Panels & Furniture Asia July/August 2020

28 | FURNITURE MANUFACTURING
July / August 2020, Issue 4 | Panels & Furniture Asia
Autonomous manufacturing and three major manufacturing values vectors.
• Quality and product features
To this end, Smartech has developed
a unique three-layer approach to
technology transformation.
• Smart manufacturing solution
(Smartech Autonomous
Manufacturing): Maximises
production ability within the given
production operation envelope.
• Game-changing technologies pillar
and modules solutions: Expand
and enhance the production envelope
and capabilities according to the
three vectors noted above.
• X-Force R&D (a multi- and crossdisciplinary
research arm): Enables
the systematic provision of smart
technology solutions addressing
the significant challenges facing a
given industry.
ACHIEVING “THE IMPOSSIBLE”
FOR ENGINEERED WOOD
MANUFACTURING
Smartech’s technologies transform the
way an industry works to significantly
improve profit margins and product
quality. The company’s initial focus
was the engineered wood vertical – the
manufacturing of oriented strand board
(OSB), medium density fibreboard (MDF),
particle board, plywood and other woodbased
products. Like other manufacturing
industries and verticals, engineered wood
manufacturing works with low profit
margins, and raw materials – primarily
wood, resin and wax – account for a major
portion of their manufacturing costs.
Targeting major raw material costs,
Smartech developed its SmartWax solution,
a patented wax suspension that replaces
traditional molten wax or wax emulsions.
It also developed the SmartResin solution
to reduce the quantity and cost of resin
usage. SmartWax suspension systems
have enabled a >40% reduction in wax
costs to manufacturers. “Savings of that
magnitude were considered impossible
until we proved otherwise,” recalled
Magid. “Yet, we achieved it, and we did so
while maintaining or even improving the
product quality.”
SmartResin system