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Panels & Furniture Asia March/April 2023

Panels & Furniture Asia (PFA) is a leading regional trade magazine dedicated to the woodbased panel, furniture and flooring processing industry. Published bi-monthly since 2000, PFA delivers authentic journalism to cover the latest news, technology, machinery, projects, products and trade events throughout the sector. With a hardcopy and digital readership comprising manufacturers, designers and specifiers, among others, PFA is the platform of choice for connecting brands across the global woodworking landscape.

Panels & Furniture Asia (PFA) is a leading regional trade magazine dedicated to the woodbased panel, furniture and flooring processing industry. Published bi-monthly since 2000, PFA delivers authentic journalism to cover the latest news, technology, machinery, projects, products and trade events throughout the sector. With a hardcopy and digital readership comprising manufacturers, designers and specifiers, among others, PFA is the platform of choice for connecting brands across the global woodworking landscape.

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PFA COVER ADV5.pdf 1 6/3/23 11:14 AM<br />

www.panelsfurnitureasia.com<br />

MARCH/APRIL <strong>2023</strong><br />

International Wood &<br />

Woodworking Machinery Expo<br />

Jointly organised by:<br />

Photo Credit: Leitz Tooling<br />

Supported by:<br />

18-20<br />

JUNE<br />

<strong>2023</strong><br />

MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL TRADE<br />

AND EXHIBITION CENTRE (MITEC)<br />

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA<br />

BUSINESS<br />

MATCHING<br />

EXHIBITION<br />

POCKET<br />

TALKS<br />

For enquiry, contact us at:<br />

Pablo Publishing & Exhibition Pte Ltd<br />

+65 6266 5512<br />

sales@pabloasia.com


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in conjunction with<br />

SFS & MT VIETNAM <strong>2023</strong><br />

www.sfsmtwoodexpo.com<br />

30 JUNE TO 03 JULY <strong>2023</strong><br />

VENUE :<br />

TRUNG TÂM TRIỂN LÃM HỘI NGHỊ<br />

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2, TÂN HƯNG THUẬN, QUẬN 12,<br />

THÀNH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ MINH 70000, VIETNAM<br />

Organised by:<br />

PABLO<br />

PUBLISHING<br />

& EXHIBITION<br />

PTE LTD<br />

Official Media:<br />

Contact us:<br />

sales@pabloasia.com<br />

+65 62665512<br />

WECHAT<br />

CONTACT


Find your<br />

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cambiumex.com<br />

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pfmes.ca pfmes.ca nordamhardwoods.com primewood.com rlumber.ca<br />

simonlussier.com<br />

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SHIPPING<br />

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to wood<br />

products<br />

from Quebec,<br />

Canada


CONTENTS<br />

CONTENTS<br />

PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA (ISSUE 2)<br />

<strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />

08<br />

Editor’s Note<br />

10<br />

News<br />

Market Report<br />

16<br />

The inevitable<br />

Environmental Report<br />

18<br />

Communities at the heart of sustainable forestry in<br />

Guatemala<br />

22<br />

Towards a circular economy<br />

In Person<br />

26<br />

Unpacking domestic and global furniture trends with<br />

HOMAG <strong>Asia</strong><br />

Product Highlight<br />

28<br />

Slim area grippers for wood processing<br />

29<br />

Comfort Core: Upgrade in sound and walking<br />

comfort for flooring<br />

30<br />

NiRo collet chuck Premium for long-term CNC<br />

machining with shank tools<br />

Panel Manufacturing<br />

32<br />

OSB and its variants<br />

34<br />

Optimal sanding of all sides: New sanding line by<br />

Destefani<br />

36<br />

Inspecting digital and gravure decorated CPL with<br />

Baumer technology<br />

<strong>Furniture</strong> Manufacturing<br />

38<br />

Complex milling implemented automatically<br />

40<br />

Q-Cut G6 Edition: Finish-cut quality with longer tool<br />

life<br />

42<br />

Intelligent equipment and customised software offer<br />

competitive production model<br />

Materials<br />

44<br />

Sandwiched Variable Eggcrate Structure:<br />

Reconstituted timber component for wall and<br />

flooring use<br />

48<br />

Local material for local needs: Rubberwood furniture<br />

by MUJI Singapore<br />

48<br />

Flooring<br />

50<br />

A unique retreat<br />

Structural Elements<br />

52<br />

An insider’s view of structural engineering and design<br />

56<br />

The Black & White Building<br />

Columnist<br />

60<br />

EU adopts deforestation-free products regulation<br />

62<br />

Calendar of Events<br />

64<br />

List of Advertisers<br />

6 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />

10


Y O U R S M A R T P L A N T<br />

PRODUCE SMARTER<br />

Using a holistic approach, CEBRO combines digitalization and advanced<br />

plant engineering with operational excellence and sustainability solutions.<br />

That makes your plant smart.<br />

Watch the video at cebro.dieffenbacher.com to discover<br />

what CEBRO can do for you.<br />

VISIT US AT LIGNA,<br />

MAY 15–19, <strong>2023</strong><br />

HALL 026, BOOTH C41


FROM THE EDITOR<br />

Normalcy is overrated<br />

As China relaxes its quarantine measures, as<br />

sales and supply chains are stabilising, I am<br />

tempted to say that the industry is back to<br />

normal, pre-pandemic levels. But this begs the<br />

question of what is normal. Is the pre-pandemic<br />

same as the normal?<br />

I have not been in the industry long enough to<br />

answer this question. Seasoned professionals,<br />

I am sure, will have a better and more nuanced<br />

response. But one thing I will say is that<br />

taking the pre-pandemic as the normal is not<br />

necessarily a good thing. It might mean we have<br />

gone backwards, that we have stagnated.<br />

Even the phrase ‘new normal’ should be taken<br />

with a pinch of salt. Every day there are new<br />

circumstances we must take into account.<br />

Wolfgang Neeser, managing director of HOMAG<br />

<strong>Asia</strong>, speaks about the China Plus One strategy<br />

that is happening in various manufacturing<br />

industries, but is curious how it will affect the<br />

wood and woodworking industry in the future<br />

(p.26). Peter Fitch, CEO of IOI Palm Wood,<br />

speaks about the new EU deforestation-free law<br />

that necessitates companies to produce a due<br />

diligence statement for their products, showing<br />

they are not complicit in deforestation (p.60).<br />

In business context, perhaps normalcy is not<br />

even achievable, out of our control. What we<br />

should be doing, I think, is to future-proof our<br />

operations and business models. Look ahead,<br />

not backwards. Keep ourselves grounded,<br />

but not until we lose sight of what is more<br />

important: ways to innovate, advance our<br />

business, and grow.<br />

In this issue, we feature new products such<br />

as new area grippers by vacuum technology<br />

manufacturer Schmalz (p.28), a new sanding<br />

line by sanding machine manufacturer<br />

Destefani (p.34), and new rubberwood<br />

furniture by Japanese retailer MUJI Singapore<br />

(p.48). We also bring updates about industry<br />

trends. Dieffenbacher goes in depth about<br />

the types of oriented strand board (OSB) in<br />

the industry now (p.32). As mentioned earlier,<br />

our interview with HOMAG <strong>Asia</strong> details not<br />

just about China Plus One but about furniture<br />

trends on the whole.<br />

We also focused more on structural<br />

engineering in this issue. Take some time to<br />

learn more about the software used in mass<br />

timber construction and prefabrication from<br />

our interview with structural engineering firm<br />

Studio Fornalè (p.52), and admire the mass<br />

timber beauty of the new Black & White<br />

Building in London, UK (p.56). Mass timber<br />

is still slow on the uptake in <strong>Asia</strong>, especially<br />

South East <strong>Asia</strong>. But seeing the way it has<br />

taken hold of western countries, maybe it is<br />

time we should pay more attention to it.<br />

YAP SHI QUAN | EDITOR<br />

PANELS &<br />

FURNITURE ASIA<br />

PABLO SINGAPORE<br />

Publisher<br />

William Pang • williampang@pabloasia.com<br />

Editor<br />

Yap Shi Quan • shiquan@pabloasia.com<br />

Feature Writer<br />

Pang YanJun • yanjun@pabloasia.com<br />

Graphic Designer<br />

Goh Meng Yong • mengyong@pabloasia.com<br />

Circulation Manager<br />

Shu Ai Ling • circulation@pabloasia.com<br />

PABLO BEIJING<br />

General Manager<br />

Ellen Gao • pablobeijing@163.com<br />

PABLO SHANGHAI<br />

Editor<br />

Kresly Shen • pabloshanghai@163.net<br />

HEAD OFFICE<br />

PABLO PUBLISHING &<br />

EXHIBITION PTE LTD<br />

3 Ang Mo Kio Street 62, #01-23, Link@AMK,<br />

Singapore 569139<br />

Tel : +65 6266 5512<br />

Email: info@pabloasia.com<br />

www.panelsfurnitureasia.com<br />

Company Registration No: 200001473N<br />

Singapore MICA (P) No: 078/12/2022<br />

REGIONAL OFFICES (CHINA)<br />

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let's connect!<br />

@panelsfurnitureasia<br />

All rights reserved. Views of writers do not necessarily reflect the views of the<br />

Publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any<br />

means, without prior permission in writing from the Publisher and copyright<br />

owner. Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy of the information in<br />

this publication, the Publisher accepts no liability for damages caused by<br />

misinterpretation of information, expressed or implied, within the pages of<br />

the magazine. All advertisements are accepted on the understanding that the<br />

Advertiser is authorised to publish the contents of the advertisements, and in<br />

this respect, the Advertiser shall indemnify the Publisher against all claims<br />

or suits for libel, violation of right of privacy and copyright infringements.<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> is a controlled-circulation magazine with two issues<br />

a year. It is mailed free-of-charge to readers who meet a set of criteria. Paid<br />

subscription is available to those who do not fit our terms of control. Please<br />

refer to subscription form provided in the publication for more details.<br />

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Scan to subscribe<br />

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Front cover image: Leitz Tooling<br />

8 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


For Amazing Spaces.<br />

Beautiful and strong; flexible and timeless;<br />

hardwoods offer endless possibilities for<br />

designers, architects and consumers.<br />

For Our Health.<br />

Research shows improved mental health<br />

and well-being in people when surrounded<br />

by elements from the natural world.<br />

For Our Communities.<br />

The hardwood lumber industry and its related<br />

sectors support millions of jobs and add billions<br />

to the economy.<br />

For the Planet.<br />

Hardwoods are a natural, renewable,<br />

sustainable material that absorbs and<br />

stores twice as much CO 2 as it emits.<br />

UNLEASH THE POTENTIAL<br />

OF HARDWOODS<br />

Learn more at nwh.com


NEWS<br />

SIEMPELKAMP SUPPLIES STEVES & SONS WITH<br />

DOOR SKINS MANUFACTURING<br />

EQUIPMENT<br />

US door manufacturer Steves & Sons has placed<br />

an order with Siempelkamp for two forming<br />

and press lines for the production of door skins.<br />

With this order, it plans to enter the door skins<br />

manufacturing business.<br />

According to Siempelkamp, the decisive<br />

factor for both companies’ cooperation is<br />

Siempelkamp’s experience in the woodbased<br />

panel industry, which includes plants<br />

for the production of thin medium-density<br />

fibreboard (MDF) and high-density fibreboard<br />

(HDF) boards.<br />

Each press line consists of a fibre classifier, mat<br />

forming, forming line and a multi-daylight press<br />

reportedly able to yield millions of door skins<br />

per year. For the press line design, the focus<br />

was specifically on product variety, combined<br />

with a minimisation of trim waste.<br />

Steves & Sons has also placed an order with<br />

Siempelkamp subsidiary Büttner for two<br />

fibre dryers and an energy plant. For the<br />

process heat supply of the mill, Büttner will<br />

contribute an energy system based on biomass<br />

combustion, including flue gas pre-cleaning as<br />

well as two fibre drying systems.<br />

The energy system not only supplies thermal<br />

energy to the drying systems, but it also heats<br />

thermal oil for press heating and generates<br />

steam for wood defibration.<br />

This experience is also in demand for the<br />

production of door skins: thin moulded<br />

hardboard panels which, glued to frames on<br />

both sides, are used as interior doors.<br />

From appearance and material density to<br />

thickness tolerances, various factors affect<br />

the appearance, final quality, and ultimately<br />

the production costs of the door skins.<br />

“Our experience in the North American<br />

market, our competence in being able to<br />

adapt technical designs very specifically<br />

to local requirements, convinced Steves<br />

& Sons,” said Dirk Koltze, president of<br />

Siempelkamp LP/Büttner in Charlotte, US,<br />

and Andreas Krott, senior sales and project<br />

engineer of Siempelkamp Maschinen- und<br />

Anlagenbau.<br />

Siempelkamp’s forming line of the multi-daylight plant<br />

for manufacturing door skins (Image: Siempelkamp)<br />

“We can also bring to the table our<br />

exceptional expertise in the planning of<br />

complete plants. This ensures an optimal<br />

process technology and operating cost<br />

design, for example in the form of low<br />

maintenance and energy costs, minimised<br />

use of raw materials, and a high degree of<br />

automation.”<br />

The commissioning and start-up for all the<br />

equipment are scheduled for 2024. P<br />

CHINA: FORESTRY OUTPUT TOTALLED US$1.17TN OF VALUE<br />

According to a statement at a recent national<br />

conference in China, the output value of<br />

China’s national forest industry in 2022 totalled<br />

RMB8.04tn (US$1.17tn). The country is now<br />

among the world’s leading players in terms<br />

of the scale and growth rate of its forestry<br />

industry.<br />

China has continuously expanded its<br />

range of forest products. At present<br />

there are over 10,000 different kinds of<br />

wood and bamboo products available<br />

across the country. China has meanwhile<br />

planted over 6.67 million hectares of<br />

bamboo.<br />

With an annual output value approaching<br />

RMB320bn, the country’s bamboo sector<br />

has helped over 15 million people working<br />

in the industry to earn annual per capita<br />

income of more than RMB10,000.<br />

Over the past 10 years China has planted 40<br />

million hectares of commercial forests with<br />

the output value of commercial forestry<br />

products surpassing RMB2.2tn, more than<br />

twice that of a decade ago.<br />

China has pursued the high-quality<br />

development of its forest. The annual output<br />

value of the three major sub-sectors of the<br />

forest industry, wood and bamboo, commercial<br />

forest products and forest-related tourism has<br />

come to exceed over RMB1tn.<br />

Furthermore, domestic demand picked up<br />

after China reopened their borders and relaxed<br />

quarantine measures, as well as launched real<br />

estate stimulus policies.<br />

According to the Global Timber Index (GTI)<br />

released in December 2022, China’s GTI was<br />

above the critical level of 50, which means<br />

timber production and operations increased<br />

from the previous month. P<br />

Source: ITTO<br />

10 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


NEWS<br />

UNILIN, BARBERAN, ZEETREE REACH AGREEMENT ON<br />

CREATING FREEDOM<br />

FOR DIGITAL PRINTING<br />

AND TEXTURING<br />

Unilin Technologies, Barberan and<br />

Zeetree have all reached an agreement<br />

with different parties to open up their<br />

patent portfolio for direct-to-board digital<br />

printing and texturing.<br />

Through the most recent agreements,<br />

Unilin is now able to offer expanded<br />

patent protection that includes not only<br />

the main Unilin patents in the area of<br />

digital structuring, but also additional<br />

relevant patents from Barberan, Hymmen,<br />

Zeetree, Classen, Kronospan and i4F.<br />

Unilin Technologies<br />

in partnership with<br />

companies Barberan<br />

and Zeetree<br />

The agreement also puts an end to the<br />

legal battles between different technology<br />

providers and offers enhanced legal<br />

security to anyone desiring to step into<br />

digital printing and texturing of decorative<br />

panels.<br />

“Today we have cleared up some legal<br />

hurdles that kept some companies from<br />

investing in digital printing,” stated Sophie<br />

Demuenynck, legal director at Unilin<br />

Technologies.<br />

“After years of R&D for digital printing and<br />

texturing technologies, we are pleased<br />

that this agreement will bring new<br />

possibilities to the industry. We are happy<br />

to bring interested parties into contact<br />

with our partners Barberan and Zeetree<br />

that are offering state-of-the-art digital<br />

embossed textures and durability never<br />

seen before.”<br />

The agreement aims to create enhanced<br />

freedom to operate and legal certainty<br />

for those interested in digital printing and<br />

texturing for decorative panels.<br />

Unilin Technologies, Barberan and<br />

Zeetree are all specialist companies in<br />

digital printing for wood surfaces. Back<br />

in 2021, Unilin announced its partnership<br />

with Barberan and Zeetree for highperformance<br />

digital texturing solutions. P<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 11


