May June 2013

MICA (P) No: 131/02/2013 ISSN: 0219-5704 KDN: PPS 1453/11/2012(022879) www.panelsfurnitureasia.
com MAY/JUNE 2013
Dress up
your projects with
sustainable beauty
WHITE OAK
BEECH
MAPLE/SYCAMORE
ASH
WALNUT
EUROPEAN CHERRY
SPRUCE/FIR
DOUGLAS
PINE
FR ANCE IS THE LE ADING SUPPLIER OF HARDWOOD PRODUCTS IN EUROPE

Promoting French Lumber and Wood Products
6, rue Franois 1er - 75008 Paris - France
Tl. : +33 (0)1 56 69 35 92 Fax : +33 (0)1 42 56 32 70
E-mail : contact@frenchtimber.com
www.FrenchTimber.com
FROMTHEDESK
PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA
Signs of
recovery in the
OSB industry
The future of the once-ailing Oriented Stranded
Board (OSB) industry is finally starting to look rosy.
Over the last few months, weve heard about
companies who announced OSB mill reopening, expansion plans and startups. Mostly driven
Denice Cabel
by the recovering home construction markets in
Editor
North America, companies are now reopening or
expanding their OSB facilities to meet the revived
demand. Canadian company Tolko Industries,
for example, has announced that it is preparing to reopen its Athabasca
mill in Slave Lake early in 2014. Georgia-Pacific, a US-based manufacturer
of forest-based products, has opened its new OSB facility at Clarendon
County, South Carolina, just last month. We also learned from IMAL-PAL
that it has supplied an OSB production line in Casale Monferrato, Italy in
2012 which is now operating since February this year. (Find out more about
this OSB plant on page 35). Closer to home, Dieffenbacher has secured
its second order to set up a complete OSB plant in China. The new plant,
which commenced operation just last month, is located in Eastern China.
It is projected to have an annual capacity of 228,000 m.
Clearly the demand is coming back. A recent research report from RBC
Capital Markets said that the North American OSB industry is expected
to produce 19.2 billion square feet in 2013 provided US housing starts remains on its current track. We anticipate that there will be several more
announcements on putting more OSB capacity into operation this year.
Going forward, it will be a smart move for OSB producers to not rely on
a single market. It important for them to have the ability to make a variety
of products aimed at different markets from each plant to avoid shock
resulting from, for instance, a home construction downturn in one region.
We believe that there are plenty of opportunities for OSB in valueadded products to complement commodity grade material, as well as
opportunities in the non-residential building market. OSB is resource-efficient, hardwearing, strong and smooth. It is now increasingly being used
in flooring, timber frame housing and roofing, as well as interior design and
furniture manufacture. Needless to say, OSB is not just a cheap substitute
for plywood anymore, and its future is looking pretty good.
Singapore MICA (P) No. 131/02/2013
panelsfurnitureasia.com
Editor | Denice Cabel
denice@pabloasia.com
Contributing Editor (Surfaces & Design)
Kenn Busch | kenn@kennbusch.com
Editor (Chinese Edition) | Chris Si
pabloshanghai@tom.com
Feature Writer | Gao Shang Cui Shun Shun
pabloshanghai@tom.com
Graphic Designer | Edwin De Souza
edwin@pabloasia.com
Circulation Executive | Shu Ai Ling
circulation@pabloasia.com
General Manager,
Pablo Beijing & Shanghai | Ellen
pablochina@vip.tom.com
Sales Manager, Pablo Shanghai | Ara
pabloshanghai@163.net
Industry Consultants
Winston Chiu
Associate Publisher | Pamela Buckley
pamela@pabloasia.com
Executive Director | Alistair Bryson
pablogermany@t-online.de
Publisher | William Pang
williampang@pabloasia.com
PAB LO P U B LISH I NG PTE LTD
Panels & Furniture Asia

is the official publication of
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Pablo Publishing Pte Ltd
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Singapore 339156
Tel: (65) 6396 7877 Fax: (65) 6396 7177
E-mail: info@pabloasia.com
Company Registration No: 200001473N
Malaysian MDF Manufacturers Association
MAY/JUNE 2013
All rights reserved. Views of writers do not necessarily reflect the

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FROMTHEDESK
Our message is simple.

simple.
Do you know it?
Wood stores carbon as it grows. Its a carbon sink.
That carbon isnt released back into the atmosphere until that wood is burned or
decomposes. Because of the density of the wood fibers in a sheet of MDF or particleboard, composite panels store even more carbon than solid wood.
The longer a composite panel is in use, the longer that carbon is kept out of the
atmosphere, the better it is for the environment. If that panel is surfaced with a lamiKenn Busch
nate that replaces a wood veneer, lasts longer and is more durable, youve saved
Contributing Editor
a tree from being cut for veneer. Youve also saved a lot of sawdust and offal from
being land filled or burned. Youve delivered your client an ecological, responsible,
Kenn Busch is also publisher of
low-maintenance decorative solution.
www.materialintelligence.com,
Ive told this story dozens of times in the last three days, in the Material Intelligence
and contributing editor to Wood
Materials Pavilion booth at GlobalShop, the retail fixtures and interiors show held this
Digest and Interiors & Sources
year in Chicago.
magazines.
Our entire stand was built out of raw MDF to help us illustrate the story.
We created and populated 300 sq ft of space in the cathedral-like lobby hall of
McCormick Place West with very visceral examples of the raw beauty of raw MDF. The
display tables, which were actually back-to-back stylised easels, and the back wall were
all the same lightweight MDF. No hardware was used in assembly, just locking tabs and
friction. The back wall structure had no metal in it, period. The facade, a celebration
of planks of wood, some painted, some laminated, just leaned back against the frame.
I was able to pop off some of the table elements as I talked to designers and hand them to them while I told my
story, and pop them back on.
It worked. We had discussions with designers from several global brands, and many others, who left the Pavilion
with a newfound respect for the value of decorative laminated panels.
Walking them through the facts about the materials while you have so many of the materials at hand is a powerful way to further our message. Designers need sensory input to learn. And they need a story that resonates with
them and is easy to share...because thats what they use to sell a new materials idea to their clients. Not technical
data, not bullet points, but a narrative that succinctly touches each of our materials benefits.
What we need is what some may call an elevator pitch no longer than a typical elevator ride. A honed and
polished statement of why designers should use decorative composite panels.
Wood stores carbon as it grows....
MAY/JUNE 2013
May 06
10 20
13
The Evolution in Press Technology
LIGNA
Hanov
e
Germa r,
ny
Perfect board tolerances (down to +/- 0,05 mm)

Wide density range (350 1.000 kg/m)
High-speed (2.000 mm/s and faster)
Press width up to 12 ft (4 m)
Width variation up to 700 mm
Low maintenance and easy accessability
www.dieffenbacher.com
THE MALAYSIAN MDF MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (MMMA)
Are we there
yet.....?
The MDF and Wooden Panels market has certainly been a roller coaster
ride over the past four years with the
dips getting deeper each year.
Southeast Asian produced standard MDF prices have fallen to approximately US$230 per m3 on an FOB
basis. This probably makes the MDF
produced in Indonesia, Malaysia and
Thailand the lowest priced in the world.
After recently attending the Interzum
Guangzhou Exhibition and the Dubai
Woodshow (with more comments on
that later), it was clear that Southeast
Asian MDF was now far more competitive than that produced domestically in
By Mr. Peter Fitch,
China (previously the cheapest). This
Chairman of the
has given Southeast Asian producers
the opportunity to once again supply
MMMA
the large industrial areas located near
Yantian, Shanghai and Dalian.
The Middle East and South Asia still remain very
significant markets for MDF, but the intense competition
between manufacturers in these traditional markets
has depressed prices to such an extent that producers
are most probably losing money on every sale. This
situation is not sustainable and will most likely change
within the next quarter as MDF mills switch to more
profitable markets.
Many attribute the current global slowdown to
events that started in the USA with the collapse of
Lehman Brothers, so it is only natural to look for signs
of recovery in the States, too. The latest figures released by RISI do indeed give us some cause for hope.
The most significant is the upward adjustment of the
Housing Starts Forecast for both 2013 and 2014 (0.93
million to 1.03 million in 2013 and 1.24 milion to 1.34
million in 2014). This effectively increases the demand
for all lumber and panel products. Last year the USA
imported approximately US$14 billion of furniture from
overseas, with the increase in housing starts this value
will in all probability be exceeded this year and next
with the bulk of orders going to Asian producers. Adding to the optimism in the USA is the upward trend in
the prices for MDF both on the West Coast and East
Coast (approximately US$515 per m3 and US$490 per
8
MAY / JUNE 2013 NEWSLETTER
m3 respectively quoted Ex-factory). As you can see,

the prices quoted in the USA are far more attractive
than those currently being offered from Southeast Asia
on an FOB basis. In Japan, Abenomics is trying to
stimulate the economy and drive demand in this respect
as reported by the JLIA, housing starts in Japan are
also expected to continue on an up-trend.
Unfortunately in Europe we do not see the same
signs of recovery and in all probability the market may
weaken further. It is estimated that IKEA accounts for
more than 40% of the furniture market in Europe and
this figure may increase as austerity measures take
effect on the consumer. IKEA primarily sources its
products from within Europe especially Eastern Europe
and Scandinavia, and this trend is unlikely to be reversed especially with the new tighter EU Regulations
for Timber and Timber products.
To finish up, I would like to share my observations
on some of the recent wood, machinery and furniture
Exhibitions I have attended:
China is increasingly becoming a source of machinery and technology for the woodworking industry.
It is starting to sort out its quality issues and now only
lacks the professional sales and marketing pitch of the
European manufacturers.
Chinas cost of production is increasing significantly, forcing it to move away from the mass produced
cheap and cheerful products to more innovative,
technologically advanced and value-added products.
The USA is becoming more competitive globally
and is now far more focused than it was in the past on
exporting goods, services and commodities (timber)
worldwide.
The USA still remains the single most important
market globally.
The Middle East has a huge pent up demand for
consumer goods, and this demand will be released onto
the world market as soon as a lasting stability can be
achieved, for example in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Egypt.
Growth in South Asia has been very disappointing,
hampered by poor governance and an unwillingness of
vested interests to open up the market. Unfortunately
there are no signs of a short term improvement.
Europe still has major problems and is downsizing
both as a market and as an exporter. You just have
to observe the smaller German and Italian pavilions
and the lack of representation from other European
countries.
This is all I have for you and look forward to writing
the article for the next issue, by that time we hope that
growth in the USA will be consolidating and that we see
sustainable growth being generated in other markets.
GLOBALTIMBERRESOURCES
What is
happening
with the supply
of imported
sawn timber?
by MICHAEL HERMENS
This is the most common question we heard during

the last few weeks and the same question we asked
many of our suppliers. Most of our customers refer to
the lack of supply of North American white oak, red
oak and poplar, and too many softwoods supply
in general. The demand of imported timber in Asia
has been rising in the last few months due to a very
slow period in 2012. Do take note that the volumes
we have been selling in any of these species during
the first quarter of 2013 far exceed any of our sales
during the same period in the previous years. And to
be honest, we could have sold double or triple the
volumes if we would have been able to source it.
So what causes this imbalance in supply and
demand?
First of all, with regard to North American species,
there seems to be an increased demand in the domestic market due to the improved housing market.
Many of our regular suppliers claim record sales of
white and red oak to local flooring plants, yet at the
same time there is short supply of white oak logs.
Secondly, it seems that Chinas imports have
recovered after a steady decline in 2012. This is not
just the case for American white and red oak and
poplar, but also for all softwoods (sawn timber and
logs). The same applies to softwoods from Northern
Europe, South America and New Zealand, which all
10
MAY/JUNE 2013
record top export sales not only to China but also to

all parts of the world except Europe.
Thirdly, we do think that some Asian manufacturers are panicking because they noticed the supply
shortage and had to accept fast rising prices. Many
of them think it is better to buy more now before
prices escalate. Yet they probably do not realise that
this panic buying causes prices to increase faster,
which could result in the prices to collapse in the
next two to three months. Of course we, as timber
and service providers, are equally to blame since
we have been purchasing large volumes of, for example, white

oak and pine. We are stocking our warehouses to the roof hoping
to make a decent margin selling in an uptrend market. Hopefully
we could sell everything before the market crashes!
Be ready for drastic price increase
Funny enough, one of our supplying partners in New Zealand recently sent a nice YouTube video about the New Zealand forestry
in which they claimed the abundance of forests, yet when we
asked them to supply us more sawn timber, they were unable to
comply. The sawmilling industry in New Zealand is really in a fix as
many sawmills are struggling to get access to reasonable priced
quality logs and the exchange rate has risen to an absolute high.
I mentioned this in one of my previous articles and I really wonder
how any mill in New Zealand is going to survive. Be ready for more
drastic price increase of 10 to 20% in the next few months!
Time and time again we tell our suppliers that pushing prices
too high too fast will only result in a faster drop in due time and
ultimately it would have been better to modestly increase prices.
This will of course never happen since the timber business remains
a commodity business which is 100% dependent on the supply
and demand.
GLOBALTIMBERRESOURCES
About the
AUTHOR
Dutch-born Michael Hermens is
Managing Director of APP Timber,
a timber importing company that
he founded nearly 18 years ago on
the conviction that Southeast Asia
will grow increasingly short of
raw material as it develops.
The company is now the
leading regional distributor of imported timber,
employing people in
Malaysia, Indonesia,
Thailand, Vietnam,
India, USA and Europe. He permanently lives in Kuala
Lumpur with his
Singaporean wife
and two boys.
MAY/JUNE 2013
11
NEWS
NEWS
Industry at a Glance
Preliminary duties on plywood from China

announced; places burden on American industry
The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood
(AAHP) reacted with frustration to the Department
of Commerces Preliminary Determination in the
Countervailing Duty (CVD) Investigation on hardwood plywood imported from China.
The three mandatory respondents investigated
in detail by the Department of Commerce in the
case all received 0.00% CVD preliminary duty margins effectively refuting claims by the petitioners
that Chinese hardwood plywood producers are
unfairly subsidised. This finding clearly illustrates that
American businesses importing unique products
from China like the hardwood plywood under the
proposed scope of the investigation are doing so
under fair business practices, and are in full compliance with international trade laws.
Despite its affirmation that the three investigated
exporters were clearly not subsidised, the Department of Commerce chose to severely penalise an
exceptionally wide group of hardwood plywood
exporters that fully complied with the investigation
with a punitive 22.63% preliminary duty rate. Due to
their methodology, the preliminary margin imposed
on the majority of Chinese hardwood plywood
exporters is oddly close to the 27.16% preliminary
duty imposed on 15 non-cooperative respondent
producers whose lack of response might indicate
that they are not significant exporters of plywood to
begin with.
The AAHP is extremely frustrated by this decision
one which clearly found a lack of subsidisation
in the mandatory respondents, yet simultaneously
disadvantages mills that willingly participated in the
case with an extremely high preliminary duty rate.
AAHP looks forward to resolving this discrepancy in
12
MAY/JUNE 2013
the case prior to the imposition of final duties.

