Reconstituted

Particleboard

Particleboard is manufactured at the Wesfi Pty Ltd plant at Dardanup, near Bunbury. The process uses industrial logs thinned from radiata pine plantations and sawmill residues from the nearby Wespine sawmill. The logs are flaked to produce a range of different sizes, with resin added and the boards laid up ranging from large flakes in the core to fine material on the surface.

Particleboard is widely used in the furniture and joinery industries, and a high strength waterproof flooring grade is also produced. Shelving is produced by gluing melamine sheets onto the particleboard.

MDF

Medium density fibreboard (MDF) is manufactured at the Wesfi Pty Ltd plant in Kewdale. Maritime pine from the plantations north of Perth provide the raw material, with the process breaking the pine down to individual fibres that have resin added and are compressed in hot presses. MDF has taken over from particleboard as the major product for use in furniture, joinery and mouldings.

Hardboard

Hardboard is made from eucalypt fibre, with the raw material generally from forest thinnings or sawmill off-cuts. Chips are heated with steam and ground up, or heated under pressure. The fibres are suspended in water and fed onto an endless mesh belt where the water is removed by suction. The ribbon of board is cut to length and stacked in a multi-opening hot press. The product (e.g. Masonite) is not manufactured in Western Australia.

Low density fibreboard

Low density fibreboard may be referred to as softboard or insulating board. It is made from softwood fibres that are felted together without consolidation by heat or pressure. Products include Caneite sheets or acoustic tiles, which are used for ceiling or wall lining to give thermal and acoustic insulation.