA), Binh Dinh Timber 

and Forest Association – FPD Binh Dinh. 

BIFA WOOD VIETNAM 2020 will take place 

This ensures BIFA 

from 

is connected 

27 th to 30 

with th October, 

the 

2020 

wood processing industry across the 

entire country.

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia SHOW PREVIEW | 57 

Vietnam is increasingly recognised 

as the country to be for wood 

processing. In 2019, the export value 

of wood and wood products was 

US$2.7 billion, a 32.8 per cent increase 

compared to 2018. And this year, the 

country aims to hit US$12.5 billion in 

export value of forest products, a 10 per 

cent increase compared to 2019. 

Year 2020 marks the second year for the highly-anticipated biennial BIFA WOOD Vietnam 

For nearly two decades, Panels & Panels & Furniture China, 

Furniture Group of wood magazines Wood in Architecture, American 

has been delivering timely, thoughtprovoking 

insights to its global readership. American Hardwood China. The Group 

Hardwood Southeast Asia and 

The Group's umbrella encompasses is also the organiser of the Sylva Wood 

five titles: Panels & Furniture Asia, show in Shanghai. 

With high taxes from the Chinese market, 

Vietnam has become the place to be to 

meet the demands for wood products. The 

country has also implemented a series 

of free trade agreements (FTAs) such 

as the Comprehensive and Progressive 

Trans-Pacific Partnership; EU-Vietnam; 

Vietnam-ASEAN; Vietnam-Japan; Vietnam- 

Chile; Vietnam-Korea; Vietnam-China; and 

Vietnam-Thailand. With the implementation, 

import tax in the agreement are set to 

be reduced or eliminated, providing a 

competitive edge for the country.

58 | SHOW PREVIEW 


1 

2 

1 

3 

Photos 1-3: The event is jointly by two of the most influential brands in Southeast Asia’s timber and woodworking sector: 

Binh Duong Furniture Association (BIFA) and Panels & Furniture Asia Group of wood magazines 

Binh Duong, known as the capital for 

wood exporting in Vietnam, is at the 

centre of all activities. With a plentiful 

labour force; dynamic team of 

businessmen; strong investments in 

manufacturing and processing; and 

ideal connections to key timber areas in 

the Southeast and the Central 

Highlands of Vietnam, Binh Duong has 

the favourable business and investment 

environment. In fact, about 60 per cent 

of Vietnam’s furniture and woodworking 

factories are located within 40km radius 

around Binh Duong, as well as Long An 

and Dong Nai provinces, and Ho Chi 

Minh city. 

“BIFA WOOD VIETNAM fair is really 

important event; timely to advertise, 

promote trade and investment of the 

wood industry, not only in 2018 but also 

in the following years,” said Ha Cong Tuan, 

deputy minister of Ministry of Agriculture 

and Rural Development (Vietnam). 

“The fair will not only create opportunities 

for enterprises to meet, exchange 

information and seek business 

cooperation, but also for the vertical 

linkages in the industry: From suppliers 

of raw materials and accessories; 

machinery and technology providers to 

manufacturers and traders. It provides 

an opportunity for businesses to develop 

together sustainably,” he added. 

So do not hesitate, unlock the endless 

possibilities for your business that BIFA 

WOOD VIETNAM is set to bring! Join the 

crowd at Binh Duong Convention from 

27 th to 30 th October, 2020. P 

For more informaton, please visit: 

www.bifawoodvietnam.com 

BIFA WOOD VIETNAM 2018 saw a 

resounding success in its inaugural 

edition. About 183 exhibitors and 

740 booths spread across a massive 

hall of 14,500 square metres. The show 

also saw about 4,200 visitors seeking 

the latest technologies and products 

in the furniture manufacturing and 

woodworking sector. 

Many had commented on the show 

location, chosen specifically for its close 

proximity to the factories and for the 

convenience of factory managers.

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia WOOD CLINIC | 59 

Hello, Mr. Shen! 