The AAHP believes this preliminary duty will severely damage the American industries that depend
on this unique hardwood plywood; not only the small,
family owned importers, but also the large and small
American manufacturers of a variety of products
from kitchen cabinets to recreational vehicles.
AAHP Co-Chair Greg Simon said I am very disappointed in the Preliminary determination from the
beginning of this process we have had a genuine
fear of the impact this could have on American jobs,
across so many sectors. At a time when our economy is already struggling, it seems unfair to impose
further costs on American businesses by restricting
choice, and by potentially sending thousands of
high quality downstream American manufacturing
jobs overseas.
Gregg Wilkinson, AAHP Co-Chair added that We
are obviously confounded by this result as is our entire industry and related industries. But we are mindful
that this is only the preliminary CVD determination,
so we will be working hard to ensure that the final
duties, if any, fairly and accurately reflect the reality
that Chinese hardwood plywood producers are not
subsidised. American consumers need access to this
unique and vital resource.
Wilkinson continued As to whether the Chinese
government is systematically subsidising its plywood
industry well, they were clearly found not guilty.
But based on todays preliminary determination, the
American consumer is still being unfairly punished.
The AAHP is an organisation of American importers, distributors, manufacturers and retailers of
hardwood plywood. Read more at aa-hp.org.
NEWS
NEWS
American Lumber Co.
Making a difference with

inventory management
programmes
American Lumber Company founded in 1953 as a lumber
wholesaler, is now one of the largest distributors and
exporters of North American and imported species of
hardwoods in the US, offering a wide range of custom cuts,
grades and sorts with a state-of-the-art delivery system.
Focusing on developing customer-specific programmes
that take the worry out of inventory management,
American Lumber offers a fully integrated system that
stores in-house inventory for customers so they dont have
to, virtually guaranteeing delivery of any volume of lumber
when and where they need it.
Providing answers that reduce cost, increase yield
and guarantee delivery no matter how large or small the
requirement thats the American Lumber Challenge.
Please visit www.alumber.com

for more information or contact:
American Lumber Company
707 West 38th Street
Erie, PA 16508
Phone: 814-438-7888, (International)
888-438-7888, (USA)
Fax: 814-438-3086
e-mail: inquiry@alumber.com
MAY/JUNE 2013
13
NEWS
NEWS
PEFC announces its annual General

Assembly to be held in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia in November
The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) has announced the venue for its
2013 annual General Assembly as Kuala Lumpur
in Malaysia on Wednesday 13th November, to be
followed by the Stakeholder Dialogue meeting and
related workshops on the 14th and 15th November.
PEFC, in cooperation with the Malaysian Timber
Certification Council (MTCC) will host a week-long
programme of events including a conference,
workshops and visits to be unveiled shortly. Up to
200 delegates are expected to participate from all
over the world, with a special emphasis placed on
attracting strong representation from forest sector
representatives in Asia.
Certification Assessment Audit Team in Malaysia
Photo credit: MTCC
PEFC meeting in China
Sarah Price
(R), PEFC
International
from Geneva
meets visitor
to PEFC
exhibit
at global
WpooMart in
KL in 2012
PEFC is the worlds largest forest certification system, and it continues to make great strides in Asia.
Building upon PEFCs endorsement of Malaysias
certification system, the assessment is now underway
for endorsement of Chinas certification system. Additional progress is ongoing in national certification
system development in a number of countries including, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and Myanmar.
Alongside national system growth is an increase in
private sector interest for pursuing Chain of Custody
certification, stimulating further demand for certified
forest products. PEFC hopes to further cultivate this
positive dynamic by hosting its annual event in the
asia region and putting the spotlight on issues of
importance for the region.
Speaking at the organisations Geneva headquarters PEFCs Secretary General, Ben Gunneberg
said, The Malaysian Timber Certification Councils
scheme, MTCS, was the first natural forest management certification standard in a tropical country
to be endorsed by PEFC. Malaysia is a leader on
tropical forest certification both in the region and
internationally, and it is therefore most fitting that we
meet in Kuala Lumpur this year. Our event is designed
to catalyse and support further developments on
certification in the region and we very much look
forward to welcoming a diverse group of representatives who share our commitment to advancing
sustainable forest management.
Further details will be announced at www.pefc.org
14
MAY/JUNE 2013
NEWS
NEWS
Expanded state-of-the-art ripping capabilities

Baillie Lumber, a premier provider of hardwood lumber solutions, has expanded their ripping capabilities,
allowing for the development of higher volumes
and more customer-specific solutions of full-to-width
custom ripped strips. Baillies ripped hardwood lumber program spans across their entire specie lines,
grades, thicknesses and lengths available.
Manufacturers across the entire industry, from
cabinetry to flooring, can realise the benefits of
ripped-to-width strips to increase yield and production while decreasing waste. With the additional
expansion of Baillie Lumbers ripping capabilities in
Smyrna New York, we now maintain two facilities
that provide custom rip solutions for our customers.
Baillie Lumbers hardwood ripping products are
offered in one of three ways:
The first is a custom two edge ripping program
which consists of custom grade solutions designed
to a customers specific requirements. These special
grades decrease waste and maximise the amount
of usable surface area per load.
The second is a random width parallel edged
program, which can prove to be a more productive alternative to traditional straight line ripped one
edge lumber, offering flexibility and choice of edge
in the manufacturing process.
A third offering is ripping as a service where Baillie
Lumber will rip a load of lumber to a specific cut bill,
supplementing our customers own rough mill capabilities with our state-of-the-art ripping equipment.
Baillie Lumbers ripping programs focus on improved productivity, increased yields with reduced
waste while achieving savings in overall production
processes for customers.
Please visit www.baillie.com for more information
or contact:
Baillie Lumber Co.
4002 Legion Drive
Hamburg, NY 14075
Phone: 716-649-2850 (International)
800-950-2850 (USA)
Fax: 716-649-2811
E-mail: info@baillie.com
MAY/JUNE 2013
15
NEWS
NEWS
2013 NHLA Convention registration is now open

The 2013 NHLA Annual Convention & Exhibit Showcase will be held 2- 5 October in Fort Worth, Texas.
Details about the event can be found at www.
nhlaconvention.com. This years event will begin
with the HFF Annual Golf Tournament and NHLA
Welcome Reception; and conclude with a Texas
style barbecue complete with blue jeans, bull riding
and beverages.
The programme offers an enormous choice of
business and other activities within this unique gathering at which delegates from Asia are especially
welcome. There are now more than 30 overseas
corporate members of NHLA based in Asia. This years
Convention will include opportunities to meet the
NHLA members and NHLA Inspectors, hear invited
keynote speakers and participate in specialist meetings including an International Buyers Panel and to
network at the Exhibit Showcase & Traders Alley over
a couple of days.
One of the main keynote speakers is Mark A.
Williams, AIA Principal of HKS Architects (Designers
of the Dallas Cowboys Stadium) who will give a
presentation to convention attendees on Friday 4th

October at 1:30pm. Mark has recently programmed
and completed venues for the National Football
League, Major League Baseball, National Hockey
League, National Basketball Association and International Soccer. Directly following Marks presentation,
attendees will be treated to the Dallas Cowboys
Experience, a behind the scenes guided tour of the
Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
Delegates can now sign up for the Global
Gathering of the Hardwood Community and take
advantage of the Early Bird Discount. The Early Bird
Discount Rate is valid through May 31, 2013. Reservations at the Omni Fort Worth can be made at a
special group rate of US$209 per night. Attendees
that stay at the Omni Fort Worth will receive US$100
off registration rates for each PAID attendee. The
discount does not apply to the one-day pass, complimentary or discounted registrations.
Should you have any convention related questions, please contact Convention Director Lisa
Browne at 901-399-7567 / l.browne@nhla.com.
Registration deadline ends soon for NHLA

Chinese Inspector Training Class
Classes will be held from 15 July to 15 August 2013
at the NHLA Headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee
with the use of Chinese language interpreters. The
registration deadline ends soon and places are
filled by a first come first serve basis. Applicants can
register at the NHLA website using the following link;
http://www.nhla.com/.
It is strongly recommended that interested applicants sign up for these classes as the four-week
Chinese Summer Programme will deliver the same
knowledge and opportunities as the full 14-week programme but the enhanced schedule and streamlined curriculum will make the most of the Chinese
registrants time while in the United States. Upon
successful completion of the programme, graduates
will be expected to gain an in-depth knowledge of
the Standard NHLA Grades and general overview of
the species exceptions and will receive a certificate
of completion. During the one month course, class
hours will be from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.
16
MAY/JUNE 2013
Participants of the programme will also join in scheduled NHLA member company visits and have the
opportunity to network with North American suppliers
which will gain valuable experience for their future
within the hardwood trade.
The growth of the NHLA is clearly evident than
through the announcement that they are to launch
their first Chinese Inspector Training School Class in
the USA. It is important to note that Memphis has a
major international airport serving more than 10 million passengers per year.
The NHLA Inspector Training School was founded
in 1948 to fill an increasing demand for skilled hardwood lumber inspectors. The programme teaches
the rules and application of the NHLA hardwood
lumber grading system and prepares participants
for a career in the hardwood lumber industry. Since
its founding, the School has graduated more than
7,100 registrants from around the world.
NEWS
NEWS
Palis and Schattdecor team up to

develop an industrial single-pass
inkjet printer offering a 225cm
working width
Palis (Padaluma Inkjet-Solutions GmbH), a digitalprint specialist based in Markt Erlbach, and the decor
paper printer Schattdecor of Thansau have formed
an exclusive development partnership.
The declared goal of the two companies for the
next two years is to take a new type of high-performance single-pass digital printer with a 225cm print
width into operation, initially at Schattdecor exclusively. Printing from roll to roll at, the unit will have a
working speed of 75 - 150 m/min and be capable of
efficient and economic short run work. Printing is to
be performed on decor base paper with pigments
identical to those used in rotogravure printing.
Palis has already proved with its Palis 750 unit
that single-pass inkjet printers are suitable for industrial scale use in the decor industry. With a focus on
the decor industry, the digital-print specialist now
intends to expand the product series by developing
the Palis 2250.
Development of the new digital printer marks
continuation of Schattdecors digital development
strategy while providing a hint of the next milestone
on the decor market leaders road map.
Schattdecor presented its first prototype digital
print decors at the 2009 Interzum, followed by the
official launch and sales start of the Digital Visions
by Schattdecor collection at the 2011 Euroshop. In
2012 it succeeded in adopting rotogravure inks and
base paper into its digital printing work, and by the
middle of the year was thus able to provide each
of its worldwide plants a digital press for producing
160 cm-wide colour-accurate proofs with rotogravure printing inks and paper stock for their colour
matching work.
Late last year Schattdecor made a further step
forward in industrial scale production of high-quality
digital-print decors by taking a 2 m-wide multi-pass
digital printer into operation, and has been successfully fulfilling customer demand with this unit since,
particularly in the flooring area.
The exclusive development partnership now
formed by Schattdecor and Palis pools the companies respective longstanding experience in the fields
of digital and rotogravure decor printing.
In undertaking this collaboration, Schattdecor is
again underscoring its willingness and determination
to drive the development of digital decor printing
with its own resources and to step up the pace of
progress in inkjet technology.
MAY/JUNE 2013
17
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Industry
Industry at
at aa Glance
Glance
AHEC 18th Southeast Asia & Greater China

Convention in Harbin, China
Consistent Quality and Sustainable Supply is the

theme at this years annual American Hardwood
Export Councils (AHEC) 18th Southeast Asia and
Greater China Convention. To be held in Harbin
on 20th June, 2013, the Convention will continue to
provide a platform for the US hardwood industry to
promote US hardwood applications further to furniture, door and flooring and joinery manufacturing
and interior design. The Convention will also help
to promote US hardwood for the consumer market
in the most dynamic environment and economic
development zones in the Northeastern region of
China. In this Convention, AHEC will feature a report
on LCA Study of US hardwoods.
The Convention will be held at the Shangri-La
Hotel, Harbin, China. Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang, known for Chinas timber trade hub with millions
cubic meter of timber annual shipment to China.
There are over 2,000 solid timber products enterprises
located in Heilongjiang and its neighbouring provinces producing furniture, flooring, doors and joinery
to meet the growing demand of Chinas domestic
as well as the overseas markets.
Registration is now open and all Asian companies,
association representatives, design professionals
and media attend for free. Delegates are required
to register for the Convention by fax at (852) 2366
8931, website www.ahec-china.org or email at info@
ahec-china.org on or before 30th May, 2013 as seats
are limited and are reserved on first-come-first-serve
18
MAY/JUNE 2013
basis. You will be notified the acceptance of your

registration by 1st June 2013 by fax or email.
John Chan, AHECs Regional Director for Southeast Asia & Greater China said Chinas economy,
for the past 11 years has been sustained to a double
digit growth rate, but in 2012 the economy has
slowed down to single digit growth at around 7.9%.
Exports have slowed down due to slow demand of
the developed economies. We have seen a gradual
change from export and import to domestic consumption. Since the global economic downturn in
2009, the domestic consumption in the past two
years has led the recovery from the global economic
meltdown. The growing demand of Chinas domestic
market has complemented the overseas weak export markets. China has been one of the important
exports markets for US hardwood and since 2006 and
has ranked number one for importing US hardwoods.
In 2012, Greater China and SEA accounted for 39.6%
and 12.3% of the global hardwood lumber export
market respectively.
This year the AHEC Convention will feature a
strong panel of six keynote speakers including forestry experts from Washington DC and Wisconsin,
Chief Inspector of NHLA from Memphis, Furniture
Designer from USA, China National Furniture Association Vice President from Beijing and China National
Hardwood President from Shanghai. There will be also
six breakout session speakers from Harbin, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore.
NEWS
NEWS
Siempelkamp appoints new managing director

for Pallmann
Dirk Homann has become the
that was, since the acquisition
commercial managing director
of the minority interest in both
of Pallmann Maschinenfabrik
companies, assumed by SiemZweibrcken GmbH & Co KG as
pelkamps ceo Dr-Ing Hans W
well as its general partner GmbH,
Fechner.
Ludwig Pallmann VerwaltungsgeMr Homann was previously a
sellschaft mbH.
member of the Bttner EnergieTo prevent insolvency of the
und Trocknungstechnik GmbH
Pallmann Group, Siempelkamp
management team, a wholly
Maschinen- und Anlagenbau
owned Siempelkamp subsidiary.
GmbH & Co KG acquired a qualiHe brings extensive experience
fied minority in both companies
from previous positions in the
Mr Dirk Homann,
in April 2012 via its wholly owned
wood-based materials industry
new managing director
subsidiary Siempelkamp Masas well as from the area of mafor Pallmann
chinenfabrik Beteiligungs-GmbH.
chine and plant engineering
Henceforth Dirk Homann will take on the new
through his employment at Ferrostaal AG, Germany,
position as commercial managing director, a position
to his new position.
MAY/JUNE 2013
19
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MTC, Public Works Department and Architect

ink MoU to promote Glulam
MTC inked a historic tripartite corporate-publicprivate sector collaboration with the Public Works
Department (PWD) and Ahmad Asmadi Architecture
(A3) to jointly promote andadopt Glulam-based
designs in Government-funded projects in Malaysia.
Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), A3 would prepare the design
concept and technical design development. The
PWD would provide engineering design, including
detailing and specifications to enhance the capability to design Glulam structures and monitor the
project while MTC would engage a suitably qualified
structural engineer to check, evaluate and verify the
engineering details prepared for the design footprint
of a Glulam surau (Muslem prayer house).
Commenting on PWDs involvement in the project, its Senior Director of Civil Engineering, Structure
and Bridge Branch, Datuk Dr. Abdul Aziz Haji Arshad
considered the cooperation as a bridgehead for
PWD to champion the cause of promoting local
timber and to introduce Glulam to the public.
As safety comes first in constructing a building,
Glulam is a suitable construction material as it has
very credible qualities. It performs very well in the
intense heat of fire, making it extremely fire safe and
easily fulfilling the fire resistance standards. This initial
project offers a small yet important stepping stone in
advocating the use of a renewable resource such
as Glulam in buildings, he said.
PWD Senior General Manager, Ir. Muhammad
Azman Jamrus added that Glulams superior durability and easy to machine and assemble characteristics make it an ideal and excellent construction
material for the surau project.
Unfortunately, there is a common perception
that Glulam or timber in general is not durable, not
strong and more susceptible to fire damage compared to other construction materials such as steel
and concrete. This is simply untrue and we hope
that this collaboration will help to debunk public
misconceptions on timber and Glulam in particular,
said Ir. Azman.
Meanwhile, A3 Principal Ahmad Asmadi Mohammad who conceptualised the surau design said that
a surau is a public structure that reaches out to the
people and has the ability to attract attention and
become an iconic structure especially in residential
areas.
20
MAY/JUNE 2013
Glulam is visually attractive and creates unique

and aesthetically pleasant structures. As Glulam can
be prefabricated, it can be easily transported to the
construction site. This greatly reduces construction
time as well as transportation and labour costs, he
added.
Also present at the MoU signing was Ove Arup UK
Associate Director, Andrew Lawrence who is one of
the worlds leading timber specialists and has been
engaged by MTC to offer consultation on the project.
In his presentation entitled From Log Post to Laminated Beam The Birth of A Modern Construction
Material, Lawrence showcased various renowned
structures that he has worked on including the highly
acclaimed 2005 Serpentine Pavilion in London, England, the Centre Pompidou in Metz, France and the
Metropol Parasol in Seville, Spain, demonstrating the
endless possibilities of using Glulam in design.
Structures made of Glulam have been successfully constructed all over the world for the past 100
years. This project gives me the opportunity to impart
my skills and knowledge with hopes of enhancing
industry players understanding of timber engineering
and design, said Lawrence.
Timber Talk and workshops
Besides the MoU signing, Lawrences visit to Malaysia also involved a series of activities arranged
and facilitated by MTC including a Timber Talk and
workshops for the surau project team, architects,
engineers, builders, timber manufacturers, university lecturers, government agencies and research
institutions.
Universiti Sains Malaysias School of Civil Engineering Deputy Dean (Graduate Studies & Research) Professor Dr. Badorul Hisham Abu Bakar who attended
the talk by Lawrence believed that the collaboration
was a right move by MTC to promote timber and
Glulam through a Government agency such as PWD.
Although we still have a long way to go, I am
confident that Glulam has great potential to grow,
just like in other developed countries that are rich
in timber resources such as Finland and Norway.
Hence, it is important for us to develop our local expertise and our system provider, increase engineers
confidence level in using Glulam and improve the
knowledge on timber engineering in the local higher
educational institutions, he added.
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Singapore Lah! The design

showcase
Singapore Lah! The Design Showcase presented its inaugural official
podium featuring the finest of Singapore furniture design at the Milano
Design Week 2013, held in Zona Tortona, Milan last April.
For the first time, the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC)
presented a collective of the islands young award-winning designers
and their stellar collections to the international audience. Seven design
studios were selected by the official body of design industry in Singapore
to represent the country at Milano Furniture Fair with new collections on
world premiere. They were Acidstudio, Creativeans, Desinere, Jarrod Lim
Design, Kelvin Teo, NextOfkin Creatives and Studiorigins. The showcase
was a fusion of the best Asian crafting with local industrial abilities, the
sparkling lifestyle rocking between East and West, an unpublished way
to cultivate new habits, new boundaries to read up overused materials,
enhance functions and research to satisfy the more sophisticated home,
office and outdoor needs.
Singapore Lah! The Design Showcase occupied more than 400 sq m
of the exhibit floor. Design professionals who visited the showcase were
inspired by an entirely new interiors philosophy on an exceptionally wide
range of home furniture and materials, including experimental textures.
More than 61 pieces of furniture made in Singapore were on show,
including lighting for any surface; sitting elements; tables and tableware;
cabinets; advanced shelving systems; modular furniture for exterior, office
and communities, interior uses; unique pet furniture; technology and
related accessories; and collectible toys for youngsters and adults.
The Whiskey Chair by Jarrod Lim Design was inspired by a visit to a

traditional Scotch whiskey distillery in Scotland.
MAY/JUNE 2013
21
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Product
Schelling s 45: The all round cut-to-size saw

with mitre cut
Cutting boards to size and mitre cuts with one machine: is this really possible? Yes it is. And thats not all:
process costs are slashed and precision raised with
the Schelling s 45. It is ideal for anyone who works in
the demanding furniture or in shopfitting segments.
It revolutionises work processes in cutting to size
boards made of wood materials. Not only does the
s 45 from the Austrian manufacturer Schelling cut to
size very efficiently, it also makes mitre cuts. The mitres
can be any angle from zero to 46 degrees.
Speed and intelligent cutting

