How It's Made - Chipboard Office Furniture

How is Particle Board Made?

Raw Materials and Initial Processing

• The production of particle board begins with lumbermill leftovers, primarily sawdust, wood shavings, and wood chips from various types of lumber.

• These materials are processed in a large mill that functions like a food processor, chopping them into particles ranging from 0.2 to 5 millimeters in size and less than 0.7 millimeters thick.

• To achieve uniform humidity levels, the particles are placed in giant dryers powered by leftover dust from the milling process; this reduces humidity to 1.5% within 15 to 25 minutes.

Particle Separation and Glue Preparation

• After drying, a screening machine separates the particles by size; larger pieces are used for the core layer while smaller ones form the smoother surface layer.

• Concurrently, the glue department mixes resin, water, wax, and chemical hardeners to prepare for binding the particles together.

Forming Master Boards

• Machines mix glue with particles to create a continuous mat which is then compressed to remove air before being pressed hot to activate the glue.

• Once formed into large sheets called master boards, they cool for about half an hour before being sanded down for finishing.

Lamination Process at Furniture Factory

• At the furniture factory, master boards undergo lamination where a glue spreader applies adhesive followed by decorative paper strips fortified with resin varnish.

• A blade cuts between each board after stacking them in preparation for cutting; saw machines can cut through multiple boards simultaneously based on thickness.

Final Assembly Preparation

• Edges of particle boards are covered with PVC plastic strips that match laminate colors; these edges are glued and trimmed for neatness.