WOOD COMPOSITES

FACILITIES + CAPABILITIES

At the forefront of testing and manufacturing new, innovative, and sustainable forest products to revitalize and diversify Maine’s forest-based economy. 

Strand Pilot Line

In order to attract and support fiberboard industries in the region, the establishment of a regional pilot-scale R&D facility is essential. The Strand Pilot Line helps to facilitate moving lab-scale research to a full-scale production plant faster and with less risk. In addition, a near industrial pilot plant helps develop products and processes for a production scale plant. Most pilot plants are multi-purpose and can minimize costly downtime of a mill’s manufacturing line.

The UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center Wood Composites Pilot Line allows for production of oriented strand board (OSB), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), particleboard, Wood Fiber Insulation, and other cellulosic composites on a near-industrial scale.

CAPABILITIES

  • Log Delivery - Tree length or pre-cut logs with a maximum diameter of 12"
  • Conditioning
  • Stranding
  • Drying
  • Resin Blending
  • Pressing

EQUIPMENT

CONDITIONING

Log Soak Tank

  • Ten 5' x 12" diameter logs can be soaked and/or heated at a time to 150°F

STRANDING

Carmanah 12/48 Lab Strander

  • Converts logs into strands from 3" to 12" in length for OSB/LSL production.
  • 48" ring holds two knives that protrude into the inner face of the ring. Strands are produced by advancing the log through the rotating ring at a specified rate. Projection of the knives in combination with ring speed determines the flake thickness, and width is achieved by selection of the appropriate counter knife angle, and strand length through the use of scoring knives.

SCREENING

Acrowood Trillium & Diamond Roll combination screen

  • Screens strands into three size classifications (overs, intermediates and fines)
  • Trillium screen designed to strand green strands (as well as dried)

DRYING

Koch Bros. in-line conveyor forced-air dryer

  • 3" wide × 10' long
  • Additional 4 or infeed and outfeed
  • Capable of evaporating up to 250 lbs. of water per hour
  • Maximum temperature of 325˚F
  • Fan capacity of 7,500 cfm
  • Used primarily to dry green strands down to ~10% +/- 5% in minutes

Nyle dehumidification dry kiln

  • 5,000 board foot dry kiln
  • Brings strands to within +/- 1% of the target moisture content within 24 hours

RESIN BLENDING

Large Coil Resin Blender

  • 5' x 10 spinning disk atomizing resin blender
  • Rotation up to 20 rpm
  • Spinning disk atomizer up to 15,000 rpm
  • Capacity of 120 lbs of (dry) strands
  • The resins, normally pMDI or PF, and waxes are sent by peristaltic pump.
  • Wax emulsions introduced via Spraying Systems air atomizer.

Small Coil Resin Blender

  • 3' x 6' spinning disk atomizing resin blender
  • Rotation up to 20 rpm
  • Spinning disk atomizer rotates up to 15,000 rpm
  • Capacity of 30lbs of (dry) strands
  • The resins, normally pMDI or PF, and waxes are sent by peristaltic pump.
  • Wax emulsions introduced via Spraying Systems air atomizer

PRESSING

Dieffenbacher hot oil and/or steam injection press

  • 450 tons
  • 34" x 34" (typ. trimmed to 30" x 30" after pressing)
  • PressMan control system
  • Mats can be pressed with oil heated platens up to 450°F or Steam injection up to ~50 psi steam pressure, which allows for the pressing of thick strand composites

4' X 8' ERIE MILL & PRESS

  • 1800 ton hydraulic press
  • Provides 725 psi on a full-sized 52"x100" mat (top. trimmed after pressing to 4'x8')
  • PLC controlled, with complete data collection and reporting
  • Press can be controlled in either position (to within 0.003") or pressure control within 2 psi
  • Energy is provided by hot oil heated platens up to 500˚F

CONDITIONING & TESTING

  • Board may be conditioned prior to testing in a walk-in environmental chamber.

The UMaine Composites Center, an ISO 17025 accredited testing laboratory, has a full suite of AST wood products testing capabilities within its accreditation scope (such as ASTM D143, D198, D1037, D4761, etc.).

CONTACT:

Russell Edgar

|Wood Composites Manager

RUSSELL.EDGAR@COMPOSITES.MAINE.EDU

A man in a hard had holding a block of wood fiber insulation
A man in a hardhat holding wood strands used to make Oriented Strand Board (OSB)
Oriented Stranfd Board (OSB) before processing
Man holding jar with CNF wood pellets
Four men in hard hats inspect a piece of Norway Spruce plywood.

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