Hardboard

Manufacturers
The producer companies in the hardboard segment have a nominal installed production capacity of 600,000 cubic metres per year.

Definition
Hardboard panels are produced from wood fibres, compressed together through a combined process of high temperature and pressure. Synthetic resin is not applied, but the board is hot pressed in a damp process that activates the wood's natural resin, the lignin. The result is a smooth, high density board that can be laminated or finished in various ways.

Base raw material
Only planted eucalypt wood is used in this product. The eucalypt crop is grown along with other wood species because it results in improved agro-industrial productivity.

Characteristics
Suitable for manufacturing a range of products and for different applications, hardboard panels have a smooth face and can be cut in any direction and be processed in various ways: printed, curved, moulded, routed, cut, and painted. That is because the panels are produced with eucalypt fibres, glued together with the wood's own natural resin. In addition, hardboard is thermoplastic and has a high density, which guarantees an optimum physical-mechanical and hygroscopic performance in thinner boards.

Finishing options
The three options are: natural, painted and surfaced with low pressure laminate.

1. Natural (without covering)
The board, delivered with its natural colour, can be improved further through various processes.

2. Painted (brilliant or semi-matt finish)
The supplier can deliver the product ready painted in solid colour, woodgrain or fancy designs. It can receive an ultra bright or semi-matt finish.

3. Lower pressure laminate
A paper-based sheet impregnated with melamine resin is applied to the board's surface, using high temperature and pressure. Generally, this finish comes in plain colours, woodgrain patterns or fancy designs.

Uses and applications
Hardboard is one of the more versatile wood-based panels. It is recommended for use in home and office furniture, bases for wardrobes and chests of drawers, for palletising products in different sectors, for bus interior fitments, for building and automotive partition panels, in packaging, for toys, sound and visual insulation, in fruit and vegetable cultivation and in construction.

Suitable for manufacturing a number of different products used in an unimaginable range of application, hardboard reflects the contemporary history of the furniture and joinery sectors, automotive industry, packaging and industry in general.