CHINA / ECUADOR – During the month of June, three new Dieffenbacher lines produced their first boards. Two of them of the Chinese Wanhua Group and its subsidiary Wanhua Ecoboard China and one of Novopan del Ecuador.

The Chinese Wanhua Group and its subsidiary Wanhua Ecoboard were doubly pleased. On June 10, the first board rolled off the production line at their Jingzhou site in Hubei Province, while just three days later board production began in Tongling, Anhui. Wanhua produces particleboard made from rice straw on both lines.

Wanhua has relied on Dieffenbacher expertise in alternative raw materials since 2015. The plants that began operations in June were orders number four and five between the two companies. Three more lines, which will produce particleboard but also MDF and Fine Surface OSB from straw content, are planned.

The commissioning of the two Wanhua plants was special for Dieffenbacher. It marked the debut of the CPS+ system in China, reinforcing it as the gold standard for efficient continuous press systems and demonstrating its flexibility and universal applicability.

Another first board celebration took place on June 12 near Quito, Ecuador. Here, a new Dieffenbacher particleboard plant started production for Novopan del Ecuador.

Dieffenbacher has a long-standing partnership with Novopan. The Eppingen-based machine and plant manufacturer began servicing Novopan’s first Quito plant in 2008, when Metso sold its wood-based panel business to Dieffenbacher.

“With our existing plant, Dieffenbacher proved they can help us produce high-quality panels very efficiently. That’s why we trust Dieffenbacher will be the right partner for our new production line, too,” said Cesar Alvarez, CEO of Novopan del Ecuador, at the contract signing in December 2017.

The scope of supply includes a forming station with conveyor system that begins at the glue blenders, a forming line with prepress, an 8 ft wide by 20.5 meters-long CPS+ press system, a raw board handling system and a stack and transfer system.