Wood-based materials

From time immemorial, people have sought to assemble wooden components to make furniture or musical instruments, for example, but the industrial development of wood-based materials dates back to the end of the 19th century with the appearance of plywood. The initial aim in developing this product was to obtain large, thin elements with more homogeneous properties than wood.

This need still exists, but other demands have emerged, leading to the appearance of new materials throughout the 20th century: low cost (particleboard), machinability (MDF), improved technical characteristics compared to wood (glulam, LVL, CLT...), surface resistance (laminates), aesthetic properties (decorative papers).

Wood-based materials have taken on considerable importance in all areas of the timber industry. They are indispensable in the construction industry, where they can be used to create structures that solid wood cannot (long spans, curved shapes, lightness, etc.). Today, cross-laminated timber (CLT) can be used to build skyscrapers.

The use of glued elements contributes to improving the properties of industrial wood joinery (dimensional stability) and reducing costs. Panels form the basis of a furniture industry that has become considerably more democratic. Upstream, the particleboard industry offers an economically indispensable outlet for sawmill by-products.

Finally, all wood-based reconstituted materials contribute to a more rational use of forest resources by providing outlets for small and/or low-quality wood.