The patented machine has a unique saw system.
Thanks to combination of speed and intelligent cutting technology, it delivers impressive time savings
and gains in precision. Time-consuming machine
changeovers, a major source of errors, and severing
cuts/re-cuts can be dispensed with. The risk of the
workpiece getting damaged en route between
workplaces completely avoided.
For the entire process, from the uncut board to
the finished - sometimes very small - workpiece, it
is possible to work manually, semi-automatically
or fully-automatically on the same machine. And
everything in one-man operation, saving working
time, shoe leather and space compared with conventional solutions with two processing machines.
The bottom line is cutting costs that are up to three
times lower per running meter.
Mitre and angle cuts on the same workpiece are
made into routine jobs by the automatic angle cut
device. Grooves in any size are made easy as are
22
MAY/JUNE 2013
cutaways for windows or glass inserts. The Schelling

s 45 is tooled up all these jobs with a 14 kW motor and
a feed rate of up to 100 m/min on the main saw. This
means power and speed. It is fast in work cycles - the
feed carriage travels at up to 120 m/min.
Clamps with adjustable clamp pressure can be
optimally adjusted to different materials. A strip aligning device gently yet firmly aligns board strips against
the cross aligning fence, protecting the strips against
damage. The formatting device guarantees precise
machining of projecting surface veneers. The travel
of the saw blade is optimised by sensor-controlled
lowering. The intelligent travelling pressure beam
applies touch pressure, even when the saw blade is
angled, close to the cutting line.
The possible applications of the s 45 are almost
limitless. Besides making many existing processes
simpler and much more economical, for many users
it will open up entirely new applications, markets and
customer groups. There is no doubt that it is ideal in
high quality furniture, second fix and shopping fitting
work as well as for roofers, facade makers and formwork carpenters. It is just as precise and productive
in creating cabinets with mitre and angle cuts for
exclusive furniture makers as for tasks such as loft
conversions or processing tricky materials like highpressure laminates, regardless of whether for batch
sizes of one or for long production runs.
The range is wide. For all companies where mitre
cuts are important, the Schelling s 45 offers enormously increased productivity, which also effectively
meets the demand for faster amortisation.
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Product
Highlights
D.Fin Thermoform supplements the SDDEKOR

portfolio
Melamine and finish films reach their limitations when
it comes to enveloping front panels and trims or creating three-dimensional shapes, melamine and finish
films. For these requirements and for applications
within the flat-pack sector such as drawer interiors,
for instance manufacturers today resort
to film-based solutions such as PVC and
PP, for example.
SDDEKOR has now also expanded
its assortment to include polypropylene
films, which are printed using waterbased dyes. The latest product from the
southern German surfaces specialist is
called D.Fin Thermoform. Vis--vis conventional PVC films, PP films have the
advantage that they are completely free
of harmful softeners.
SDDEKOR can exploit its many
years of experience during production.
The films are multi-colour printed at the
Laichingen-based Plant 1, where the
manufacturer is able to draw on comprehensive dcor expertise and a huge
stock of dcor structures. These can even
be manufactured in a width of 2,700 mm
at Plant 2. Subsequently, the PP films are
lacquered using water-based or electronbeam hardening processes.
Hence, SDDEKOR is able to offer a
dcor package from a single source, as
the same dye system is used for melamine
products, finish films and PP films all
completely metamerism-free.
The surfaces specialist is also planning to introduce D.Fin Thermoform with a structured surface.
With this development, the innovative southern German company continues to set the tempo when it
comes to bringing design and surfaces together.
MAY/JUNE 2013
23
ENVIRONMENTALFOCUS
Dwi Sudharto, Ministry of Forestry
SVLK to be
at the heart
of the timber
industry in
Indonesia
By Michael Buckley, Wood Industry Consultant
Andy Roby, UKEU FLEGT Facilitator
24
MAY/JUNE 2013
Indonesia has a thriving timber trade with the EU;

15% of Indonesias wood exports go to the EU with
the UK being the largest single importer. Indonesia
has worked hard to implement its timber legality assurance system (known in Indonesian language as
SVLK), which is now up and running and ready for an
independent audit. A seminar held during the international furniture fair IFFINA in Jakarta was organised
to raise awareness of the system and to assist SMEs
in the wood industry to get ready for timber legality
certification.
Throughout the seminar, which was well attended
by mainly Indonesian delegates, the point was made
that the SVLK is credible because it is based on Indonesias own legislation, and the country has full
ownership. The event was opened by Indonesias
Furniture Industry and Handicraft Association (ASMINDO) President Ambar Tjahyono who said that there
were many questions with regard to the EU Timber
Regulation (EUTR) and Indonesias timber legality
assurance system (SVLK), from producers and buyers, and he hoped the seminar would answer these.
Key Speakers were drawn from Europe and Indonesia. Moderator Taufik Alimmi first gave each speaker an opportunity to announce their standpoint. Colin
Crooks, Deputy European Commission Ambassador,
said that the EUTR is now in force and that is good
news for Indonesia, pointing out that the burden of
EUTR compliance is on the importer. Indonesia is well
ahead in Asia he stated and confirmed his belief
that the law will strengthen Indonesias trade with
the EU. Rebecca Razavi, Deputy UK Ambassador to
Indonesia, advised delegates that the UK is working
with the trade to give confidence to buyers and has
allocated a further 10 million for the third phase of
the Multi-stakeholder Forestry Programme (MFP).
It will be directed through ASMINDO to assist SMEs
with local services. But this is still work in progress
and there remains a need to work together towards
improved understanding.
Another panel member, Aditya Bayunanda, the
manager in Indonesia of WWFs Global Forest Trade
Network also focused on the importance of Indonesias SMEs, discussing the EU-Switch-Asia regional
programme to promote sustainable production to
help SMEs meet SVLKs objectives. He stated that 80%
of ASMINDO members are SMEs and WWF wished to
assist 300 of them by 2015.
On behalf of SVLK, Bayu Krisnamurthi, Deputy
Minister of Trade Indonesia, affirmed we love our
forests and so SVLK is our own legislation and we
are grateful for the support of our overseas friends,
especially the UK. He hoped that signature of the
timber trade agreement with the EU would come in
April and that there would be no delay as we need
ENVIRONMENTALFOCUS
to get an advantage from SVLK while we are ahead.

There are 27 countries that I have to convince so I will
start with buyers, not politicians, he added. He concluded by suggesting a list of problems to address,
be drawn up in order to campaign and promote the
benefits of SVLK internally. Ibu Diah Raharjo, MFPs
Programme Director traced the history of SVLK with
a promotional video of interviews which suggested
that there is already a comprehensive understanding of the system.
Opening a panel discussion moderator Taufik
Alimmi described SVLK as on a long journey and
thought that wood must explain itself, because it
is important, but its harvesting has a high impact.
Dwi Sudharto of the Ministry of Forestry provided
comprehensive statistics of Indonesias trade and
and we believe it will give Indonesia a very healthy

export trade, he concluded.
Andy Roby, UK/EU FLEGT Facilitator based in Jakarta, stressed the need to cover all trees with SVLK
and said that promotion is key. He also explained
the strengths of the process, saying that the T in
FLEGT is trade which is the real innovation in this
European initiative. FLEGT is about working with our
vital trade partners to reduce illegal logging in ways
that benefit everyone. He concluded by talking
about the progress being made by trade partners
such as Australia, China, Japan and Korea. Jajak
Suryo Putro of Java Furniture discussed the reasons
for certification and explained that we have gone
from a green trend to a mandatory system of certification from which there are positive benefits,
Colin Crooks, Deputy European Commission Ambassador
Diah Raharjo, Programme Director,

Multi-stakeholder Forestry Programme
fight against illegal logging which, he stated is

now showing a declining trend, even though there
were still a significant number of 100 cases in 2011.
Malaysia Sarawak steals our wood he said (perhaps referring to the shared border area in dense
tropical forests of inland Borneo) and again emphasised SVLK is credible because Indonesia created it,
not the EU. It has had a long journey but now 12,120
V-legal documents have been issued to 125 destinations as at 12 March 2013 and he closed with a plea
for further progress to be made. Deputy Ambassador
Colin Crooks added that SVLK shows that timber
products have been made under Indonesian law
and that importers know that Indonesia is now low
risk, not no risk, but low risk. It is necessary to give
the market full confidence through the SVLK system
presumably referring to the V-legal system now in

place in Indonesia.
During the Q&A session, questions were asked
on the process to be followed before the VPA is
implemented, how the EU importers cope, the possibility of SVLK group certification, how the SVLK can
help buyer confidence and whether there will be a
subsidy for SMEs.
Dwi replied to the last two questions that our
data is real, showing the growth of exports since SVLK.
We will try not to delay the VPA and we are asking
for funding. Mr Crooks added, The EUTR law and
its implementation is the same for all exporting countries. We are convinced that Indonesia is low risk.
The Moderator interjected with the question What
happens in the meantime until VPA is implemented
MAY/JUNE 2013
25
ENVIRONMENTALFOCUS
We love our forests and so SVLK is our

own legislation and we are grateful for the
support of our overseas friends, especially
the UK.
Bayu Krisnamurthi,
Deputy Minister of
Trade Indonesia
Jajak Suryo Putro

of java Furniture
Aditya Bayunanda,
WWF Global Forest Trade Network
to which Mr Crooks responded All imports will be treated the same

under the EU law. The Moderator concluded with some key points.
He stated that clarification on EUTR is still needed, but there seems
to be a positive impact of SVLK as there is a market (for verified legal
timber). He continued that, if accepted in the EU, then SVLK will be
accepted in other countries, so everyone is waiting for the VPA to be
implemented. He acknowledged that the system is far from perfect,
but in the absence of VPAs elsewhere, there could be a switch by
traders from, say, Vietnam to Indonesia, for example.
The closing remark from ASMINDO was that SVLK will be at the
heart of the timber industry in Indonesia and with that the workshop
ended.
ca
Rebecca
vi,
Razavi,
Deputy
uty
Ambassador,
or,
UK Embassy
sy
Note: This document has been produced with the financial assistance
of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken
to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.
The EU and Indonesia agreed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement in April 2011 as a joint effort to
combat illegal logging and related trade. Central to this bilateral agreement is a timber legality
assurance system (SVLK). The system will ensure that timber products from Indonesia are
produced and exported in compliance with the laws of Indonesia. All imports will be treated the
same under the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) until the Indonesian VPA is ratified and operational;
due diligence on FLEGT licenced timber is easier than the current due diligence required. The
timber legality assurance system is described in the Agreement and is the basis for issuing
FLEGT licences. As agreed between the EU and Indonesia, an independent assessment of the
system will take place before the FLEGT licensing scheme becomes operational. In parallel,
ratification of the EUIndonesia VPA is expected in 2013.
26
MAY/JUNE 2013
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FLOORING
on flooring evolution
With its innovative team and a state-ofthe-art R&D facility, Vlinge provides
its licencees worldwide with flooring
solutions for today and tomorrow.
Vlinges continuous innovative work
is covered by an extensive portfolio of
about 900 patents, providing licencees
with the knowledge of being securely at
the forefront of flooring technology.
The pioneer of mechanical locking

Vlinge pioneered the concept of glueless, so-called
click, floorings in 1994 and changed the way people install
and use floorings. Vlinge's first licencee, Alloc AS, presented
the first laminate flooring product with mechanical locking system at Domotex (Hannover) in 1996. This product
could be assembled by a combination of angling and
snapping. Since then, the technology base has gradually
been extended to all fields related to wood, laminate and
resilient floorings.
In 2000, the Swedish company Khrs launched with great
success the first wood flooring product with a mechanical
locking, WoodLoc, under Vlinge's licence. This product,
using Vlinges 2nd generation locking system so-called
2G, is installed by angling both long and short sides. With
its parallel surfaces and high locking angle, the 2G profile
is clearly optimised to offer robustness, efficient production
and high pulling strength. This history and track record as
an innovative company and licensor have created a solid
ground for Vlinges work with hardwood producers worldwide. The company counts today over 125 licencees worldwide, two-third of them being wood flooring manufacturers.
A world standard in locking

The company has been continuously working with further developments and improvements of the mechanical
locking systems to ensure its licencees to always be steps
ahead of their competition.
In 2005, the 5G fold down system was introduced and
soon became a standard in locking, replacing traditional
angling/snap or angling/angling methods. As of january
2013, more than 500mm2 of flooring with 5G fold down
systems have been installed worldwide.
The 5G system uses a so-called single action method,
which means that long and short sides of the floor panel
can be locked with only an angling of the long sides. The
short sides snap vertically and lock automatically during
the fold down of the panel.
28
MAY/JUNE 2013
The secret behind this extremly easy locking is

a flexible and displaceable glass fiber reinforced
polymer tongue in one of the short side edges of the
panel. This new installation method, also called fold
down installation, offers the easiest and fastest way
to install wood and laminate floorings, among others.
The easy installation of fold down minimises the
risk to accidentally damage the product during installation. The easy disassembling offers the possibility
to correct a mistake, to replace a damaged board,
FLOORING
or to adjust installation in line with the natural colour and

pattern variations of a wood floor.
For dealers, 5G does therefore not only offer the
possibility to increase sales as replacing floors becomes
easier, but it may also contribute to limit the amount of
potential claims.
Mechanical locking systems in general and the fold
down installation method in particular have not failed
to convince the customers, on any market. On the European market, for instance, it is estimated that 80% of
all wood flooring is with mechanical locking and thereof
the majority is today with 5G fold down on the short side.
For more information about 5G, watch
the following installation animation by
scanning the QR code.
Optimised locking solutions for

wood, laminate & LVT/resilient
floorings
With its wide portfolio of locking technologies,

Vlinge is able to offer a locking system suitable for
each type of flooring material, widths and optimised for
MAY/JUNE 2013
29
FLOORING
a wide range of floor board thicknesses. Together with

Vlinge as technical incubator, flooring producers can
successfully manufacture their wide variety of products
with click systems such as 2G or 5G.
Indeed, Vlinge optimises locking systems to handle
the particular properties of LVT, such as expansion

and softening at elevated temperatures, and offers a
strong lock even in 3mm thin products. The easy and
fast fold-down installation is now also available on the
LVT products.
R&D resources
In 2010, Vlinge moved into a brand new 17,000 sq.m.
R&D facility equipped with a full size flooring factory with a
theoretical capacity of 20mm2. Among the equipment, eight
advanced and flexible profiling machines enables Vlinge to
develop new locking systems for all kind of floorings and to
support its licensees with prototype production.
Broadening its technology base to surface technologies,
Vlinge also built the first wood powder production line to
further develop Nadura and powder backing technologies
based on wood fibres.
The R&D centre is also equipped with the largest climate
chamber in the world, allowing for testing of floor areas up to
1,000m2.
Revolutionising flooring with surface technologies

Since 2007, Vlinge has broadened its technology base to all technology fields related to flooring, including
surface technology. A wide range of new technologies have therefore been successfully launched: from nadura,
a revolutionary wood fibre foor, to ACTiO2TM, an active surface technology for a cleaner and greener home.
Based on a photocatalytic
process, ACTiO2 is the technology for a cleaner and greener
home.
When ACTiO2 TM enhanced
floors come in direct contact with
daylight or indoor light, a natural
photocatalytic process takes
place, breaking down Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOC) and unpleasant odours.
ACTiO2TM improves indoor air quality, letting everyone
breathe cleaner air. Offering other unique features such
as improved clean-ability and anti-microbial activity,
ACTiO2TM helps creating a healthier environment.
TM
Natural & Durable is the essence

of nadura.
This paper-free solid surface

offers outstanding impact resistance and extreme wear resistance, making nadura floors age with
beauty. With its unlimited design possibilities, nadura is extremly versatile and suitable for a wide range of applications (from flooring to wall
panels and furniture).
This wood powder technology can also be used as backing, offering
considerable cost savings in comparison to traditional paper backing.
30
MAY/JUNE 2013
PANELMANUFACTURING
MDI in OSB
production
the
perfect
partnership
By Berliana Harnadewi, Greater Asia Regional Marketing
Manager for Composite Wood Products, Huntsman
Ms. Berliana Harnadewi from Huntsman
Oriented Strand Board, or OSB as it is better known,

is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with
in the global composite wood panels industry.
Already the board of choice for a variety of
applications in Europe and North America, it is
increasingly taking over from better known rivals
such as Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) and
Particleboard (PB) in Asia. Berliana Harnadewi,
Greater Asia Regional Marketing Manager for
Composite Wood Products at leading resins supplier
Huntsman, discusses the development of the OSB
market in Asia and how Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate (MDI) resins are being used to maximise
profit margins and optimise efficiency.
OSB and MDI

