The combination of wood fibers and resins, together with high temperatures and high pressure applications, presents serious challenges for the conveyor belts used by panel board manufacturers.
The work environments in this industry require belts that are durable, reliable and easy to clean and service. That’s why leading Original Equipment Manufacturers and End Users choose our belting solutions for reliable and safe processing performance.
We are able to supply high performance solutions for:
- Medium-Density Fiberboard (MDF)
- High Density Fiberboard (HDF)
- Particle Board (PB)
- Oriented Strand Board (OSB)
- Plywood
Our solutions are innovative for all production processes. For further details see the image below and choose your requested application!
“A trusted and successful partner to the Wood Industry with solutions for the most demanding applications. Our high-quality durable belts can handle the pressure and the heat.”
Patrick Leitner
Global Industry Segment Manager Tobacco, Wood & Building Materials
Panel Board Production
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This infographic is used as a general indicative example only.
Actual factory and process configurations could vary, but our industry experts know them all.
Rotary dryers are the most commonly used dryer type in the particle board industry. The moisture content of the particles entering the dryers may be as high as 50% for wet particles. Drying reduces the moisture content to 2%-8%.
After the mega dryers, wood particles are first stored in the dry chip silo and then weighed. Belts for these applications should be ATEX-certified and have anti-static and flame-retardant properties.
Main challenges
- Dry chip silo: particles stick to belt
- Weighing belt: very little space to splice the belt endless
Solutions
- Our Flexam EM and EX belts are anti-static
- Our Silam EZP can be installed without disassembling the machine
Particles from the weighing belt are distributed into mat-forming machines, where they are prepared before they are layered onto the forming belt.
Main challenges
- Sticking issues
Solutions
- Flexam and Ropanyl belts have excellent release properties
The forming line belt, is the core belt in the particle board process, running straight through to where the board is transferred into the press. MDF, PB wood fibers and OSB strands all go through the forming line.
Main challenges
- The mat is very fragile before pressing and breaks easily
- Very heavy load – sometimes over two tons on the belt
- Dimensional stability is essential: belt must lay perfectly flat
- Material accumulation due to electrostatic charge build-up
- Glue adheres to the belt covers
Solutions
- Our belts deliver gentle handling and are suitable for small diameter transfers
- Our 2-ply (or DM fabric) is strong yet still flexible
- More wefts or greater monofilament thickness make our belts dimensionally stable
- High-quality carbon yarns ensure discharge of any static build-up
- Ropanyl EM m1 belt resists glue build-up
The fragile fiber mat must first pass through a pre-press system where it is compressed between the forming belt and the de-airing belt. The de-airing belt helps press air out of the mat.
Main challenges
- Friction and static cause particles to stick to the belt
- Air is pushed back into the fiber mat
- Belt splices fail
Solutions
- Our de-airing belts are made to let air pass through easily, preventing the particles from getting stuck in the belt fabric
- Pre-press belts can be perforated, allowing air to escape
- Our splice technology ensures a strong and lasting splice
After the pre-press station, the fiber mat is transported to the press stations, cut into panels and fed into the multi-opening press. A gigantic cylinder presses the boards into their final shape and density.
Main challenges
- Splices fail due to glue pollution
Solutions
- Our ZipLink® fabric uses monofilament so glue cannot penetrate the splice
Steam Injection is a special infeed system that uses a top and bottom belt to inject steam into the fiber mat, speeding up the production process by 10-30%.
Main challenges
- Product sticks to belt
Solutions
- Our Fabric EZP belt without silicone coating overcomes sticking
After the boards have been pressed, they are transported to a huge cooling wheel, also known as the star winder, to be cooled down (the air cools them) and turned over.
Main challenges
- High temperatures reduce belt lifetime
Solutions
- ZipLink® carboxylated Nitrile belts are made for heat & wear resistance
The finished boards are now ready to be stored, and need to be moved to their storage location.
Main challenges
- Aggressive release agents and heavy operational demands reduce belt lifetime
Solutions
- We have belts with excellent chemical and wear resistance