NEWS<br />

DIEFFENBACHER<br />

TO SUPPLY NEW<br />

CEBRO OSB PLANT<br />

FOR TOLKO<br />

INDUSTRIES<br />

Tolko Industries has commissioned<br />

Dieffenbacher to supply the core components<br />

of a CEBRO oriented strand board (OSB)<br />

plant for its production facility in High Prairie,<br />

Alberta, Canada.<br />

Back in May 2022, a fire broke out in Tolko’s<br />

press building which damaged beyond repair<br />

the Dieffenbacher 12-opening press that<br />

Tolko commissioned in 1995, and much of the<br />

surrounding equipment.<br />

According to Dieffenbacher, a new CPS+<br />

continuous press will replace the previous<br />

press. The scope of supply for the rebuild<br />

of Tolko’s High Prairie site also includes the<br />

Tolko’s OSB production<br />

site at High Prairie,<br />

Alberta, Canada<br />

(Image: Dieffenbacher)<br />

forming station and forming line, and the raw<br />

board handling system.<br />

In line with Dieffenbacher’s CEBRO smart plant<br />

concept, the Press Emission Control System<br />

and the Intelligent Air Management System will<br />

reportedly improve the plant’s sustainability<br />

by creating cleaner air inside and outside the<br />

production hall.<br />

The new digitalisation solution EVORIS and the<br />

digital service platform MyDIEFFENBACHER will<br />

also help make Tolko’s new plant a smart one.<br />

“It is great that Dieffenbacher stepped<br />

up so quickly to help us after the fire,”<br />

said Fred Chinn, vice-president of<br />

strand-based business at Tolko. “Once<br />

we rebuild, High Prairie will be better<br />

than ever, and our new CEBRO smart<br />

plant will be a big part of that.”<br />

Chinn believes the plant will produce<br />

its first new board by the end of <strong>2023</strong>.<br />

Once operational, the plant’s production<br />

capacity will reach up to 734,000m³ of<br />

OSB per year. P<br />

IKEA TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY<br />

ABOUT WOOD SUPPLY CHAIN<br />

IKEA will be sharing information about their wood<br />

supply chain henceforth (Image: IKEA)<br />

<strong>Furniture</strong> retailer and supplier IKEA has<br />

announced a commitment towards greater<br />

transparency in the wood supply chain, openly<br />

sharing where all the wood material in their<br />

products come from and why wood plays such<br />

an essential role in their product range.<br />

To exemplify this commitment, IKEA released a<br />

map of the 45 markets where they sourced their<br />

wood from in FY2022, which is from 1 Sep<br />

2021-31 Aug 2022.<br />

By sharing this new information, IKEA aims<br />

to build greater awareness for consumers<br />

on their approach of ensuring responsible<br />

wood-sourcing practices.<br />

“People are curious to know more about<br />

how we work. Alongside this, the world<br />

increasingly recognises the importance<br />

forests play for people and the planet,” said<br />

Ulf Johansson, global wood supply and<br />

forestry manager at Inter IKEA Group.<br />

“We believe greater transparency will help<br />

support the development of responsible<br />

forest management globally.”<br />

For instance, in the map, Poland, Lithuania<br />

and Sweden are the top three markets<br />

IKEA has sourced their wood from. Russia<br />

and Belarus occupied a 6% and 5% share<br />

respectively, but IKEA reported that they<br />

have dropped these markets as their wood<br />

supplier.<br />

The map also includes new information about<br />

wood species, regions where they come from,<br />

volumes and how IKEA works to improve forest<br />

management across markets.<br />

As a key part of IKEA’s Scandinavian design<br />

heritage, wood has played an essential role in<br />

their product range. New information about<br />

how IKEA designs and innovates with woodbased<br />

materials is also available, together with<br />

examples of finding new ways to use wood<br />

more efficiently.<br />

“Wood is a fantastic material that is durable,<br />

renewable and recyclable and essential for<br />

our transformation towards becoming a<br />

circular business by 2030,” said Fredrika Inger,<br />

managing director of IKEA Sweden.<br />

“It is very appreciated by our customers<br />

as it often allows their own creativity, for<br />

example, with our untreated offer. Wood is<br />

also important for our IKEA design identity and<br />

strongly delivers the five dimensions of our<br />

Democratic Design.” P<br />

12 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


NEWS<br />

EGGER ACQUIRES<br />

NORTH CAROLINA-<br />

BASED WASTE<br />

WOOD RECYCLING<br />

FACILITY TO<br />

BOOST RECYCLING<br />

OPERATIONS<br />

Egger has acquired Novem Industries, a wood<br />

recycling facility in Charlotte, North Carolina,<br />

US, under its waste wood recycling subsidiary<br />

Timberpak.<br />

Timberpak will also serve as an additional<br />

source of wood for Egger’s particleboard<br />

and TFL production while furthering the<br />

company’s sustainability goals.<br />

This acquisition will be Timberpak’s 14th<br />

worldwide facility, adding onto other<br />

waste wood collection operations in<br />

the UK, Romania, France, Germany and<br />

Poland. P<br />

Source: Woodworking Network<br />

Timberpak specialises in waste wood recycling<br />

This acquisition will enhance Egger’s aim to<br />

create more from wood and be sustainable for<br />

future generations.<br />

As Markus Frevert, plant manager for<br />

production at Egger Wood Products explained:<br />

“This acquisition will not only serve an<br />

important role in bolstering our sustainability<br />

initiatives here in North America but will also<br />

better position us in key markets as we continue<br />

to expand and grow.<br />

“Timberpak will process post-consumer<br />

recycled materials to be used in the production<br />

of particleboard and thermally fused laminate<br />

(TFL) products at our Lexington, North Carolina<br />

manufacturing plant. This diverts resources that<br />

would have otherwise gone to landfills.”<br />

Acquiring Novem Industries will help Timberpak<br />

to transition and adapt its European-based<br />

processes and procedures to meet the<br />

needs of Egger’s Lexington plant, supplying<br />

raw materials for the plant’s on-site wood<br />

recycling operation, which is currently under<br />

construction.<br />

Timberpak will accept construction and<br />

demolition waste wood. The wood will be<br />

ground into pieces about one foot in length<br />

before being delivered to the Lexington<br />

production plant.<br />

Further processing will occur at the on-site<br />

wood recycling facility. The recycled wood will<br />

be scanned for foreign materials, including<br />

metal, stones and plastics, before being crushed<br />

into an appropriate size for particleboard<br />

production.<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 13


NEWS<br />

LIGNA <strong>2023</strong> READY TO WELCOME<br />

VISITORS IN MAY <strong>2023</strong><br />

FORMAT<br />

LIGNA <strong>2023</strong> will present itself in seven<br />

product segments, categorised according<br />

to their halls:<br />

Halls 11-15 and 27 will be on tools and<br />

machinery for customised and mass<br />

production. Halls 16-17 will be on surface<br />

technology. Hall 26 will be on woodbased<br />

panel production. Hall 25 will be<br />

on sawmill technology. Halls 25-26 and<br />

an open-air site will be on wood energy.<br />

Hall 16 will be on machine components<br />

and automation technology, and P32-<br />

35 and the open-air site will feature<br />

machinery for forestry, roundwood and<br />

sawn timber production.<br />

At Hall 12, the LIGNA.Stage will present<br />

a programme of solution- and useroriented<br />

presentations and panel<br />

discussions along the LIGNA focus topics<br />

as well as recruiting and sustainability.<br />

These talks will be streamed online as<br />

well.<br />

LIGNA <strong>2023</strong> Preview<br />

LIGNA <strong>2023</strong> has announced that as of February<br />

<strong>2023</strong>, over 105,000m 2 of the exhibition space is<br />

booked and more than 1,100 exhibitors have<br />

booked their stands, with reportedly 180 firsttime<br />

exhibitors.<br />

In addition to companies from Germany, firms<br />

from Italy, Austria, Turkey, Spain, China, Sweden,<br />

Slovenia, Denmark and the Netherlands account<br />

for the largest proportion of exhibitors by area.<br />

TRENDS<br />

LIGNA will continue to explore key trends in the<br />

woodworking industry. This year, the biannual<br />

woodworking trade show will present talks<br />

surrounding digitisation, bioeconomy, and<br />

prefabrication.<br />

Under the title ‘Woodworking Transformation’,<br />

LIGNA <strong>2023</strong> will explore how digitisation is<br />

shaping the industry’s development and has<br />

become a prerequisite for production that<br />

should be as resource efficient as it should be<br />

flexible.<br />

Exhibitors will show how far the networking of<br />

machines, tools, components and materials has<br />

gone and present innovations in the fields of<br />

robotics, automation and software.<br />

The trade show will also explore how<br />

wood has become an important renewable<br />

raw material as a pillar of the circular<br />

bioeconomy.<br />

On display will be development lines of the<br />

wood-based bioeconomy and technological<br />

innovations for the responsible use of<br />

natural resources, as well as process<br />

technologies for shaping chemically<br />

digested wood fibres.<br />

Under the topic of ‘Prefab Building<br />

Processes’, LIGNA <strong>2023</strong> will explore wood as<br />

an increasingly important building material<br />

in the construction industry.<br />

More specifically, the trade show will<br />

explore solutions and approaches that<br />

will spearhead the future of timber<br />

construction, as the prefabrication and onsite<br />

construction sector needs a technology<br />

boost to produce in a contemporary and<br />

efficient manner.<br />

There will also be guided tours where in<br />

groups of 25, interested parties will be<br />

guided to selected exhibitors and given<br />

presentations and live demonstrations<br />

directly at their stands. The guided<br />

tours will also be available online, ondemand.<br />

In view of the shortage of skilled workers<br />

and concerns about young talent, LIGNA<br />

also provides an overview of research,<br />

education and career opportunities in<br />

the woodworking and wood processing<br />

industry through the LIGNA.Campus.<br />

"LIGNA offers a unique overview of the<br />

entire value chain of the woodworking<br />

and wood processing industry. It is the<br />

international showcase for innovations<br />

and the stage for world firsts. We have<br />

been receiving a wave of euphoria from<br />

the community ever since planning<br />

began. The industry is looking forward to<br />

the face-to-face experience in Hannover,"<br />

concluded Dr Jochen Köckler, CEO of<br />

Deutsche Messe.<br />

LIGNA <strong>2023</strong> will commence from 15-19<br />

May, at Hannover, Germany. P<br />

14 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


NEWS<br />

HENKEL APPOINTS NEW MANAGEMENT<br />

BOARD MEMBER AND EXECUTIVE VP<br />

FOR ADHESIVES BUSINESS<br />

Effective 1 Feb <strong>2023</strong>, Mark Dorn, currently<br />

Henkel’s senior vice-president responsible for<br />

the Adhesive Technologies business unit in<br />

<strong>Asia</strong>-Pacific, will be appointed executive vicepresident<br />

and member of the management<br />

board responsible for the Adhesive<br />

Technologies business unit.<br />

He will succeed Jan-Dirk Auris, who will leave<br />

the company at the end of January <strong>2023</strong> after<br />

around 35 years of service.<br />

“We are pleased that Mark Dorn will be leading<br />

our Adhesive Technologies unit in the future,”<br />

said Dr Simone Bagel-Trah, chairwoman of<br />

the supervisory board and shareholders’<br />

committee of Henkel.<br />

“He has broad and long-term experience in<br />

international industrial businesses and knows<br />

the Adhesive Technologies business unit,<br />

our businesses, and customers very well.<br />

At the same time, he brings a wide range of<br />

experience from other leading companies<br />

in the chemical industry to his new role.”<br />

Dorn started his career at Henkel in<br />

1992. At Cognis, the spin-off of Henkel’s<br />

chemicals division at the end of 1999,<br />

he held various management positions<br />

including sales and supply chain,<br />

marketing, and strategy.<br />

In 2010, he left Henkel, but returned in 2019<br />

and has since been responsible for the<br />

entire Adhesive Technologies business in<br />

<strong>Asia</strong>-Pacific and globally for the craftsmen,<br />

construction and professional business<br />

area. He also serves as president for Henkel<br />

in <strong>Asia</strong>-Pacific.<br />

Mark Dorn, the new executive vice-president and<br />

member of the management board for Henkel’s<br />

Adhesive Technologies business unit (Image: Henkel)<br />

Henkel CEO Carsten Knobel added: “I am<br />

looking forward to working with Mark Dorn and<br />

I am confident that he, together with the global<br />

leadership team of Adhesive Technologies, will<br />

leverage the global leading market position of<br />

this business unit to further increase its growth<br />

and profitability in the coming years.” P<br />

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<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 15


MARKET REPORT<br />

The inevitable<br />

By Judd Johnson, editor,<br />

Hardwood Market Report Publications<br />

times. The changes discussed in the<br />

last several articles published in this<br />

column did not have time to propagate<br />

throughout the marketplace.<br />

They have now.<br />

What we know about the supply and<br />

demand relationship is prices are<br />

influenced by imbalances. There is<br />

nothing about this that is unique to US<br />

hardwood lumber, but who would not<br />

agree that the ups and downs in prices<br />

this past decade have been too frequent<br />

and far too severe? Yet, this is the<br />

situation. US hardwood lumber prices are<br />

in the early stages of recovering previous<br />

losses.<br />

The extent US hardwood sawmill<br />

production will contract or remain below<br />

consumption is uncertain. But knowing<br />

the nature of hardwood sawmills is<br />

to operate at the highest production<br />

capabilities possible, the constraint at<br />

this time is a matter of prices. Profitability<br />

is the purpose for business, and it is<br />

the incentive for any manufacturer to<br />

produce.<br />

Hardwood lumber supplies available<br />

to major US markets have decreased.<br />

More specifically, grade hardwood<br />

lumber supplies have decreased.<br />

Grade lumber is used primarily in<br />

appearance applications of consumer<br />

wood products, such as furniture,<br />

cabinets, millwork, and flooring. It<br />

is, overwhelmingly, the quality of<br />

hardwood lumber exported from the US<br />

into world markets.<br />

Clearly, this most recent decline in<br />

US hardwood lumber supplies is<br />

production-driven. The volume of new<br />

lumber entering the marketplace fell<br />

below the volume of lumber used by<br />

secondary manufacturers worldwide.<br />

Shifts in supplies are caused by changes<br />

in input (new lumber entering the<br />

marketplace), output (volume of lumber<br />

consumed by end-using sectors), or any<br />

combination of the two when increases<br />

or decreases by one are greater than<br />

those of the other.<br />

Even then, the time element is extensive<br />

for inventories to decrease after sawmill<br />

production contracts. Months, in fact.<br />

This is why information on sawmill<br />

output of green lumber can seem<br />

contrary to kiln dried supplies at given<br />

These graphs are visual representations<br />

of how the US hardwood industry has<br />

undergone supply adjustments to<br />

conform with demand, as well as how<br />

demand for US hardwoods has changed<br />

over time. There are stories behind each<br />

line movement — too many to discuss<br />

in this article — but the increases and<br />

decreases that are shown could be<br />

representative of business experiences<br />

with US hardwoods.<br />

Fig. 1 depicts total US hardwood lumber<br />

supplies with demand. Keep in mind<br />

two important considerations with this<br />

graph: The volumes shown are numbers<br />

cumulative for the year, without indicating<br />

trend changes within the year, and the<br />

differences between supply and demand<br />

in this graph indicate inventory change.<br />

16 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


MARKET REPORT<br />

Fig. 2 tracks eastern US hardwood sawmill production and is shown<br />

annualised on a monthly basis. If the volume produced in 2020 was<br />

too low and contributed to price spikes, what might we expect of<br />

supply and prices if production remains at the December 2022 and<br />

January <strong>2023</strong> levels shown in the graph?<br />

Fig. 3 is essentially an inventory and sales ratio that compares new US<br />

hardwood lumber supplies to consumption by major US hardwood<br />

lumber markets. The graph shows a deficit trend in supplies<br />

beginning in H2 2022, with a sharper decrease in Q4.<br />

Fig. 4 points out mostly consistent results in business from<br />

industrial markets for US hardwood lumber and contracted demand<br />

from the grade lumber group. Most changes in consumption<br />

from grade lumber market sectors have come from declining US<br />

manufacturing.<br />

Fig. 5 outlines how exports of US hardwoods increased over time<br />

before coming off record highs set in 2017. China has been a very<br />

large part of export growth for US hardwoods and is vital still, but<br />

China has dropped down in volumes imported from the US since<br />

2017. P<br />

Hardwood Market Report (HMR) is the leading source of pricing and<br />

market information for North American hardwoods. It has provided<br />

reliable, expert analysis of pricing and market trends to hardwood<br />

companies throughout the world since 1922. Sample copies and<br />

subscription services for HMR and all other HMR publications are<br />

available online at www.hmr.com.<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 17


ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT<br />

Communities at the<br />

heart of sustainable<br />

forestry in Guatemala<br />

Early morning, before the sun<br />

illuminates the vibrant colours of<br />

nature, the journey to the Mayan<br />

Biosphere Reserve (MBR) begins.<br />

After a four-hour drive through Petén<br />

in northern Guatemala, the Forest<br />

Stewardship Council (FSC) crew reaches<br />

the official entrance of the reserve,<br />

a vast gate that stands small against<br />

the great wall of trees behind it. In the<br />

surrounding area, cattle ranching and<br />

illegal timber harvesting have already<br />

destroyed the forest. The reserve is the<br />

last stronghold against deforestation<br />

and biodiversity loss.<br />

As visitors step into the dense jungle,<br />

sunbeams stream through a thick<br />

canopy and the sounds of different<br />

animal species ring out around<br />

them. Magnificent trees towering<br />

15-20m-tall, howler and spider<br />

monkeys swinging through the<br />

canopy, and a choir of bird sounds<br />

welcome them to the largest<br />

continuous protected area in central<br />

America. Here, there is no internet<br />

or mobile phone signal, resulting in<br />

full, uninterrupted connection with<br />

nature.<br />

The guides, forest stewards from<br />

the local community, smile broadly<br />

when they see the crew admiring<br />

their surroundings. They know every<br />

inch of the forest and take pride in<br />

being its guardians. The reserve is<br />

their life, hope, identity, family, and<br />

belonging.<br />

FSC CERTIFICATION AND THE MBR<br />

Forty years ago, Petén forests were<br />

threatened by the increasing extractive<br />

activity of the timber industry and cattle<br />

ranchers, causing widespread concern<br />

among local communities. In 1990 the<br />

government of Guatemala created the<br />

MBR to protect this area of natural and<br />

cultural heritage for future generations.<br />

Within the more than two million<br />

hectares of forest protected by the<br />

reserve, the authorities granted<br />

community forest concessions, enabling<br />

these communities to demonstrate that,<br />

as a group, they could manage these<br />

resources sustainably. Nowadays, nine<br />

communities manage the concessions<br />

and their FSC-certification, representing<br />

more than 350,000 hectares of forest.<br />

18 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT<br />

The guides take the crew to visit an area<br />

known as quadrant D in Uaxactún, one<br />

of the nine forest concessions, where<br />

trees were harvested in 2014 and the<br />

area is now regenerating. According<br />

to community members, an average<br />

of around 1.5 trees is extracted per<br />

hectare every year in areas where there<br />

are between 200-300 timber trees. The<br />

targeted areas have cutting cycles of<br />

30-40 years. This means that another<br />

tree will not be extracted from quadrant D<br />

until 2054.<br />

Rubén Hernández, president of the<br />

Management and Conservation Civil<br />

Society in Uaxactún which safeguards<br />

83,558 hectares, said: “The best trees<br />

always stay in the forest.”<br />

He explained that there are some<br />

trees called ‘parent trees’ or seedbeds,<br />

which are healthy trees identified for<br />

protection. How does the community<br />

recognise them? They said due to their<br />

lushness and sturdiness, they have a<br />

well-distributed crown, their trunks are<br />

cylindrical, the roots are blight-free, and<br />

they are not tilted, standing straight and<br />

tall. They spread life, and their seeds can<br />

travel up to 65m.<br />

Aside from protected parent trees,<br />

Hernández said that in Uaxactún,<br />

around 11 species are extracted,<br />

following FSC standards. It is important<br />

that sustainable felling is not permitted<br />

in all forest areas. In fact, trees can<br />

only be extracted for wood in around<br />

45% of the approved areas; the rest is<br />

used for conservation or harvesting<br />

non-timber forests products, like<br />

xate, an ornamental leaf exported<br />

to international markets for floral<br />

arrangements.<br />

CONSERVATIONIST MINDSET<br />

Each community and its members have<br />

a strong connection to their forest.<br />

The hands of Jorge Soza, founding<br />

member of community Forestry Services<br />

Company (Forescom) and community<br />

technician of the Association of Forest<br />

Communities of Petén (Acofop), are<br />

worn, aged from the force of the<br />

machete and handling trees that have<br />

sustained him and his family for 53<br />

years. “All my life, I have lived from the<br />

resources of the forest,” he said, sitting<br />

on a table made of machinche — a type<br />

of wood — while holding an aromatic<br />

pepper seed in his palm.<br />

“Culture is vital for community<br />

development,” he asserted while<br />

stressing the importance of passing<br />

down knowledge and values to<br />

future generations. He learned forest<br />

management by example from his<br />

parents, whom he remembers as<br />

guardians of natural resources.<br />

Later that day, Carlos Crasborn,<br />

president of the Carmelita Cooperative,<br />

a community founded 100 years ago<br />

with 53,797 hectares of FSC-certified<br />

forest in the heart of the MBR, shared<br />

Soza’s reflections: “People were born,<br />

grew up in the forest, and are now<br />

living in it. We have always had a<br />

conservationist vision.”<br />

“The forest can be sustainably<br />

managed,” assured Carlos Maldonado,<br />

forestry commissioner of Árbol Verde<br />

Civil Society. “Management is geared<br />

towards thinking about our children<br />

and grandchildren. We must make<br />

sure that our work does not harm the<br />

forest. FSC certification is a source of<br />

pride and an unmistakable sign of good<br />

environmental management of hectares<br />

of land entrusted by the government.”<br />

XATE AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT<br />

Cutting xate is another activity that<br />

generates permanent resources for the<br />

communities and has become crucial in<br />

recent years.<br />

This leaf, FSC-certified, is used all year<br />

round, and has cutting cycles of around<br />

three months. Xate goes through a<br />

detailed and elaborate process divided<br />

into five steps: selection, cutting,<br />

quality control, packing, and tying up.<br />

Approximately 80% of the men in the<br />

community are involved in cutting<br />

xate, and dozens of women oversee<br />

other logistical processes before its<br />

exportation, mostly to the US.<br />

Legend<br />

1 Women in the<br />

MBR are active in<br />

harvesting xate<br />

2 Jorge Soza,<br />

founding member<br />

of community<br />

Forescom, has<br />

been conserving<br />

the MBR for 53<br />

years<br />

1 2<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 19


ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT<br />

Magdalena Peralta, project manager, shows a<br />

xate leaf to the crew. For her, this plant is more<br />

than ornamental; it is the “economical driving<br />

force of the community”. She feels that leading<br />

this vital project for the 800 inhabitants of<br />

a centenary community is a sign of female<br />

empowerment. It shows that women can be<br />

actively involved and in charge of important<br />

projects that benefit all.<br />

3<br />

“For me, Uaxactún is paradise,” she said<br />

proudly. The communities have also started<br />

the certifying process of other non-timber<br />

forest products, such as pepper and rosemary.<br />

According to Glyde Márquez Morales, sales<br />

manager at Forescom, FSC certification<br />

ensures proper forest management and<br />

positions timber and non-timber products<br />

in a better way on international markets. In<br />

his experience, international markets such as<br />

the US and Europe require forest products to<br />

have FSC certification, which also means that<br />

they can trade them with more competitive<br />

prices.<br />

4<br />

ADDITIONAL FSC CERTIFICATION IMPACT<br />

For more than 25 years, FSC standards have<br />

ensured the conservation of the forest’s<br />

ecosystem while generating economic and<br />

social benefits to the communities. Currently,<br />

less than 1% of forest fires impact the areas<br />

managed by the communities, in contrast to<br />

other areas at the MBR.<br />

Additionally, among the 15,000 people that<br />

live in the communities, child malnutrition<br />

levels are lower, school attendance rates are<br />

higher, and fewer people migrate to the cities.<br />

There are also up to 11.28 jaguars per 100km²,<br />

and the highest reported values of species are<br />

spotted within the FSC-certified area.<br />

The forest concessions in Petén are an<br />

example of conservation, cohesion, and<br />

development. They offer benefits not only to<br />

the communities but also to the forest itself<br />

and, of course, to the country. The MBR fosters<br />

biodiversity while enabling communities to<br />

live from the forest’s resources, which means<br />

thriving forests for all, forever. P<br />

Images: Ivan Castro/FSC<br />

5<br />

Legend<br />

3 The gate into Mayan<br />

Biosphere Reserve<br />

4 Sustainable felling<br />

is not permitted in<br />

all forest areas, and<br />

trees can only be<br />

extracted for wood<br />

in around 45% of the<br />

approved areas<br />

5 FSC certification has<br />

helped to ensure the<br />

conservation of the<br />

forest’s ecosystem<br />

while generating<br />

economic and social<br />

benefits to the<br />

communities<br />

This article was first published on FSC’s website and is reproduced<br />

here with permission.<br />

20 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


GLOBAL TIMBER<br />

- EXPERTS IN HARDWOOD<br />

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of experience in the industry. The company headquarter and warehouse are<br />

located in Denmark. Our <strong>Asia</strong>n office is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,<br />

with local representatives around South East <strong>Asia</strong>.<br />

We trade African, American, and European hardwood<br />

in logs, sawn timber, and more.<br />

www.asia.globaltimber.net asia@globaltimber.net T +60 3 7610 2049


ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT<br />

Towards a<br />

circular economy<br />

Almost 20 million tonnes of<br />

furniture is thrown into landfills<br />

every year in the EU and US.<br />

Second, circulate materials and products<br />

by optimising resource yields and designing<br />

products specifically for remanufacturing,<br />

refurbishing, and recycling, thereby keeping<br />

components and materials in circulation.<br />

Third, regenerate nature by fostering system<br />

effectiveness and designing out ‘negative<br />

external impacts’, such as reducing damage to<br />

human utility, and managing externalities such<br />

as land use, air, water, and noise pollution, the<br />

release of toxic substances, and climate change.<br />

The sector has a very low reuse rate, with just<br />

10% of furniture waste recycled in the EU and<br />

0.3% of furniture discarded at landfills in the US<br />

recovered for use again. People recycle or reuse<br />

mobile phones, laptops, TVs, clothes, kitchen<br />

appliances, household plastic and glass waste,<br />

packaging, and even food waste. So why not<br />

recycle, reuse, or repurpose furniture? The world<br />

is waking up to this problem, and as it does, the<br />

role of certification systems like the Programme<br />

for the Endorsement of Forest Certification<br />

(PEFC) will become more crucial.<br />

Part of why consumers and businesses have<br />

been slow to adopt widespread recycling<br />

of furniture is because furniture is often not<br />

manufactured or sold with recycling in mind.<br />

This can be true not only for modular fast<br />

furniture but also for more expensive, singlesource<br />

hardwood pieces. Often, people see<br />

furniture as meeting specific and therefore<br />

limited needs, rather than being something<br />

that can be repurposed. A survey by the British<br />

Heart Foundation revealed that one-third of the<br />

people surveyed threw away still-functional<br />

furniture rather than selling or donating it. Some<br />

respondents reported that even though they<br />

wanted to donate their furniture, they did not<br />

know how.<br />

and continues today. However, this pattern<br />

is not sustainable. It is time to reconsider<br />

how to source, make, purchase, and dispose<br />

of furniture. The good news is that there is a<br />

solution to this problem.<br />

WHAT IS CIRCULARITY?<br />

In line with the Sustainable Development<br />

Goals (SDG) of the UN 2030 Agenda, experts<br />

increasingly see circular economies as a<br />

viable way to address the waste problem. The<br />

circular economy is a model of production<br />

and consumption that stops waste from being<br />

produced in the first place and mimics the<br />

natural world’s approach to waste management,<br />

in which waste from one process becomes raw<br />

inputs for another. Also known as closed-loop<br />

systems, the circular economy aims to preserve<br />

natural resources and reduce potential waste<br />

by substituting products with services, such<br />

as rental, licensing, or buyback schemes, and<br />

designing products to be used over and over<br />

again. This can include making them modular,<br />

easier to disassemble and repurpose, which<br />

extends the product lifecycle. It is an approach<br />

that keeps waste to a minimum by maintaining<br />

materials from recycled and repurposed<br />

products in the economy as long as possible.<br />

That also creates additional value.<br />

While that all sounds ideal, how does that<br />

translate into meaningful action in the furniture<br />

industry? There are many opportunities for the<br />

furniture value chain to become more circular.<br />

For example, <strong>Furniture</strong> as a Service (FaaS)<br />

subscription models are being trialled to cater<br />

to the nomad-like lifestyles of millennials, who<br />

tend to move residences often. On the design<br />

side, modularity is increasingly capturing<br />

the attention of furniture makers, who make<br />

pieces that are easy to disassemble, reuse, and<br />

recycle.<br />

Adopting circular economy principles towards<br />

furniture does not mean starting over from<br />

scratch. Six key cycles can be followed to make<br />

furniture more circular:<br />

Maintain: Regular maintenance of existing<br />

furniture goes a long way. This can include<br />

adding a layer of oil, varnish, or wax to a bed<br />

frame to prolong its life.<br />

Repair: Making corrections or adjustments<br />

when needed, like fixing the broken leg of a<br />

chair.<br />

This is striking given that people all know how<br />

to recycle glass, paper, and aluminium cans.<br />

But there is a dearth of messaging on recycling<br />

for furniture, and so off the discarded desk<br />

goes to the dump. This is an example of the<br />

‘linear approach’ or the ‘take, make, and waste’<br />

paradigm. Everybody takes materials from the<br />

earth, makes products from them, and then<br />

disposes them as waste. It is a familiar pattern<br />

that has underpinned the expansion of global<br />

economies since the industrial revolution<br />

For a more formal definition, the EU and the<br />

Ellen McArthur Foundation have established the<br />

circular economy as being built on three main<br />

principles:<br />

First, eliminate waste and pollution and preserve<br />

and enhance natural capital by, for example,<br />

selecting required natural resources wisely,<br />

and choosing technologies and processes that<br />

use renewable or better-performing resources<br />

wherever possible.<br />

One way to contribute to the circular economy is by<br />

optimising resource yields and designing products<br />

specifically for remanufacturing, refurbishing, and<br />

recycling<br />

22 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT<br />

Reuse: Giving furniture a second life<br />

through a change in ownership — be<br />

it a dresser passed down as a family<br />

heirloom, furniture sold or donated<br />

through an online platform like eBay,<br />

or simply giving to a charity or secondhand<br />

organisation.<br />

Refurbish: Altering or remanufacturing<br />

older furniture, such as refitting or<br />

reupholstering a sofa.<br />

Repurpose: Changing the intended use<br />

of a piece of furniture, such as resizing a<br />

table into a desk.<br />

Recycle: Recovering valuable and useful<br />

components of end-of-life discarded<br />

furniture and using these components<br />

in new products.<br />

When furniture owners find ways to<br />

extend the lifecycle of furniture, when<br />

designers prioritise ease of disassembly<br />

and reuse, and when manufacturers<br />

source raw materials from sustainable<br />

sources, the furniture industry can<br />

achieve true circularity.<br />

WHO BENEFITS FROM CIRCULAR<br />

ECONOMY?<br />

With more than two-thirds of global<br />

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions<br />

linked to materials management, a<br />

transition to a more circular economy<br />

can substantially contribute to meeting<br />

climate targets as outlined in the Paris<br />

Agreement. In fact, if the 194 member<br />

countries of the Paris Agreement adopt<br />

comprehensive circular solutions to<br />

their economies, it could remove 26<br />

billion tonnes of greenhouse gases from<br />

the atmosphere, and improve chances<br />

of avoiding a 2°C global temperature<br />

increase.<br />

The increased global demand for lowcost<br />

timber products has also placed<br />

enormous pressure on the world’s<br />

forests. Illegal logging, a multi-billiondollar<br />

industry, is a primary factor in<br />

deforestation, especially in tropical<br />

regions. By degrading biodiversity<br />

and forests’ economic value, forest<br />

exploitation makes land even more<br />

vulnerable to deforestation for other<br />

uses, such as conversion for agricultural<br />

purposes. Almost half the land that is<br />

converted annually is illegally cleared,<br />

which in turn removes important carbon<br />

sinks and havens for biodiversity, and<br />

denies forests the chance to supply<br />

strategically important renewable<br />

materials, such as wood.<br />

In a circular system, the demand for<br />

raw, natural resources from certified<br />

sustainable and renewable sources will<br />

grow significantly. This shift towards<br />

responsibly sourced natural resources<br />

will additionally have the positive<br />

impact of shrinking the market for wood<br />

from unknown and potentially illegal<br />

sources, with certified sustainable<br />

timber meeting higher consumer<br />

1<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 23


ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT<br />

expectations and stricter regulatory<br />

standards.<br />

resource retention. It is a cycle, and it<br />

works.<br />

But circular systems are good for<br />

more than just forests. A study<br />

commissioned by McKinsey<br />

Sustainability in partnership with<br />

the Ellen McArthur Foundation<br />

estimated that a circular approach in<br />

the EU could boost Europe’s resource<br />

productivity by 3% by 2030, generating<br />

cost savings of €600bn a year and<br />

€1.8tn more in other economic<br />

benefits. A circular economy allows<br />

value recovery, economic growth,<br />

and job creation, fostering subindustries<br />

like small-to-medium sized<br />

repair, refurbishment, recycling,<br />

and remanufacturing businesses. In<br />

independent modelling, the European<br />

Environment Bureau estimates that if<br />

EU member states adopt the circular<br />

economy in full, almost 160,000<br />

additional jobs can be created.<br />

There are already positive examples of<br />

circularity in action within the furniture<br />

industry. Berliner Stadtreinigung, the<br />

municipal waste department of Berlin,<br />

has opened an entire department<br />

store that sells discarded furniture.<br />

The store relies on a collection scheme<br />

via donations from local residents.<br />

This model may also pose a potential<br />

remedy for waste in metropolitan<br />

areas, as furniture constitutes the<br />

second-highest portion of urban waste<br />

in American cities.<br />

PEFC’S ACTION<br />

The PEFC believes that all have a role<br />

to play in shifting from a wasteful,<br />

unsustainable linear system of<br />

production and consumption towards<br />

a more sustainable future for the<br />

planet, and it starts with the source.<br />

Using raw, responsibly sourced<br />

natural materials will be critical for the<br />

transition towards a circular economy.<br />

Wood can be sourced from renewable<br />

sources, turned into a product,<br />

reused, and at the end of its lifecycle,<br />

recycled. The journey of a tree, from<br />

felling to end of life, offers numerous<br />

opportunities for value creation and<br />

The challenge is sourcing those<br />

materials sustainably. With 3 billion<br />

more middle-class consumers expected<br />

globally by 2030, growing resource<br />

demands could place even more<br />

pressure on forests if they are not<br />

managed sustainably. PEFC, with its<br />

bottom-up, local approach, supports<br />

independent forest owners to gain<br />

sustainable forest management<br />

certification to prove that wood from<br />

their forests has been harvested with<br />

respect for the highest ecological, social,<br />

and ethical standards. PEFC sustainable<br />

forest management certification ensures<br />

that forests can remain secure sources<br />

of renewable materials in a number of<br />

ways:<br />

By maintaining or increasing forests<br />

and their ecosystem services, and<br />

maintaining or enhancing the economic,<br />

ecological, cultural, and social values of<br />

forest resources.<br />

By safeguarding the capacity of the<br />

forest to store and sequester carbon in<br />

the medium and long terms, through<br />

balancing harvesting and growth rates.<br />

By encouraging climate-positive<br />

practices in management operations,<br />

such as GHG emission reductions and<br />

efficient use of resources.<br />

And finally, by ensuring that the<br />

harvesting levels of both wood and<br />

non-wood forest products do not exceed<br />

a rate that can be sustained in the long<br />

term, and that the harvested products<br />

are optimally used.<br />

Sustainable forestry systems can<br />

help the transition towards a<br />

circular economy, pursuant to the<br />

UN 2030 SDGs, and meet growing<br />

global demands for forest products.<br />

Responsible sourcing of materials from<br />

renewable sources is the first element in<br />

the closed-loop approach to waste, and<br />

indeed a circular economy cannot be<br />

achieved without it.<br />

In addition, PEFC chain-of-custody<br />

(CoC) certification allows timber<br />

suppliers and producers to track<br />

certified products throughout the<br />

value chain, from the forest to the<br />

furniture store, and prove that<br />

their wood comes from legal and<br />

sustainable sources. CoC certification<br />

also allows for the recognition of<br />

recycled materials bearing the PEFC<br />

Recycled label or PEFC Certified<br />

label. This is part of PEFC’s inclusive<br />

approach to circularity, which<br />

sees recycling and certification of<br />

virgin timber as complementary<br />

approaches that can sustain forests<br />

and meet market demands for wood<br />

and wood-based products. Inclusive<br />

approaches like this will be essential<br />

for the transition towards a circular<br />

economy.<br />

FORESTS ARE HOME<br />

Through Forests Are Home, PEFC is<br />

bringing wood suppliers, furniture<br />

manufacturers and designers<br />

together to demonstrate that effective<br />

partnerships in the furniture supply<br />

chain can lead to a brighter future for<br />

the world’s forests.<br />

When furniture manufacturers<br />

choose certified wood, when retailers<br />

choose certified sources, when<br />

customers choose certified furniture,<br />

everybody can help to potentially<br />

safeguard the world’s forests and<br />

ecosystem, and contribute to healthy<br />

local communities, local workers,<br />

and the local economy. P<br />

Images: INTOS<br />

INTOS is another<br />

example of how<br />

various companies<br />

are starting to adopt<br />

circularity. The<br />

interior solutions<br />

specialist produces<br />

durable furniture<br />

which can be reused<br />

after its end of life<br />

24 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


IN PERSON<br />

Unpacking domestic and<br />

global furniture trends<br />

with HOMAG <strong>Asia</strong><br />

From mass customisation to the fifth industrial revolution,<br />

Wolfgang Neeser and Lorenzo Marcaccioli, respective<br />

managing director and sales director of HOMAG <strong>Asia</strong>, share with<br />

Yap Shi Quan about current furniture trends in <strong>Asia</strong> and across<br />

the world, and how the company is responding to these trends.<br />

The DRILLTEQ H-308, which comes<br />

with a H-310 variant for consumers<br />

seeking automatic solutions<br />

Malaysia. Neeser explained that every country<br />

has its own export and domestic markets, and<br />

different countries have different priorities. For<br />

instance, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia are<br />

huge exporters of furniture, each boasting their<br />

own furniture manufacturing capabilities, while<br />

Singapore, the Philippines and Taiwan prioritise<br />

their own domestic markets. Understanding this<br />

is key to understanding how to approach the<br />

country.<br />

Big furniture trends are always shaped by<br />

market demand: If consumers want something,<br />

the industry answers it. To understand what is<br />

trending or not, businesses would have to listen,<br />

interpret and analyse what their customers<br />

want.<br />

HOMAG <strong>Asia</strong>, with their footprint across<br />

various <strong>Asia</strong>n countries, has the capacity to<br />

do that. In fact, according to Marcaccioli, the<br />

manufacturer of woodworking machinery<br />

aims to be as close to their local markets as<br />

possible. This includes recently expanding<br />

their factory in Shanghai, China, building<br />

a new warehouse and factory in India, and<br />

establishing an <strong>Asia</strong>-Pacific hotline for faster<br />

communication and more efficient after-sales<br />

service with regional customers.<br />

“One of our missions at HOMAG <strong>Asia</strong> is to get<br />

information from our established markets,<br />

understand what our customers need, and<br />

transfer this information to our research and<br />

development and factories,” Marcaccioli said to<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong>.<br />

DOMESTIC TRENDS<br />

<strong>Asia</strong> is not a homogenous region, spanning<br />

the likes of big markets like China and India, to<br />

smaller yet influential ones like Vietnam and<br />

However, there are common trends that Neeser<br />

and Marcaccioli see emerging across <strong>Asia</strong> or<br />

South East <strong>Asia</strong>. For instance, there has been<br />

an increasing demand for flexibility in furniture<br />

production over the last few years. Traditionally<br />

in South East <strong>Asia</strong>, businesses tended towards<br />

big batches of furniture production, or mass<br />

production. But HOMAG <strong>Asia</strong> has noticed<br />

that their customers are requesting for more<br />

flexibility in their machinery. In other words,<br />

their customers want more customisation, and<br />

the ability to produce smaller batches but at a<br />

faster rate.<br />

“For HOMAG, we are quite lucky in the sense that<br />

we already experienced this in other parts of the<br />

world. Our products, software, and machinery<br />

development therefore already answer to the<br />

customer demands of flexibility in <strong>Asia</strong>,” said<br />

Marcaccioli.<br />

For instance, HOMAG is presenting their<br />

DRILLTEQ H-308 and H-310 in China at the<br />

upcoming interzum Guangzhou in <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong>.<br />