I am a reader of PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA. At present, I am in charge of making wood doors 

and interior decoration in a small wood factory. The company purchased a second-hand louvered 

door manufacturing facility not long ago and is using Red Maranti and Nyatoh wood for small 

batch production of solid wood shutters. We are facing many problems in our production process, 

for example: 

• The slats near the transom above the louvered door become slanted, damaged or loosened 

(see Figure 1) 

• Some slats are bent (see Figure 2); 

Mr Shim (Shen Yuxin) 

• Doorpost would be cracked or damaged; 

• The louvered door can be packaged only after several rounds of repairs by hand sanding, 

resulting in very low productivity; 

• In the finished product warehouse, the doorposts of the louvered doors that are made of Nyatoh wood are deformed and 

poorly assembled due to weak glue strength. 

I hope you can provide some suggestions for improvement. 

Yours sincerely, 

Mr Lin 

How to solve several 

issues with manufacturing 

louvered door 

(I) Analysis and recommendations to solve the common 

shortcomings of solid wood louvered door after assembly: 

1. Slats on the louvered door becoming slanted 

The main reason why the slats on the upper transom are not 

parallel after assembling the louvered door: 

- Improper operation of the automatic slotting machine: with 

two doorposts on the automatic slotting machine used to 

shape a milling slot for slats, if one of them is not pressed 

tightly, it may move during milling, resulting in some slats 

being non-parallel. It is recommended to make sure that 

both doorposts are tightly pressed and both milling cutters 

are sharp when operating the automatic slotting machine. 

- Inaccuracy of the automatic slotting machine: after a long 

period of wear, the automatic slotting machine will become 

less accurate. A thorough check and repair is recommended 

to ensure that the automatic slotting machine remains 

accurate. 

2. Damaged slats 

If there are broken grains or knots on the slats of the louvered 

door, or the wood grains are not straight, the slats will be 

damaged during assembly and pressing and need to be 

replaced. It is recommended to strictly control the quality of 

the slats when preparing materials to ensure they are free of 

the defects mentioned above, and confirm that chamfering on 

both ends of the slats are in place. 

3. Loosened slats 

Two reasons for why slats are often loose and ill-fitted after 

assembly of the louvered door (as shown in figure 1): 

- Mismatched automatic slotting specifications: if the milling 

cutter with a metric diameter of 6.0mm is mixed with the 

milling cutter with an imperial diameter of 1/4 inch 

(1/4" - 6.35mm) in use, slats will get unconsolidated after 

assembly of the louvered door. It is suggested that the 

worker set the specifications of the milling slot according

60 | WOOD CLINIC 


to the louvered door design drawing and confirm the milling 

cutter diameter of 6.0mm when replacing it. 

- Inconsistent specifications of slats: if the multiple louver 

machine is not set in place, the slats are too thin, or 

the thickness is irregularly set during wide-belt sanding, 

the thickness of slats will be not consistent, thus leading 

to inconsistent tightness of slats of the louvered door. It is 

suggested that the workers set the thickness of slats to 

6.0mm after sanding, and in accordance to the specifications 

on the drawings of the louvered door. 

4. Slats arched 

When the milling cutter of the automatic slotting machine is 

blunt, the depth of milling slot is at critical point, or the slat 

arch is too tight because of the excessive length tolerance of 

slats... All of these will cause the slats to arch (Figure 2). It is 

suggested to check that the milling cutter of the automatic 

slotting machine is sharp and the milling slot is deep enough. 

The length of slat must be strictly controlled when sawing, and 

both ends should be at right angles. 

5. Doorpost damaged 

There are three main reasons why the doorpost is often damaged 

during assembling the louvered door. 

- Improper setting of automatic slotting machine: when the 

milling slot is too short, the milling slots will become 

damaged during the assembling when dozens of slats are 

pressed into the milling slot of the doorpost at the same 

time. It is recommended to thoroughly check the accuracy of 

the automatic slotting machine and train the worker so 

that they are skilled in setting milling slots according to the 

specifications on the drawings. 