OSB is an engineered wood strand panel designed to
be very strong, hardwearing, smooth and defect free,
making it a superior alternative to some plywoods
available on the market. Ideal for all manner of
building projects - from flooring, roofing and timberframe housing to smaller scale applications such as
packaging and exhibition stand construction- OSBs
natural looks are also increasingly being used in
interior design and furniture manufacture. Many of
the key attributes of the board, such as its strength,
Penetration
depths of
up to 1mm
are readily
achieved by
using MDI
resins
32
MAY/JUNE 2013
PANELMANUFACTURING
means the resin and the wood are one, and this is
responsible for the high quality performance of MDIbonded wood.
As a result of its many benefits for the finished
product and during the production stage, MDI is
now often taking over from traditional resins, as
Berliana explains: Phenol Formaldehyde (PF) resins
have traditionally been used by OSB manufacturers,
however this is no longer as common place as it once
was. Driven mainly by the cost-effectiveness of MDI
and the increased productivity rates offered, more
manufacturers have been making the switch to MDI
resins in the core layer of OSB boards.
Berliana continues: Huntsmans latest I-BOND
range of MDI resins, is one of the most effective
adhesives that manufacturers of OSB can use, either
within just the core layers of the panel or within
both the core and face layers, to give their panels
strength. The real advantage of I-BOND MDI is the
strong bond it forms with the wood strands; which
results in a tough construction at the pressing stage.
I-BOND MDI also allows for shorter press times than
other resins and it works at lower temperatures,
increasing productivity and saving energy for
manufacturers.
International trends
OSB panel being pressed at Huntsman's laboratory. The
company has been working with OSB producers for more
than 30 years.
reliability and aesthetic quality can be traced back

to the way it is produced.
A key component in the production of OSB is
the adhesive chosen to bind the strands of wood
together. This has a huge part to play in determining
the quality of the boards produced so manufacturers
need to consider the options carefully.
MDI spreads over the surface of the wood and
penetrates into cracks, cell lumen and even cell
walls. Penetration depths of up to 1mm are readily
achieved, which is well beyond the 3 cell depths
commonly assumed to be needed for wood resins to
provide adequate adhesive strengths. The MDI resin
becomes one with the wood and this, along with
the penetration and the spread, is responsible for
the high quality performances expected from MDIbonded wood including the resistance to thickness
swell and the high panel strengths.
The mainly mechanical weld provided by
formaldehyde-based products makes it clear to
see where one material starts and another ends. In
contrast, the mainly chemical weld of MDI effectively
Asia and particularly North Asia are seen as keen

growth markets in the production of OSB. As in other
growth markets, producers are looking to regions
where manufacturing has been established for a
number of years for the latest in production trends.
Berliana continues: In Europe, MDI resins have
been fully embraced by the composite wood panel
industry, with many manufacturers switching to
catalyzed (or fast cure) resins.
Once the benefits of I-BOND MDI resins are
demonstrated to them, producers have quickly
taken this up as their normal practice. The argument
that using I-BOND MDI resins in OSB production
creates better economics - compared with using
melamine-urea-phenol-formaldehyde (MUPF) is so
convincing that many manufacturers use 100% MDI
resin in both the face and core layers of their boards.
Complimented by the significant improvements
made within release agent technology, it is easy
to see why I-BOND MDI use has really become so
prevalent.
Furthermore, when comparing I-BOND MDI with
MUPF, MDI performs better due to the nature of its
adhesion to wood. The wood surface naturally has a
lot of chemical groups called hydroxyl groups (-OH).
MDI resins are terminated with isocyanate groups
(-N=C=O), which react with the (-OH) hydroxyls on
MAY/JUNE 2013
33
PANELMANUFACTURING
the wood forming urethane linkages. These linkages

help to make the MDI - bonded boards perform
better when exposed to moisture.
Serving the Asian market: a case study

Chinese manufacturer Hubei Bayoun Wood Industry,
which opened the countrys first major OSB line in
2010, is already benefitting from using I-BOND MDI.
Aimed at both the domestic and export markets, the
company has a target annual capacity of 220,000
m3 per year.
Initial attempts to target the domestic market
saw Baoyuan Wood Industry focus on traditional
applications for structural and packaging products.
Following success in these areas the company
diversified its product portfolio by developing OSB
for flooring, furniture, building and also boards for
cars and boats.
It was found that the companys previous resin
was unable to fulfil the standard requirements of the
new product ranges. Huntsman met with Baoyuan
Wood Industry and instigated an on-site production
trial. Mr Cai Weijin, President of Bayoun Wood
Industry, was so impressed by the results that I-BOND
MDI is now used in the core layer throughout all of
its new product ranges.
Improving the performance of the end product
with the opportunity to make it waterproof and
moisture resistant were seen as key advantages to
switching to I-BOND MDI .
Using I-BOND MDI, Baoyuan Wood Industry was
further able to stabilise the production process,
improve efficiency and reduce equipment
m a i n t e n a n c e r e q u i r e m e n t s . Wo r k i n g w i t h
Environmental Health and Safety experts at
Huntsman has also meant that the companys
production environment complies with the relevant
industry safety standards applied in Europe.
MDIs no added formaldehyde formula also
means the companys products are less susceptible
to increasing legislation concerned with the use of
formaldehyde. I-BOND MDI resins are exempt within
the requirements of section 93120.3 of the California
Air Resources Board (CARB) standards. Using MDI will
also help ensure end products attain CARB I, CARB
II and Japanese F**** compliance and are less likely
to be effected by increasing regulation in the EU.
The potential for the market

Berliana concludes: OSB is a relatively new entrant
to the Asian market, but with its inherent strength,
aesthetic qualities and multiple applications, we
are seeing more and more mills setup throughout
the continent to exploit increasing demand both
34
MAY/JUNE 2013
Huntsman's dedicated experts provide

front-line technical support where needed
for domestic use and export. In established markets

such as Europe, I-BOND MDI is already the resin
of choice. Huntsman works with new customers
from the start to integrate I-BOND MDI into the
manufacturing process and ensure the highest
production and health and safety standards are
met to ensure optimum productivity. Using the resin
ensures the highest quality end product and as a noadded formaldehyde solution meets international
standards and requirements.
Huntsman has been working within the OSB
industry for more than 30 years, as a result it has
developed solutions that meet manufacturers
needs. For those that are new to OSB this means
they can benefit from the latest innovations including
Huntsmans I-BOND MDI resins and I-RELEASE
release agents, both of which offer significant
productivity improvements.
Overall OSB manufacturers in Asia look set to
become a force to be reckoned with in the global
composite wood panels industry and were looking
forward to working with more new entrants as the
market expands.
PANELMANUFACTURING
Innovation and top quality are key words for the

IMAL-PAL group which also apply to the latest products launched on the market this year. The Group
once again retains its position for 2013 as a world
leader in the production of equipment for processing
particleboard, MDF and OSB, and owes its ongoing
success to the quality and sophisticated technology
that have always accompanied the products it has
launched on the market. The Group has several innovations which are going to be launched in 2013.
maximum flexibility. The equipment was supplied by

the companies comprising the group: at their Ponte
di Piave facility in Treviso, Italy, Pal manufactured a
modern and efficient rotary debarker, amply capable of debarking poplar which can sometimes
prove difficult during the winter months; the Flaker,
of US origin, was fully refurbished by Globus who
joined the Imal-Pal group in 2012 and which, thanks
to a special Imal designed control software, is able
to produce strands of variable thickness depending
New OSB production line

The first OSB production line in Italy, supplied in 2012
and operating since February 2013, is one of the
Groups latest and most important successes and
which is currently in operation at the I-PAN facility in
Casale Monferrato, Italy.
This modern and highly innovative line has been
designed to handle a production capacity of
120,000 m3/year of OSB produced from poplar wood
with board thicknesses ranging from 6 to 40mm, a
net board width of between 2,500 mm and 1,850
mm, and a length which varies from 2,000 mm to
15,000 mm.
The entire plant was engineered by Imal, designing an extremely compact line with a host of
technological and technical innovations to offer
IMAL shows
the way in
innovation
By Mr. Stefano Benedetti, VP Marketing & Sales, Imal-Pal Group
Quadradyn and Superscreen

MAY/JUNE 2013
35
PANELMANUFACTURING
on the type of board produced (thickness ranging

from 0.3 to 0.7 mm).
blending process without being ruined.
Belt dryer
The innovative high pressure glue injection system is

yet another of Imals innovations. The rotating mixer
shaft blenders belong to the latest generation, permit substantial reductions in resin consumption and
require no maintenance or downtimes for cleaning operations. The dosing system is complete and
extremely versatile, perfectly in line with the Imal
tradition, and with which PMDI, PF, MUPF and MUF
resins may be utilised. The ultra fine material in this
innovative project, which of course is not suitable
for blending inside the OSB blenders, is resinated
separately by an IPL blender for PB production to
improve blending quality, and of course reduce the
amount of resin required at the same time.
The Dynaformer forming line, fully designed and
constructed by Pal, ensures elevated forming precision of both the SL and CL mats.
The German company, Stela, the latest member to

join the group in 2013, supplied a highly innovative
belt dryer which utilises hot water at 100C to dry the
product. The hot water is produced by an electric
ORC turbine which meets current standard emission
requirements without the need to install any particular additional and expensive filtering systems.
Furthermore, this system handles the strands delicately during the drying process, leaving them intact,
without generating fines or wood dust which are of
little benefit to the OSB production process. A further
advantage of this particular drying system is that the
strands remain light in colour and do not go dark, an
aspect which can prove to be extremely advantageous for commercial purposes as well.
The strand selection and grading process has
been perfected by the Pal Quadradyn and Superscreen screening systems. Such grading systems
guarantee excellent strand selection, once again
ensuring that the strands are not broken during this
stage of the process and that fines and wood dust
are not generated. The dry bins too have been designed without the application of picker dosing rolls,
to ensure that the strands are metered towards the
Glue injection system
New press line

The most interesting and innovative result for the
industry, not only for OSB production but which applies to PB and MDF production as well, is undoubtedly the continuous Dynasteampress press line. The
Dynasteampress is in fact the only continuous press
in the world to combine steam injection technology
OSB blender
36
MAY/JUNE 2013
PANELMANUFACTURING
with the already familiar cure technology utilising

thermal oil.
This new Imal designed and patented technology offers numerous advantages both in terms of
cost as well as in terms of board properties: with
this press it is in fact possible to reduce the length of
the continuous press by 30% as well as the building
work required; another equally important feature is
that the press consents a significant reduction in the
quantity of resin applied to the board.
The line supplied is equipped with the full range
of Imals quality control equipment. In order to guarantee maximum production capacity and excellent board properties, the Dynaformer forming line
and Dynasteampress press control is able to vary
the pressing parameters automatically (pressures,
temperatures and speed), on the basis of the data
received from the wide range of Imal on-line quality
control equipment installed.
Dynaformer
Dynasteampress
All the electric and software controls were designed and fabricated at the Imal plant in Modena,
Italy. A unique, patented, blistered board detection
system at press outfeed is able to control and grade
the whole surface of the board analysed, something
which the traditional systems currently available on
the market are unable to achieve.
The Flying cutter saw, designed and manufactured by Imal, offers great versatility in terms of the
length of the boards produced (from 2,000 mm to
Full blister control and thickness gauge
15,000 mm), while the board handling line and board

cooler were supplied by EMG.
Mion and Monsole supplied the entire suction system for the line inclusive of the wet exhaust cleaning
system (scrubber).
The Imal-Pal group looks forward to welcoming
you at their stand at LIGNA, booth no. G46/G52 +
G47/G49/G51 hall 27, to illustrate their latest innovations and products.
MAY/JUNE 2013
37
PANELMANUFACTURING
VYNCKEs newly commissioned

energy plants for wood-based
panel producers
VYNCKE N.V. is a family business with its roots in Belgium. There are 300 Vynckeneers around the world. The
Company designs and builds clean energy plants burning biomass and Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) to produce
steam, hot water, thermal oil and hot gas, with or without electrical power generation - thermal energy from
1 100MWth and electrical power from 0.5 15 MWe. The core of VYNCKEs combustion installations is the
patented Dynamic Watercooled Stepgrate. This is one of the best combustion technologies available and
can be used for all types of biomass waste and multifuel applications.
Recently VYNCKE has successfully commissioned the energy plants for Vanachai PB and Rayong MDF in
Thailand. Dongwha Asan MDF in Korea, Fenglin MDF and Jianfeng PB in China, and Swedspan in Slovakia are
some of the many plants still waiting to be commissioned in 2013.
Vanachai
The Vanachai Group, founded in 1943, is a leader
in the wood-based panel industry in Asia. For their
new particle board factory, Vyncke supplied a multi
media energy plant, generating hot gas for the dryer
and thermal oil for the continuous press.
This is the fourth energy plant that Vanachai
bought from Vyncke and it is equipped with the
multi-fuel hybrid DWS watercooled stepgrate. This
stepgrate is especially designed to cope with the
particular fuel characteristics and ash behaviour of
rubber wood.
38
MAY/JUNE 2013
Rayong
Rayong Panel Co., Ltd. is one of Thailands major
panel producers. Rayong invested in a second
Vyncke plant. The first one was commissioned in
2004. The second Vyncke multimedia plant will supply steam for the refiner, thermal oil for the press and
hot gas to the dryer of the new MDF production line,
having a capacity of 200,000 m/year. The energy
plant was designed to cope with the particular fuel
characteristics of rubber wood and its ash behaviour.
PANELMANUFACTURING
Dongwha Asan
Dongwha Holdings is one
of Asias largest panel
producers, with production sites in South Korea,
Malaysia, Vietnam and
Australia. The Vyncke
multimedia energy plant
will fire urban wood
waste, MDF production
waste, sanding dust and
screen dust. It will deliver steam for the refiner, the dryer and the glue preparation plant, as well as thermal
oil for the press. Exhaust gases are fully recovered.
Thanks to the Vyncke DWS watercooled stepgrate

and the sophisticated flue gas treatment, the plant
will meet the strict Korean emission regulations.
MAY/JUNE 2013
39
PANELMANUFACTURING
Guangxi Fenglin
Guangxi Fenglin Wood Panel Co., Ltd. is owned by
Fenglin Wood Industry Group. This listed company
is one of Chinas largest wooden board producing
companies, owning four MDF/HDF production lines.
Vyncke will supply a multimedia energy plant for the

new MDF line, which will produce 150,000 m3 yearly.
This plant will turn eucalyptus waste and production
residues into steam, thermal oil and hot gas. This is
the first Vyncke turnkey project in China.
Swedspan
Swedspan Slovakia is a spin-off
from Ikeas in-house furniture maker
Swedwood. For their Malacky plant,
Swedspan invested in a Vyncke
energy plant that will fire recycled
wood waste and residues from the
production of 375,000 m3/y lightweight wood based panel. The
Vyncke multimedia energy plant will
deliver hot gas for the drying process, thermal oil for the continuous
press, and hot water for the process
and for heating of the building. This
energy plant is in line with Ikeas
environmental policy as it is low in
emissions.
Do not forget to visit VYNCKE at LIGNA in Hannover. VYNCKEs booths are in

Hall 13 (Stand D41) and Hall 27 (Stand H12) where the VYNCKENEERS will be
glad to explain their past and future adventures in more detail.
40
MAY/JUNE 2013
panel
PRO
ASIA
INPERSON
Q: What do you think of the current condition of the woodworking

and furniture market in China?
A: The China situation is more and more a global picture. International companies supply to China. Chinese companies are facing
the global competition but still they tend to export more and more
every year. Today, technology requirements in the industry starting from the end user going to the furniture manufacturers, and
of course from the furniture manufacturers to the equipment and
to the main suppliers is constantly increasing because the customers in the market are becoming more demanding. They want to
differentiate themselves and their key products from competitors.
As the standard of living in China increases, some areas develop faster than others and people want to follow because
nobody wants to be left behind. Market players have to face
quality issues. The positive side to this is that they are getting closer
to international quality making them more competitive in the
global market and making life more difficult for the international
p
players
in the Chinese market.
How to work out the optimum strategy
o further business development in China is
of
a very, very difficult task. I would say, Invest
m
more,
reorganise, change the strategy or the
s
structure.
The outlook is: It will not become
e
easier
for the newcomers to start up compan
nies.
Small and medium-sized enterprises do
h
have
a good chance to grow but the margin
w be limited. The market is not an infinite
will
s
source;
it is limited. A number of newcome will not survive, and existing suppliers will
ers
c
consolidate.
Those who stay alone will have
a very, very small chance of survival.
Invest more,
reorganise,
change the
strategy
P
Panels
l & Furniture
F
it
Asia
A i spoke
k to
t
Mr Wolfgang Ueberschaer,
Managing Director at LEUCO
Precision Tooling (Taicang) Co.
Ltd, on the sidelines of Interzum
Guangzhou held last March.
He talked about the current
situation of the woodworking
and furniture manufacturing
industry in China. Here are excerpts
from the interview:
42
MAY/JUNE 2013
Q Based on the current market situation, do

Q:
y
you have any specific plans or actions to
g
guarantee business success?
A
A: With the back-up of our international teams
and full support from our headquarters in Germany, we will use
every possibility to supply to our existing customers as well as
develop new channels into the market. As the developed zones
are already well-established, there are new areas which are
developing slowly but constantly. We have established easy
access for local companies in China often ignored by the multinational companies, but not us. We also have good contacts on
all levels and we will expand our activities into the remote areas.
Q: How do you remain competitive with your machines?
A: We meet the customers budget and also introduce the latest
technologies and development from our research department. We
INPERSON
are a worldwide brand, so whether we are in China,

Germany or North or South America, the quality
that we offer is the same worldwide. So, whatever
they develop in Europe, we will be ready to supply
to our customers here in Asia. Whenever we get a
feedback from our customers here, we will be able
to incorporate to our general strategy worldwide.
Q: What is your strategy in dealing with customers
as well as your staff?
A: I always aim to be a good leader for my team here
in China; to continuously support the international
development of the Asian region; and to continuously educate and train our customers in understanding international concepts of modernisation and
cost-saving with producing quality-level, which is a
very physical concept to really and fully understand.
Just as an example, the system that you see there
is a good way of reducing production cost. The tool
itself is not cheap; it is not only buy this tool and
you save a lot of money. You buy this tool and you
have to adapt to the production system. It is
difficult to market one piece, which is more
expensive because cost-saving is at the other end or
on the other page of the accounting books.