26 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


IN PERSON<br />

The six-sided drilling machine offers flexibility<br />

for high variant diversity as well as efficiency<br />

— the H-308 variant is tailored specifically for<br />

<strong>Asia</strong>n markets, while the H-310 variant adds an<br />

automatic feeder, and can be connected to a<br />

fully automatic line. HOMAG will be presenting<br />

“an automatic cell with the H-310 variant”<br />

during the tradeshow.<br />

This step away from mass production and<br />

towards mass customisation corresponds to<br />

an increasing number of customers wanting to<br />

fit-out their homes — a trend that has intensified<br />

over the last two years because of the pandemic,<br />

with people cocooning at home, and a trend<br />

that also affects countries that are domestic<br />

market-oriented.<br />

“People want to fit-out their houses to their<br />

likings, their needs, and customise it. I think<br />

this is the big trend that our customers face,<br />

especially the ones that deal more with<br />

domestic orders,” Neeser clarified. “And this<br />

is being enhanced by software and online<br />

platforms that give customers choices and<br />

opportunities to play around with furniture<br />

designs, such as virtual reality (VR).”<br />

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING<br />

It remains a fact, however, that South East <strong>Asia</strong><br />

is still relatively slow in picking up Industry 4.0<br />

solutions. Mass customisation and digitalisation<br />

— which are key aspects of Industry 4.0 — still<br />

need a “longer runway” for South East <strong>Asia</strong>n<br />

manufacturers to pick up because of the region’s<br />

tendency to rely on manual labour rather than<br />

automatic solutions.<br />

But that does not mean South East <strong>Asia</strong>n<br />

manufacturers are not open to the idea of<br />

Industry 4.0. If there are customers who want<br />

their manufacturing processes to be more<br />

advanced, HOMAG <strong>Asia</strong> will be there to help.<br />

Neeser added: “We have had some success<br />

with customers in our countries who are open<br />

to adapt to Industry 4.0. Now the question is:<br />

What happens to the rest of the customers? Are<br />

they willing and able to adapt, or what needs to<br />

happen for them to jump onto the bandwagon?”<br />

Industry 5.0 is based on the principle of<br />

“human-centric, sustainable strategy”. The<br />

catch about Industry 5.0 is it has already been<br />

practised by various industries and many<br />

firms, although it has never been formally<br />

called Industry 5.0 until recently. And HOMAG<br />

is one of them, having anticipated it years ago.<br />

Business concepts such as ESG, CSR, Triple<br />

Bottom Line, are all aspects of Industry 5.0, all<br />

of which demand firms to contribute to societal<br />

well-being and put consumers at the forefront<br />

of their business strategy.<br />

Marcaccioli elaborated: “Since years ago, we<br />

developed our machines with high levels of<br />

safety, and we produced machines with ecoPlus<br />

functions to reduce their electrical and energy<br />

consumption.” Currently, HOMAG’s machines<br />

with ecoPlus functions use up to 30% less<br />

energy consumption in some applications. 1<br />

“More recently, we founded a new division<br />

called Construction Elements Support (CES),<br />

related to machinery and solutions for the<br />

wood housing industry, that aims to match the<br />

principles of ESG as well.”<br />

To further improve their ESG performance,<br />

HOMAG has also reduced their factory<br />

emissions by 31% over the last nine years,<br />

and plans to reduce the factory emissions<br />

further to 70% by 2030. Additionally, they<br />

plan on developing new machines, fitted with<br />

new devices that can reduce at least 15% of<br />

emissions when using them.<br />

PIVOTING TO CONSUMER DEMAND<br />

Industry 5.0 is almost an unheard-of concept<br />

in <strong>Asia</strong>, and will likely not be adopted any soon<br />

while businesses are still adapting to Industry<br />

4.0 solutions. Even then, Neeser believes that<br />

manufacturers will have to pivot to Industry<br />

5.0 or human-centric production, or they<br />

might face difficulties keeping up with other<br />

businesses that have already taken the first<br />

steps. After all, the market moves according to<br />

consumer demand.<br />

HOMAG will therefore continue to monitor<br />

local markets closely, cater to their needs, all<br />

while improving their after-sales services to<br />

make sure any new machines introduced will<br />

be adequately supported on remote servers.<br />

As Neeser put it: “We will continue taking their<br />

feedback to the product management and due<br />

departments, so they can have products that<br />

fit the market, rather than taking European<br />

markets and trying to adapt them somehow to<br />

local market needs.”<br />

Besides advanced manufacturing trends,<br />

HOMAG <strong>Asia</strong> is also keeping tabs on market<br />

developments. Neeser wonders if the China<br />

Plus One strategy, where various manufacturing<br />

industries are avoiding putting all of their<br />

resources in China alone and aiming to diversify<br />

elsewhere, will affect the furniture industry as<br />

much as it has affected other manufacturing<br />

industries. Some furniture businesses have<br />

already migrated out of China and into Vietnam.<br />

But if the impact of China Plus One on the<br />

furniture industry gets any stronger, it might<br />

shift HOMAG’s customer landscape — though all<br />

of this is, of course, still speculation. P<br />

References<br />

1. HOMAG. ecoPlus – Technology that pays off. <br />

And as South East <strong>Asia</strong> grapples with Industry<br />

4.0, there have been slow but emerging<br />

discussions around the world about the<br />

upcoming fifth industrial revolution, also<br />

known as Industry 5.0. According to Marcaccioli,<br />

The SAWTEQ B-320<br />

will also be displayed<br />

during interzum<br />

Guangzhou <strong>2023</strong><br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 27


PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT<br />

Slim area grippers<br />

for wood processing<br />

1<br />

According to Schmalz, the new FXP-60<br />

and FMP-60 measure just 60mm-wide in<br />

contrast to their previous 130mm-wide<br />

generation, making them ideal for uses<br />

in tight spaces, with interfering contours<br />

for single-beam handling. The slimness<br />

does not affect performance. An energyefficient<br />

multi-stage ejector sits on top<br />

of the FXP-60, ensuring low running<br />

costs and high operational reliability.<br />

The FMP-60 variant is designed for an<br />

external vacuum generator.<br />

HOW IT WORKS<br />

The new FXP- or FMP-60 are lightweight<br />

with their modular design consisting of<br />

an aluminium profile with sealing foam<br />

as the gripping surface. This enables<br />

high dynamics in the handling process.<br />

Furthermore, the FXP- or FMP-60 are not<br />

picky when it comes to the dimensions<br />

or pickup position of the workpiece, in<br />

spite of their narrow width. With the<br />

integrated flow restrictor technology,<br />

the minimum degree of coverage is 50%.<br />

This means leakage loss is minimised<br />

due to uncovered suction cells.<br />

Thus, even workpieces with recesses<br />

should be of minimal difficulty for the<br />

new grippers, as claimed by Schmalz.<br />

This also makes FXP- or FMP-60 suitable<br />

for swivelling operations and high<br />

accelerations.<br />

While the width is set, the customer can<br />

specify the length individually in 18mm<br />

increments. The minimum is 316mm<br />

for the FMP-60 variant and 388mm<br />

for the FXP-60 version with integrated<br />

vacuum generator. The maximum is<br />

1,972mm.<br />

2<br />

Legend<br />

1 The new FXPand<br />

FMP-60<br />

2 The new area<br />

grippers measure<br />

60mm-wide, which<br />

makes them ideal<br />

for uses in tight<br />

spaces<br />

Manufacturer of automatic vacuum<br />

and ergonomic handling systems<br />

Schmalz has launched a series of<br />

slim vacuum area gripping system<br />

for wood processing.<br />

Currently, the FXP- or FMP-60 are sold<br />

worldwide. Ideal areas of application<br />

are the automated handling of plastic,<br />

sheet metal, glass and wood materials,<br />

as well as in intralogistics. The area<br />

grippers can be used to grip house<br />

construction elements, or narrow<br />

workpieces. It can be fixed onto<br />

through-feed saws as well, or plunged<br />

into roller conveyors. P<br />

Images: Schmalz<br />

28 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT<br />

Comfort Core:<br />

Upgrade in sound and<br />

walking comfort for flooring<br />

Unilin Technologies and Pelican Creations<br />

Home have developed the Comfort Core<br />

technology, which aims to achieve the<br />

quietest stone plastic (SPC) flooring in the<br />

flooring market, combining optimal ratios<br />

of vinyl, pad, and SPC core to upgrade the<br />

sound characteristics of the floor while<br />

improving the ergonomics and walking<br />

comfort.<br />

Currently, the Comfort Core technology<br />

can be bought all over the world. In a<br />

press release by Unilin, manufacturer<br />

Jiangsu Success and distributing<br />

companies Wego International Floors<br />

and Goodfellow have started production<br />

and sales of floors installed with the<br />

Comfort Core technology. Koopmans<br />

assured that the technology can be<br />

made with pre-existing machinery,<br />

which means there will be no additional<br />

investment needed for manufacturers.<br />

Also, manufacturers can determine the<br />

ideal mix between the hardness of the<br />

top layer and softness of the cushion<br />

layer, so they can comply with and<br />

tailor the floor specifications to the<br />

expectations of their customers. P<br />

There are five layers to the Comfort Core<br />

technology: The base being an ultrahigh-density<br />

ethylene and vinyl acetate<br />

(EVA) pad, followed by a rigid SPC core,<br />

a soft cushion layer, a luxury vinyl tile<br />

(LVT) with rigid back layer, and finally a<br />

wear layer at the top. The new build-up<br />

is furthermore designed with Unilin’s<br />

locking technology, making it easy for<br />

installation. The experience of walking<br />

on a floor with Comfort Core technology<br />

is akin to walking on carpet, since it<br />

conforms to ISO standards for reflective<br />

walking sound, and is the quietest type of<br />

floor after carpet.<br />

“The construction with the extra layer<br />

of EVA padding allows an improved<br />

soft and warm step, ideal for single and<br />

multi-dwelling homes and condominium<br />

living,” explained Floris Koopmans, sales<br />

director at Unilin. “Comfort Core provides<br />

users with a quiet, comfort-first feel with<br />

every step. Now that many homes also<br />

function as ‘offices’, the silence feature is<br />

highly appreciated by end consumers.”<br />

Walking comfort, ergonomics and sound are prioritised in Unilin’s Comfort Core technology<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 29


PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT<br />

NiRo collet chuck Premium<br />

for long-term CNC<br />

machining with shank tools<br />

For example, the functionality of a<br />

clamping device must be ensured<br />

even under high air or material<br />

humidity. After all, the machining<br />

quality should remain permanently<br />

and consistently high and the tool life<br />

should be maintained at a maximum.<br />

Tool breakage and thus damage to the<br />

workpiece should also be prevented.<br />

The NiRo collet chuck Premium<br />

High-quality tool clamping technology<br />

is necessary to ensure a high-quality<br />

workpiece. The clamping device must<br />

combine consistently high holding<br />

forces with great precision. However,<br />

these requirements are in the context of<br />

increasingly complex work tasks, in which<br />

the overall system of the clamping device<br />

and tool must ensure high machining<br />

results in the long term, even under difficult<br />

production conditions.<br />

CONCENTRICITY WITH HIGH<br />

BALANCING QUALITY<br />

Manufacturer of wood processing<br />

tools Leitz has developed a new<br />

clamping system with hollow shank<br />

taper that combines high changing<br />

repeat accuracy with flexibility and<br />

durability. The NiRo collet chuck<br />

Premium, made entirely of stainless<br />

steel, ensures corrosion-free finishes<br />

and precise, functionally reliable<br />

tool clamping, even with high air and<br />

material humidity.<br />

To benefit from the advantages<br />

of the HSK adapter in the NiRo<br />

collet chuck Premium, Leitz has<br />

attached importance to precision<br />

and accuracy during production. The<br />

high concentricity — of maximum<br />

0.003mm — is therefore fine-balanced<br />

to G2.5 at 25,000 revolutions per<br />

minute. With a taper angle of 2°52’,<br />

the OZ collet enables the transmission<br />

of higher torques than an ER collet<br />

with an 8° taper angle. The longer<br />

taper length of the Niro Premium<br />

also offers greater angular stability.<br />

At the same time, the ball-bearing<br />

clamping nut ensures low friction<br />

losses between the nut and collet and<br />

enables safe use in right-hand and<br />

left-hand operations. In conjunction<br />

30 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT<br />

Legend<br />

1 By using different<br />

collets, shank tools<br />

in the range from<br />

6-25mm can be easily<br />

and precisely clamped<br />

2 Niro collet chuck<br />

Premium ensures<br />

maximum holding<br />

forces with an easy-toapply<br />

torque of 80Nm,<br />

and the slim contour<br />

has a collisionpreventing<br />

effect and<br />

also enables work in<br />

confined conditions<br />

1 2<br />

with the optimised trapezoidal thread and the<br />

increased guide length, this ensures aboveaverage<br />

holding forces with a comparatively<br />

low tightening torque of 80Nm, according to<br />

Leitz.<br />

NEW KEY SYSTEM, SLIM CONTOUR<br />

Depending on the application, the collets of<br />

the premium chuck can be easily and quickly<br />

changed to adapt to a variety of drills and<br />

cutters, as claimed by Leitz. The available<br />

collets cover the range from 6-25mm. With the<br />

machine-side connection via the HSK-E-63<br />

adapter, speeds up to a maximum of 24,000<br />

revolutions per minute are possible. The<br />

high concentricity and balance quality of<br />

the Niro Premium ensure a long tool life and<br />

high machining quality on the workpiece.<br />

In addition, the collet chuck features a slim<br />

design, which improves accessibility to the<br />

workpiece and, due to the reduced interference<br />

contour, allows optimised five-axis machining.<br />

Leitz has also revised the Premium’s key system<br />

for easy mounting of collets and tools. The<br />

optimised key surfaces not only ensure safe<br />

operation during clamping and releasing, but<br />

the contour of the system is also up to 15%<br />

slimmer than comparable chucks. P<br />

Images: Leitz<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 31


PANEL MANUFACTURING<br />

OSB<br />

and its<br />

variants<br />

Compared to plywood and particleboard,<br />

oriented strand board (OSB) is a<br />

recent invention. Introduced in the<br />

US as waferboard in the 1970s, the<br />

original waferboard had a homogenous<br />

composition of thin rectangular wood<br />

flakes and was not developed as a<br />

structural board. In contrast, today’s<br />

OSB has greater rigidity and strength,<br />

brought about by creative engineering<br />

and orienting the flakes differently. When<br />

moisture resistance was added to OSB, it<br />

became a real competitor to plywood.<br />

Global capacity for OSB rose from less<br />

than 20 million m³ in 1996 to 32 million m³<br />

in 2015. The increase was driven primarily<br />

by Europe, which saw a jump from<br />

less than 1 million m³ in 1996 to over<br />

7 million m³ in 2015. Dramatic growth in<br />

recent years came mostly from eastern<br />

Europe. Still, more than two-thirds of<br />

the global OSB capacity comes from the<br />

US, where OSB was created.<br />

In the US, OSB is commonly used in<br />

the construction of commercial and<br />

residential buildings, typically in wall<br />

and roof planking and flooring. Due<br />

to the board’s mechanical properties<br />

and moisture resistance, OSB is used in<br />

either dry or humid areas as a loadbearing<br />

and even high load-bearing<br />

board. While many OSB plants in the US<br />

today use multi-opening presses, the<br />

continuous production process for OSB<br />

is more common elsewhere. The typical<br />

board thickness range is about 6-40mm,<br />

and the raw density is approximately<br />

550-700kg/m³.<br />

Originally, only logs were used to<br />

produce OSB, but today OSB can<br />

be produced from a variety of raw<br />

materials, giving manufacturers<br />

flexibility. Apart from fresh spruce,<br />

poplar, eucalyptus, pine or birch wood<br />

logs, non-log raw materials include<br />

dwarf timber, off-cuts, slabs, recycling<br />

wood, cable drums or pallets. Raw<br />

material choice is just the beginning of<br />

OSB’s flexibility, however.<br />

OSB VARIANTS<br />

In recent years, manufacturers of<br />

complete wood-based panel plants<br />

have worked with panel producers<br />

worldwide to develop OSB variants<br />

with unique properties and advantages<br />

for unique applications. Dieffenbacher<br />

from Eppingen, Germany, was active<br />

from OSB’s earliest days and today is an<br />

international OSB plant manufacturer.<br />

Between 1974-1989, Dieffenbacher<br />

supplied eight multi-opening presses<br />

for OSB production to the US and<br />

Canada alone. In most cases, the<br />

associated dryers, forming stations<br />

and Flexoplan systems were delivered<br />

by Schenkmann-Piel-Engineering<br />

and Schenck Panel Production<br />

Systems, which were later acquired by<br />

Dieffenbacher. Many of these plants are<br />

reportedly still in operation.<br />

Some of the newly developed OSB<br />

variants that panel producers can<br />

choose from today are Fine OSB,<br />

Container OSB and OSB with an<br />

advanced or recycling wood core layer.<br />

Fine OSB: OSB is an economical<br />

alternative to plywood for almost every<br />

application. OSB’s one limitation —<br />

its poor laminating capability — was<br />

resolved by Dieffenbacher technology<br />

for the production of what is now known<br />

as Fine OSB. In Fine OSB, the OSB core<br />

layer is covered top and bottom by<br />

layers of particleboard to give a better<br />

structure to the top surface. This makes<br />

possible further processing according to<br />

individual needs, including laminating<br />

or coating on both sides with melamine<br />

or phenolic paper in a short-cycle press.<br />

Given the raw material’s lower cost, Fine<br />

OSB presents an economical alternative<br />

to plywood. It combines the robustness<br />

of OSB with the surface quality of<br />

particleboard.<br />

OSB boards in a cooling wheel<br />

The first plants to produce Fine OSB<br />

were commissioned in 2015. Fine OSB<br />

32 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


PANEL MANUFACTURING<br />

quickly became popular, especially in China. After two<br />

years of optimising the concept, Chinese authorities<br />

established a standard Fine OSB for the entire country.<br />

Subsequently, Dieffenbacher received further orders<br />

for Fine OSB plants. To date, Chinese manufacturers<br />

have already placed 10 orders for Fine OSB plants with<br />

Dieffenbacher.<br />

Container OSB: The floor of an ocean freight container<br />

is subject to major stresses. It has to transport heavy<br />

loads through all kinds of climate zones over periods of<br />

weeks or months. Previously, such demands could only<br />

be met by plywood panels made from tropical hardwood<br />

veneers, but these have steadily become scarcer and more<br />

expensive. Container OSB offers a low-cost alternative.<br />

By replacing the central veneers of plywood with an OSB<br />

core, the consumption of costly tropical timber can be<br />

reduced.<br />

1<br />

Because the strength requirements of OSB core board<br />

are greater than for commercially available OSB board,<br />

Dieffenbacher developed a new manufacturing process.<br />

Longer OSB strands are first sorted by new disc screens<br />

and then arranged crosswise in a precise, multilayer<br />

formation. Next, a specially designed press compresses<br />

the mat, enabling a much denser panel. Following<br />

compression, the OSB cores are brought together with<br />

glued veneers on a veneer lay-up station and processed in<br />

a hot press to produce Container OSB.<br />

In the future, it may be possible to manufacture OSB<br />

boards with unprecedented strength, without relying on<br />

additional veneers. This has already been achieved on a<br />

laboratory scale. Successful practical testing could pave<br />

the way for container floor manufacturers to dispense with<br />

the use of tropical veneers.<br />

2<br />

OSB with an advanced core layer: This version of<br />

OSB has traditional OSB surface layers and a core layer<br />

using cheaper, lower quality or readily available wood<br />

assortments. The physical and mechanical properties are<br />

comparable to conventional OSB. To produce OSB with an<br />

advanced core layer, only the preparation of the core layer<br />

material has to be adapted. The strand preparation for<br />

surface layers remains unchanged, and the entire material<br />

flow is comparable to conventional OSB production.<br />

OSB with an advanced core layer gives panel producers<br />

the flexibility to use inexpensive raw materials such as<br />

macro chips, short logs, branches, industrial or recycling<br />

wood and residual wood from sawmills, without<br />

compromising board quality. Especially when using<br />

recycling wood, this type of OSB helps reduce costs<br />

and simultaneously contribute to sustainability and<br />

environmental and climate protection. P<br />

3<br />

Legend<br />

1 Production of Fine OSB<br />

in a continuous press<br />

2 Container OSB<br />

3 OSB with an advanced<br />

core layer<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 33


PANEL MANUFACTURING<br />

Optimal<br />

sanding<br />

of all sides:<br />

New sanding<br />

line by Destefani<br />

Sanding solutions manufacturer<br />

Destefani has launched a<br />

16.5m-long line consisting of 12<br />

sanding units for the four-sided<br />

sanding of wooden panels.<br />

450mm, ensuring as much flexibility, quality<br />

and productivity as possible.<br />

Alessio De Stefani, technical sales manager<br />

of the Destefani brand, said: “Our sanding<br />

line is perfect for sanding profiles and<br />

flat elements and allows you to obtain<br />

a perfect sanding on all four sides. This<br />

line was installed by a well-known Polish<br />

manufacturer of children’s bedrooms,<br />

meeting all requirements and guaranteeing<br />

an excellent quality finish combined with<br />

rapid and precise processing.”<br />

THE SANDING LINE<br />

The new sanding line, 16.5m-long and<br />

weighing a total of 7,600kg with 12 working<br />

units — which can be increased to 14 at the<br />

customer’s request — is made up of three<br />

successive machines.<br />

The first machine is the B2-200 sander,<br />

composed of two units for the lower<br />

sanding of flat elements: a CTI100x unit for<br />

transversal sanding and a CTI200 unit for<br />

longitudinal sanding. The B2-200 has a thick<br />

metal structure and weighs about 1,600kg.<br />

The new complete sanding line by Destefani,<br />

a firm that specialises in sanding solutions, is<br />

ideal for sanding all four sides of solid wood<br />

elements in a single pass. Specifically, it is ideal<br />

for finishing elements of furniture, profiles,<br />

jambs, architraves, and door and window parts,<br />

and it can process workpieces that have a width<br />

between 30-200mm and a minimum length of<br />

The second machine is the MVT 6000 large<br />

sander that sands the workpiece at the top<br />

and left side. It is made up of six sanding<br />

units: a CTS100x unit for upper transversal<br />

1<br />

1<br />

34 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


PANEL MANUFACTURING<br />

sanding, a CTL100x unit for lateral transversal<br />

sanding, a CTS200 unit for upper longitudinal<br />

sanding, two AT100 units for sanding straight<br />

or shaped parts, and an SB100 unit, a brush<br />

honing unit or an abrasive wheel honing<br />

unit suitable for super-finishing, satin<br />

finishing and brushing of sanded surfaces. If<br />

necessary, a seventh unit can be added.<br />

The third machine that makes up the new<br />

line is the MVT 4000/2 sander with a mobile<br />

base that houses four sanding units. The<br />

first unit is the CTL100x, which is used<br />

for transversal sanding of the side of the<br />

workpiece. Then there are two AT100 units<br />

for the smoothing of straight or shaped parts,<br />

and lastly, the SB100 brush unit carries out<br />

super-finishing, satin finishing and brushing<br />

operations on the sanded surfaces, to<br />

complete the machining of the workpiece in<br />

an optimal way.<br />

All in all, the units installed in the new<br />

Destefani sanding line consists of: a CTS100x<br />

upper transversal unit; a CTS200 upper<br />

longitudinal unit; a SB100 ‘Scotch Brite’ unit;<br />

a CTL100x side transversal unit; a CTI200<br />

lower longitudinal unit; and lastly, a CTI100x<br />

lower transversal unit.<br />

“The first machine smooths the underside<br />

of the piece loaded into the line, the second<br />

machine carries out finishing of the upper<br />

part and one side, and the third machine<br />

does the second side and adds the ‘final<br />

touch’ to the entire profile,” explained<br />

De Stefani. “This is therefore a complete line<br />

that can be fitted with additional units at<br />

the customer’s request to form a completely<br />

modular and tailor-made sanding station.”<br />

P<br />

Legend<br />

1 Destefani’s new sanding line<br />

2 The SB100 brush honing unit or an abrasive<br />

wheel honing unit, suitable for super-finishing,<br />

satin finishing and brushing of sanded surfaces<br />

3 The infeed area<br />

4 The CTS200 unit for upper longitudinal sanding<br />

4<br />

2<br />

3<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 35


PANEL MANUFACTURING<br />

Inspecting digital and<br />

gravure decorated CPL<br />

with Baumer technology<br />

The ColourBrain CPL 4.0 is an<br />

inspection system developed by<br />

Baumer Inspection for the hybrid<br />

manufacturing of continuous<br />

pressure laminate (CPL) decorated<br />

digitally and in gravure. The<br />

features of both manufacturing<br />

worlds are combined in one system<br />

and can reportedly detect every<br />

significant deviation. Furthermore,<br />

with improved evaluation of the<br />

overlay paper, even minor, weakly<br />

visible defects can be detected<br />

in decorations. A unique process<br />

ensures that the actual decor,<br />

as opposed to defects, is almost<br />

completely suppressed.<br />

With the FlashingSky evaluation<br />

technology by Baumer and other<br />

evaluation channels, process<br />

defects such as bubbles, milkiness,<br />

gloss deviations, breaks, cracks,<br />

and decor particles which might be<br />

also of the same colour as the actual<br />

decor can be detected. The system<br />

also detects typical digital printing<br />

defects such as nozzle or printhead<br />

failures.<br />

Detected defects are directly<br />

marked, alarmed and, if required,<br />

recorded in a roll log. This enables<br />

the press operator to identify and<br />

reduce causes of process-related<br />

defects. Conversely, the roll log<br />

can enable the operator to remove<br />

defective areas in a targeted manner<br />

in later process steps, such as during<br />

the cutting stage.<br />

INTUITIVE USER INTERFACE<br />

The CPL 4.0 system features a new,<br />

36 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


PANEL MANUFACTURING<br />

Production overview on the dashboard with the defect map and related<br />

defects and statistics<br />

intuitive touch user interface.<br />

The Baumer Dashboard<br />

provides an overview of the<br />

current production. Inspection<br />

results with defect logs as well<br />

as production statistics are<br />

displayed scalable in different<br />

zoom levels over different<br />

production sections, from<br />

a single to several hundred<br />

running meters.<br />

TEMPLATES FOR SIMPLIFIED<br />

DATA MANAGEMENT<br />

By using templates, Baumer<br />

Inspection aims to create<br />

order and clarity in product<br />

data management. Similarly<br />

structured products are<br />

grouped together so that<br />

suitable inspection settings<br />

do not have to be found for<br />

hundreds or thousands of<br />

different CPL items, but only<br />

with a handful of templates.<br />

SYSTEMATIC COMPARISON<br />

The ColourBrain CPL 4.0<br />

system is ready for Q-Live,<br />

a Baumer database for the<br />

statistical analysis of defect<br />

types and frequencies.<br />

This enables consistent<br />

data management for the<br />

systematic comparison of<br />

several CPL 4.0 systems in a<br />

plant or group, thus ensuring<br />

that the same article is<br />

assessed with the same criteria at<br />

different lines or locations.<br />

SHORTENED COMMISSION AND<br />

MAINTENANCE TIMES<br />

The CPL 4.0 systems are calibrated<br />

and preset in a standardised<br />

manner at Baumer so that<br />

commissioning can be carried<br />

out quickly and with the shortest<br />

possible line downtime.<br />

SELF-MONITORING<br />

Operational reliability can be<br />

achieved in the CPL 4.0 system<br />

through self-monitoring functions<br />

and the reporting of changes<br />

such as temperature increases,<br />

illumination losses, failure of<br />

computers, cameras, luminaires or<br />

deposits on luminaires or mirrors.<br />

COOPERATION WITH BAUMER<br />

GROUP<br />

Baumer Inspection has followed<br />

the strategy of developing and<br />

manufacturing critical core<br />

components such as cameras,<br />

computers, illumination and<br />

control modules in close<br />

cooperation with resources in<br />

the Baumer Group for years. This<br />

pays off several times, especially<br />

in current turbulent times: The<br />

success can be accorded to the<br />

control of supply chains and<br />

adherence to promised delivery<br />

dates. P<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 37


FURNITURE MANUFACTURING<br />

Complex milling<br />

implemented automatically<br />

The BIMA Gx50 moving gantry machine<br />

from IMA Schelling for machining door<br />

surfaces (Image: IMA Schelling)<br />

Doors give a room character: They can<br />

determine the look of an apartment or<br />

house. Blanke Türenwerke, a door and<br />

door frame manufacturer based in Lower<br />

Saxony, Germany, relies on the BIMA<br />

Gx50 modular moving gantry machine<br />

from IMA Schelling for machining the<br />

surfaces of its wooden internal doors.<br />

The machine makes it possible to give<br />

the doors a unique design.<br />

Doors with decorative grooves, doors with<br />

vision panels, frame design doors, style doors,<br />

and others: Blanke Türenwerke specialises in<br />

manufacturing internal doors and door frames<br />

with more than 100 years of market experience.<br />

The company is based in the town of Bad Iburg<br />

in south-west Lower Saxony, Germany, and<br />

makes internal doors with decorative, continuous<br />

pressure laminate (CPL) and white painted<br />

surfaces.<br />

In the past, Blanke relied on the BIMA Cx40<br />

computerised numerical control (CNC) machining<br />

centre from IMA Schelling for door frame<br />

production for a long time. Its C-frame<br />

construction allows the machine to process excess<br />

lengths, offering freedom in how it is assigned.<br />

However, Blanke began looking for a new<br />

solution for door production. As explained by<br />

Karsten Schlegel, head of the work preparation<br />

department at Blanke: “Our door production<br />

has moved to a new production hall. On this<br />

occasion, we also took our old machining centres<br />

out of service, thus creating space for the latest<br />

machines.”<br />

COMPLEX SURFACE MACHINING<br />

The first question for Blanke was: Which machine<br />

was suitable for machining surfaces? Their<br />

requirements were also specific. “We had to<br />

38 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


FURNITURE MANUFACTURING<br />

1<br />

3<br />

implement vision panels, grooves and V-joints,<br />

as well as milling recesses for ventilation grilles,<br />

interior door closers and lock boxes,” said<br />

Schlegel.<br />

The door and door frame manufacturer received<br />

advice from IMA Schelling Group specialists.<br />

IMA Schelling specialises in the development<br />

and production of modularised special systems<br />

and processing solutions for the wood, metal<br />

and plastics industries. For door production,<br />

the group also offers its customers numerous<br />

solutions and customised machines that can be<br />

configured individually. The formats of the doors,<br />

which can be up to 90mm-thick and 3,200mmlong,<br />

pose special challenges to production<br />

machines. This is why IMA Schelling offers units<br />

with a motor rating of up to 30kW and plants with<br />

machine lengths of up to 60m for this sector.<br />

This competence, specifically in relation to<br />

doors, was also crucial for Blanke. “Right from<br />

the start, we were convinced by IMA Schelling’s<br />

adherence to deadlines and ability to develop<br />

solutions,” said Schlegel.<br />

IMA Schelling therefore recommended the BIMA<br />

Gx50, according to Dennis Reddig, product<br />

manager at IMA Schelling. As a pass-through<br />

CNC machine, the BIMA Gx50 took over the<br />

earlier mentioned tasks that were not possible<br />

on a classic pass-through machine, such as<br />

milling operations for lock boxes, drilling<br />

operations for edgebanding, milling operations<br />

for interior door closers, milling and drilling<br />

operations for handles and spyholes or multiple<br />

locking mechanisms, as well as creating vision<br />

panels or decorative surface features such as<br />

decorative grooves.<br />

INDIVIDUAL TOOL CHANGE CONCEPT<br />

The BIMA Gx50 is a moving gantry machine<br />

that is modular in structure and also suitable<br />

for milling, gluing and laser edgebanding. For<br />

the different types of machining demanded<br />

by Blanke, the five-axis head developed by<br />

IMA Schelling is used in combination with an<br />

individually adjustable tool change concept.<br />

This provides a range of options, from classic<br />

tool change carousels for each spindle, to<br />

fixed pick-up changers, to chain-type tool<br />

changers which can access several spindles,<br />

and combinations of several of these systems.<br />

The solid gantry design of the CNC machine and<br />

its rigid machine bed can ensure high process<br />

reliability.<br />

2<br />

1 Complex milling<br />

operations are also<br />

possible with the<br />

BIMA Gx50<br />

(Image: IMA Schelling)<br />

2 The intelligent suction<br />

concept ensures<br />

optimum cleaning of<br />

workpieces (Image:<br />

IMA Schelling)<br />

3 Room doors with subtle,<br />

decorative elements<br />

are an adornment<br />

for every dwelling<br />

(Image: Blanke Türen)<br />

The machine has been fitted with two<br />

machining spindles, one four-axis and one fiveaxis<br />

spindle, so that it can handle the set tasks<br />

with optimised set-up times. Both spindles can<br />

each carry out a tool change in parallel — that<br />

is, while the other spindle is processing.<br />

“The BIMA Gx50 represents the optimum<br />

combination of high-quality mechanical<br />

engineering and intelligent process control,”<br />

emphasised Reddig. It can be connected to fully<br />

automatic feeding and stacking systems, as well<br />

as integrated into existing plants and existing<br />

software and data landscapes.<br />

INTELLIGENT SUCTION SYSTEM<br />

When it came to plant planning and machine<br />

commissioning, IMA Schelling supported the<br />

customer as much as possible. “It was an<br />

extremely constructive collaboration and our<br />

specific requests were all taken into account,”<br />

said Schlegel. “To start with, there were<br />

some minor teething problems, which were<br />

resolved very quickly, thanks to IMA Schelling’s<br />

extremely competent service technicians, who<br />

were always promptly on site.”<br />

Blanke has been using the BIMA Gx50 moving<br />

gantry machine since May 2020. According to<br />

Schlegel, they were satisfied by the machine<br />

because firstly, the moving gantry was mounted<br />

on both sides, with the gantry design allowing<br />

the two CNC-controlled feed motors to move<br />

the gantry with precision and synchronised to<br />

the angle. Secondly, there was the intelligent<br />

suction concept, which aims to ensure<br />

optimal cleaning of workpieces with minimal<br />

installation work. The machine can currently<br />

process about 20 doors an hour, and it is not yet<br />

running at full capacity. P<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 39


FURNITURE MANUFACTURING<br />

Q-Cut G6 Edition:<br />

Finish-cut quality<br />

with longer tool life<br />

Supplier of carbide- and diamond-tipped woodworking tools<br />

Leuco has introduced the Q-Cut G6 Edition, a new panel sizing<br />

saw blade to meet demanding requirements for cut quality with a<br />

long service life.<br />

improved to H7. This makes it easier<br />

to slide the saw blade onto the shaft.<br />

In addition, the shape is non-round<br />

instead of round, which results in<br />

fewer points of contact between the<br />

blade and the shaft, making it easier to<br />

mount without jamming.<br />

Q-Cut G6 Edition has<br />

a longer tool life than<br />

Q-Cut G6 by up to<br />

two times (Image:<br />

Leuco)<br />

Woodworking shops now have an<br />

alternative to the Q-Cut G6 at Leuco<br />

as the standard blade for panel sizing.<br />

The Q-Cut product family aims to<br />

achieve the highest possible quality<br />

in panel sizing saws. Within this<br />

family, the Q-Cut G6 Edition is now the<br />

standard in terms of service life. Leuco<br />

reported that the new blade extends<br />

the already long service life of the<br />

standard Q-Cut G6 saw blade by up to<br />

two times and more.<br />

Leuco is able to improve the Q-Cut G6<br />

with thinner blade bodies and greater<br />

lateral tooth projection. This leads to an<br />

optimised chip flow, and thus less chip<br />

friction as well as less heating of the saw<br />

blade. Improved grinding parameters<br />

also contribute to high quality cutting<br />

and longer tool life.<br />

Another feature of the Q-Cut G6 Edition<br />

is the improved precision class of<br />

Leuco’s easyFix hole, which has been<br />

Furthermore, the Q-Cut G6 Edition is<br />

characterised by quiet and smooth<br />

running. Six laser ornaments as well<br />

as several expansion slots reduce<br />

vibrations and thus also the running<br />

noise of the saw blade. This saw<br />

blade has a tooth group configuration<br />

consisting of two stronger-cutting<br />

leading teeth and four consecutive<br />

teeth. This feature is common to all<br />

panel sizing saw blades in the Q-Cut<br />

family, which now consists of five<br />

products: Q-Cut G5 for finish-cut<br />

quality in plywood, veneered woodbased<br />

materials, lightweight panels<br />

and panels with sensitive top layers;<br />

Q-Cut K for finish-cut quality in antifingerprint<br />

materials and in plastics;<br />

Q-Cut G6 for finish-cut quality with a<br />

long tool life, and is thus especially<br />

cost-effective; Q-Cut G6 No Noise which<br />

is quiet, on top of typical Q-Cut G6<br />

features; and lastly, the new Q-Cut G6<br />

Edition.<br />

The Q-Cut G6 Edition range includes<br />

five sizes from 350-450mm in diameter.<br />

According to Leuco, additional sizes are<br />

currently being prepared. P<br />

40 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


20 - 23 September <strong>2023</strong><br />

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FURNITURE MANUFACTURING<br />

