Improving machinability by eliminating chipout of particleboard

Around 2007 laminated particleboard produced at the Gympie factory of Carter Holt Harvey, now Laminex was unsalable. The board when machined with high productivity CNC equipment produced unnacceptable levels of chipout, resulting in the board being unsalable. The factory had very old flake driers and was threatened with closure. The cause was believed to be "cubic flake". Experts from Europe and Australia became involved but the problem still existed. After doing detailed tests at ANU using light and electron microscopy, I identified the cause of chipout during machining of the laminated particleboard surface. It is due to poor resin distribution in particleboard blenders including new generation PAL type blenders. The solution involved the development of a multi-phase wetting system that improves spreading and penetration of simple and complex water based fluids on previously difficult to wet surfaces such as particleboard flake. The product Rezex A, a multi-phase wetting system which is patented worldwide is manufactured by Oxford Technologies. The application of Rezex A requires no major capital investment. The following files detail the process of identifying the root cause and the ultimate solution. 

As a result of the research approval was given for a replacement drier and the factory is still in operation today.

The use of Rezex A also solved a similar problem at the D&R Henderson plant at Benalla Victoria.

WSU paper 2011 Part A 5th April 2011.pdf

WSU paper 2011 Part B 2nd April 2011.pdf

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