Q: Do you think LEUCO made the right choice to
expand to China/Asia?
A: It was the right decision. More than 10 years ago,
LEUCO did come to China, not only to sell high-quality products but also to manufacture here locally with
our world standards. Building a good reputation in
Asia, especially in China, takes time, so we definitely
made the right decision to come here early.
Q: Do you have any comments about the exhibition
[Interzum Guangzhou]?
A: My own personal opinion, impression and from
what I hear from customers, friends or the general
industry -- this exhibition is developing very, very well.
We will be back next time. We will continuously support all our customers. I have also observed that the
furniture industry in China as well as Asia still have a
good chance of positive growth. The international
value of this exhibition is getting more and more
important. Just look at the many visitors here -- you
didnt see a lot of people from other Asian countries
coming here many years ago.
MAY/JUNE 2013
43
SURFACES&DESIGN
If youve been lucky enough to visit the great furniture
exhibitions in Milan, Cologne, New York, Chicago and
elsewhere in the last few years, you may have noticed a quiet revolution taking place in commercial
furniture and interior design.
On the other hand, maybe you havent...maybe
this revolution has been a little too quiet.
Designers of trend-setting commercial furniture
are turning to a new breed of decorative materials
that offer striking visuals, are engineered for durability,
and dramatically reduce our reliance of dwindling
supplies of natural resources. Unfortunately, not
enough about these materials is being shared with
working commercial interior designers.
We used to lump these materials under the umbrella of laminates. As youll see in the following
photo essay, however, these engineered decorative
surfaces have come a long way from the materials
some considered something of a necessary evil.
back from the dead, and to preserve those on the

brink of extinction.
Rare and exotic woodgrains, from species that are
no longer legal to harvest, are no longer off-limits or
out-of-budget. How? Decor printers the companies
that print the papers used to create laminates have
procured, prepared, scanned and reproduced in
stunning fidelity these extremely rare woods.
This process has also given designers unlimited
access to old-growth species via lumber reclaimed
from centuries-old barns, warehouses and factory
buildings. American Chestnut, once widely used
for structural beams and flooring, is now is all but
extinct...but its modern laminate doppelganger is
beginning to turn heads in commercial applications,
with every bit of its natural and distressed character
intact.
Once captured, decor designs can be adapted
for use on a variety of materials, from light-duty verti-
Designers in Europe and North America are finding more

to love in the latest generations of decorative materials
To borrow a phrase from a popular automobile
advertising campaign, these arent your fathers
laminates. In the last decade, companies that create
the decors and textured surfaces for these materials
have refined their technologies to the point that even
the most experienced observers sometimes mistake
them for the real thing.
The real thing, of course, is almost always a woodgrain. Aside from a period in the 1950s and 60s when
laminates were famous for carrying fun, whimsical,
jet-age inspired abstract designs and vibrant colours, most of what you see in current collections are
woodgrains.
The reasons for this go beyond the materials lower
cost in relation to veneers or solid wood. In addition
to rock-solid durability laminates guarantee design
and colour consistency, and allow designers to play
with colour and scale variations that nature just cant
deliver.
They also allow designers to bring beautiful woods
44
MAY/JUNE 2013
Story and images by Kenn Busch
cal surfaces to cash counters to carved architectural

panels. You specify your chosen design, or complementary designs, in different materials suited perfectly
for every application in your project. Most suppliers
offer cross-references to other types of materials, taking the guesswork out of getting that perfect match.
European designers were the first to begin to push
the limits with these materials, driving producers to
ever-higher levels design fidelity and greater realism
in texture. In the last three years, producers in North
America have adopted these technologies as well,
giving you access to the same materials and designs.
What follows is a photo essay on the state of design as seen at Saloni in Milan, the IMM and Orgatec
events in Cologne, and the SICAM materials show in
Pordenonne, Italy, with a focus on how these materials are being used and shown by the most innovative
producers. If you look closely, youll find this revolution
gaining a foothold closer to home.
SURFACES&DESIGN
A desking system design using relatively

thin TFL decorative panels with MDF as a
substrate. Note the woodgrain texture on the
surfaces. This innovation debuted in Italy,
and has since set a new global standard
for TFL and related materials. Also note the
matching edge treatments a matching
decorative material applied to the machined
edges of the MDF substrate. This attention
to detail, executed flawlessly, results in a well-designed and
attractive office system, with a consistency of design and level
of durability that could not be realised with wood veneers.
The world tilts toward TFL
A
forest
of TFL
towers
and cubes
shows off the
range of designs,
c o l o u r s , t e x t u re s
and gloss levels, shown
at the SICAM materials
exhibition, Pordenone, Italy.
European designers have been
choosing TFL for commercial
furniture for years because of its
design range, design consistency and
durability. In recent years, producers in
Europe, North America and elsewhere have
introduced engaging surface textures that have
vaulted the material to a new level of realism.
Thermally fused laminates (TFL) are becoming

the go-to material for contract design in global
markets.
TFL offers durability on par with high-pressure laminates, and carry the latest available
prints and textures. Unlike HPL, the printed
decorative layer is thermally bonded, or fused,
directly to the MDF or particleboard substrate,
rather than to layers of kraft paper. Ultimately,
this means the finished decorative panel is created in fewer processing steps.
Further, particleboard and MDF use wood
fiber that would otherwise be land filled or
incinerated. Waste from lumber mills, plywood
plants and furniture fabrication makes up 90%
of a typical particleboard panel, 80% of a sheet
of MDF.
A recent life cycle inventory analysis (LCIA)
asserts that these composite panels are actually
better than climate neutral because wood is
actually a carbon sink it stores carbon as it
grows, enough to offset the carbon footprint of
panel production. This carbon doesnt re-enter
the atmosphere until the wood decays or is incinerated.
So to sum up, TFL decorative panels are more
efficient to manufacture and more resourceefficient than other options, while still delivering plenty of durability for commercial office,
healthcare, hospitality, retail and other furniture
and interiors.
An office suite in an exotic woodgrain, with panels simulating

a leather writing surface. Both materials are actually TFL. The
saw-cut marks in the woodgrain print design can be found in
several different species, and can even be felt in some texture
designs. Here, however, designers chose a silky furniture finish.
MAY/JUNE 2013
45
SURFACES&DESIGN
Another example of a TFL surface on a commercial desk. While the

woodgrain texture and printed decor arent designed to be in register
(perfect alignment), the net impact is strong; a well-executed surface
texture interacts with light to send subliminal visual cues to the viewer.
Note the two-tone edge treatment, tying the wood colour to the rest of the
materials used, in this case a high-gloss laminate on the pedestal panel.
Designs for hospitality interiors, carrying a striated

matte/gloss texture variation on TFL that was
originally introduced in Milan, now available
throughout the world and in North America.
This curved drawer front is surfaced with a decorative foil a

lighter weight material that can carry the same designs as
TFL and HPL, but is sometimes used for light-duty vertical
surfaces. Foils also are capable of carrying subtle textures.
On this piece, the foil is an exact match to the TFL top.
On this desk, both the

edge and TFL surface
carry a linear woodgrain
texture. In this case,
the designer decided
to punch up the edge
with a white accent line.
A conference table topped by

a full-size sheet of TFL. The
woodgrain texture is more subtle
than in previous examples,
but no less important to the
visual impact of the piece.
46
MAY/JUNE 2013
SURFACES&DESIGN
Decorative TFL panels

can be specified up to 10
feet long, as is this openoffice system shown in
Germany. The clear, longgrain oak plank design is
found frequently in both
commercial and residential
furniture. The raised
surfaces are also TFL, in plain white. This version of the material has been historically
used for cabinet interiors, but now makes a nice offset to printed patterns.
The more elaborate exhibition stands are basically

pop-up retail displays. In this case, TFL panels
are shown throughout the stand, no doubt chosen
in part for their ability to withstand the abuse
inherent in exhibition shipping and setup.
TFL designs in muted tones

counterbalance bold textile
colours.
MAY/JUNE 2013
47
SOLIDWOOD
Hands of
Jepara an
experiment
in wood
design
This year has seen an unusual project created by
a group of enlightened designers in Indonesia who
wish to ensure the continued relevance of traditional
carvers in Java to engage with contemporary furniture design and modern materials.
Furniture town
No one locally seems to know exactly the population of Jepara in Central Java, Indonesia but 500,000
might be a good estimate. One thing is sure however,
this historic community, famous for its skills in carving
wood, is truly a furniture town. On every road and
street there are small furniture workshops and stores.
It has the feel of Bali from a craft point of view, without the religious element that makes Bali unique, for
Jepara is staunchly Muslim.
Jati, or Teak (Tectona grandis), is king in Jepara for
it has always been the dominant species used by the
carvers and furniture makers as both their traditional
and preferred wood. It carves well and is ideally
suited to the local climate, so much so that many of
the finished products lie around unprotected from
the rain and sun, which even brightens their natural
colour. The wood is grown almost exclusively in plantations for there are few natural forests in Java. This
overpopulated island representing only 6% of the
total land area of Indonesia houses about 80% of the
nation, so all land is managed. The plantations range
from the 2.4 million ha (5.8 million acres) owned and
managed all over Java by the state-owned Perhutani Company, to the smallest individually-owned
plots such as the one of 2.4 hectares planted by
master-carver Sutrisno in Jepara. There are also
many community plantations, all of which supply the
voracious demand for Teak throughout Indonesia.
48
MAY/JUNE 2013
Carver in Jepara
There are thought to be as many as 12,000 furniture

companies in Jepara employing up to 30,000 carvers alone, and their tradition can be traced back
nearly 500 years.
Over time Teak supplies have come under pressure (see Teak trends PFA March 2013) so that much
work is being done on increasing yields by Perhutani in cloning better Teak trees and by everyone
planting other fast growing species such as Mahoni
(Swietania spp). In Jepara, Teak logs of almost any
diameter are sold as a walk down the main highways
and side roads will demonstrate. The industry there
is currently said to consume 725,000 cubic metres of
logs a year. Prices vary hugely according to size and
quality, although logs from West Java and some arriving from far away Sulawesi are considered inferior
to the local supply and priced accordingly.
What seems strange is why Jepara is not more
well-known internationally; for the quality of its carving is almost unsurpassed and as much as half is said
to find its way into exports to Europe, the Middle
East and China in particular. The answers have a
familiar ring! The industry is fragmented, made up of
many very small players who are not well organised
SOLIDWOOD
for todays and future markets. They recognise that

Jepara cannot guarantee its future based upon
the demand just for traditional styles and they wish
to introduce contemporary elements through their
knowledge of market trends. To this end, the group
called Himpunan Desainer Mebel Indonesia (HDMI)
is undertaking a number of initiatives, of which a fiveday design camp project, entitled Hands of Jepara
was held in January and completed in time to exhibit
the results at the International Furniture Fair Indonesia
(IFFINA) in Jakarta in March organised by ASMINDO.
Hands of Jepara project
Traditional carver
despite some international help and the existence

of the Jepara Small Craft Association (APKJ). The
association does have a promotion portal but www.
javamebel.com is not an obvious name to search
for the English-speaking world!
Indonesias national furniture and craft organisation, ASMINDO has only
315 members in Jepara and is
thus unable to communicate
comprehensively. The Jepara
industry lacks any strong impactmaking logo. But the real problem for the future looms large,
that of perpetuating the skills
and craftsmanship of the carvers, especially if the demand
for its traditional furniture and
plaques were to change suddenly. So a small enlightened
group of mainly young furniture
designers, who seek to ensure
Jeparas future, have embarked
upon a series of initiatives to give
the industry improved relevance
Jepara has a long history of craftsmanship, says organiser Abie Abdillah, which is strong reason to call
it the World Carving Centre. But yet, the situation
today is quite critical, especially on the regeneration
of craftsman, driven by strong economic factors.
Most of the industries or manufacturers depend on
what the buyer wants, resulting in competition on
pricing of products. The people most affected by
this are eventually the workers or craftsmen. When
we see them trying to create a piece of furniture, we
realise they create from 'nothing' into 'something' a
really particular and special creative, even artistic,
process. Following the massive growth on minimalistic
design trends in furniture over past decades, there
is significantly reduced interest in the market for
complicated or carved furniture. And even now, the
labour cost for carvers in furniture industries is even
cheaper than the workers using wood machinery.
So the "Hands of Jepara" was launched to respect
all the local talents of Jepara. From the designer
communities, which have really emerged in past
years encouraged by the many design competitions
now held in Indonesia, many talented designers are
Designer participants in Jepara
MAY/JUNE 2013
49
SOLIDWOOD
'Hands of Jepara' designer with his prototype
'Hands of Jepara'
participants followed up by designing

coming from Jepara where we want to
prototypes made with American
preserve the ingenious craftsmanhardwood in Jepara and exhibited
ship skills. The hand itself provides
in Jakarta.
the talent, not only to draw and
realise ideas, but most imporWhy do Dow Chemicals and
tantly, creates and builds all
AHEC want to get involved
the ideas into real objects, he
in the teak industry?
concludes.
One
might ask why artisans in
Sponsored jointly by Dow
Jepara
need the likes of Dow
Chemical, PT. Propan Raya and
Chemicals
and AHEC to get inthe American Hardwood Export
volved
in
their
predominantly Teak
Council (AHEC), the Hands of
industry.
As
explained
to the camp
Jepara project seeks to inspire the
Abie Abdillah
participants,
the
furniture
industry is
use of alternative materials, technology and contemporary design with furniture made in Jepara. Led by Jakarta-based
Himpuan Desainer Mebel Indonesia/Indonesia Furniture
designers Joshua Simandjuntak and Abie Abdillah,
Designers Association (HDMI) was initiated in October 2010 in
the first week involved 20 designers learning about
Paramadina University in Jakarta by 21 furniture designers from
these materials and processes from experts. On
major cities in Indonesia such as Jogjakarta, Solo, Surabaya,
Bali, Jepara, Bandung and Jakarta. It was created to be the
the opening day, participants were welcomed by
place for professional furniture designers in Indonesia who have
Bambang Kartono, Chairman of HDMI, and heard
strong passion to make furniture design as a profession, to give
inspiring design presentations by several designers
impact to the society. The launch of HDMI resulted from the
including Singapore-based Jarrod Lim. Then after
massive growth of furniture design communities in Indonesia
a day of industry visits, presentations on day three
and numerous design events that were held in many areas in
were made by wood consultant Michael Buckley on
the early 2000s. From time to time, both individual designer
American hardwoods and on finishing techniques
and furniture design communities feel an increasing need to
have a specific organisation that could be a place to interact,
by Dow and Propan. Great emphasis was given to
create networks, share and spread any related information
the developments in environmentally acceptable
regarding furniture design.
waterborne paints, stains and finishes. The camp
50
MAY/JUNE 2013
SOLIDWOOD
Research (ACIAR) and implemented by the Centre

for International Forestry Research (CIFOR at www.
cifor.org/furniture) in collaboration with the Forum
Rembuk Kluster (FRK), the Government of Jepara
District, Forestry Research and Development Agency
(Balitbanghut), The Ministry of Forestry and the Faculty of Forestry at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB).
Kluster is an appropriate word in Bahasa Indonesia
language in connection with Jepara for it has nine
designated clusters with furniture and carving at
their centres.
HDMI prototype carved in American Red Oak at IFFINA
a global business with international trends in styles,

species, standards and technological advances as
well as modern materials. It operates in a climate
of growing consumer concern about the sources
and effects of materials used in furniture. If Jepara
is to participate in that universe, then it is valid for
its leaders and representatives to understand the
options that it faces to compete in the future and,
by so doing, to thrive and preserve the existing high
skill base.
In short, many American hardwood species are
suitable, available, competitive and safe environmentally, said Michael Buckley. The trend towards
waterborne paints and finishes is the future, said
Mitchell Yu from Dows Shanghai office during a
comprehensive update of their manufacture and
benefits.
Jepara has also been receiving some other international and local help since a decline was identified in 2000, partly due to diminishing Teak resources.
The Jepara Furniture Value Chain is funded by the
Australian Centre for International Agricultural
The prototypes at IFFINA