Intelligent equipment and<br />

customised software<br />

offer competitive<br />

production model<br />

Established on 27 May 2019, Finsoft Intelligent<br />

Technology provides complete solutions<br />

for programme planning in the furniture<br />

manufacturing industry — from automation<br />

equipment, professional front-end design<br />

and data processing to the overall planning of<br />

information management systems in automated<br />

factory production for furniture manufacturing<br />

enterprises.<br />

Finsoft also sells equipment from Nanxing<br />

Machinery that has a long production line and<br />

various products. They are able to offer clients<br />

customised solutions. They can also assist<br />

customers in upgrading traditional stand-alone<br />

equipment to automated, intelligent and more<br />

flexible connected production, thus helping<br />

clients save labour cost, increase efficiency and<br />

gain a competitive advantage.<br />

from computer-aided design (CAD) to<br />

computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and<br />

mastering the advantages of automation to<br />

achieve a customised, intelligent production<br />

line. They carry out equipment planning,<br />

design and integrate software according to<br />

the customer’s production and process end<br />

needs. The integrated intelligent software<br />

will keep and update the data and products<br />

in every channel, and systematically manage<br />

quotation, monitor production progress and<br />

organise inventory information to lower the<br />

cost, enhance product yield rate and improve<br />

work efficiency.<br />

Secondly, Finsoft has a local service team that<br />

can understand and prioritise customer needs.<br />

They will dispatch engineers to the customer’s<br />

site to assist in integration, optimisation,<br />

online or remote real-time troubleshooting,<br />

thereby improving service efficiency. This<br />

immediate customer service can solve client’s<br />

problems in one go, as claimed by Finsoft.<br />

Thirdly, Finsoft delivers spare parts quicky<br />

and at lower prices. Compared to the delivery<br />

times of two to three months from foreign<br />

equipment manufacturers, Finsoft has<br />

real-time knowledge of their suppliers and<br />

will feedback to them about the customer’s<br />

problem immediately. They will dispatch<br />

engineers to assist in replacing and adjusting<br />

the equipment, to provide their clients<br />

replacement of spare parts.<br />

Finsoft provides customers with software<br />

products from Guangzhou FinChinaSoft<br />

Information Technology, including the process<br />

design software Fin Design, the production<br />

management system software Fin MES, order<br />

management software Fin OMS, equipment<br />

control software Fin CNC Controller, intelligent<br />

production control software, intelligent<br />

production line solutions, consulting services<br />

and complete solutions.<br />

Finsoft Intelligent Technology offers their<br />

clients intelligent production line for the<br />

entire factory. Firstly, they combine intelligent<br />

machines and software, creating data flow<br />

42 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


FURNITURE MANUFACTURING<br />

Technological advancements and the rising<br />

labour cost have required firms to replace<br />

labour with machines, establish unmanned<br />

automated factories, and assist customers to<br />

transform from the traditional stand-alone<br />

mode to a more efficient and cost-saving<br />

intelligent production line by combining<br />

intelligent machine and software, which<br />

according to Finsoft is the wave of the future.<br />

The industry will follow the trend of smallbatch,<br />

diversified, customised production<br />

in the future, and by combining intelligent<br />

machines and software, clients will be able to<br />

receive orders and offer quotations quickly,<br />

integrate inventory information, and the<br />

system will accurately grasp production status<br />

and output quality.<br />

From the front-end sales, Fin Design uses<br />

woodworking software to design products<br />

and get orders, and production files will<br />

be generated. Production orders are<br />

subsequently submitted into the Fin OMS<br />

system, scheduled by the advanced planning<br />

and scheduling (APS) system, and sent to the<br />

Fin MES system for planned production. The<br />

back-end of the product production process<br />

is monitored and controlled in real-time to<br />

ensure optimal quality. After the finished<br />

products are included in the storage through<br />

the warehouse management system (WMS)<br />

system, a message will be integrated and<br />

sent back to the Fin OMS system. From order<br />

placing to inventory management, all the<br />

steps are interlocked to check whether sales<br />

goals are reached and to understand the<br />

production line status.<br />

Nanxing Machinery’s intelligent cutting<br />

workstation, when cooperating with Finsoft’s<br />

software, can connect from the edgebanding<br />

machine and drilling workstation to the<br />

finished product storage. The optimal<br />

combination of cutting, edgebanding, drilling,<br />

sorting, packaging, and storage via robots<br />

builds an intelligent automated line. This<br />

results in less labour cost and error rates<br />

caused by labour, as well as less transfer time<br />

in production and higher production output.<br />

By using the intelligent supervisor system, the<br />

entire production line, process flow, status<br />

monitor, among others, can be controlled<br />

via real-time interaction with machines,<br />

robots and conveyor. Once the data in the<br />

APS and MES systems is uploaded, the entire<br />

Left images: Rendered designs with Fin Design software<br />

workstation can be effectively driven, which<br />

is monitored by the intelligent equipment<br />

system to help customers establish more<br />

efficient, cost-saving and product-optimised<br />

automated production lines.<br />

Industry 4.0 will bring a new chapter to the<br />

manufacturing industry. Finsoft Intelligent<br />

Technology will continue to improve their<br />

product performances and develop new<br />

products to fulfil the market’s needs, and to<br />

Right images: Customer’s finished work<br />

improve the equipment benchmark of panel<br />

furniture enterprises so that the product<br />

quality is comparable to international<br />

advanced levels.<br />

Nanxing Machinery and Finsoft Intelligent<br />

Technology will exhibit at the upcoming<br />

International Woodworking Machinery<br />

Exhibition in Taipei Nangang Exhibition<br />

Centre, held from 20-23 Apr <strong>2023</strong>, at booth<br />

B188.C68. P<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 43


MATERIALS<br />

Sandwiched Variable<br />

Eggcrate Structure:<br />

Reconstituted timber<br />

component for wall and<br />

flooring use<br />

Using mass timber in Singapore can be financially and<br />

environmentally costly. Pan Yi Cheng, developer of Sandwiched<br />

Variable Eggcrate Structure (SVES), a flooring and wall module<br />

prototype made using reconstituted timber, believes that<br />

reconstituted timber and prefabrication can be solutions.<br />

By Yap Shi Quan<br />

The construction industry is<br />

responsible for a majority of global<br />

greenhouse gas emissions. But even<br />

within the industry, construction<br />

of small residential houses or<br />

shophouses contributes to a large<br />

percentage of these emissions.<br />

1<br />

“If we want to lower the overall<br />

emissions in the building industry,<br />

we need to target the mass of the<br />

building stock, which are residential<br />

homes,” Pan Yi Cheng, a registered<br />

architect and creative director of<br />

Produce, told <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong><br />

<strong>Asia</strong>.<br />

Mass timber can be one solution.<br />

However, Singapore is not very<br />

receptive to mass timber, which is<br />

booming in popularity in western<br />

countries, perhaps for good reason:<br />

Adherence to EU building codes,<br />

and the freight and shipping costs<br />

of using European timber, add to the<br />

already huge amount of resources<br />

needed in construction. Additionally,<br />

it is disallowed to use mass timber in<br />

residential projects, unless there is a<br />

sprinkler system installed — and that<br />

adds even more expenses.<br />

Aiming to address these issues, Pan An SVES floor component<br />

can withstand up to 1.5kN<br />

developed the Sandwiched Variable<br />

of standing force<br />

Eggcrate Structure (SVES), a flooring<br />

and wall module that aims to replace<br />

precast concrete floor slabs, built using<br />

homogeneous reconstituted timber<br />

(HRT) developed by Onewood.<br />

44 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


MATERIALS<br />

WHAT ARE SVES AND RECONSTITUTED<br />

TIMBER?<br />

As its name suggests, the SVES has an eggcrate<br />

structure sandwiched in between two panels.<br />

The eggcrate structure is formed using a mould<br />

— made using a computerised numerical control<br />

(CNC) machine — that presses laminated layers<br />

of wood fibres into the eggcrate-like shape.<br />

There are two types of SVES: The wall module<br />

uses a single directional eggcrate structure that<br />

allows conduits and wirings to pass through the<br />

hollow space, and the flooring module uses a<br />

double directional structure that allows higher<br />

durability and strength. Currently, the SVES<br />

withstands 1.5kN of standing force. Furthermore,<br />

once fire retardant foam is pumped into the<br />

hollow spaces, the SVES can become a Class<br />

0 component, which means it can be used in<br />

residential houses since it can slow the spread<br />

of fire.<br />

How the flooring module of the SVES is formed using a mould<br />

SVES is made entirely with Onewood’s HRT,<br />

which aims to be a sustainable alternative to<br />

hardwood timber by using wood fibres from<br />

tree plantations that are bound together using<br />

a water-based binder. Pan estimated that HRT<br />

is roughly 70% of wood fibres, and 30% of the<br />

binder.<br />

Using reconstituted timber addresses the<br />

multiple issues mentioned earlier that<br />

plague Singapore’s mass timber industry.<br />

Since Onewood sources wood fibres from<br />

plantations around the region, such as Malaysia,<br />

manufacturing SVES will not incur huge freight<br />

and shipping costs, unlike importing engineered<br />

timber from Europe. Furthermore, HRT uses<br />

wood fibres from plantation timber that only<br />

requires 5-7 years compared to mass engineered<br />

timber which uses solid lumber that requires<br />

a longer harvest period of around 30 years<br />

rotation. The density of reconstitute timber also<br />

makes the SVES resistant to termites.<br />

But that does not mean reconstituted timber,<br />

and by extension SVES, can be used immediately<br />

for construction use, since Singapore allows<br />

engineered timber from Europe or New<br />

Zealand to be used in high-rise projects. Pan<br />

elaborated: “Since Singapore subscribes to<br />

the EU building code, you need to make sure<br />

the material complies with the building code<br />

through certification and testing, and that takes<br />

a very long time. And they are many different<br />

certifications to go through which are expensive.”<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 45


MATERIALS<br />

Even so, SVES is developed with the<br />

goal of using it for low-rise projects, like<br />

residential houses. “The idea is that<br />

we can change the building type with<br />

SVES, and we do not need columns and<br />

beams anymore, since we are not doing<br />

high-rise construction,” added Pan. “I<br />

am looking at a maximum of two-anda-half-storey<br />

building.”<br />

PREFABRICATION<br />

As a Design for Manufacturing and<br />

Assembly (DfMA)-trained architect,<br />

Pan and his studio developed the<br />

SVES with prefabrication in mind.<br />

The SVES modules can be fabricated<br />

and manufactured off-site, before<br />

being delivered to the construction<br />

site and installed onto the building<br />

itself. Furthermore, the mould used to<br />

press the laminated veneers into an<br />

eggcrate structure can be reused again<br />

to produce more eggcrate structures,<br />

allowing the mass production of SVES<br />

modules.<br />

Although prefabrication has a negative<br />

connotation in the architecture sector<br />

since it seemingly allows only cookiecutter<br />

designs, Pan wanted to explore<br />

how to achieve design freedom<br />

alongside prefabrication and mass<br />

customisation. Other important aspects<br />

to prefabrication are its eco-friendliness<br />

and economy.<br />

For instance, speaking about another<br />

residential project he is currently<br />

working on, a mass timber, two-storey<br />

detached house or bungalow in<br />

Sentosa, Singapore, Pan described how<br />

even though mass timber solutions<br />

seem costlier than concrete or steel<br />

structures in Singapore, the overall cost,<br />

which takes into account construction<br />

time and labour, is actually cheaper.<br />

For the bungalow he is working on,<br />

Pan mentioned that it only requires<br />

“less than four weeks” to complete<br />

the on-site installation of the wooden<br />

structure. Prefabrication therefore<br />

saves time and manpower.<br />

“There is an economy of scale here,<br />

where I am looking at componentbased<br />

timber products and doing<br />

different column, wall, or beam types. I<br />

am giving architects all the kit of parts<br />

[of the wooden building components],<br />

which they can take and create<br />

different design forms. I come from a<br />

design background, and I am looking at<br />

the possibility of mass customisation<br />

so that in the end, architects get more<br />

flexibility out of my solutions,” said<br />

Pan.<br />

WHAT’S NEXT?<br />

Currently, the proof of concept and<br />

prototype for SVES are done, and what’s<br />

left are the certifications and testing.<br />

This can be achieved with pilot testing.<br />

Pan needs to test the SVES components<br />

in a building, ensuring they are safe and<br />

ready for use, and these tests can only<br />

be done in South East <strong>Asia</strong>n countries<br />

where the pilot project will be nearer to<br />

the source of timber.<br />

Pan and his studio Produce are also<br />

looking for Singapore grants to further<br />

support his tests, and he is also<br />

exploring alternatives to sprinkler<br />

technology, such as mist systems<br />

which can slow the spread of flames on<br />

mass timber surfaces. However, that<br />

would require several governmental<br />

organisations in the water and building<br />

industries to change current regulations<br />

and codes, and to change their mindset<br />

about fire regulations. Otherwise,<br />

certifications to ascertain the ecofriendliness<br />

of SVES, such as Singapore<br />

Green Label Certificate or Forest<br />

Stewardship Council (FSC) certification,<br />

or to ascertain the SVES’ durability and<br />

fire resistance, such as Durability Test<br />

EN 113-2 (2020) and EN 350 (2016) and<br />

British Standard – Surface Spread of<br />

Flame Test Report BS 476: Part 7: 1997,<br />

are still needed before the SVES is<br />

market ready. P<br />

How the wall module<br />

of SVES is formed<br />

The finished<br />

prototype of SVES,<br />

and how the hollow<br />

spaces can be<br />

pumped with fire<br />

retardant foam<br />

46 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


www.floortechindonesia.com<br />

Fostering the Future<br />

of Flooring and Surface<br />

Technologies<br />

JIEXPO<br />

Kemayoran<br />

Indonesia


MATERIALS<br />

Local material for<br />

local needs: Rubberwood<br />

furniture by MUJI Singapore<br />

This is the first time MUJI allowed its South East <strong>Asia</strong>n subsidiaries<br />

