Wood is replaced by annually-regenerating fibrous plants: BalanceBoard by Pfleiderer heralds a new generation of engineered wood-based products

• An organic alternative to wood, offering security of supply
• Up to 30 per cent lighter without drawbacks in handling or compromising strength

Neumarkt/Munich, January 17, 2011 – During the BAU 2011 exhibition Pfleiderer AG will be presenting their new material for the first time - Balance-Board. With up to 30 per cent made up of raw material which grows back quickly in place of wood, BalanceBoard is really setting the benchmark for sustainability, processability and security of supply. “A completely novel material,” acknowledges Michael Wolff, Chairman of the Board of the Pfleiderer Western Europe Business Center. “We have made a big step forward and have gained the lead in innovation.”

The raw materials found in BalanceBoard grow back in one season

“Four years of intensive development work have paid off,” states Dr. Hans-Kurt von Werder, Head of Pfleiderer Group Technology. He goes on to add that in collaboration with the University of Göttingen they have succeeded in creating the basis for a new generation of engineered wood-based products. “Pfleiderer has subsequently developed and implemented the associated manufacturing process for industrial installations.”

BalanceBoard consists of approximately 30 per cent annual plant matter which will grow back completely over one season. It is available in large quantities close to the production plant. This allows Pfleiderer to become less dependent on the wood market which is increasingly undergoing price rises. “Supplies of our organic alternative to wood will be available for generations to come, fulfilling all the requirements for running a sustainable and responsible operation,” says Wolff.

Granular biomass acts as a store for CO2

A key objective during development was to ensure that BalanceBoard, which weighs up to 30 per cent less, fulfils the technical demands of comparable standard chipboard, according to Dr. von Werder. “Installers will not need new equipment, special fixings or new techniques in order to work with BalanceBoard. They can use their standard equipment and joint components as usual.”

“This not only conserves our customers’ resources but also our forests and our climate. Because – as with wood – our plant granulate acts as a store for CO2,” Wolff explains. “Ultimately, as long as the board is in use, with BalanceBoard we are capturing the carbon that collects in one season in fast-growing raw materials which would otherwise be released during the natural decaying process.”