AraucoPly Commemorates 20 Years In North America

It’s been 20 years since the first containers of AraucoPly plywood made their way from Chile to the United States in 1997.  Arauco celebrated the anniversary in a special event held at its booth during AWFS Fair 2017.

The company said despite temporary setbacks caused by the economic downturn in 2008 and a wildfire that devastated one of its manufacturing plants in 2012, AraucoPly has made giant strides in growing its customer base throughout the United States and Canada. Michael Vincent, director of Import Panels – Arauco North America, noted that the United States and Canada now account for 40 percent of AraucoPly’s worldwide sales.

The plywood panels are made from 100 percent radiata pine, grown in the company’s own FSC-certified, sustainably managed forests and composed of cores using exterior PF resins for flatness and stability, Arauco said.

As part of the anniversary, Arauco is introducing factory-primed AraucoPly panels at the 2017 AWFS Fair in booth 4609. Primed AraucoPly Siding, Beaded and Sanded products are offered with a consistent, full-coverage prime on five sides (edges included) and a smooth, sanded back. The company says the primed option was introduced in response to growing market demand for the time-saving advantage of a factory-primed wood surface.

Also featured at AWFS, Arauco’s Prism TFL collection has expanded its North American distribution of the exclusive Taction Oak collection. The company says the oak’s natural characteristics are captured and replicated using Embossed in Register (EIR) technology, resulting in a finished panel that rivals the look and feel of wood. Offered in five contemporary colors, Taction Oak coordinates with Prism Accentz neutrals. The Prism collection features more than 80 styles, including 59 exclusive designs.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/awfs/awfs-news/araucoply-commemorates-20-years-north-america

Arauco, Dieffenbacher Sign Supply Contracts For Michigan Panel Plant

Arauco is investing in the construction of a new particleboard plant with a planned capacity of 800,000 square meters per year in Grayling, Michigan. For the first time, the company is purchasing a complete plant from Dieffenbacher. The two companies decided to work together in January 2016, followed by a phase of detailed engineering and concluding with the signing of supply contracts at the end of 2016.

The highlights of the scope of supply are Dieffenbacher’s EVOjet P gluing system, which reportedly uses up to 15 percent less glue; and the continuous CPS+ press, which, at 10 feet wide and 52.5 meters long, will be one of the largest particleboard presses in the world.

“Arauco always exercises prudence when it comes to committing to new development. Therefore, we are all the more pleased with the confidence that Arauco has shown in us with its decision to choose the CPS+,” says Bernd Bielfeldt, head of the Wood Business Unit at Dieffenbacher.

The two driers, together with the associated energy system that Chile-based Arauco also commissioned from Dieffenbacher, are large parts of the new operation. Grayling is located in the northern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

The contract also includes dosing silos for the chips, a glue mixing station, forming stations and the forming line; as well as the raw board handling system, the sanding line and the Lukki bearing system, which Arauco has already had experience with at its other sites.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/arauco-and-dieffenbacher-sign-supply-contracts-new-michigan-panel?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news