When it comes to providing quality decorative wood-based solutions that are not only beautiful to look at but are also sustainably sourced and produced, Sonae Arauco is proud to say that we are one of the leading providers in this field. Because of our stringent quality and environmental controls, we ensure that our products keep to the highest possible industry standards.
Ahead, we go into detail about our manufacturing process from base products to decorative products and finishes to provide valuable insight into maintaining both ethical industry standards and producing quality products that stand the test of time.
Base products on offer
Sonae Arauco provides two different variations of board substrates each with particular applications and uses. These include:
- Particleboard [PB]
- Medium Density Fibreboard [MDF]
Both of these substrates are manufactured using methods that have been fine-tuned over decades to produce the exceptional decorative products Sonae Arauco is known for.
Read about our base products to learn more about how they differ from each other.
Raw materials
Both MDF and PB start their journeys off as sustainable timber derived from a mix of either and/or both eucalyptus and pinewood. When trees are felled for their timber, there is an immeasurable amount of offcuts that are left behind.
Our manufacturing process uses both round logs and offcuts which are then chipped down and combined with sawdust to form the base material of both PB and MDF. This process ensures that nothing goes to waste and that 100% of the tree is used.
The different processes behind MDF and PB
While both PB and MDF are created using simar methods, PB is manufactured using wood fibres whereas MDF utilises wood particles. The difference is that MDF wood particles go through an additional refining process whereby the wood chips are softened into a pulp which is both lightweight and forms a distinctive texture.
Once refined, the wood fibre pulp is then pressed to increase the density of the substrate. This is why MDF is characterised as a heavier material than PB. This process is also where MDF begins to form its distinctive smooth surface.
The screening process
The next step in the manufacturing line sees the sawdust and woodchip mixture passed through two important quality control processes. Wet and Dry preparation.
- Wet Preparation refers to the material being passed through a system of checks which ensures that all pieces achieve optimal chip geometry. In other words, all pieces need to roughly be the same size to avoid uneven kinks in the substrate texture.
- Dry Preparation is the next step which refers to material passing through a dryer to remove residue and excess moisture from the material. It is then passed through a collection of screens to separate the finer material from the coarser pieces. All of the oversized pieces of material are recycled through the initial process once again and re-screened.
The blending process
Once the material passes through the screening process it is then blended with a mixture of synthetic resins at the “glue deck”. After they have been successfully bonded the mixture then journeys to the forming line where it is laid out onto a conveyor mat by machines known as Spreaders. This is where the substrate “cake” is created.
For PB, the substrate cake is made out of layers namely SL (fine material) and CL (coarse material). PB is a result of a combination of the two screened materials. The “layered cake” is then moved along the conveyor towards the press where it is bonded together using a combination of heat and pressure.
Once thawed out the pressed board then passes through a scale and blister detector which ensures the product is of even layering and meets the standard 16mm requirement.
The curing, bonding, and finishing process
The next step sees the board stored into stacks in coolers where they are allowed to cure. Once cooled down the board is then sanded down to acquire the smooth surface that it is celebrated for. Finally, after the curing process, the board is then passed through a chain of several saws which then cut the material into predefined sizes.
With the base product taking form, the next and final process includes the application of specially designed melamine paper from international print houses which are bonded with either PB or MDF through a combination of heat and pressure.
Melamine paper, selected to ‘amplify’ the unique qualities of each design characteristic is created using specially designed photographic digital formats that take the shape of Woodgrains, Unicolours and urban/Industrial patterns referred to as Fantasies. These products form part of the Innovus Decorative Products range of bespoke décors designed with the concept of Matching Life in mind.
These décors are then combined with a variety of finishes with various luxurious textures. Sonae Arauco uses cutting edge technology to press new finishes that match the latest trends in interior design.
For more information on our wood-based decorative panels and services, visit us at https://www.sonae.projects.coppertable.co.za/