Chipboard useful for mass produced wood products

Chipboard is a very common wood product. It is made from basically what one might think, given its name: chips of wood. A chipboard manufacturer takes wood particles and mixes them with some sort of glue or other adhesive. Intense heat and pressure is added to force the particles together. The adhesive, along with the pressure, holds the board into its rigid form. Most often, the new board is smooth on one side. This product is very common in furniture now, especially things like entertainment centers and book shelves bought at department stores and assembled at home. Additionally, this material can be made into chipboard boxes, which are used as shipping crates. There are three main thicknesses of chipboard: normal, medium and high.

Three main grades produced by a chipboard manufacturer

The normal grade is the least dense. This means fewer wood particles are used. It is relatively soft, and it absorbs water readily. This can be problematic, as when it becomes wet, it begins to breakdown. When covered with a veneer or laminated, it can be used for furniture or a kitchen table top. Medium is the next grade. It is more dense and ideal for indoor use. It can be used for inside walls, as well as for chipboard boxes used to ship things. It too, however, absorbs water and can be subject to breakdown. Heavy density can be used as carcasses in kitchens. It can even sometimes be used outside. It is so dense that it does not soak up water as readily as normal or medium. However, even heavy density is not always suitable for outdoor use. It is important to make sure that it is approved for the outdoors.

MDF board

This type of board is very similar to the particle board mentioned above. MDF board stands for Medium-density Fiber board. While wood particles are still used, other particles are as well. This makes it more flexible. MDF board is especially useful when making curved or contoured furniture. It can be shaped into undulating styles when the grade used is pliable.

When there are left over wood particles, chances are that a manufacturer can recycle them as MDF board or as chipboard.