IFFINA in Jakarta, held annually organised by
ASMINDO, is the leading furniture show in Indonesia
for domestic and international visitors. Its influence
is increasing, thus making it the perfect choice to
show both traditional and contemporary furniture
and craft. In March following the Jepara workshop
AHEC and HDMI unveiled the prototypes that had
been designed and made in time for the show. The
participants gathered to present their work and
to discuss materials and craft issues with the many
visitors as they passed through the designers alley
on route from registration to the exhibition halls.
Speaking at the show, organiser Joshua Simandjuntak
summed up the project by saying that the outcome
for the designers involved had been a more outward
and forward look towards modern design with
traditional craft. We have dropped the seed, he
commented and continued the wood metaphor by
suggesting we need to make changes to the root.
Adding his conclusions, Abie Abdillah said One
thing we hoped to come out of this is some form of
continuity and a breakthrough for designers in
Jepara. It seems like there is a new insight to
transform tradition so that we can preserve
the skills and achieve appreciation.
We have also addressed the
issues of unfamiliarity with US
hardwoods.
'Hands of Jepara' designers at IFFINA
MAY/JUNE 2013
51
SHOWREVIEW
Dubai
WoodShow
2013
The 8th International Wood &
Wood Machinery Show (Dubai
WoodShow) was officially opened
by Engineer Essa Al Haj Al Maidour,
President of the Society of Engineers - UAE, attended by visiting
foreign dignitaries that included
H.E. Ngole Philip Ngwese, Minister
of Forestry and Wildlife for Cameroon; H.E. Henry Djombo, Minister
of Sustainable Development, Forest Economy and Environment for
the Republic of Congo; Mariteuw
Chimre Ndiaw, Executive Officer,
African Model Forest Network and
Franz-Josef Btfering, President,
EUMABOIS.
The show in numbers
DWS 2013 Opening Ceremony by Engineer Essa Al Haj Al Maidour,

President of the Society of Engineers - UAE
The show, the largest ever and about one third larger
than in 2012, took place at the International Convention & Exhibition Centre, in a greatly improved
economic climate in the United Arab Emirates
Engineer Essa Al Haj Al Maidour, President of the Society of Engineers UAE meets Rod Wiles, AHEC
52
MAY/JUNE 2013
(UAE) and particularly in the trading hub of Dubai

itself. Many of the 200 exhibitors showing over 500
brands from nearly 40 countries reported a positive
improvement in business prospects for hardwoods,
softwoods and panel products. The increase in both
the number of exhibitors and the total floor space of
13,000 m2 for the 2013 show is said to be in line with
the rising demand for hardwood lumber in the region,
which is projected to reach an estimated US$150
million in 2013, growing approximately 16% per year.
Hardwood imports are coming mainly from USA,
Africa and Malaysia. Imports of softwoods are also
increasing from Europe, North America and countries
such as Chile and New Zealand. The event is being
positioned to complement the industrys continuing efforts to encourage the use of more wood, in
keeping with green and sustainable building and
construction government policies and practices.
The show this year featured international pavilions
hosted by participating countries including the USA,
Canada, Germany, France, China, Malaysia, Cameroon and Congo.
SHOWREVIEW
From the Chairman
We are very pleased with the overwhelming response that we have received during the opening
of this years Dubai WoodShow. This is the largest
edition of the shows eight year history, which we
have carefully planned and implemented to cater
to the demand for a bigger venue where traders
and professionals can develop more awareness on
the significance of wood as an essential building and
design material, said Dawood Al Shezawi, Chairman
of the Organising Committee. We are also looking
to involve more players from the construction industry and their related sectors and encourage them
into increasing their use of wood for their respective
projects.
The American Hardwood pavilion
The national pavilions
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC)

pavilion with 20 members, including the Hardwood
States Group exhibiting, was by far the largest
overseas material supplier. The American Softwood
Council was a key exhibitor and the USA provided
two key hardwood speakers at the seminar on day
two. Commenting recently, Rod Wiles, AHEC Director
for Africa, Middle East, India & Oceania, confirmed
that total US exports of American hardwood lumber
and veneer to the Middle East & North Africa (MENA)
amounted to US$87 million in 2012, of which sawn
lumber was US$62 million up 19% on 2011. He attributed this as reflecting the renewed economic
and construction activity in Dubai in particular, and in
the Gulf and Middle East region as a whole, despite
the recent political turmoil. Wiles also predicted the
trend is set to continue. The UAE, Pakistan, Jordan
and Turkey are key markets for US hardwoods, all of
which regularly send buyers to the Dubai WoodShow.
There was almost universal support for the show
which had produced positive enquiries for the entire
AHEC contingent from right across the region being the primary reason given for their participation
and intention to return in 2014.
The American Softwood Council has been a
regular exhibitor at the WoodShow for the last several
years. Craig Larsen, President of the Softwood Export
Council (SEC) based in Portland Oregon, said that
the show had been a good one due to its diverse
group of participating members.
The French pavilion, led by the association French
Timber, included leading export companies offering
softwood, hardwood, plywood and veneer. Of the
dozen exhibiting, most expressed satisfaction with
the quality and level of enquiries. As with many other
exhibitors, they stated that the show gives them the
opportunity to meet existing customers and meet
new potential buyers. The Canadian contingent
The French pavilion at DWS 2013
The Malaysian Pavilion
of nine, mainly French-speaking from the Quebec

Province represented by the Quebec Wood Export
Bureau, were satisfied with the outcome of the show
saying that this is the primary show for the region.
The Chinese contingent listed nearly 70 companies and organisations, many of which exhibited
in the expansive Chinese pavilion. They included
plywood and panel producers, flooring and door
manufacturers, woodworking tools, decorative surfaces, adhesive manufacturers and wood industry
service providers; with others in the machinery hall.
The African presence was impressive with a host
MAY/JUNE 2013
53
SHOWREVIEW
of personnel engaging with the show, the seminar, a
large pavilion and by Cameroon hosting an evening
voyage with dinner for exhibitors on a local craft.
"We were highly impressed by the display of technology, the massive presence of major companies and
the numerous interactions and stakeholders of the
industry at this years event, said H.E. Ngole Philip
Ngwese. "Participating at Dubai WoodShow has
allowed us the opportunity to showcase Cameroon's
large wood market, which includes 300 different
species of trees out of which 60 are being used. I am
glad that we have created opportunities for wood
transformation and have also increased our contact
list of potential investors to Cameroon. In addition to
Cameroon, exhibitors from Africa included Congo,
Ghana and Ivory Coast.
As in previous years, the Malaysian pavilion was
led by the Malaysian Timber Councils Dubai-based
Director Khairul Anwar and his team. Corporate
exhibitors included Carl Ronnow Malaysia Sdn Bhd,
HeveaBoard Bhd and Segamat Panel Board Sdn
Bhd. The Sarawak Timber Industry Development
Corporation a State government agency which
represented Sarawak based wood producers also
fielded a promotional team.
Notable exhibitors
Others from overseas with long experience in the

Middle East and beyond included Global Lumber
Resources from Ontario Canada and Danzer Middle
East with offices in Bahrain and now in Dubai.
Danzer Group based in Switzerland offers lumber
from Europe, USA and Africa and is well known for
its long experience in veneer production and innovation, several of which were demonstrated at the
show. Speaking on the final day, Johannes Danzer
said this is a growing market in a steady economy
that has recovered after the crisis and one where we
Segamat Panel Boards from Malaysia regards the Middle East as a key market
54
MAY/JUNE 2013
are now keen to develop our sales of African species

in particular. Furthermore we endeavour not to sell
uncertified wood. Also based in Europe, Pollmeier
was exhibiting lumber and LVL all produced from
German beech.
Notable visitors
One of the key benefits of the Dubai WoodShow is

the diversity of visitors from throughout the region
enabling exhibitors to meet them under one roof
over three days. Visitors from as far afield as Pakistan,
Yemen, Turkey and Lebanon, among others, were
reported. Locally based visitors were also most important for many exhibitors from overseas. Notable
among them were Mr Rizwan Samar, Chairman of
Al Danube and Mr Mohamed Mawlana of Al Nibras,
major distributors of building products and hardwood
respectively. Both were complementary about the
show and the renewed prospects for construction
and development in the Gulf region, now based on
real demand rather than the speculation pre-crisis.
The machinery side
A large area of the show was devoted to woodworking machinery which had been reintroduced
in 2102 as a key element. The German and Italian
woodworking machinery industries were very well
represented, mainly through their local agents,
whereas there was a surprisingly limited presence of
manufacturers from Taiwan and China. Many visitors
from the GCC and kingdom of Saudi Arabia showed
great interest in the machinery exhibits, although
the diversity of visitors to the machinery section was
thought by some exhibitors to be more limited this
year than previously.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) enterprises
In all, over 40 UAE-based companies were represented at the show. The most prominent of the
local UAE companies, with a massive stand at the
main entrance, was Singapore-owned Farlin Timbers
based in Jebel Ali Free Zone, offering a full range of
wood materials and dealing in the Middle East and
African markets. Also distributing a full range of wood
and non-wood products and high-quality flooring
and veneers was Chabros International Group with
Headquarters in the Techno Park in Jebel Ali and
fourteen branches across the region.
Among the local wood product exhibitors were
a number of notable high-profile, wood supply companies operating in the region, among them Saleh
International LLC distributing to fifteen countries
throughout the Middle East and PVS International
specialising in chain of supply management with
five sourcing offices around the world.
SHOWREVIEW
Michael Buckley, wood industry

consultant from Singapore,
chaired the Seminar
Mike Snow, Executive Director of AHEC

presents LCA at the seminar
Dawood Al Shezawi with H.E. Ngole Philip
Ngwese, Minister of Forestry Cameroon
(Rt); H.E. Henry Djombo, Minister of
Forest Economy, Rep of Congo
Promoting wood solutions in the GCC

One of the main highlights of the event was the
special seminar focusing on the various possibilities
to be gained from building with wood, which took
place on April 10th alongside the show at the Dubai
World Trade Centre. The seminar focused on four
main topicswood as a building material in the
GCC; wood as a design component of architectural
projects; the current state of wood use in the GCC;
and timber certification.
The first half of the one day event was aimed
at traders, while the second half was a seminar
for architects and engineers. A focal point of the
seminar involved discussions on the importance of
certification for timber-producing companies and
the benefits and challenges of certification.
Speakers included key representatives from the
Emirates Authority for Standardisation & Metrology;
the Malaysian Timber Certification Council; Quebec
Wood Export Bureau; the Malaysian Timber council,
Dubai Municipality; Dubai Central Laboratory and
the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC).
The morning session was attended and addressed
by H.E. Ngole Philip Ngwese, Minister of Forestry and
Wildlife for Cameroon; H.E. Henry Djombo, Minister
of Sustainable Development, Forest Economy and
Environment for the Republic of Congo. Ross Miller,
Consul General of Canada in Dubai was also in attendance.
The seminar was chaired by Michael Buckley,
wood industry consultant from Singapore, and orJohn Stewart
of Stewart &
leong Consulting
presented design
project case studies
in UAE at the
seminar using wood
Mr Yong Teng Koon,

MTCC CEO presenting at the seminar
Seminar attendees
ganised by Strategic Marketing & Exhibitions, Dubai

and sponsored by Pablo Publishing, Singapore.
The green agenda

It was made clear from presentations at the seminar
and from what was discussed at the show, the UAE
is moving fast towards ensuring that public buildings,
at least, are built with the environment in mind and
to ensure the optimisation of energy consumption
and minimising material waste. One response by the
timber trade has been to offer FSC and PEFC chain
of custody certified wood. Most engineers and architects in the region know FSC better than PEFC and
that was reflected in products on offer at the show.
A more buoyant economy and confidence

In conclusion, this was an improved show on the
previous year, benefiting from a more buoyant
economy and confidence among the wood industry
that the region is poised for further growth in new and
re-started commercial, hospitality and residential
projects. It is generally agreed that this will increase
the demand for wood products. With this in mind,
organisers Strategic Marketing & Exhibitions have
already booked additional space for 2014.
The next Dubai WoodShow will take place on
8-10 April 2014.
MAY/JUNE 2013
55
SHOWREVIEW
NORTHWEST HARDWOODS
P ter Bol
Peter
Pet
BBolding,
Boldi
ldi
dingg, Exp
din
EExport
xportt Sa
SSales
Sal
ales
les an
andd M
Mark
arkk Ha
H
Hayes
Hayes,
ayes, Manager
M
Mana
anagger
ana
ger - Sal
S les andd
Sales
Market Development
We have a few existing customers in several countries of the MENA

region and we want to meet them here. Many of them came and we also
gained additional contacts and potential buyers from Pakistan and Egypt,
so we are satisfied with the outcome. It shows that there is a great demand
for American hardwood in the region.
UAE is not yet a huge market for us. It is probably one of the smaller
markets we have in the world but they buy high-grade lumber for the most
part. They are also fairly well-educated about American hardwood, thanks
to AHEC [American Hardwood Export Council]. MENA, especially the UAE,
is not a particularly dicult place to do business from the point of view of
having to teach them on what is American hardwood. They are already half
way down the road, so to speak. In this region, our wood is mostly being
used for kitchen cabinets and flooring.
If there is anything we would like the organiser to improve on, it would
be better communication. If they can improve their service and communication, the show will be better. Moreover, I think having more conferences
will create more publicity and opportunity. It will be more interesting when
there is machinery, too. In general, they did a pretty good job and we will
be back next year.
BIESSE
This is the fourth year that we have our own stand here; but we started
participating in Dubai WoodShow 10 years ago with our local dealer. As you
can see, we have some machines and we organise visits of the customers
to show the performance of the machines.
The customers who came were mainly from UAE, Bahrain and Qatar.
We talked to a lot of old customers and new ones who came here to see the
latest technologies. In fact, we sold two machines so we are quite happy.
We would like the organiser to improve on mailing invitations to
customers. We are doing it from Italy or from Dubai. This is important
because many of the customers located outside of the UAE dont know
about the exhibition. So we must inform them and invite them to come.
Our business in MENA this year seems better than last year. Unlike
four years ago, before the beginning of the crisis, the market was really
very good. Nonetheless, due to the opening of Biesses oce in Dubai in
2008, our turnover is still good almost the same as in 2008. It means
that we are working well and customers believe in our brand. We have
an oce of eight people in Dubai. Our competitors dont have their own
representative oces here.
FELDER
Mirco Borghini, Sales Manager and Olivier Berg, Regional Sales Manager
(South Europe/Africa/Middle East)
56
MAY/JUNE 2013
Karguvel Paulraj, Field Service Manager and Renato Manganello,

Managing Director
"This is our second time to participate in Dubai WoodShow. I think there

are less people this year compared to last year, but having less people does
not mean the show is less good.
We see a lot of people from the Gulf region and from Africa. We closed
some deals here. We use this chance to meet people and discuss because it
is important that we build long-term relationships with our customers. This
is an occasion to meet and see people of this region and to sit and evaluate
future plans. So, for us, this show is good.
Our suggestion is to make the show every two years instead of every
year. It takes time, money and eort to do the preparations. Also, it would
be good to see our competitors in this show. When competition is not here,
customers have no reason to come. You go to a show to see everything
and not just one brand.
We showcased dierent machines here. Dubai is a crossroad of people
from everywhere and of dierent mentality. So, buyers go for everything
from high class to medium-size to entry-level, and for all kinds of budget.
We participate in many exhibitions worldwide, including MENA in
places like Siberia, Lebanon, Qatar, etc. We are trying to put a presence.
SHOWREVIEW
AMERICAN LUMBER
We have participated in the Dubai WoodShow maybe five or six times.
The show is fantastic but it needs more collaboration with the department
of tourism. This is an international show so we need more international
visitors. We also need more advertising and collaboration with the local
media so more people would come here.
Our business in UAE and MENA is moving better than last year. In
Dubai, there is a lot of movement because as you know, Dubai is a strong
logistics hub for all businesses. Most of the wood purchases go to Saudi,
Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey. Oman is emerging and grabbing attention.
This year we received more demand and inquiries from this region. So
definitely, we will be back here next year.
Mohd Al Samaneh, International Commercial Manager
WEMHNER
Muenir Deletioglu, Area Sales Manager
We have visited the exhibition last year as a visitor and this year, we
decided to exhibit to get feedback in terms of meeting potential customers.
We can conclude in a positive way that it was very worthwhile to be here
as an exhibitor and we get a much better feeling of the dynamic that is
going on here in this region.
Overall we see a market for our products. We have a very diverse
portfolio and target almost any range.
If there is anything that we would like to change about the exhibition,
it would be to shorten it to two days. Three days seems too long. The
customers coming in are like a wave. Sometimes nobody is stopping by
and suddenly you have a wave of customers dropping by. But overall, we
are very happy to be here. It is money well spent.
MENA is for sure one of the emerging markets for us and we have
received a lot of opportunities where we could oer our equipment for
their applications. We have just started to promote our products in this
region two years ago. It seems like there is interest in the African countries
on wood processing. We have visitors coming by from Congo. Dubai as the
location for such an exhibition is an excellent choice.
Extending the time of the repetition, maybe every two years, would
help. It will be more economical and feasible for us. It gives exhibitors time
to come up with more new products.
BOARKE MACHINE CO. LTD

