1973 Plant-Site Observations of Asian Plywood Glue Extenders

Fifteen samples of glue extender flours collected from Asian plywood plants in the Philippines, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan during the HPMA Orient Study Tour in October 1973 were analyzed. The plywood plants visited were large, operating at high production rates with modern, efficient equipment; one of the largest plywood plants in the world, in Korea, produces 160,000 4 by 8 panels daily, using 5,500 employees. Japan produces manufactured plywood for a domestic market, while about 70 percent of the production in the other countries was for export. Logs, mostly luaun or similar species, originate in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and are extremely large by U.S. standards. The plywood industry, less than 25 years old, has developed very rapidly. All personel visited were eager to exchange information and learn of new developments. Generally, extender quality in Asia was found to be inferior to that in the United States; reasons such as government purchasing policies and subsidies on cereal products for certain uses are factors in extender selection. Also, effluent limitations are not as prevalent in Asia. Glue technology is generally a little more advanced in the United States, where the saving of labor and supervision time is economically more important. In the Philippines (Mindanao) extender quality was better than most plants elsewhere in Asia, with a low-ash, soft wheat extender being used. Extenders in Japan were of lowest quality; extender selection is probably largely influenced by government policy, and panel production is mostly for domestic use, with low grade clears in general use. In Taiwan and Korea, extender selection correlated with panel quality, with quality ranging from high quality soft wheat flours to finely ground feed. As quality control programs improve there will be a rapid upgrading of general extender quality. The use of higher quality special extenders will increase as oriental technicians recognize the contribution of proper special extenders to resin conservation and the necessity for “no discharge” pollution control.

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