Modified timber specialist Accsys Technologies says that Medite Tricoya MDF, based on acetylated woodfibre, will be on sale within months, two years earlier than expected.
The company bills the new product as “the first major innovation in the wood composites industry in more than 30 years” and says it is more “dimensionally stable and biologically durable” than conventional MDF.
Accsys signed the joint development agreement for Medite Tricoya with Medite producer Coillte Panel Products in 2009. It was anticipated that it would come to market in 2013, but Mr Clegg said that development work was completed ahead of schedule, and market research, including at Ecobuild, demonstrated that customers wanted the product now.
As part of the research process, Accoya was tested by the BRE which confirmed that it had an expected service life of 60 years in external use.
With the announcement of the imminent launch, Accsys has signed a new agreement to supply Coillte Panel Products’ Clonmel, Ireland mill with 7,500m³ of acetylated fibre from its factory in Arnhem in the Netherlands over the next 17 months. The resulting Medite Tricoya will be sold by Medite in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.
“This agreement represents a significant strengthening of the relationship between our two companies and is an important milestone in the on-going development of Tricoya,” said Mr Clegg.
“Medite Europe prides itself on being a leading innovator and pioneer in the panel products industry,” said Gerry Britchfield, managing director of Coillte Panel Products. “Accsys Technologies plc is an ideal partner with whom we are working closely. Medite Tricoya will combine the traditional superb machinability and smoothness properties which are expected of Medite MDF with sharply enhanced performance characteristics delivered by the Tricoya process. This new product will be the world’s most durable MDF product.”
Accsys this week also announced a 12% first quarter increase in revenue from Accoya, its acetylated softwood, compared to last year. It is also in talks on further international licensing agreements for the product and will start expanding its Arnhem manufacturing facility shortly.
