Flakeboard and Metso Panelboard sign dry-resin blending license agreement

Published Mar 20, 2007 10.00.00 +2 GMT

The commercialisation of revolutionary dry-resin blending technology took a major step forward when Flakeboard and Metso in January 2007, signed a license agreement regarding manufacturing of equipment and installation of dry-resin blending technology at Flakeboard’s MDF plants in North America.

Upon completion of these installations, Metso will market and sell this patented technology, branded EVOjet, to MDF plants outside of North and South America as well as door-skin lines worldwide. It is foreseen that a first external sale to a major panel manufacturer will be achieved in October 2007.

The core idea with this mechanical resination technology is based on dried fiber moving through two rollers, which accelerate and disintegrate the fiber flow before the resin (adhesive) is sprayed onto the fiber. With this solution all the benefits of traditional blow line blending will be achieved, along with great savings in resin consumption.

Metso expects savings up to 50% in resin consumption when manufacturing standard MDF, whereas savings when producing thin MDF will be substantial as well. One additional benefit is a major reduction in formaldehyde emissions from the process, as the resin is applied to the fiber after the dryer.

With this solution, Metso expects to be the sole supplier of reliable and true dry-resin blending technology for the foreseeable future.

The official sales kick-off will be held in conjunction with the Ligna+ fair in Hannover, Germany, during the period 14-18 May 2007.

Flakeboard Company Ltd., a privately held company incorporated in 1960, is the biggest producer of composite wood panels in North America. The combined annual production volume is over 2 million cubic meters and it covers a variety of particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF) and thin high density fiberboard (THDF). www.flakeboard.com

Metso is a global engineering and technology corporation with 2006 net sales of approximately EUR 5 billion. Its 25, 500 employees in more than 50 countries serve customers in the pulp and paper industry, rock and minerals processing, the energy industry and selected other industries. www.metso.com

For further information, please contact: Flakeboard Technologies Company Ltd. Kelly Shotbolt, President & Chief Executive Officer Tel. +1 905 475 9686 kelly.shotbolt@flakeboard.com

Metso Panelboard Paul-Erik Toivo Sr. Vice President, Marketing and Communications Tel. +358 40 821 3737 paul-erik.toivo@metso.com