Uniboard goes green

Uniboard, a subsidiary of Pfleiderer AG, one of the world's leading manufacturers of engineered wood products, has recently brought to market a new kind of particleboard that meets the very latest in environmental standards. Known as NU Green, this innovation has become the pride of the 150 or so employees at the company's Val-d'Or facility, one of 20 plants the group operates across North America.

Recently launched, this new product is the result of rigorous planning by Uniboard's parent corporation and management of the Val-d'Or plant. Canada Economic Development played a guiding role throughout the implementation process of the NU Green production line and provided financial assistance to ensure its realization.

The introduction of a new thermofused melamine press in spring 2010 enabled the company to create nearly 20 new jobs and extend the production period at its Val-d'Or plant. The efforts invested over the last year have culminated in a strategic project that will help ensure the profitability and viability of Uniboard's continued operations in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

NU Green particleboard is made entirely of recycled post-industrial wood fibre, thereby saving trees and reducing landfill, and does not require the addition of urea formaldehyde for its manufacture. Moreover, by concentrating production of these ecological panels in a single plant, the company is able to save time and money while conserving energy.

NU Green in the kitchen

The new laminating line makes it possible to glue melamine paper of various finishes and colours to raw particleboard. The melamine products are then sold to retailers, distributors and finished-product manufacturers servicing the kitchen cabinetry, furniture, renovation and construction industry, resulting in value-added products and a clear competitive advantage for the industry. These new activities will enable the Val-d’Or plant to specialize in the processing of wood products and occupy a prime position within the Pfleiderer AG Group.

"The breaking-in period is going very well thanks to the expertise, training and dynamism of our employees. Our production line is extremely smooth and benefits from an innovative cooling system that ensures accurate fusion time. All of this together is why we are able to manufacture an exceptional-quality product," notes Donel Galipeau, head of wood resources at Uniboard.

Shift to tertiary processing

In recent years, wood processing industries have been forced to strive for new ways to do more with this natural resource. Uniboard's innovation is therefore all the more important in that it allows the company to make the crucial shift from secondary to tertiary wood processing. This will enable Uniboard not only to raise its productivity, but also to break into new markets, particularly on the global stage. Uniboard's strategic decision to branch out into the ecological particleboard market adds to the initiatives being carried out in Abitibi-Témiscamingue to diversify the region's economy so as to meet rising customer demands.

"Initially, we were producing panels in a few colours and with one finish only, whereas today, we are able to offer our NU Green boards in a full range of 81 colours and with five different finishes. We intend to make other investments in the future that will allow us to consolidate the foothold we have gained in this promising sector and to develop even more new products," Mr. Galipeau explains.

The closing word goes to Uniboard's Product Manager, Lise Plante: "In introducing our NU Green particleboard to the market, we are rising to the ecological challenge and giving manufacturers the opportunity to do the same. In short, we are acting today for a better tomorrow."