- Improper specifications of slats: the thickness and width 

tolerance of slats is too large. Suppose an 80-inch-high 

door requires about 64 slats. If the slat is 0.30mm larger 

than the milling slot, the door post will crack during slotting. It 

is suggested to strictly control the thickness and width of slats 

according to the specifications on the drawing. 

- Improper chamfering of slats: when chamfering on one side 

or at one end not in place, it will be stuck in the milling slot 

edge when pressing during the doorpost installation, 

resulting in crushed milling slots. It is recommended to 

check the chamfering equipment and reset it to ensure that 

the chamfering at both ends of the slats is even and in place. 

- Improper setting of assembly press: in the cases where the 

assembly press mold is not set accurately enough, the centre 

lines of the louvered door components are not on the same 

horizontal surface, or the centre lines of the louvered 

door posts, the transom’s log mortise and the milling slot 

center line are not aligned in the most accurate positions, 

the main implication will be a crushed milling slot or 

distorted louvered door during the assembling and pressing 

process. It is recommended to do a thorough check of the 

setting of the mould at the assembly press, confirm that the 

setting is in place, and strictly control the positions of the 

log mortises of the louvered door post and the transom, as 

well as the milling slot centre line. 

(II) After assembly, the louvered doors need many rounds of 

repairs by hand sanding, affecting production efficiency. Some 

suggestions to improve the process are provided as follows: 

1. Quality control of materials 

- The grade of wood purchased should meet the requirements 

of the louvered door order. Wood with too many defects such 

as knots, wormholes and discoloration are not acceptable. 

When purchasing wood, such defects should be avoided as 

much as possible to reduce the screening and repair work, 

thus indirectly improving the production efficiency. 

2. Four-side planer 

- When using the four-sided planer for processing doorposts 

and louvered door transoms, the linear speed of the planer 

should be maintained at 10 m/min (planer tool mark 

12/inch) according to the specifications of the louvered 

door design drawings. The planing tool should be kept sharp 

to reduce fuzzing and roughness on the surface, thus 

reducing the need for puttying and hand sanding after 

processing the door components. 

Figure 1: After spraying white paint on the louvered door, it can be 

clearly seen that there is an obvious loose seam between the slat and 

the milling slot 

3. Multiple louver machine 

- Slats should be produced according to the specifications 

of the louvered door design drawing. The arcs on both sides 

of the slat should be kept symmetrical (r = 6.0mm). 

Linear speed should be kept at 8 m/min and the sharpness 

of the planing tool should be maintained to reduce fuzzing 

and roughness on the surface, thus reducing the need for 

puttying and hand sanding afterwards.


7. Drilling machine 

- The setting of log mortises for the louvered door post and 

the transom with the drilling machine must be based on the 

specifications of the louvered door design drawing. The 

operator must also check the accuracy of the mortises 

regularly using a special mould to make sure the mortises 

are n place. 

8. Nail dowels 

- Make sure the dowels in the upper, middle and lower 

transoms of the louvered door are nailed as well as uniformly 

glued and of the same height. Ensure strict control of the 

quality of dowels and that the chamfering of both ends of the 

dowel is in place to reduce the possibility of pressure 

damage to the door post when assembling the louvered 

door. 

9. Colour matching of the louvered door components 

- The color of the components of each louvered door and the 

number of slats (tied in a bundle) should be allocated before 

assembling the louvered door. It will improve the efficiency 

of the louvered door assembly. 

Figure 2: It is clear that there are some flaws in the louvered door 

where some slats have become arched 

4. Fixed length 

- When the radial arm saw is used to cut the parts of the 

louvered door, the most ideal sequence is to start sawing the 

large louvered doors followed by smaller-sized louvered 

doors. Make sure the saw blade is kept sharp and at a right 

angle. If the linear speed of the saw is too high, it will lead 

to rough and fuzzy surfaces. It is recommended to saw 

the parts of the louvered door at an appropriate linear speed, 

replace the saw blade and the bottom plate regularly to 

reduce the burrs, thus reducing the puttying and hand 

sanding work required afterwards. 