This is our first time participating in Dubai WoodShow. Its not as big
as the shows in China, Europe and others, but the number and quality of
visitors is okay. Weve seen so many potential customers come here from
dierent countries like India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, just to name a few.
We have already sold a lot of machines in the MENA region. The
UAE market is not so big in the world, but recently it has become more
important because the European and American markets are not doing as
good as they used to be. Chinas economy is also slowing down, so here,
it has become more important.
This show is more about wood. Next time I hope the organiser
can invite more suppliers of woodworking and furniture machines. The
organiser must work harder to promote this show and attract more people
so it will become a big show. Invite more machines, then you attract more
people. Overall, this is a good show and we are coming back next year.
Bill Hung, President
MAY/JUNE 2013
57
SHOWREVIEW
DOMOTEX asia/
CHINAFLOOR
Shanghai 2013
The 15th annual show, DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR ran 26th to 28th March in Shanghai,
continuing its emphasis on innovation and diversity of products while providing exposure
to Chinas giant floorcovering and construction markets. The worlds second largest
floorcovering show had over 1,100 exhibitors filling 130,000 square metres and received
42,165 visitors.
Resilient flooring, including LVT, continues to be the
shows fastest growing category, while this report
focuses on the shows biggest product category,
wood and laminate which occupied four halls and
innovative flooring technology exhibition areas. Although the show focuses on Asian made products,
Western manufacturers play a significant part and
include Armstrong, Boen, Gerflor, Mapei, Amorim and
Vlinge Innovations. US-based floorcovering associations, namely the National Wood Flooring Association
(NWFA), the American Hardwood Export Council
(AHEC) and the American Floorcovering Alliance
Local interest in the Materia area was strong
58
MAY/JUNE 2013
(AFA), had booths on the showfloor. InnovAction

flooring, the new campaign by DOMOTEX brought
300 new, innovative flooring solutions into the show
and made them easily identifiable by visitors not
only throughout the whole fair ground, but also at
a special area.
Concurrent events running within and alongside
DOMOTEX provided added value. These included
the Floor-tech Forum, dedicated to innovations in
flooring technology, Materials for Future Floors by
Materia presenting emerging trends from across
the globe for all types of floors, and important forums
including the biennial Wood Flooring Forum and the
China Wood Flooring Retailers Conference.
The industry is changing quickly and Ive heard
of many new products that are being shown in
Shanghai, said Jim Gould, President of the US based
Floorcovering Institute. Without a doubt, DOMOTEX
asia/CHINAFLOOR should not be missed. It is the
gateway to one of the worlds largest floorcovering
markets, an opportunity to find new products, networks and partners. I never miss this show.
Sihe: A regular Domotex exhibitor, Sihe Grand
Flooring launched its Manor House modular parquet design tiles range alongside its traditional engineered flooring products in American White Oak,
Hard Maple and Black Walnut as well its African
range of Doussie, Wenge, Iroko and Sapele. Sihe also
launched its Cosmo flexible and cost-efficient wide
plank range to meet a growing trend in the market.
In addition Sihe offers Teak, Larch and Bamboo. The
SHOWREVIEW
company is FSC certified, offers CE products, uses the

Vlinge click system and is a member of the National
Hardwood Flooring Association (NWFA) of the USA.
Franky Helmons is honest about the flooring
market following the global crisis which affected
demand in the last few years. We used to find a
balance between export and domestic markets,
he said at this years show. We have been driven
down in price outside China but we faced increased
costs as well as the EU crisis, so we had to downsize.
Now we have to find products that allow us to make
margins. One way, for example, is to slice rather than
saw to reduce waste and become more efficient,
improve grading and offer traditional but better
Vandyck uses the Amsterdam metaphor
Sihe Grand Flooring were extremely busy on day one
products. We also introduced our Manor product

as an innovation. Oak is still number one, which is
sourced from Russia, EU and the USA, and we also
buy exotics including Walnut, he concluded.
It was clear from many Domotex exhibitors that
differentiation is seen as the route to survival and
success. The market now offers a huge range of
products, species and surface treatments that gives
enormous choice to buyers. Nevertheless, in one
form or another, Oak was still the dominant species
in both solid and engineered flooring. While there
was no doubt about the provenance of American
and European Oak, there was less clarity about the
sources of Chinese and Russian Oak which might
have implications for exporters to Europe under the
new EU Timber Regulations.
Vandyck: This all Chinese company Zhejiang Fuerjia Wooden Co, despite its Dutch-sounding brand
name Vandyck, featured one of the largest and
most impressive exhibits at Domotex this year. Manufacturing both solid wood (50%) and engineered
wood (50%) flooring, the company uses Siberian
Oak and German Oak certified by PEFC. Seventy

per cent of its sales are in Oak and quality is of the
highest standard with new designs and interesting
use of sliced veneers.
Berry Alloc: From Belgium, Berry Alloc is a laminate specialist for panels and flooring which boasts
strength on extra-long and wide planks, water
resistant, with 170 fashionable colours. Its locking
systems are intended to be fast and glue free for
installation; and its products are compatible with
under-floor heating and guaranteed for life. The
key to China, said General Manager Bengt Rasin,
is to select good partners, appoint exclusively and
stick with them and preferably one that does not
sell Chinese products. Our distributors prefer that we
do not print brochures in Chinese to promote the
European source.
Vlinge: Many of the flooring exhibitors use and
promoted locking systems by Vlinge of Sweden,
which exhibited in its own right to show the latest
in locking technology for wood, laminate & LVT/
Francis Gistelinck & Bengt Rasin of Berry Alloc

MAY/JUNE 2013
59
SHOWREVIEW
resilient floorings. According to the company, over
60 Vlinge 5G licensees have manufactured more
than 500 million square metres with 5G locking since
2005. The system can be incorporated in flooring from
5mm to 22 mm thickness in a whole range of materials, providing quality of installation and considerable
time saving. This year the company promoted its
powder coating system for reducing the cost of
backing/balancing layers.
Local interest in Homag machines at Domotex
Wintersteiger's
accuracy
cutting
machinery
Winter
Win
terste
steige
iger's
r's hi
high
gh acc
accura
uracy
cy cut
cuttin
ting
g mach
m
achine
inery
ry
Machinery exhibitors: One leading machinery

manufacturer Homag took the opportunity to exhibit
and also to take its customers to an in-house demonstration at its Shanghai facility. There, a completely integrated flooring production and packaging line,
that would be impractical and uneconomic to show
60
MAY/JUNE 2013
in the hall, was available via a dedicated shuttle bus

to the Homag plant. Wintersteiger, makers of high
accuracy cutting equipment from Austria, fielded a
multinational team on hand from China, Singapore
and HQ to discuss their wood filling systems, designed
to repair and therefore optimise yield; as well as their
highly acclaimed range of thin-cutting machinery.
Other related exhibitors included Leuco Precision
Tooling from Taicang.
Fredrich Klumpp GmbH from Stuttgart, Germany offer coating systems
Finishing, coating
and adhesives: Several
of the regular Domotex
exhibitors in this sector
were either absent or
reduced in their presence this year. Large
scale demonstration exhibits from the likes of
Treffert, Bona and Osmo
were not to be found.
However, Osmo took a
small stand in Hall 3 and
Osmo in reduced space at
Bona held a magnificent
Domotex 2013
VIP dinner for 60 of their
customers in Pudong overlooking the river, during
which its senior directors and staff presented a string
of awards to their trading partners. Klumpp, however,
remarked on a very busy day and had concentrated
on inviting its key contacts to meet them at the show.
This German company, with 90 years of experience in
coating systems, offers a global network of 30 application engineers to support its customers. H.B.Fuller,
were showing their woodworking adhesives for inproduction lamination and for flooring installations.
SHOWREVIEW
S
HOWREVIEW
Timberex, one of the few UK exhibitors in the wood

sector, was promoting wood care products, including natural drying oils for both timber and bamboo
surfaces, particularly for use in high traffic areas.
Wood raw materials: Flooring materials were on
offer from just a few exhibitors. The US pavilion in the
key Hall N5 was jointly staffed by the AHEC and NWFA
of the USA, from which a full range of publications
were distributed. Almost all exhibitors interviewed
agreed that their business was growing in China,
from wherever they came and including the Chinese
manufacturers themselves.
Bill Secrest of Graf Bros from Kentucky, a veteran
of the show, said it is a busy show. And the Kelly
team at PJ Lumber from Alabama said we cant
complain. Jeff Fairbanks of Palo Duro Hardwoods
from Colorado and also representing NWFA, said
The key is that it is encouraging to see the expansion of US companies in Shanghai for which credit
must be given to AHEC and NWFA. I am pleased with
the traffic and its quality. Rick Barrett of Midwest
Jeff Fairbanks, NWFA & Jim Gould, Floor Covering Institute
Hardwood Corporation from Minnesota, specialising in Red Oak, Hard Maple and Black Walnut, was
very upbeat about the market but cautious about
supplies of American material for export this year, as
the US domestic market improves.
From China was Haiyan Liming Wood Co, offering
their integrated production from logs to veneer and
seeking long term relationships. From south of Beijing
was the British wholly-owned Hebei Wood Optimisation processing company under the brand AMS.
This highly innovative operation, founded in 2009,
exhibited its physically and chemically enhanced,
laminated panels that have been developed from
research programmes. Working with the Beijing
Forestry University, and local high tech facilities, the
company has been able to enhance the density,
hardness, bending strength, and modulus of elasticity of fast grown plantation species. Known as
Billl Secr
Bil
Secrest
S
ecrestt off Gr
G
Graf
raff Bros
B
Bros,
ros
USA greets overseas visitors
Highly processed and raw bamboo
by 'Greezu' embodies different
levels of energy
CORKRIBAS from Portugal
Bamboo flooring by Precious

Bamboo Development Co
Optimisation Solid Wood Panels (OSP), performance

in durability, fire resistance and cracking resistance is
improved by technical manipulation of the fibre material including the use of eco-friendly reagents and
toxic-free according to the publicity. At Domotex,
Chinese Poplar was offered in edge-glued laminated
panels and wide boards that are noticeably heavier
than expected.
Bamboo and cork: The general impression from
the show this year was perhaps fewer offerings of
Bamboo flooring although there were some spectacular presentations. Zhejiang Yoyu Bamboo was
one and HK Woodsea Company was another
both with a range of non-flooring products. But the
Bamboo prize, if there was one, would have been
awarded to the Precious Bamboo Development
Co with their Greezu brand of flooring and decking products, an example of which can be seen at
Changi Airport in Singapore. The cork industry from
Portugal was represented by several companies
including CORKSRIBAS.
The choice in wood flooring was enormous and
the name of the game for many manufacturers
was to differentiate their products in many intriguing
ways, mainly through surface treatments and design.
Innovations were everywhere and some new products are exciting as they can stimulate the market
for wood flooring in China. While engineered flooring
seems to be taking more market share; solid wood is
not dead and there were widespread reports of its
increased popularity at the high end of the Chinese
market.
MAY/JUNE 2013
61
SHOWREVIEW
IFFS/AFS 2013,
The Dcor Show 2013
& The Hospitality
Show 2013 thrives on
After four full days of business meetings, networking and design-related activities, the International
Furniture Fair Singapore 2013 / 30th ASEAN Furniture
Show (IFFS/AFS 2013), The Dcor Show 2013 and The
Hospitality Show 2013 ended on a positive note, giving the furniture industry much more to look forward
to in 2014.
The trilogy of events opened to a good flow
of visitors through its doors, despite the weekend
start. Anchored by 466 exhibitors from 26 countries,
IFFS/AFS welcomed a total of 20,893 visitors from
102 countries to the annual, international event,
amongst which included 118 buying delegations.
This year, spot orders in the region of US$297 million
were transacted at the fair, and follow-on sales are
expected to reach US$3.3 billion.
Solid exhibitors appeal to the right crowd
Over the years, IFFS/AFS has carved for itself a reputation as a respectable show that attracts a wide
range of quality exhibitors. The extensive portfolio
of exhibits helps to draw buyers, making it a wellattended show that is fruitful for all participating
companies. Mike McKeever, Vice President of
Brema Marketing
Les Jardins (America), expressed, We wanted to

expand our distribution in Asia and were satisfied
to have obtained customers from new markets.
Singapore is a vibrant place that attracts many of
our potential partners from Australia. Weve also
seen people from Papua New Guinea, India, North
Photo Credit: IFFS Pte Ltd
ANCO Vietnam
62
MAY/JUNE 2013
dBodhi
America and Europe.

Also happy with the results of his companys firsttime participation is Amit Gupta, Director of Ava
Handfab (India). He concurred, There is a good
variety of customers here at IFFS. Around 70-80% of
the people weve met are serious buyers.
Visitors enjoyed better booth displays and

creative content
As much as it is an attractive event for furniture

manufacturers, IFFS/AFS proved to be an equally
appealing show for visitors. Buyers are getting more
out of their visit as exhibitors pulled out all stops to
present the most impressive and memorable booths
to engage and impact them. Ernie Koh, Chairman
of IFFS Pte Ltd shared, Increasingly, exhibitors are
providing visitors with a full experience of their exhibit
pieces. Instead of simply displaying a piece, more
participating companies work hard at demonstrating
how their pieces come together as a collection. The
fact that exhibitors put more thought to their booths,
and how they choose to return each year, tells us that
they see value in their IFFS/AFS investment!
Similar to past editions of the show, the largest
contingent of exhibitors hails from the ASEAN region.
For many international visitors, designs from this part
of the world intrigue and interest their customers
deeply. Yu Yibing, Design Director of Yueyang Home
& Garden (China), said, Im looking for traditional,
ASEAN-inspired designs and manufacturers. Overall,
the products Ive seen here are of high quality, and
the exhibition space is very presentable and wellorganised.
Visitors from the region ranked IFFS/AFS above
other shows for its content, which has been fuel for
imagination and inspiration for many. Jonathan
Sew from Lasting Impressions (Malaysia), who has
attended for the past four years, shared, We come
to get new ideas and concepts. In particular, we
enjoy DSpace and Green Pavilion, which are unique
to the IFFS.
Samuel Yeung from ACS Design Asia (Hong Kong)
added, Compared to other exhibitions I have been
to, the products here look more premium and the
designs are far more superior.
HDF conference and awards
In conjunction with the trilogy of shows was the Hospitality.Design.Furniture Conference, Luxurious Projects
Asia Summit & Awards 2013, which took place on 11
March. Well-received by industry professionals, the
conference was attended by some 200 regional and
international delegates. The following awards for
the various luxurious projects were announced and
presented to the recipients during the gala luncheon:
SHOWREVIEW
Best Luxury Hotel Design

Gold Macalister Mansion, Penang (Malaysia)
Silver Blossom Hill, Zhouzhuang (China)
Bronze Hotel ICON (Hong Kong)
Best Luxury Resort Design
Gold St Regis Bali (Indonesia)
Silver InterContinental Danang (Vietnam)
Bronze W Singapore
Best Luxury Residential Design
Gold The Troika, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Silver One Shenton (Singapore)
Bronze Lodha Evoq, Mumbai (India)
Best Adoption of Luxury & Sustainability Ideas
Gold PARKROYAL on Pickering (Singapore)
Silver Song Saa House & Garden (Cambodia)
Bronze I Resort (Vietnam)
SingaPlural Celebrating Design 2013
The second edition of SingaPlural, a unique showcase of the best design elements in Singapore
featuring various facets of the creative spectrum,
also concluded with resounding success on 15 Mar
2013. Through the 350 installations, design spaces,
symposiums, competitions and other activities held in
and around the city, SingaPlural reached out to approximately 10,000 members of the general public,
on top of some 20,000 trade visitors at the Singapore
EXPO where IFFS/AFS was held.
New Jointly-Organised Event with dmg ::

events
At a press conference on 9 March, IFFS announced the major news of its joint venture with dmg
:: events to co-organise the next edition of The Hospitality Show. Both parties have since concurred on
Hospitality 360 as the new title for the 2014 event.
Ernie shared that the new name better reflects the
nature of the show. We aim to reach professionals
from all sectors of the hospitality industry. Hospitality
360 will feature a wide range of exhibition categories, and the show is expected to be an all-round
solution for design and interiors, carefully developed
for the hospitality industry.
The next edition of the trilogy of shows will be

held from 9 - 12 March 2014 at Singapore EXPO.
For more information on IFFS/AFS 2013, The Dcor
Show 2013 and The Hospitality Show 2013, please
visit: www.IFFS.com.sg | www.TheDecorShow.com.
sg | www.TheHospitalityShow.com.sg
MAY/JUNE 2013
63
SHOWREVIEW
10th CIFM / interzum guangzhou

