THAILAND – Panel Plus, an international producer of wood-based panels and part of the Mitr Phol Group is expanding its production capacity and has purchased its first MDF plant from Dieffenbacher. 

Installation will start in February 2017, with the first panel expected to be produced in August 2017.

“We are very pleased to win over Panel Plus by outlining the benefits that our solutions offer,” explained Christian Dieffenbacher, Member of the Management Board. “Securing this contract is further evidence that customers are responding well to the CPS+ press, which we introduced in 2015.”

The MDF plant has a number of special technological features. One is the wood preparation process, which generally uses wood from the rubber tree—which is abundant in Thailand. The special Z-sifter from Dieffenbacher reliably eliminates the latex component of the wood, ensuring that high-quality panel surfaces can be created. The forming station is another area that uses intelligent technology: The Dieffensor helps to reduce raw material usage by providing a very precise level of forming accuracy and a low grinding allowance.

The plant is designed to produce up to 800 cubic meters per day. It will produce MDF panels of various types, from extremely thin 1.5 mm panels up to those with a thickness of 32 mm, and all at speeds of up to 1,800 mm/sec. This is made possible by the flexible, adjustable infeed and the optimal pressure distribution in the 25 meter-long CPS+ press.

“This project continues our success in the Asian market,” said Bernd Bielfeldt, Head of the Business Unit Wood. “Once again, the crucial factor is that we are able to adapt our technological concept so readily to the plant’s requirements. The customer was also impressed that our branch office in nearby Kuala Lumpur could provide such fast and comprehensive lifecycle support.”