Finnforest’s new birch plywood upgrading mill in Suolahti is to produce ultra large panels with thermoplastic overlay for the transportation and concrete formwork industries.
The company claims the 6×2.2m maximum size panels will be the largest panels of their kind available on the market.
The company will promote the panels for use as walls in lorries, trailers and horse boxes, as well as walls and floors in vans, both for exteriors and interiors.
Finnforest Flex is the brand for decorative wall panels and Tuff for slip-resistant floor panels, while Finnforest Deck and Form panels are the branding for the extra-large sizes. Scarf-jointed panels up to 13.5×2.7m can also be produced.
Thermoplastic surfaces will be finished with different gloss levels and decorative figures.
Some €15m has been invested in the upgrading mill at Suolahti, including a new production hall, scarf-jointing line, hotpress, flat laminating line and cutting lines.
The mill will go into operation during the second quarter.
“Our goal is to become a leading plywood supplier for demanding industrial end uses,” said Seppo Virtanen, Finnforest product manager.