5. Automatic louver slotting machine 

- Set the inclination of the automatic louver slotting machine 

and the specification of the milling slot according to the 

louvered door design drawing. Check to make sure that the 

milling cutter of the automatic louver slotting machine is 

sharp, the clamping pressure of the fixed doorpost and the 

accuracy of the milling slot are in place. 

10. Louvered door assembly press 

- Skilled workers are required to accurately set the template of 

the louvered door assembly press. When arranging 

components of the louvered door on the template of the 

assembly press, it is necessary to make sure that the centre 

lines of the components are on the same horizontal plane 

without any dislocation. When assembling and pressing the 

doors, the milling slot of the doorpost is often crushed or 

the assembled louvered door is distorted if the centerlines 

are not aligned. 

- Two stages of pressing are required for the louvered door 

assembly press. The first stage of pressing is to confirm that 

the dowels of the louvered door transom are aligned with the 

doorpost mortises, and that there is no misalignment 

between the slats and the milling slot. The second stage of 

pressing is to make sure that there is no gap between the 

post and the transom of the louvered door, and for spilled 

glue to be removed. This will be followed by pressure relief to 

complete the assembly of the louvered door. It will also 

reduce the repair work and improve the efficiency of the 

louvered door assembly. 

6. Wide-belt sander 

- The wide-belt sander can be used to sand the planer tool 

marks, burrs, putty and other imperfections on the flat 

louvered door post, upper, middle and lower transoms 

and the slat; the wide-belt sander can also be used for equal 

thickness treatment. 

(III) For the Nyatoh wood louvered doors in the finished product 

warehouse that are presenting problems such as deformed 

doorpost and weak gluing strength, possible causes and 

solutions are provided as follows: 

1. The door post of the Nyatoh wood louvered door is deformed

62 | WOOD CLINIC 


Figure 3: Common problems in homemade dowels. 

- The moisture content of Nyatoh wood is 12 to 20 per cent, 

with the equilibrium moisture content in the warehouse 

being 10 to 14 per cent. When other wood with high 

moisture content in the warehouse continues to release 

moisture, wood shrinkage will lead to deformed doorpost; 

the gluing strength of the log nail will also be affected. 

Reasons why there is uneven wood moisture content: it can be 

due to the non-standardised operation of the drying kiln – the 

materials used for the doorpost and the transom are dried in the 

same drying kiln, and the material used for the doorpost is high 

in water content due to its greater thickness, which results in the 

deformation of the doorpost. Suggested solution: in addition to 

stacking materials with 1-inch square stickers for wood drying 

in the kiln, make sure the wood is of the same thickness, and 

avoid mixing with other tree species as much as possible. Before 

drying, it is necessary to confirm the hot air circulation in the 

drying kiln is uniform without short flow. 

2. Weak gluing strength of the Nyatoh wood louvered door 

after assembly 

- Non-standard, uneven or insufficient glue is applied on the 

log mortises. It is common to apply glue only on one side 

of the mortise or only on its bottom, which will result in 

weak assembly gluing strength. It is recommended to use 

a small brush, or a pneumatic glue gun with a nozzle 

diameter of 8.0mm and a small hole in the periphery. It will 

help coat the glue evenly around the perimeter and ensure 

there is sufficient glue. 

- Mortise glue film crusts and dries up. After the doorpost 

mortise is glued and upon delay in gluing, the glue film in the 

mortise will crust and become semi-dry, leading to 

insufficient gluing strength after the door is assembled. It 

is recommended that assembly should be finished within 

3 to 5 minutes after applying Europe D3 water-based 

white latex. 

Figure 4: Schematic diagram showing that the moisture content of dowels can go 

up to 14.5 per cent with the moisture meter 

- The quality of the dowel is inconsistent. Shortcomings of 

the dowel such as fuzzing, different diameters, different 

lengths, uneven chamfering at both ends (as shown in 

Figure 3), and high moisture content (as shown in 

Figure 4) can affect the gluing strength of the door after 

assembly. It is suggested to strictly control the specification 

of dowel and its screw thread quality. Diameter tolerance 

≤0.1mm and water content control at 8%±2% are the best. 