2013 sets new exhibitor record
Some 1,095 leading woodworking and furniture
manufacturers from 28 countries and regions gathered
at Asias most attended trade fair for the industry
CIFM / interzum guangzhou. Imported from Germany,
the 130,000-square meter show celebrated its 10th
anniversary in the China business with the highest
numbers ever recorded for exhibitors and the area
occupied.
Booth spaces at the international halls were
reportedly booked out four months in the lead up to
the show opening by 251 exhibitors hailing from 28
countries and regions: Australia, Belgium, Canada,
Chile, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia,
Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Russia,
Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden,
Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Uruguay,
the United States and Vietnam.
In addition, this years show saw a stronger group
participation with eight pavilions. Joining the ranks
of group exhibitors from Chile, Germany, Italy, Spain,
Taiwan, Turkey, the US/Canada and the American
Hardware Export Council is the Malaysian Timber
Council which made their first appearance at interzum
guangzhou.
"In the past few years, the furniture market has
been in the adjustment phase, yet, the overall growth
in the scale of the show reflects the persistence of
the exhibitors. Faced with a slow market, branding
has become the most important task at hand for
them. This years exhibitor number increased by 38
companies, once again proving the high recognition
for CIFM / interzum guangzhou. On visitor promotion,
the international halls featured a series of exciting
activities which we are confident of active buyer
participation," said Michael Dreyer, Vice President Asia
Pacific, Koelnmesse GmbH co-organiser of the show.
64
MAY/JUNE 2013
The industrys flagship event is a major marketplace

for the trade in both Asia and China featuring
a comprehensive range of related goods. The
international halls consist of three halls with Hall 11.1 at
Area B of the Pazhou Complex dedicated to machinery
products such as woodworking machinery, tools
and other machinery. Area C showcases hardware,
components and fitting at Hall 14.1 while Hall 15.1 is
designated as the raw materials hall featuring materials
and equipment for upholstery and bedding, wood
products and adhesives, materials and equipment for
interior design.
Value-added services at PIAZZA for better visiting

experience
Besides refining product offerings, the lineup of
supporting activities and enhanced services at the
PIAZZA (Lounge for international halls) wowed visitors.
Seminars at PIAZZA threw a spotlight on originality
and innovation: Two key forums which took place on
March 28 and 29 revolved around original technology
and products, and the trending furniture raw materials
and design respectively.
Some of the speakers shared their expertise,
including industry experts from trade associations as
well as senior executives and experienced technicians
from furniture production and raw material enterprises,
such as Andrea Barban, Asia Area Manager of Alpi from
Italy, Dale Robertson, Director of Integrated Furniture
Technologies, Matthias Haasler, Business Director and Dr
Uwe Kraemer, Technical Director, both from the Furniture
Components Division of Germanys Rehau, Ursula
Geismann, General Manager of the Confederation of
the German Woodworking and Furniture Industries and
Nicolas Serrano, Director of ProChile.
SHOWPREVIEW
Furniture
Manufacturing &
Supply China 2013
Concurrently with FMC Premium 2013 and Furniture China 2013 from
11-14 September 2013, Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre
Furniture Manufacturing & Supply China 2013 (FMC
China 2013) will be staged at the Shanghai World
Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre (SWEECC)
from 11-14 September, 2013, concurrently with FMC
Premium 2013. The total area will be 71,000 sqm and it
is expected to attract 850 exhibitors.
FMC China 2013, together with China National
Furniture Association, emphasises on the linkage
of upstream and downstream industry chain. FMC,
showcasing over 100 kinds of woodworking machinery
and furniture raw materials, is the largest woodworking
machinery & furniture raw materials show for the
furniture industry in the second half of the year in China.
MAY/JUNE 2013
65
SHOWPREVIEW
Two venues, eight associations

FMC China 2013 will be placed in two venues,
Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre
(SWEECC) and Shanghai New International Exhibition
Centre (SNIEC).
The main venue, Shanghai World Expo Exhibition
& Convention Center (SWEECC), includes four halls.
Exhibits contain Woodworking Machinery & Tools,
Furniture Hardware & Fittings, Furniture Inspection
Design & Services, Cabinet/Wardrobe Fittings &
Furniture Lighting Accessories, Furniture Panels &
Surface Deco, Furniture Fabric & Leather, Upholstery
Furniture Components & Supplies, Semi-finished
Furniture, Office Furniture Supplies & Gas Spring,
Furniture Coatings, Adhesives and Chemicals
Products.
The second venue, Shanghai New International
Exhibition Center (SNIEC), will display The First Leading
Brand Collection for the global furniture manufacture
industry. The collection will gather 15 industry leading
exhibitors and showcase 20 high-tech groups, more
than 40 international leading technologies, more than
70 leading internal technologies, as well as a number
of self-developed products. The exhibitors will also
66
MAY/JUNE 2013
be considered for the "FMC China 2013 Outstanding

Brand Award by the organiser.
Eight associations and groups have confirmed their
participation, including the States of North Carolina
Pavilion, Pennsylvania Hardwood Pavilion, American
Hardwood Export Council, The Swedish Trade & Invest
Council, French Timber Industry Association, Taiwan
Woodworking Machinery Association, Yuhang Home
Textile Industry Association, and Asia Start International
Furniture Materials Trading Centre.
FMC China 2013 booth sales over 70%

Woodworking Machinery & Tools (Hall 1) - This
year, the Machinery Hall will be divided into CNC
machinery area, coating equipment area, upholstery
machinery area, woodworking tools area and
woodworking machinery area. Exhibitors include
Homag (984 sqm), New Mas, Biesse, Vollmer, Leitz,
SCM, Nanxing, New Motivity, CEFLA, Anderson, Side,
etc.
Upholstery Machinery (Hall 2) - Huajian, Xinqunli,
Xidengbao, Nanjing Square, etc.
FMC Premium 2013 (Hall 2) - Jiangsu Yuhui, Legget
& Platt, Okin, Chenguang, Aoda, Frenchtimber,
SHOWPREVIEW
For further enquiries, please contact:

Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo International
Exhibition Co. Ltd.
Tel:
86-21-64371178
Fax:
86-21-61154988
Email: fmc@ubmsinoexpo.com
Website: www.fmcchina.com.cn
Yihuang, Huali, UPM, Kingdecor, Dupont, American

Hardwood Export Council , the State of North Carolina
and Pennsylvania Hardwood Pavilions.
Furniture Hardware & Fittings / Furniture Inspection
(Hall 3) - The exhibition area has increased by 25%.
Exhibitors include Dongrong, Lusterful, Weihua,
Zhuokai, Shenfei, Weihong, Hyderon, Hengfa, Koyo,
Shida, Meiliwang, SGS, Kingwells, Earth Products, etc.
Upholstery Furniture Components & Supplies
(Hall 3) - Changzhou Regal, Jiaxing Taien, Yangzhou
Jinshiyuan, Jiangshu Aidefu, Wenzhou Yikang,
Haining Huiteng, Foshan Shunbang, Foshan Keyun,
Guangdong Cideron, etc.
Furniture Panels & Surface Deco (Hall 3) - Xiongyi
(112 sqm), Sinowolf, Zhengda Tiandi, Eudeco, HiRunning, Doubloon, Litemax, Konsh, etc.
Furniture Fabrics China Exhibition (Hall 3) Xiaoshan Meixin, Tiansen, Fortex, Aumerry, Charming,
Durak, Xiefu, BLW, Jishen, Hoqi, Haopai, etc.
Asia International Furniture Materials Trading
Centre (Hall 3) - the exhibition area is expected to
be 500 square metres and exhibitors include Zhunxing
Hardware, Tonbon, Fuming Leather, Baiyang Furniture,
Huasheng Furniture, Tech-Digger, etc.
Office Furniture Supplies & Gas Springs (Hall

4) - Hangzhou Zhongtai, Zhejiang Zhongyi, Anhui
Laite, Changzhou Jeweill, Ruihua, Young, Huaying,
Shenghao, etc.
Furniture Coatings, Adhesives & Chemicals (Hall
4) - Taiqiang, Yuanye, Gukangli, Power Hawk, Rocky,
SABA CHINA, NDC Spray, Langfarbo, Wangli, etc.
Oce furniture and accessories

2013 is an innovation year for the office furniture
industry. FMC China 2013 will bring more than 50
outstanding office accessories exhibitors to Shanghai
World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre. The
products include over 10 categories such as swivel
chair mechanism, gas spring, gas lift, star base, chair
arms, office mesh fabric, etc.
Meanwhile, FMC China 2013 together with China
Furniture Association will organise the Chinese
Furniture and Raw Material Assembly- Office Furniture
Forum to enhance the strength of the office furniture
industry in China. The forum will invite famous
office furniture manufacturers, office accessories
manufacturers, online business operators and furniture
designers.
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The Sarawak timber industry, being the mainstay of the
states socio-economy, has continued to contribute
significantly in terms of export earnings as well as
employment opportunities in the State. In 2012, the
timber industry has contributed about RM7.5 billion in
terms of export earning to the State economy, fourth
in importance after LNG, petroleum and petroleum
products, and palm oil products.
Since 1973, STIDC has been spearheading the growth
of the timber industry in Sarawak. Established at the
recommendation of the Food Agriculture Organisation
(FAO) in June 1973, STIDC has been responsible in the
overall planning and the development of the timber
industry. Today, the industry is capable of producing
diversified timber products mainly to cater for the
export markets, enable Sarawak to become the biggest
producer of tropical plywood in the region. In 2011
Sarawak has produced about 3 million m3 of plywood.
Since the last four decades, the timber industry had
plywood, to furniture and furniture parts.

As an effort to promote the participation from the
Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), in conjunction with
the SMEs Week, the Ministry of Industrial Development,
Sarawak will organise the Sarawak Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) Expo 2013 concurrently with the
Sarawak Grand Timber Expo, hence widening the
choices of product display which will include food and
beverage products produced by local SMEs.
The inaugural Event is a One Stop Centre aimed at
promoting the local products (timber and non-timber),
providing a platform for the strengthening of the global
timber-based network, and creating and enhancing
trade networking and partnership.
STIDC will also organise the International Conference
on Timber on 7th 8th June 2013 at the Borneo
Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), Kuching, Sarawak,
Malaysia. The Conference will focus on the challenges
and prospects of the international trade and markets.
Sarawak Grand Timber Expo &

Conference 2013 /
Sarawak Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) Expo 2013
been able to diversify its markets to more than 100
destinations globally. The timber is produced from logs
that are harvested and transported in accordance
to the laws and regulations of the State complying to
the existing legality verification processes and system.
STIDC will continue to make concerted efforts in
enhancing and sustaining the growth of the timber
sector through its various promotional programmes
by organising investment and timber selling missions
abroad and participating in the international timber
exhibitions.
This year, in conjunction with its 40th Anniversary,
STIDC will organise its first Sarawak Grand Timber Expo
2013 on 7th 10th June 2013 at Borneo Convention
Centre Kuching (BCCK), Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, to
be graced by the Right Honorable Pehin Sri Haji Abdul
Taib Mahmud, Chief Minister of Sarawak. The Exhibitors
will include the local suppliers and manufacturers of
wide ranges of timber products from sawn timber and
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MAY/JUNE 2013
Speakers for the Conference are expected from USA,

China, India and Australia. The local speakers will speak
on the future supply of resources and the investment
opportunities in SCORE Sarawak.
Plan your visit to Kuching, Sarawak, the Land of
the Hornbill, and participate in the Conference and
visit the first ever Expo being organised in Sarawak. To
reach Kuching, you can fly in either from Kuala Lumpur
or Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Do not miss this opportunity, register NOW. For
details, please visit www.sarawaktimber.org.my,
www.mid.sarawak.gov.my and www.sgtec2013.
com. You may also contact STIDC: Ms Dayang Nena
Abang Bruce (nenab@pusaka.gov.my), Ms Hajah Eda
Edan (edae@pusaka.gov.my) and Ms Fatimawati
Abang Abdul Latif (fatimaal@pusaka.gov.my), or call
telephone no. +60-82-473000.
EVENTS
CALENDAR 2013
MARCH
Start Date
End Date
Event
City
5-Mar
5-Mar
8-Mar
9-Mar
Woodmac China
MIFF
Shanghai
Kuala Lumpur
6-Mar
7-Mar
10-Mar
10-Mar
EFE
Build+Dcor
Selangor
Beijing
9-Mar
12-Mar
IFFS / AFS 2013
Singapore
11-Mar
11-Mar
13-Mar
14-Mar
14-Mar
17-Mar
IFFINA
VIFA 2013
TIFF 2013
Jakarta
Saigon
Bangkok
17-Mar
26-Mar
27-Mar
20-Mar
28-Mar
30-Mar
The Big Show

Domotex Asia/ChinaFloor
Interzum Guangzhou
Muscat
Shanghai
Guangzhou
9-Apr
11-Apr
Dubai Woodshow
Dubai
6-May
9-May
Project Qatar
Doha
6-May
7-May
10-May
9-May
LIGNA
gulf BID
Hannover
Manama
13-May
16-May
interzum Cologne
Cologne
20-May
23-May
23-May
25-May
INDEX Dubai
IFMAC
Dubai
Jakarta
6-Jun
7 June
9-Jun
10 June
China Furniture & Woodworks

Sarawak Grand Timber Expo and
Conference
Dalian
Sarawak
13-Jun
20-Jun
16-Jun
22-Jun
Wood Tech India

Furnitech Woodtech
Mumbia
Bangkok
9-Aug
21-Aug
11-Aug
24-Aug
Sri Lanka Wood International Expo

Aseanwood Woodtech
Colombo
Kuala Lumpur
3-Sep
5-Sep
WoodExpo 2013
Albury, NSW
11-Sep
13-Sep
WoodExpo 2031
Rotorua
11-Sep
14-Sep
FMC Shanghai
Shanghai
13-Sep
25-Sep
16-Sep
27-Sep
Southeast Asia Furniture & Interiors Import-Export Exhibition (SEAFIE)

DOMOTEX Russia
Kuala Lumpur
Moscow
25-Sep
28-Sep
VietnamWood
Ho Chi Minh
2-Oct
4-Oct
NHLA Convention
Texas
5-Oct
9-Oct
Intermob Turkey
Istanbul
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
70
8-Nov
11-Nov
DOMOTEX Middle East
Istanbul
11-Nov
14-Nov
Indonesia Woodshow
Jakarta
14-Nov
17-Nov
Index
Mumbai
15-Nov
18-Nov
MyanmarWood
Yangon
25-Nov
28-Nov
The Big 5 Show
Dubai
MAY/JUNE 2013
If you would like to add your event to our

calendar, please contact Ms. Denice Cabel
(denice@pabloasia.com).
Country
Organiser
Website
China
Malaysia
Deutsche Messe
United Business Media (M) Sdn Bhd
www.woodmacchina.net
www.miff.com.my
Malaysia
China
EFE Expo Sdn Bhd

China B & D Exhibition Co. Ltd.
www.efe.net.my
www.builddecor.com
Singapore
International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd
www.iffs.com.sg
Indonesia
Vietnam
Thailand
www.iffina-indonesia.com
www.vifafair.com
Oman
China
China
PT. Kerabat Dyan Utama (Radyatama)

Handicraft & Wood Industry Association of HCMC
Royal Thai Government, Office of Export
Promotion Activities
Omanexpo
Deutsche Messe AG
Koelnmesse Pte Ltd
UAE
Strategic Marketing & Exhibitions
www.dubaiwoodshow.com
Qatar
IFP Group
www.projectqatar.com
Germany
Bahrain
Deutsche Messe
Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions
www.ligna.de
www.gulfbidexhibition.com
Germany
Koelnmesse
www.interzum.com
UAE
Indonesia
dmg :: events
Wakeni Kaigo
www.indexexhibition.com
www.ifmac.net
China
Malaysia
Dalian Northern Intl Exhibitions Limited Company

Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation
www.sinoexhibition.com
www.sarawaktimber.org.my
India
Thailand
Business LIV
Reed Tradex
www.woodtechindia.in
www.furnitechwoodtech.com
Sri Lanka
Furturex Trade Fair and Events Pvt Ltd
Malaysia
Trade-Link Management Services Sdn Bhd
www.srilankawood.com
tradelink.com.my/woodtech
Australia
Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA)
www.woodexpo2013.com
New Zealand
Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA)
www.woodexpo2013.com
China
Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo International

Exhibition Co., Ltd
www.fmcchina.com.cn
Malaysia
Russia
UBM
Deutsche Messe
www.seafie.com
www.domotex-russia.com/english
Vietnam
Chan Chao International Co., Ltd
www.vietnamwoodexpo.com
USA
National Hardwood Lumber Association
www.nhla.com/convention
Turkey
TYAP Fair Convention and Congress Centre
www.intermobistanbul.com
Turkey
Deutsche Messe
www.domotex-middle-east.com
Indonesia
Strategic
www.indonesiawoodshow.com
India
Index Trade Fairs
www.indexfairs.com
Myanmar
Yorkers Trade & Marketing Service Co., Ltd
www.myanmar-expo.com
UAE
dmg events
www.thebig5.ae
www.thailandfurniturefair.com
www.thebigshow-oman.com
www.domotexasiachinafloor.com
www.interzum-guangzhou.com
MAY/JUNE 2013
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MICA (P) No: 131/02/2013 ISSN: 0219-5704 KDN: PPS 1453/11/2012(022879) www.panelsfurnitureasia.

com MAY/JUNE 2013

FR ANCE IS THE LE ADING SUPPLIER OF HARDWOOD PRODUCTS IN EUROPE

PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA

Singapore MICA (P) No. 131/02/2013

PAB LO P U B LISH I NG PTE LTD

Panels & Furniture Asia

Panels & Furniture Asia is a member of

Malaysian MDF Manufacturers Association

All rights reserved. Views of writers do not necessarily reflect the

PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA

Our message is simple.

The Evolution in Press Technology

Perfect board tolerances (down to +/- 0,05 mm)

THE MALAYSIAN MDF MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (MMMA)

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record top export sales not only to China but also to

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Be ready for drastic price increase

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