MDF
board has become very popular nowadays. MDF stands for Medium Density
Fibreboard. The low cost has made it a strong alternative to wood. Here in this
article, the description of MDF is discussed which includes the type,
properties, manufacturing process of MDF.
What is medium density fibreboard (MDF)?
An engineered composite wood product made from hardwood and softwood residues combined with wax and resin under extreme pressure and pressure is called medium density fiberboard or MDF wood.
Properties of MDF
In the past, the raw
material was wheat in fully equipped pilot plants for MDF. MDF binders are used
to manufacture high quality. Chemicals such as urea melamine formaldehyde, urea
melamine formaldehyde adhesive mixtures are used as a binder. Different quality
MDF production requires different amounts of resin and different properties of
wheat straw, the MDF produced was called Straw Medium Density Fibreboard
(SMDF).
The
properties that analyze MDF are:
Thickness
Elasticity
Water
absorption
Swelling
Internal
bond strength
Modulus
of rupture
Modulus
of elasticity
Types of MDF
Different types of MDF
are found that can be labeled by color. The following are the main types of MDF
boards:
• Ultra-Light MDF Plate
(ULDF)
• Generally green MDFs
are moisture resistant.
• Usually red or blue
MDF that is fire retardant
MDF
manufacturing process
The manufacturing
process of MDF has changed a lot with time. Now advanced technology has changed
the quality and saved the production time and cost. So it is now a profitable
business. It involves some process, such as: -
Collection
Wood preparation
Resin recipes
Press technique
Panel sanding technique
Finishing
A description of the process is
given below:
.
Collection
The selection and
refining of raw materials or wood residues is the first stage of wood
preparation. Chips and shavings are collected from sawmills and plywood plants.
Debarking is done if softwood is used (eg. Eucalyptus sp.). Debarking reduces
organic waste and grit and increases fine refining. The softwood is sliced
and re-sliced if necessary. A chopper may be used for this.
Wood
preparation
The impurities are
removed using magnet metal. The material is separated into large lobes and
small pitches. A magnetic detector is used to separate the remaining metals.
Selected fibers are sent for pressing. A side-screw feeder and a plug screw
feeder are used for this.Water is extracted which has an important function for
it. A refiner tears the material into usable fibers. Foreign objects are
removed by large motors units.
Curing
and pressing
The resin is added
after refining to reduce formaldehyde tolerance and a catalyst is added after
refining. The amount of resin is controlled by the required volume. A scalping
roll is used to produce a mat or pad of uniform thickness. Compression is done
in several stages. These are cut or trimmed before final processing. A larger
drum is used to compress it into a uniform mat or pad. Before cooling, the
resulting board is cutted.
Panel sanding
The finished panels are
sanded for a smooth finish. Belts are used and coating is found with abrasive.
Various ceramic abrasives are used such as zirconium alumina, aluminum oxide.
In addition, silicon carbide is used for finer surfaces. Two-way grading is
done to improve consistency. Anti-static technology is used to avoid static
electricity during construction. Static electricity can cause excessive dust.
Finishing
The first stage of
finishing is cutting. MDF varies depending on the quality demands of the
finishing stages. Color variety, wood grain variety are seen. For different
size cutting, different cuttings are used.
• Cutting narrow
strips: (1-24 inches / 2.5-61 cm) specialty machines are used.
• Small size cuttings:
(42–49 inches / 107–125 cm) die cuttings are used.
• Large sheet cutting:
(eg. 100 inch) guillotine cutting is used.
The second stage of
finishing is laminating. The fiberboard is sent between two rolls. Between the
two rolls, adhesives are applied. Thus the fibroboard becomes coated with
adhesive. Vinyl, foil, etc. are used for the final coating. They are fitted by
lamination machine.
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