- The quality of the log mortises is inconsistent. The 

difference in sizes and depths of the log mortises will also 

lead to insufficient gluing strength after assembly of the 

louvered door. It is suggested to strictly control the 

specification of the log mortise and ensure that the mortise 

diameter tolerance is ≤0.1mm, and the drill bit should be 

checked regularly to ensure its sharpnesss. 

The above brief description and suggestions are provided for 

reference, which I hope will be helpful to you when dealing 

with the shortcomings of the louvered door, and improving 

production efficiency. P


HANOIWOOD 2021 

 

20-22 JANUARY 2021 

Venue: 

International Centre of Exhibition 

(I.C.E ), Hanoi 

91 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hoan Kiem 

District, Hanoi , Vietnam 

QR Code to exhibition 

location on Google Map 

JOINTLY ORGANISED BY 

BINH DUONG FURNITURE ASSOCIATION 

VIETNAM TIMBER AND 

FOREST PRODUCT ASSOCIATION 

PANELS & FURNITURE GROUP 

Pablo Shanghai 

Contact: Rain Ma 

Mobile: (86) 182 1755 3837 

Email: 2229204646@qq.com 

PLEASE CONTACT: 

Pablo Publishing Pte Ltd 

3 Ang Mo Kio Street 62 #01-23 Link@AMK 

Singapore 569139 

Tel: (65) 6266 5512 Mobile: (65) 9621 4283 

Email: williampang@pabloasia.com

NEWSLETTER 

MAY/JUNE 2020 

THE MALAYSIAN MDF MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (MMMA) 

Between A Forest and A Piece of 

Furniture: Pandemic Control 

or Growth? 

By Peter Fitch 

MMMA Newsletter for PF Asia May/Jun 2020 

think it has become clear that 

I 

authorities cannot limit the coronavirus 

and restore global growth to December 

2019 levels. So what is next? 

Authorities around the world are 

between a ‘rock and a hard place’: they 

need policies that both limit the spread of 

the coronavirus and allow their economies 

to open for business. The two demands 

are inherently incompatible, so neither 

one can be fulfilled. The problem is the 

intrinsic natures of the virus and the global 

economy. 

The virus is highly contagious during 

its asymptomatic phase, and therefore 

impossible to control with conventional 

tools such as isolating people with 

symptoms. Isolation has to be done for the 

whole population and not just those with 

symptoms. Covid-19 is not like normal 

flu, though the vast majority of those that 

succumb to the disease are the elderly 

and those with chronic health issues; there 

is an element of semi-random lethality 

in younger and healthier people. In a 

regular flu season, people with a healthy 

immune system have little fear of dying 

from the flu. 

To avoid moral hazard, most countries have 

opted for some form of Movement Control 

or Lock Down of their economies, together 

with financial compensation and stimulus 

packages. 

These financial packages in most cases for 

most countries can only be generated by 

the creation of more debt. However, over 

the past 12 years, debt has been exploding 

higher to maintain weak global growth. 

Debt is like a shark: it must keep moving 

forward in growth or it dies. The difference 

we have here is that new debt is being 

created but the economy is in real decline 

and not growing, the consequences will be 

significant in many ways. 

The problem is debt must be serviced: 

interest must be paid and the principal paid 

down. Even at near zero interest rates the 

principal payments loom large. This applies 

equally to companies and individuals as it 

does to nation states, that is why we are 

entering a time of extreme uncertainty. 

So what happens when income falls as it 

is doing now? There is no longer enough 

income to pay all the expenses, as a result 

large sectors of the economy will default 

on the debt. The lenders will then pursue 

legal action to collect the debt, but heavily 

indebted companies will then have no choice 

but to declare bankruptcy and the lenders 

will need to take the losses. 

