How is chipboard made?

Manufacture of a chipboard panel

The Chipboard panels that Demeyere buy come primarily from French forestsrecognising the forestry certification programmes (or

labelled PEFC, environmental protection measure aimed to ensure sustainable management of forests).

Pulpwood (unsuitable for traditional joinery) is used to make paper, cardboard, pellets (wood pellets used for heating) or to make particle board.

The first stage is to PULP the logs.

Then, the particles obtained are sieved to separate the thin, medium and thick fragments.

Then, these different pieces go into the DRYER.

The next phase is the GLUING phase. The fragments are impregnated with glue to stick them together.

Then, successive layers of particles are spread onto a belt. A "cake" is thus obtained (this is the thickness of the panel) as it is known in the manufacturing jargon.

We then move to the PRESSING phase. Rollers and hydraulic jacks gradually compress the "cake" to compact the mixture (to begin with, a 15mm panel measures around 10cm in thickness!).

SAWS are then used to cut the length of the panel.

Finally, a new DRYING phase is needed so that the panels are ready to go through the final stages of SANDING and SAWING, to be ready for use.