Summary
• Geoff Rhodes has been involved with MDF since 1976.
• The Medite MDF mill in Clonmel, Ireland opened in September 1983.
• Furniture was initially the main market for MDF.
• Last year European production totalled 15 million m³.

In 1976 when the first samples of Medite MDF were seen in Europe, few would have believed what an amazing and positive impact MDF would have on the wood-based panels industry.

At that time, MDF was unknown in Europe and in many ways was completely underestimated in terms of its future potential. My personal involvement with Medite started in 1976 when the first intriguing samples showing a machined edge profiled and deep routed section were sent from Medford, Oregon to interest an unaware European audience!

The initial manufacturing was at the original Medite MDF plant in the western US with a mill capacity of 140,000m³. Using a Washington Iron Works multi-daylight press, with Sunds refiners, Steinemann sanders and Jenkins sawing lines, a very consistent quality panel product was produced, which was to inspire many and subsequently change the nature of the wood-based panels industry in Europe.

In those days the US facility produced only two products. Standard MDF had a hard paintable surface and an excellent core configuration, with an overall density of 750kg/m³. For greater strength and to facilitate high quality deep routing, a higher density Medite was also available, produced with an overall density of 960kg/m³. Raw material used in the original Medford plant was a mix of western softwoods – Sitka spruce, various pine species of Oregon/Washington origin and a small percentage of Douglas fir.

Investment decision

Significant export volumes were shipped and sold via Seaboard International in Europe leading, in 1980, to the investment decision to produce a mirror image plant, modelled on the original Medford design, in Clonmel, Ireland.

It was believed that Europe had the same dramatic growth potential already being witnessed in the US and Canada (Medite’s first primary export market).

Some US$50m were invested into the project and by September 1983 the European mill was up and running. Supply from the US was gradually phased out once production in Clonmel started to gain momentum.

In the early 1980s a massive sales and marketing effort was needed to inform and influence decision makers that high quality MDF was a ‘new choice’ that would be available on a sustainable basis. Highly creative advertising, strategic media bookings, multiple direct mailshots and quality technical literature in various European languages were all produced as the market was driven rapidly.

What had started so strongly as a furniture industry-related substrate in 1983, by 1989 was being considered by the construction industry.

Joinery applications

With the introduction of moisture-resistant MDF, produced using melamine fortified enhanced resin systems, a new alternative to wide widths of clear solid timber became available as the joinery trade found that large mats of MDF could be cut to 225mm, 250mm, 275mm, 300mm and in strips in lengths up to 4.8m or 5.4m, presenting a clear piece of defect-free ‘timber’ that could be machined, moulded and painted to a very high quality consistently.

A mini industry evolved, initially providing window boards followed by a whole host of architectural mouldings primed and ready to go on site (approved by the NHBC) as a quality material. This was a big breakthrough.

In those pioneering days no European standard for MDF existed and it was through the endeavours of the likes of FIDOR and the EMB that EN622 eventually emerged as the guideline for the minimum acceptable standard.

Over the years, the construction industry became more and more important, particularly as more technical and performance-related MDF products evolved. Variants to the original theme developed and low formaldehyde options emerged along with exterior, flame retardant, formaldehyde additive-free and high density moisture-resistant flooring substrates for the laminate flooring industry. The flooring sector became an enormous consuming industry, with a number of MDF manufacturers setting up production lines purely to service its needs.

Production methods

Production methods changed in the late 1980s and early 1990s with continuous press technology becoming ever more popular, to the point where most multi daylight presses had ceased to be used by 2000.

Consumption of MDF in Europe grew continually from 1976 and the installed production (nameplate capacity) evolved, topping 15 million m³ by 2010 with consumption even in these somewhat more difficult trading times, reaching 11.4 million m³.

Market opportunities remain to be grasped. In my view innovation and new product development will bring more MDF products to market in the next few years. Enhanced technical features, different adhesive systems and thin panel construction systems will gain in popularity. Potentially MDF panels incorporating phase change materials (PCM) may also evolve. And there will be more.

I am confident that an intriguing variety of profitable business opportunities exist but the key to success will be consistent and committed marketing initiatives.

In the next 10 years I think far more investment in research and development will be necessary and I anticipate strong partnerships with academia and selective universities playing an ever increasing role as the industry looks at what we can really do with the fibre.

Products for the future

For a really blue-sky idea, imagine having an MDF panel that could incorporate PCMs and then beneficially affect and control the temperature in a room. Latent heat storage could be achieved through solid-solid, solid-liquid, solid-gas and liquid-gas phase change ensuring uniform room temperature without the carbon emissions and costs associated with conventional heating and cooling. All could be a part of internal wall structures or even furniture and interior MDF components.

And of course one more blue-sky item would be to deliver the ‘holy grail’ for the wood-based panels industry – a fully robust and exterior MDF panel that can withstand the elements and be performance guaranteed, whilst bringing all MDF’s design freedom and usage benefits that we have all become familiar with over the past 35 years. This may not be so far away!