If this happens we enter a negative feedback 

loop where less lending, less profit, and 

more losses pile up. Bailouts are shortterm 

emergency measures, they do not 

create sustainable debt and will not create 

credit worthy borrowers - in fact they do 

the opposite. 

If we summarise the uncertainties: 

• Covid-19 is not as risk-free for healthy 

people as ordinary flu. Therefore, this 

uncertainty is causing nations to be cautious 

and undertaking risk-free strategies, such 

as limiting the economy through movement 

control. 

• From the point of view of borrowers, there is 

uncertainty about the future, so lowering risk 

makes sense. The easiest way to avoid risk is to 

avoid new debt and discretionary purchases. 

• From the point of view of lenders, there 

is uncertainty to the credit worthiness of 

borrowers. So to mitigate the risk, reduce 

the lending and as a result halt or limit 

future growth. 

64

NEWSLETTER 

MAY/JUNE 2020 

The global economy is optimised for a vast and steady 

expansion of debt to fund an equally vast and steady increase in 

consumption. Once the global economy slips out of this narrow 

band of control, it crashes. 

Central banks and governments can mask this in the shortterm 

by substituting bailouts for revenues, but bailouts are not 

sustainable replacements for revenues, incomes, profits and debt 

servicing. The only question is how long will the current bailout 

fuel last? Like an aeroplane with no fuel, the global economy will 

either glide or crash to the ground. 

There is no way authorities can limit the coronavirus until a 

vaccine becomes universally available and until then global 

growth and debt expansion will come to a grinding halt be 

greatly reduced. 

I believe Malaysia has made significant progress in bringing the 

Pandemic under control, but the economic price for doing so 

has been very high. Our Wood Panel business has only been able 

to operate between 30 per cent to 40 per cent capacity at best 

during this difficult time. 

The time has now come for us as an industry to “Emerge from 

the Twilight of this Coronavirus Pandemic”. As we restart our 

operations, many things have changed while challenges remain. 

Our Supply Chain has been totally destroyed, and this will need 

time to rebuild. 

On the Raw Material supply, we need the resumption of the 

replanting of Rubber Plantations (our main source of wood), 

Loggers need to be able to return to the forest, Saw Mills have 

to reopen and lorry drivers must be able to transport materials 

freely without restrictions. I believe that other essential raw 

materials such as chemicals, inks and packaging items can be 

resupplied more easily. 

On the Demand or Market side, domestically we need the 

Furniture Makers of which Malaysia has some of the best in 

the world, to restart their businesses. Export markets need 

to be informed that Malaysia and Malaysian Manufacturing is 

“Back in Business” or as we say in Malaysia – “Buatan Malaysia 

Terbaik” (Malaysian Made is the Best). To the rest of the world 

and especially to the Malaysian Domestic Market we would like 

to clearly announce that we are back in business and ready 

to meet your requirements. We would like to wish the best of 

luck and good health to all our customers wherever they are 

and hope that they are able to restart their businesses as soon 

as possible. 

Our industry and businesses will not escape this catastrophe, the 

only positive thought is that as our industries suffer, our forests 

will continue to thrive, grow and flourish. 

About the Author 

Peter Fitch is the founder of Segamat 

Panel Boards (Malaysia) and is 

currently chairman of the Malaysian 

MDF Manufacturers Association 

(MMMA) and executive committee 

member of the Malaysian Panel 

Manufacturers Association (MPMA). 

Prior to working in Malaysia he worked 

for Plantation Timber Products (China) 

and Takeuchi MDF (Malaysia). Peter 

has been based in Asia for more than 

25 years and in the wood panel 

business for more than 20 years. 

