SURAT THANI, Thailand -- S.P.B. Panel Industries Co. Ltd. broke into the wood-based panels market in 2006 with the commissioning of a Dieffenbacher particleboard plant. Now, a new THDF/MDF plant will be installed on the same site in Surat Thani. Based on its experience with the first project, S.P.B. has selected Dieffenbacher once again.

A 28-meter-long CPS+ press will form the center of the plant. With a press speed of 1,800 mm per second and a capacity of 800 cubic meters per day, the plant will produce both extra-thin THDF panels, with thicknesses from 1.5 mm, and MDF panels with thicknesses of up to 32 mm. According to Bernd Bielfeldt, manager of the Wood Business Unit at Dieffenbacher, the contract confirms the success of the new generation of presses and is the ninth project to feature the new continuous CPS+ press.

Other special features of the project include the Z-sifter, which can take out the latex part of the rubber plant wood that is predominantly used in Thailand, and the PROjet gluing system, which saves up to 15 percent of the glue compared to conventional gluing systems. In addition, the Dieffensor, combined with the cross profiler in the forming station, ensures exact forming, thereby minimizing the use of raw materials. The S.P.B. plant contract also includes the drum chipper, dryer, raw board handling, pneumatic transports and the automation of the whole production system.

In awarding the contract to Dieffenbacher, S.P.B. expressed its satisfaction with the local service provided by Dieffenbacher Asia Pacific in Kuala Lumpur.

"Over the last 10 years with our particleboard plant, we have experienced the speed and reliability of Dieffenbacher support in southeast Asia. This was a key factor in our decision to invest in a Dieffenbacher plant once more," said S.P.B.'s managing director Sontaya Sirianuntaphat.

Assembly of the new THDF/MDF plant is scheduled to begin in south Thailand in the fall of 2017. The initial start-up is planned for mid-2018. See http://www.dieffenbacher.de/en for more information.