to design and manufacture their own furniture line-up, tailored<br />

to local lifestyles. What about rubberwood appeals to them and<br />

their consumers? Katsushi Onishi, managing director of MUJI<br />

Singapore, shares more with Yap Shi Quan.<br />

Humidity, arguably one of the biggest<br />

threats to the longevity of wooden furniture,<br />

is present everywhere in South East <strong>Asia</strong>.<br />

Moisture can seep into the material and cause<br />

the hardwood furniture to warp.<br />

1<br />

But rubberwood is resistant to humidity.<br />

That means it is less likely to warp, and can<br />

be used for a longer time than hardwood.<br />

“It is the most suitable material for furniture<br />

products in this local climate,” said Onishi.<br />

Recognising this advantage, on top of<br />

rubberwood’s hardness and smooth touch,<br />

MUJI Singapore began manufacturing a new<br />

line-up of furniture, including desks, storage<br />

beds and dining tables, and debuted it in<br />

the beginning of January <strong>2023</strong>. Additional<br />

designs, which include shelves and cabinets,<br />

rolled out at the end of January.<br />

‘THINK LOCAL, ACT LOCAL’<br />

This is not the first time MUJI sold wooden<br />

furniture, with a line-up of oak and walnut<br />

furniture. This however marks the first<br />

time MUJI authorised its ASEAN markets<br />

to independently develop products. The<br />

company recognised differences in cultures<br />

and lifestyles across different countries,<br />

and thus allowed its subsidiary companies<br />

to customise the design and manufacture<br />

products tailored to the culture and<br />

preferences of each market.<br />

This is part of their ‘think local, act local’<br />

move where their ASEAN committees make<br />

ASEAN-centric products, according to Onishi.<br />

Their furniture line-ups respond to the limited<br />

living space across South East <strong>Asia</strong>n countries.<br />

Customers, such as city dwellers in the region,<br />

are increasingly expecting furniture products<br />

to be able to adapt to their lifestyles, and hence<br />

MUJI expects that home furniture trends will<br />

shift towards compact products that can serve<br />

multiple functions.<br />

“For example, our popular stainless steel unit<br />

shelf product empowers customers to combine<br />

shelves and frames of various materials and sizes<br />

with a wide range of optional parts to create<br />

a customised shelving unit,” said Onishi. “And<br />

if their lifestyle changes, customers can easily<br />

purchase additional compatible components and<br />

re-configure the product for their needs.”<br />

This trend is reflected in MUJI Singapore’s<br />

rubberwood furniture as well, such as storage<br />

beds or a collapsible table as space-saving<br />

solutions. However, using rubberwood comes<br />

with its own set of challenges. As Onishi<br />

explained: “Rubber trees are not large. Hence,<br />

long and wide timbers cannot be obtained,<br />

48 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


MATERIALS<br />

2 3<br />

resulting in limitations to the type of products<br />

we can make with rubberwood. If solid lumber<br />

is used it will be laminated lumber, and there<br />

are also drawbacks such as variations in the<br />

colour of the lumber, and nodes may form<br />

easily. Therefore, the work of the sawing mill<br />

and processing factories is critical, such as<br />

connecting short pieces with finger joints.”<br />

ECO-FRIENDLINESS<br />

According to Onishi, consumers are also<br />

looking for home furniture made with<br />

sustainable resources, gradually moving<br />

away from fast furniture and making more<br />

environmentally conscious decisions in<br />

their homes. Many are turning to the appeal<br />

of natural materials, warm, harmonised<br />

aesthetics, and minimalist designs, while<br />

turning away from visual clutter and synthetic<br />

materials. This helps to add a grounding<br />

dimension to the interior and widen the<br />

perspective of limited space, with the<br />

versatility to blend in with other interior<br />

decorations.<br />

Indeed, this makes a bigger case for MUJI<br />

Singapore to use rubberwood. Compared<br />

to hardwoods like oak, where the primary<br />

purpose of the tree is to be cultivated and<br />

harvested to make wooden products,<br />

rubberwood is an agricultural by-product<br />

of the rubber industry — which is prevalent<br />

across South East <strong>Asia</strong>, like Vietnam and<br />

Malaysia. This makes it a sustainable resource.<br />

Furthermore, MUJI sources rubberwood from<br />

Vietnam, where the development base for<br />

MUJI ASEAN household items is; they have<br />

existing suppliers established in Vietnam,<br />

and their product development team is also<br />

currently stationed there. This potentially<br />

reduces the carbon footprint of their<br />

production.<br />

Ensuring that the rubberwood used is<br />

harvested and used in an environmentally<br />

friendly way is part of the quality standards<br />

that MUJI sets for themselves. As Onishi<br />

put it: “To ensure quality standards are<br />

met, we inspect each process of the design<br />

development, procurement, and production.<br />

We promote manufacturing that makes the<br />

best use of the original functions of these<br />

natural materials. We are working on selecting<br />

raw materials collected and cultivated in<br />

a way that does not negatively impact the<br />

environment, animals, plants, and producers.”<br />

MUJI inspects their products according to<br />

their in-house standards, Ryohin Standards,<br />

which aims to comply with various laws<br />

established by countries worldwide and<br />

local administrations. With the Ryohin<br />

Standards, Onishi explained that MUJI’s<br />

Development and Production division and<br />

each Merchandising division collect product<br />

information and information on changes in<br />

the social environment, market trends, and<br />

industry trends daily. They also research on<br />

cases that require new establishment, revision<br />

or abolition of Ryohin Standards, and consider<br />

new standards as necessary so that they can<br />

maintain and manage a state where product<br />

quality can always be guaranteed.<br />

He added: “For primary raw materials,<br />

we use those that can be traced back to<br />

the production area whenever possible.<br />

In addition, we conduct self-assessments<br />

and surveys to ensure that wood products,<br />

including furniture, are made from legally<br />

logged timber in compliance with Japan’s<br />

Clean Wood Act and other relevant laws and<br />

regulations. We also verify the legality of<br />

timber by collecting various certificates and<br />

confirmation documents.”<br />

Legend<br />

1 Rubberwood has a natural, appealing soft colour tone<br />

2 The rubberwood storage bed is a spacesaving<br />

solution<br />

3 The rubberwood shoe rack is also an appeal to<br />

South East <strong>Asia</strong>n households, since shoe racks<br />

are common in the region<br />

PLUGGING GAPS<br />

MUJI Singapore opened their first store in<br />

Singapore 20 years ago. Singapore, being<br />

a mature market, has had a larger sales<br />

composition of furniture as compared to<br />

other South East <strong>Asia</strong>n countries, so MUJI can<br />

understand and adapt to the needs of their<br />

customers. Based on this, they will continue<br />

searching for materials suitable for other<br />

countries with similar climates.<br />

Onishi clarified: “This is not limited to<br />

rubberwood: Tropical woods such as palm<br />

wood, acacia, and mango can also be<br />

commercialised for various purposes. For the<br />

past 40 years, MUJI has been reviewing materials<br />

and inspecting processes, so it is nothing special.<br />

We will continue to provide products with good<br />

features to local people. This is a strategy that<br />

has stayed the same since our founding.”<br />

With 20 years of experience in the Singapore and<br />

South East <strong>Asia</strong>n market, MUJI Singapore also<br />

aims to plug a gap in the furniture market: Onishi<br />

believed that there is little middle-range furniture<br />

offered in the market; they are either luxury<br />

furniture of premium material and design with a<br />

high price tag, or inexpensive fast furniture that<br />

is usually mass produced and made only to last a<br />

few years, giving rise to environmental issues.<br />

“With this, we identify the opportunity to<br />

fill the supply gap by offering reasonably<br />

priced, functional, and sustainable furniture<br />

with quality that can last a long time,” he<br />

concluded. P<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 49


FLOORING<br />

A unique retreat<br />

Swiss manufacturer Bauwerk Parquet outfits a building with<br />

warm wooden floors: The Casa Sant’Agnese, perched above<br />

Lake Maggiore that runs across Italy and Switzerland,<br />

serves as a refuge for the sisters of a Catholic religious<br />

order in the later years of their lives.<br />

For Bauwerk Parquet, the project<br />

presented the challenge of matching<br />

the colour of the wooden flooring to the<br />

panelling on the walls and ceilings, and<br />

to the many built-in wooden furniture<br />

items. “We have always felt very well<br />

advised by the professionals at Bauwerk<br />

Parquet,” said Guerra, who previously<br />

worked with Bauwerk Parquet on several<br />

projects.<br />

Designed by Switzerland architect<br />

Cristiana Guerra, the new Casa<br />

Sant’Agnese in Muralto municipality,<br />

near the resort city of Locarno in<br />

Switzerland, looks as if it has been there<br />

for ages. Its reserved design radiates a<br />

sense of calm. Inside, there are white<br />

and light-grey sections on the ceilings<br />

and walls. Above all, wood is the<br />

stand-out material: Wooden fittings and<br />

furniture, coupled with wooden floors<br />

from Bauwerk Parquet, impart a warm<br />

ambiance to the rooms. The nuns from<br />

the Order of the Sisters of Mercy of the<br />

Holy Cross of Ingenbohl will be spending<br />

their retirement in the twenty modestly<br />

furnished rooms and varied common<br />

areas in the Casa Sant’Agnese.<br />

1<br />

Guerra embedded the Casa<br />

Sant’Agnese into a terraced vineyard.<br />

Parts of the building shelter a calm<br />

inner courtyard, which the nuns use as<br />

a garden for growing medicinal plants.<br />

A statue of Saint Francis overlooking<br />

a panoramic view standing in a small<br />

forecourt welcomes the residents and<br />

ushers them inside. The entrance hall<br />

leads to the chapel, which fascinates<br />

with an impressive play of light and<br />

shadow and is completely clad in<br />

wood.<br />

WOOD FOR BETTER WELL-BEING<br />

The architect ultimately chose the<br />

Monopark parquet format by Bauwerk<br />

Parquet. This short-strip oak parquet<br />

has a natural oiled surface and a calm<br />

grading, blending in with the interiors<br />

of Casa Sant’Agnese. Guerra planned it<br />

as a long-lasting floor that covered the<br />

common rooms, such as the library and<br />

the refectory, as well as the corridors and<br />

the nuns’ rooms. “In Casa Sant’Agnese,<br />

the parquet floor’s warm radiance<br />

supports a sense of well-being for the<br />

mind and soul,” explained the architect.<br />

MODERN AND ECO-FRIENDLY<br />

The Monopark parquet collection was<br />

installed in Casa Sant’Agnese in a classic<br />

ship deck pattern. The two-layer parquet<br />

had a compact 9.6mm structure and is<br />

hard-wearing. Precise manufacturing<br />

ensured a quick, reliable installation<br />

process. Bauwerk specifically developed<br />

Monopark for the commercial sector<br />

with the classic strip parquet look.<br />

The parquet underlay featured the<br />

dimensionally stable and resilient<br />

high-density fibreboard (HDF) panel<br />

technology. The resource-saving top<br />

layer consisted of 3mm of fine wood —<br />

50 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


FLOORING<br />

3<br />

2 4<br />

Legend<br />

1 The interior of a room in Casa<br />

Sant’Agnese<br />

2 Oak wood stairs<br />

3 Monopark installed in ship deck pattern<br />

4 Wooden fittings, furniture and floors impart<br />

a warm ambiance to the rooms<br />

durable oak for the Casa Sant’Agnese<br />

— and could be renovated several times<br />

to sustain long periods of use. According<br />

to Bauwerk, the wood was sourced<br />

from sustainable forestry, similar to<br />

all of their products. Monopark is<br />

ecobau-certified and meets the criteria<br />

for the eco-INSTITUT-label — ecobau<br />

is a Switzerland-based certification<br />

organisation for healthy and ecological<br />

buildings, and eco-INSTITUT-label aims<br />

to be the standard for indoor air quality<br />

and low-pollutant products — and<br />

represents the parquet’s ecological<br />

quality and perfect suitability for healthy<br />

living.<br />

Isidori Pavimenti, a second-generation<br />

family-run floor installer operating<br />

in the Ticino canton of Switzerland,<br />

processed around 1,200m 2 of Monopark<br />

in the 470mm x 70mm short strip format<br />

at the Casa Sant’Agnese. They produced<br />

the skirting and steps for the stairs<br />

using the same oak wood supplied by<br />

Bauwerk Parquet.<br />

Bauwerk reported that the Casa<br />

Sant’Agnese is “very popular” with<br />

the nuns, and that Guerra and<br />

the nuns reportedly appreciate<br />

the certified eco-friendliness.<br />

The Swiss architect Mario Botta<br />

thanked Guerra for her work in<br />

Muralto in an essay, where in the<br />

Casa Sant’Agnese, she “created a<br />

humble yet refined space for quiet<br />

meditation”. P<br />

Images: Marcelo Villada Ortiz<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong>/<strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 51


STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS<br />

An insider’s view of<br />

structural engineering<br />

and design<br />

What are Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) and<br />

building information modelling (BIM)? How have they transformed<br />

the mass timber construction industry? We answer these questions<br />

and more with Emanuele Fornalè, technical director of Studio<br />

Fornalè, a timber structural engineering firm with experience in<br />

static and dynamic seismic analysis and DfMA projects. By Pang YanJun<br />

Can you tell us what Studio Fornalè<br />

specialises in?<br />

Emanuele Fornalè: Studio Fornalè is an<br />

engineering studio that deals exclusively with<br />

the structural design of timber buildings —<br />

particularly with the static and dynamic designs<br />

of wooden structures of any type and size, with<br />

specific attention to those located in seismic<br />

areas.<br />

Over the years, we have learned how important<br />

the knowledge of production processes,<br />

management of transport logistics, and<br />

assembly phases are, and how all these<br />

information affect design choices. Today, with<br />

nearly 15 years of experience and over 400<br />

projects completed, we are able to provide<br />

our customers a comprehensive service<br />

that integrates the structural design with all<br />

subsequent phases, ensuring the project’s<br />

feasibility and optimisation of costs and<br />

installation times.<br />

1<br />

Why does the studio specialise in timber?<br />

Fornalè: I am originally from northern Italy,<br />

the city of Trento, where I learnt to love nature<br />

and the alpine environment. In the year which<br />

I was graduating there was a lot of scientific<br />

ferment at the University of Trento and at the<br />

CNR - Institute of Tree and Timber (IVALSA):<br />

52 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS<br />

2<br />

3<br />

Experiments and analyses were underway on<br />

a seven-storey cross-laminated timber (CLT)<br />

building designed at the CNR, which was<br />

carried out at the National Research Institute<br />

for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention<br />

(NIED) centre in Tsukuba, Osaka, Japan in<br />

2007. On that occasion, the CLT building was<br />

dynamically tested and subjected to the<br />

accelerogram of the destructive Hanshin-Awaji<br />

earthquake (PGA 0.82g), with excellent results<br />

on the seismic tests.<br />

All these strongly stimulated my attention and,<br />

thanks to my personal predisposition, mass<br />

timber quickly became my world: I love to<br />

visit the dry building sites that smell of wood.<br />

I specialise therefore in timber structures, and<br />

over the years the sector has grown, allowing<br />

us to expand our team and face greater and<br />

increasingly more complex challenges.<br />

Can you explain what static design and DfMA<br />

are, and how they are important in mass<br />

timber construction?<br />

Fornalè: First of all, we start from the<br />

static design: Depending on the loads<br />

Legend<br />

1 A CLT building in<br />

Trento, the Italian<br />

city where Fornalè<br />

learnt to love timber<br />

structures<br />

2 The panels are<br />

numbered in a BIM<br />

interface, ensuring<br />

easier management<br />

and allocation of<br />

supplies<br />

3 FEM analyses<br />

complex systems in<br />

structural engineering<br />

and predicts how<br />

parts behave under<br />

certain circumstances<br />

acting and the performances that we<br />

want to ensure for the building, such as<br />

deformations, fire resistance, vibrations, wind<br />

accelerations, among others, we proceed to<br />

the dimensioning of the structural timber<br />

elements and the connections. For this phase<br />

to be as effective as possible, it must already<br />

take into account many aspects related<br />

to the successive phases. It is essential to<br />

know right away, for example, what the<br />

maximum transport dimensions related to<br />

site accessibility will be, rather than knowing<br />

the maximum load capacities of the lifting<br />

systems present at the construction site.<br />

Once the executive project is completed, the<br />

DfMA phase begins: A 3D computer-aided<br />

design (CAD) / computer-aided manufacturing<br />

(CAM) model is produced in which all the<br />

connection systems, the milling and the<br />

machining operations to be carried out on the<br />

panels are reported. This is a delicate phase<br />

because it is necessary to know the tolerances<br />

of the processing and the laying well, and to<br />

know how the elements will be assembled and<br />

installed for any additional processing.<br />

At the end of the process, we are able to<br />

transfer to the production a file ‘frozen’ that<br />

contains all the data and information in<br />

machine language so that everything can<br />

be produced, both the CLT and the gluelaminated<br />

timber (glulam). During the DfMA<br />

phase, we will also prepare the assembly<br />

plan and then assign a numbering system<br />

to the panels such that they are produced,<br />

delivered and laid according to the supply or<br />

installation logic planned with the customer<br />

or installer.<br />

In your experience, how have<br />

construction or engineering methods<br />

developed in the mass timber industry<br />

since Studio Fornalè’s formal beginnings<br />

in 2009?<br />

Fornalè: Since 2009, the world of timber<br />

construction has developed with great<br />

speed. We have seen a great evolution of the<br />

software available for both the calculation<br />

and production of timber structures. The<br />

development of the BIM approach in design<br />

is certainly very advantageous and has<br />

become a working methodology, even with<br />

some workflow limitations. With BIM, you<br />

can communicate directly with all the actors<br />

in the process and be constantly informed<br />

about the interferences between various<br />

disciplines.<br />

What do you think the industry can do<br />

better in terms of structural engineering<br />

or construction software systems?<br />

Fornalè: One aspect that will have to be<br />

improved in the coming years is the iteration<br />

between the software we use, from BIM<br />

files to finite element method (FEM) design<br />

until DfMA models. Optimising the workflow<br />

by entering the functions that artificial<br />

intelligence (AI) and computational design<br />

offer will allow us to manage increasing<br />

complexity.<br />

Can you share a completed project by the<br />

studio?<br />

Fornalè: In 2015, we completed a CLT<br />

building project consisting of 12 units<br />

disposed on three floors. It was a significant<br />

project for me because, for the first time,<br />

we developed the whole BIM-FEM-DfMA<br />

workflow. It was really challenging at that<br />

time but it gave us the opportunity to start<br />

working the way we do today.<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 53


STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS<br />

Being able to manage the process, from the<br />

initial 3D model up to the definition of the laying<br />

phases, allowed our customers to manage the<br />

entire process of designing and constructing<br />

the building in a simple and clear way. The<br />

construction schedule of the building foreseen<br />

in the Gannt chart was respected, and therefore<br />

the cash-flow of the construction was also<br />

respected.<br />

4<br />

It was our first experience at 360° design and<br />

the starting point for subsequent designs. We<br />

can tell our customers, thanks to the workflow<br />

developed over the years, how long the design<br />

takes, but above all the time taken and costs in<br />

the construction phase. Deciding everything on<br />

a complete 3D model on the one hand overloads<br />

the design process, and on the other gives rise<br />

to unforeseen, additional costs or extended<br />

delivery times.<br />

In your opinion, what can the industry do<br />

to convince more architects, developers<br />

or engineers to build more mass timber<br />

structures?<br />

Fornalè: First of all, it is important that the<br />

industrial world continues to supply products<br />

that respect the environment and the<br />

production chain, such as Forest Stewardship<br />

Council (FSC), the Programme for the<br />

Endorsement of Forest Certification, and others.<br />

Timber-based materials should be produced<br />

from sustainable and managed forests. Quality<br />

and quality control standards must always be<br />

impeccable.<br />

5<br />

Legend<br />

4 DfMA is the practice of constructing building elements off-site and assembled on-site<br />

5 Optimising the workflow, from BIM to FEM and DfMA, can allow structural<br />

engineers to manage increasing complexity in projects<br />

The initial architectural project was<br />

developed in BIM by the architectural firm<br />

and used by us as a basis for developing<br />

FEM 3D modelling. The development of the<br />

building’s static design was shared with<br />

architects and the mechanical, electrical<br />

and plumbing (MEP) engineers using<br />

BIM models. In that way we were able to<br />

optimise the structural design, avoiding<br />

interference with both the MEP and the<br />

architectural finishing elements.<br />

The final 3D model of the building, validated by<br />

all the technicians involved, was later converted<br />

into a 3D CAD/CAM model using using the hsbcad<br />

software. We had inserted all the millings with<br />

the necessary tolerances and we interfaced with<br />

the building team to understand how to manage<br />

the supply of the building site. We numbered<br />

the panels according to the installation stages<br />

and prepared a manual laying of the structures<br />

according to the order we established and in<br />

accordance with the supply.<br />

It is important that the approach to construction<br />

and sustainability has changed in a synergistic<br />

way: We know that the building sector is<br />

responsible for 40% of polluting emissions and<br />

a large part of these are due to the embodied<br />

energy of the building materials. It is therefore<br />

necessary that all the actors involved in the<br />

constructive process come together to reduce,<br />

as much as possible, the environmental impact.<br />

Mass timber products offer different building<br />

systems, such as wood frames, CLT, post and<br />

beams, hybrid structures, each of which is best<br />

suited to different areas, from small or medium<br />

buildings to multi-storey structures. It is<br />

necessary to spread and disseminate the culture<br />

of mass timber structures to ensure that over<br />

time, it becomes the prevailing constructive<br />

methodology to reduce the environmental<br />

impact of the industry. P<br />

54 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS<br />

The Black &<br />

White Building<br />

Location:<br />

Shoreditch, London, UK<br />

Architecture firm:<br />

Waugh Thistleton Architects<br />

Client:<br />

The Office Group (TOG)<br />

Tulipwood supplier:<br />

American Hardwood Export Council<br />

(AHEC)<br />

Photography:<br />

Ed Reeve and Fred MacGregor<br />

Completion:<br />

2022<br />

Design-led workspace specialist The<br />

Office Group (TOG) came together with<br />

timber specialist Waugh Thistleton<br />

Architects to explore a new approach to<br />

workplace design. In The Black & White<br />

Building, they explored an ‘architecture of<br />

sufficiency’ — where every element serves<br />

a purpose, nothing is superfluous, and all<br />

materials and processes are as efficient<br />

and sustainable as possible.<br />

Standing 17.8m above the Shoreditch,<br />

London, UK streetscape, on the site of a<br />

former timber seasoning shed, The Black<br />

& White Building is reportedly TOG’s first<br />

building that they built from scratch.<br />

Their new seven-floor mass-timber<br />

building in the heart of Shoreditch sets<br />

out to demonstrate that timber is not just<br />

a viable alternative to the conventional<br />

concrete and steel used to build offices.<br />

Rather, when it comes to performance and<br />

sustainability, it is the preferable option.<br />

A TOWER OF TIMBER<br />

Created using renewable materials and<br />

innovative construction methods, The<br />

Black & White Building aims to be both a<br />

landmark in sustainable architecture and<br />

a statement of intent for TOG.<br />

1<br />

The building is situated a stroll from<br />

the tech hub of Old Street and Silicon<br />

Roundabout, on Rivington Street in<br />

Shoreditch — one of London’s ultra-low<br />

emission thoroughfares. The previous<br />

building on the site, a 11,000sqft structure<br />

painted black and white, was incapable<br />

56 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS<br />

3 of meeting the area’s growing workspace<br />

demand but also unviable for extension, so<br />

TOG co-founders and co-CEOs Olly Olsen and<br />

Charlie Green were determined to create the<br />

most sustainable building they possibly could.<br />

Their research led them to Waugh Thistleton<br />

Architects, a firm that developed timber designs<br />

for over a decade, including residential blocks<br />

such as Dalston Works and Murray Grove, as<br />

well as Vitsoe’s Leamington Spa HQ.<br />

“When I heard that TOG was thinking about<br />

a new sustainable office building, it was like I<br />

was standing in the queue for a nightclub and<br />

they put my favourite song on. I admire the fact<br />

they had the commitment and the courage to<br />

do this in the first place. They flew in the face of<br />

naysayers, and they took the lead. It was very<br />

bold of them,” said Andrew Waugh, co-founder<br />

of Waugh Thistleton Architects.<br />

2<br />

TOG and Waugh Thistleton set out to create<br />

a building that minimised carbon in both<br />

its construction and, once complete, its<br />

operations. The architects proposed a structure<br />

built from ground up using cross-laminated<br />

timber (CLT) and laminated veneer lumber<br />

(LVL). These high-performance engineered<br />

wooden materials generate less greenhouse<br />

gas emissions in the production than steel or<br />

cement, saving thousands of tonnes in CO2,<br />

while also being durable.<br />

GROWN IN UNDER THREE HOURS<br />

As well as generating less waste than more<br />

common building materials such as iron,<br />

steel and cement, CLT and LVL also have the<br />

advantage of being replenishable. The CLT<br />

frame was chosen for its ideal balance of<br />

sustainability, lightness and strength. Gluelaminated<br />

timber (glulam) is used for the<br />

curtain walling, and the columns and beams are<br />

made out of beech LVL.<br />

Legend<br />

1 Full view of The Black<br />

& White Building<br />

2 The louvres are made<br />

using TMT tulipwood<br />

3 The CLT frame<br />

was chosen for<br />

its ideal balance<br />

of sustainability,<br />

lightness and strength<br />

3<br />

The structure comprises a combination of<br />

timbers from 227 beech and 1,547 pine and<br />

spruce trees harvested from certified forests<br />

in Austria and Germany. For a sustainable<br />

forest to regenerate the quantity of wood used<br />

in constructing The Black & White Building<br />

would take approximately 137 minutes —<br />

meaning it is possible to grow enough timber<br />

to construct a six-storey, seven-floor building<br />

in less time than it takes to bake a loaf of<br />

bread.<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 57


STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS<br />

4<br />

CLT is lighter and easier to transport than<br />

conventional building materials such as<br />

concrete and steel, which means fewer<br />

deliveries are required to bring the necessary<br />

quantities to the construction site. This not<br />

only represents a carbon reduction in terms<br />

of logistics, it also makes building in dense<br />

urban areas a more efficient process that is less<br />

disruptive for neighbours and other road users.<br />

Because the timber components are<br />

prefabricated and precision-engineered to<br />

be slotted together, the ‘screwed not glued’<br />

building not only requires a smaller workforce<br />

to construct, it also has a part to play in the<br />

circular economy. At the end of its life, the<br />

building can be easily disassembled rather<br />

than demolished, and the materials can be<br />

recovered and reused.<br />

Overall, The Black & White Building creates<br />

37% less embodied carbon than a comparable<br />

concrete structure, and serves as a longterm<br />

carbon store for 1,014.7 tonnes of CO2<br />

equivalent, or 55% of the building’s total<br />

sequestered in the timber structure. The team<br />

expects to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating.<br />

“The principal message of The Black & White<br />

Building is sustainability — this is a mainstream,<br />

grade-A central London office building, built<br />

entirely from timber. It clearly demonstrates<br />

that mass timber is a viable replacement for<br />

concrete and steel in the mainstream office<br />

market, saving thousands of tonnes of CO2.<br />

We are trying to change the way we build, to<br />

transform the industry,” said Waugh.<br />

ENERGY-EFFICIENT EXTERIOR<br />

The Black & White Building is powered by<br />

reportedly 100% renewable energy sources,<br />

including 80 solar panels on the rooftop. No<br />

element of The Black & White Building is purely<br />

decorative; everything has a purpose. Notably,<br />

the exterior is clad in timber louvres that run<br />

from street level to the roof. These provide<br />

natural shade, reducing solar gain on the<br />

facade and boosting the natural light reaching<br />

the interior. The louvres change in depth as<br />

they ascend the building to optimise energy<br />

efficiency. The use of louvres also minimises<br />

the amount of solar coating needed to protect<br />

the clear glass windows.<br />

According to Shawn Adams, architect and<br />

lecturer at the University of the Arts London,<br />

Waugh Thistleton Architects used a parametric<br />

computer model of the building and used a<br />

sun path diagram to calculate the amount of<br />

light that would enter the scheme. 1 In doing so,<br />

the team designed solar shading that allowed<br />

ample amounts of light to enter the office<br />

spaces while having the least possible solar<br />

gains.<br />

The louvres are crafted from thermally<br />

modified tulipwood, recommended and<br />

supplied by the American Hardwood Export<br />

Council (AHEC). This timber is affordable,<br />

lightweight, readily replenished, and has<br />

minimal environmental impact. Using TMT<br />

tulipwood to envelope a multi-storey building<br />

is new territory for TOG and the architects, but<br />

given its effectiveness on The Black & White<br />

Building, it is likely that similar applications<br />

will be seen in both new-builds and retrofits as<br />

a means of reducing carbon consumption and<br />

solar gain.<br />

Using tulipwood also helped the environment.<br />

Wood species like ash often get thermally<br />

modified for exterior decoration, like decking<br />

and cladding. However, according to Adams,<br />

data from the US Department of Agriculture<br />

(USDA)’s Forest Inventory Analysis showed<br />

that American tulipwood makes up 7.7% of<br />

the total hardwood growing stock. AHEC’s<br />

research concluded that tulipwood also has<br />

great strength properties relative to its weight<br />

and works well externally after undergoing<br />

thermal modification, and so recommended it<br />

to Waugh Thistleton Architects.<br />

As an additional benefit, the tulipwood appeals<br />

to people’s inherent appreciation for natural<br />

materials — something that the building’s<br />

interiors by Daytrip, with their exposed timbers<br />

58 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS<br />

5 6<br />

and natural textiles, also make the<br />

most of. According to Waugh, with<br />

timber interior design, people working<br />

in such environment “tend to stay<br />

in the job longer”, and they will feel<br />

“happier” and “more productive”.<br />

DESIGNED FOR CONNECTION<br />

Internally, The Black & White Building<br />

has been designed to encourage<br />

interaction and collaboration,<br />

enabling people to connect through<br />

a variety of spaces in multiple ways.<br />

Lounges of various sizes and layouts<br />

are found throughout, as well as<br />

plentiful break-out areas and pockets<br />

of outdoor space, culminating in<br />

a decked rooftop terrace offering<br />

cityscape views, ideal for sunny<br />

days. To maximise natural light in<br />

the building throughout the day, a<br />

lightwell runs the full height of the<br />

building from the rooftop terrace<br />

down to a courtyard containing a<br />

maple tree on the lower ground floor.<br />

Altogether, the building is home to 28<br />

offices of various sizes, six meeting<br />

rooms, focus booths and break-out<br />

areas, 94 bike storage spaces and<br />

showers. On the lower-ground floor,<br />

beside the indoor courtyard and<br />

open to the sunlight is a dedicated<br />

yoga and barre studio which will host<br />

a timetable of wellness activities<br />

focused on holistic health. As well<br />

as assorted yoga disciplines and<br />

barre, classes will include Pilates,<br />

high-intensity interval training (HIIT),<br />

breathwork and meditation, with the<br />

space freely available to members<br />

from across the TOG network in<br />

between sessions.<br />

As with the exterior, every feature of<br />

the internal space is functional and<br />

honest, echoing the emphasis on<br />

timber as the structural essence of<br />

the building — the environmental<br />

credentials clearly written into the<br />

materials. The entire building is, as<br />

Waugh Thistleton has described it,<br />

“visibly sustainable”. The sensory<br />

impact of the space is significant.<br />

“I love that kind of ‘whoosh’ sensation<br />

you get when you first come in – the<br />

beauty, excitement and aroma. When<br />

you walk through the front door and<br />

discover the contemporary cathedral<br />

quality to the space, you just feel that<br />

there is a sense of overwhelming<br />

optimism about the building,” said<br />

Waugh.<br />

A BENCHMARK FOR SUSTAINABILITY<br />

For both TOG and Waugh Thistleton<br />

Architects, The Black & White Building<br />

represents a proof of concept they<br />

hope will inspire and encourage the<br />

wider architectural community to adopt<br />

carbon-minimal construction methods<br />

and engineered timber materials.<br />

In the short term, the building will<br />

provide a Shoreditch home for creative<br />

businesses determined to make a credible<br />

sustainability statement. In the long<br />

term, it is a call to kickstart a new era of<br />

architecture, founded on low-carbon<br />

construction, circular thinking, and<br />

natural materials.<br />

“The Black & White Building represents a<br />

major step forward for us, and — I hope<br />

— the wider industry too. It is a statement<br />

of who we are and how we will approach<br />

sustainability; we do not need to build the<br />

traditional way with concrete and steel<br />

anymore. We always retrofit when we<br />

can, and when we build new buildings in<br />

future, TOG is committed to constructing<br />

them from timber and other sustainable<br />

materials,” concluded Green. P<br />

References<br />

1. American Hardwood Export Council. The Black & White<br />

Building. < https://www.americanhardwood.org/en/<br />

examples/case-studies/the-black-white-building-by-waughthistleton-architects><br />

Legend<br />

4 Every room<br />

looks “visibly<br />

sustainable”<br />

5 Closeup view of<br />

the louvres<br />

6 The columns and<br />

beams are made<br />

out of beech LVL<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 59


SUSTAINABILITY<br />

EU adopts<br />

deforestation-free<br />

products regulation<br />

The EU agreed on a new deforestation<br />

regulation that requires companies<br />

to produce a due diligence statement<br />

showing when and where their<br />

commodities were produced and<br />

provide verifiable information<br />

that they were not grown on land<br />

deforested after 2020, or they will risk<br />

hefty fines.<br />

THE SCOPE OF REGULATION<br />

The scope of the regulation on<br />

deforestation-free products fills gaps in<br />

the EU Timber Regulation and follows<br />

a similar pattern to the EU’s Corporate<br />

Sustainability Reporting Directive:<br />

The updated EU<br />

deforestation-free<br />

regulation also<br />

aims to protect the<br />

rights of indigenous<br />

peoples<br />

Inspiring the next “material<br />

revolution” by creating sustainable<br />

and high-performance materials<br />

from oil palm waste, Peter Fitch,<br />

together with IOI, have set up IOI<br />

Palm Wood to commercialise this<br />

untapped potential.<br />

A new EU law preventing the<br />

import of commodities linked to<br />

deforestation might risk side-lining<br />

timber producers, small furniture<br />

makers, or community farmers<br />

who are unable to meet the cost of<br />

compliance of these new standards.<br />

Days before the UN Biodiversity<br />

Conference (COP15) in December<br />

2022, the European Parliament and<br />

the European Council reached an<br />

agreement on the terms of a new<br />

regulation on deforestation-free<br />

products. First initiated in 2021<br />

within the Green Deal framework,<br />

this regulation is part of a wider<br />

effort from the European legislator<br />

to regulate international supply<br />

chains.<br />

High impact sectors targeted: Palm<br />

oil, beef, timber, coffee, cocoa, soy<br />

and rubber are subject to mandatory<br />

due diligence rules. These relevant<br />

commodities and their products<br />

(RC&P) — for instance, most furniture<br />

are timber products — therefore<br />

are prohibited from being imported<br />

in or exported from the EU market<br />

if they are not deforestation-free.<br />

Deforestation-free means they are<br />

produced on land that has not been<br />

subject to deforestation, and the wood<br />

has been harvested from the forest<br />

without inducing forest degradation.<br />

They must also have been produced<br />

in accordance with the relevant<br />

legislation of the country of production<br />

and must be covered by a due<br />

diligence statement.<br />

Human rights protection: As<br />

deforestation is often linked to human<br />

rights violations, the scope of the<br />

regulation has been broadened to<br />

include human rights obligations.<br />

Thus, RC&P must also have been<br />

produced in compliance with the<br />

relevant legislation of the country of<br />

production regarding human rights<br />

and the rights of indigenous peoples.<br />

Key definitions enshrined: For the<br />

first time, the European legislator<br />

defines what constitutes deforestation,<br />

which is considered to be “the<br />

conversion of forest to agricultural<br />

use, whether human-induced or not”.<br />

60 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


SUSTAINABILITY<br />

Forest degradation, which is a new notion,<br />

encompasses “harvesting operations that are<br />

not sustainable and cause a reduction or loss<br />

of the biological or economic productivity and<br />

complexity of forest ecosystems, resulting in<br />

the long-term reduction of the overall supply<br />

of benefits from forest, which includes wood,<br />

biodiversity and other products or services”.<br />

Larger groups responsible: For operators<br />

and non-SME traders, the obligations laid<br />

down by the regulation are the same. The<br />

scope has indeed been widened compared<br />

to the EU Timber Regulation, and large<br />

traders’ obligations are no longer limited to<br />

traceability.<br />

DUE DILIGENCE MACHANISM<br />

How does the regulation’s due diligence<br />

mechanism work?<br />

Submission of the due diligence statement:<br />

A due diligence statement, confirming that<br />

due diligence has been carried out and<br />

showing no or only negligible risk, must be<br />

submitted to competent authorities prior to<br />

placing RC&P on the EU market or exporting<br />

them outside the union. Non-compliance,<br />

non-negligible risk of non-compliance<br />

or inability to complete a due diligence<br />

procedure are enough to prevent RC&P from<br />

being marketed, imported or exported.<br />

Due diligence procedure: The regulation<br />

sets out a three-step due diligence procedure<br />

regarding the due diligence statement:<br />

Finally, operators and large traders must<br />

have model risk management policies and<br />

compliance management procedures in<br />

place — including a compliance officer at<br />

management level for non-SME operators.<br />

Non-SME operators must also have an<br />

independent audit function to check the<br />

internal policies, controls and procedures. In<br />

parallel, SME traders have lighter information<br />

requirements and no risk assessment or<br />

mitigation analysis to perform.<br />

De facto extraterritoriality: The first EU entity<br />

to have RC&P in its possession is bound by<br />

the same obligations as the exporter of RC&P.<br />

This means that EU importers must perform<br />

due diligence whenever they buy RC&P from<br />

a non-union entity, regardless of whether the<br />

seller comes from a high-risk region or not.<br />

What matters, rather, is if the RC&P enter the<br />

EU market the first time.<br />

This makes sense as not all products which<br />

enter legally a third country’s market would<br />

be considered deforestation-free under the<br />

EU regulation. For example, in the US, even if<br />

the draft US Forest Act were to be adopted in<br />

its current form, American operators would<br />

still only have to assess the goods if they<br />

originated from illegally deforested lands,<br />

whereas European operators must check that<br />

the goods do not originate from deforested<br />

lands. This is a significant difference.<br />

DEFORESTATION-FREE PALM OIL<br />

So how can we potentially mitigate these new<br />

requirements? Though we are focusing on<br />

timber products, included in the list of RC&P<br />

is palm oil. Despite oil palms being the most<br />

efficient producer of edible oils and the least<br />

carbon-intensive, this material has become<br />

by far the most certified vegetable oil in the<br />

world. On a daily basis, Malaysian companies<br />

already supply the highest levels of certification<br />

and traceability, because this is demanded by<br />

European customers.<br />

Furthermore, successive Malaysian<br />

governments, and the palm oil private sector,<br />

have shown more than good faith: They have<br />

made serious commitments to advancing<br />

ambitious ESG goals.<br />

At IOI Palm Wood, we believe that we can<br />

leverage these commitments to verifiable,<br />

universal ESG goals. Furthermore, the<br />

detailed traceability protocols already in place<br />

within oil palm estates will be able to satisfy<br />

the requirements for such documents as<br />

geolocation and certifiable chain-of-custody for<br />

our sourced main raw material being oil palm<br />

trunks (OPT).<br />

We at IOI Palm Wood believe that such<br />

regulations from the EU will further<br />

demonstrate the sustainability credentials of<br />

this new and exciting material of palm wood. P<br />

First, companies must fulfil information<br />

requirements by collecting the information<br />

listed in the regulation — for instance,<br />

information that shows the RC&P are<br />

deforestation-free, geo-localisation<br />

coordinates of all plots of land where the<br />

RC&P were produced, among others.<br />

Then they must assess the risk of dealing<br />

with non-compliant products using the<br />

criteria listed in the regulation — which<br />

includes but is not limited to the prevalence<br />

of deforestation or forest degradation in<br />

the country, region and area of production,<br />

whether a third party has submitted a<br />

substantiated concern — and according to the<br />

country benchmark analysis provided by the<br />

commission.<br />

Deforestation is rampant throughout the world<br />

<strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 61


EVENTS CALENDAR<br />

Events Calendar <strong>2023</strong><br />

<strong>2023</strong><br />

MARCH, 07 – 10<br />

Export <strong>Furniture</strong> Exhibition<br />

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br />

Wood Taiwan<br />

Taiwan<br />

APRIL, 20 – 23<br />

JULY, 26 – 28<br />

Domotex <strong>Asia</strong> ChinaFloor<br />

Shanghai, China<br />

AUGUST, 24 – 27<br />

VIFA Expo<br />

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam<br />

IFEX <strong>2023</strong><br />

Jakarta, Indonesia<br />

Photo: Mumammad Faiz Zulkeflee / Unsplash<br />

MARCH, 08 – 11<br />

MARCH, 09 – 12<br />

MARCH, 18 – 21<br />

China International <strong>Furniture</strong><br />

Fair (Phase 1)<br />

Guangzhou, China<br />

interzum Cologne<br />

Cologne, Germany<br />

LIGNA<br />

Hannover, Germany<br />

imm Cologne <strong>2023</strong><br />

Cologne, Germany<br />

MAY, 09 – 12<br />

MAY, 15 – 19<br />

JUNE, 04 – 07<br />

JUNE, 18 – 20<br />

Photo: Thomas Tucker / Unsplash<br />

Korean International <strong>Furniture</strong> & Interior Fair<br />

Seoul, South Korea<br />

China International <strong>Furniture</strong> Fair (Phase 1)<br />

Shanghai, China<br />

<strong>Furniture</strong> China <strong>2023</strong><br />

Shanghai, China<br />

IFMAC & WOODMAC<br />

Jakarta, Indonesia<br />

SEPTEMBER, 05 – 08<br />

SEPTEMBER, 11 – 15<br />

SEPTEMBER, 20 – 23<br />

MARCH, 28 – 31<br />

China International <strong>Furniture</strong> Fair (Phase 2)<br />

Guangzhou, China<br />

Malaysian Wood Expo<br />

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br />

SEPTEMBER, 20 – 23<br />

VietnamWood<br />

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam<br />

interzum Guangzhou<br />

Guangzhou, China<br />

Salone del Mobile<br />

Milan, Italy<br />

MARCH, 28 – 31<br />

APRIL, 18 – 23<br />

JUNE, 30 – JULY, 03<br />

in conjunction with<br />

Smart <strong>Furniture</strong> Solutions and Mass Timber<br />

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam<br />

OCTOBER, 04 – 06<br />

<strong>2023</strong> NHLA Annual Convention<br />

& Exhibit Showcase<br />

Ohio, US<br />

62 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong>


INDEX OF ADVERTISERS<br />

PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA • <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />

MAGENTIFY<br />

YOUR<br />

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whether single panels or stacks<br />

DP tipped – for extra long edge lives<br />

DP tipped & coated teeth –<br />

for extraordinary long edge<br />

lives > innovation only with<br />

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COMPANY<br />

PAGE<br />

Anthon GmbH 37<br />

Baillie Lumber 11<br />

BAUMER Inspection GmbH 45<br />

Cabinet Vision South East <strong>Asia</strong> 23<br />

Diffenbacher Industriemarketing GmbH 7<br />

FloorTech <strong>2023</strong> 47<br />

Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd.<br />

IFC<br />

Global Timber <strong>Asia</strong> Sdn Bhd 21<br />

Ifmac & Woodmac <strong>2023</strong> 41<br />

IMA Schelling Group <strong>Asia</strong> Pacific 15<br />

Kuang Yung Machinery Co., Ltd 13<br />

Lensaya Industriya Journal 55<br />

Leuco Ledermann GmbH & Co. KG 64<br />

Malaysian Wood Expo <strong>2023</strong><br />

FC<br />

Nanxing Machinery Co., Ltd 2, 3<br />

Northwest Hardwood 9<br />

PEFC International 35<br />

Quebec Wood Export Bureau (QWEB) 4, 5<br />

Shanghai Wood-Based Panel Machinery Co., Ltd 63<br />

LEUCO offers perfect sets of<br />

main and scoring saw blades<br />

CONTACT LEUCO<br />

MALAYSIA<br />

Melaka: LEUCO Malaysia Sdn. Bhd<br />

T +60 (0) 6 336 1268, leucomy@leuco.com<br />

THAILAND<br />

Bangkok: LEUCO Tooling (Thailand) Co., Ltd.<br />

T +66 (0) 2 749 5569-70, inquiry@leuco.co.th<br />

VIETNAM<br />

Long An Province: LEUCO Vietnam Co., Ltd<br />

T +84 272 3715838, leucovn@leuco.com<br />

SINGAPORE<br />

Topline Innovative Pte Ltd<br />

T +65 67485513, toplineinnovative@gmail.com<br />

INDONESIA<br />

Jakarta: P.T. Indotooling Sejati<br />

T +62 21 6508743, maria_indotooling@yahoo.co.id<br />

Sidoarjo: P.T. Akses Kita Utama<br />

T +62 318916941, marketing@indotooling-abadi.com<br />

Medan: CV. Kimplas Makmur Sejati<br />

T +62 614 15 8338, cv.kms@outlook.com<br />

PHILIPPINES<br />

Quezon City: Orgaline Innovative Products Inc.<br />

T +63 2 8932 7651 / +63 2 8932 5401<br />

marketing@orgaline.com.ph<br />

www.leuco.com<br />

Smart <strong>Furniture</strong> Solutions & Mass Timber 1<br />

Technik Associates, Inc<br />

VietnamWood <strong>2023</strong> 25<br />

Wood Taiwan <strong>2023</strong> 31<br />

Yalian Machinery Co., Ltd.<br />

Scan to download eBook<br />

PFA <strong>March</strong>/<strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />

IBC<br />

OBC<br />

64 <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> | <strong>March</strong> / <strong>April</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />

2021-08_Plattenaufteilsaegen.indd 1 16.08.2021 10:33:00

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