65

66 | ENVIRONMENT 

Events Calendar 2020 / 2021 


January / February 2020, Issue 1 | Panels & Furniture Asia 

MAY 

SEPTEMBER 

25 MAY TO 

27 MAY 

GABON WOOD SHOW 2020 

Gabon, Central Africa 

07 SEP TO 

10 SEP 

CIFF Shanghai 2020 

Shanghai, China 

07 SEP TO 

09 SEP 

Dubai Wood Show 2020 

Dubai, UAE 

JULY 

08 SEP TO 

10 SEP 

6th Bangladesh Wood International 

Expo 2020 

Khaka, Bangladesh 

16 JUL TO 

21 JUL 

(Postponed) 

SALONE DEL MOBILE. MILANO 

Milan, Italy 

08 SEP TO 

12 SEP 

FMC CHINA 2020 


18 JUL TO 

21 JUL 

(new date) 

CIFF Guangzhou - PART 1 

Guangzhou, China 

23 SEP TO 

26 SEP 

IFMAC & WOODMAC 2020 

Jakarta, Indonesia 

27 JUL TO 

30 JUL 

(new date) 

CIFF Guangzhou - PART 2 


27 OCT TO 

30 OCT 

OCTOBER 

BIFA WOOD VIETNAM 2020 

Binh Duong, Vietnam 

27 JUL TO 

30 JUL 

(new date) 

Interzum Guangzhou 2020 


NOVEMBER 

10 NOV TO 

13 NOV 

(new date) 

Xylexpo 2020 

Milan, Italy 

AUGUST 

31 AUG TO 

02 SEP 

(new date) 

Domotex Asia China Floor 2020 


JANUARY 2021 

20 JAN TO 

22 JAN 

HANOI WOOD 2021 

Hanoi, Vietnam

ADVERTISERS’ 

INDEX 

May / June 2020 • Issue 3 • PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA 

COMPANY 

PAGE 

American Hardwood Export Council 

IFC 

Anthon GmbH 9 

Baillie Lumber 11 

Biesse Malaysia Sdn Bhd 

FC 

BIFA Wood Vietnam 2020 51 

Cabinet Vision South East Asia 13 

Canadian Wood 39 

CMC - Carpenterie Metalliche Colzate Srl 19 

Electronic Wood Systems GmbH 57 

Gabon Special Economic Zone GSEZ 27 

Gabon Special Economic Zone GSEZ (Advertorial) 42 - 45 

Gau Jing Machinery Co., Ltd 33 

Hanoi Wood 2021 63 

IMAL SRL 1 

IMEAS spa 53 

IPCO South East Asia Pte Ltd 5 

Jiangsu Baolong Electromechanical Mfg Co., Ltd 47 

Kuang Yung Machinery Co., Ltd 15 

Lesnaya Industriya Journal 41 

Nanxing Machinery Co., Ltd 2 & 3 

Northwest Hardwoods 21 

Plytec Oy 49 

Raute Corporation OYJ 17 

Scheuch GmbH 

OBC 

Shanghai Wood-based Panel Machinery Co., Ltd 7 

Sichuan Hero Woodwork New Technology Co., Ltd 68 

Softwood Export Council 29 

Technik Associates, Inc 

IBC 

Tong Fong Cutters Co., Ltd 67 

Heavy Duty Helical Planer Cutter 

Heads with Changeable Knives 

Knife: 

14 x 14 x 2 x 30º 

14 x 14 x 2 x 37º 

Heavy Duty Helical Planer Cutter 


Knife: 

30 x 12 x 1.5 x 35º 

Helical Planer Cutter Heads 

with Changeable Knives 

Knife: 

15 x 15 x 2.5 x 30º 

15 x 15 x 2.5 x 37º 

Adjustable Planer Cutter Heads 

with HSS or TCT Knives 

Safety Corrugate Cutter Heads 

with HSS Knives 

Spindle Shaper Planer Cutter 


Knife: 

30 x 12 x 1.5 x 35º 

50 x 12 x 1.5 x 35º 

60 x 12 x 1.5 x 35º 

Changeable Knives 

-TCT 

Single/Double Surface Planers Helical Planer 

Cutter Heads with Changeable Knives 

Knife: 14 x 14 x 2.0 x 30º 

15 x 15 x 2.5 x 30º 

15 x 15 x 2.5 x 37º 

30 x 12 x 1.5 x 35º 

30 x 12 x 2.5 x 35º 

14.6 x 14.6 x 2.5 x 30º 

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