As TTJ’s reports on wood-plastic composite decking (WPC) make clear, WPC is now “PC” in the wood products business, with a majority of merchants and distributors now offering at least one WPC product range.

The Timber Decking & Cladding Association now accepts members from the WPC sector – the reasoning is simple, most of the content of a WPC deck board is wood, albeit sawdust from timber processing waste. And the boards are often supported with timber structural support bearers, usually needing more timber because of WPC’s increased weight.

It’s the fastest-growing element in the decking world, so TTJ thought it time to visit one of the leading European producers.

NOVO-TECH Trading GmbH, based in Aschersleben, Germany was the location – the home of the Megawood and EasyDeck brands.

The company started in 2005. Its production now totals 30,000 tonnes annually, with about 150 staff, while annual turnover is £40m with annual growth of 5-10%. It is the biggest manufacturer in the German-speaking countries.

More than 9 million m2 deck boards, plus WPC construction timber and fencing elements, have been produced since 2005.

Its product range is one of the widest in the sector and is made in 15 colours, with some 400 applications, centred on solid profiles.

One of the best places to view the product is the nearby so-called “Megawood hotel” – the Lindenhof – which doubles up as a training centre for installers and tradesmen.

It is full of applications of Megawood – decking (Signum range, which appears similar to a hardwood board with a variation in its colouring), cladding, fencing, raised garden beds, planters and furniture. Even the reception desk is polished WPC.

All the company’s samples can be viewed at the hotel in special sample drawers.

Just up the road is a school which has a variety of play equipment made of the material.

Deck boards are made in 21mm and 25mm thicknesses and widths up to 293mm, while lengths are 3m-6m.

The wide variety of products and surface textures is one of the strengths of the company.

The Dynum range has a windswept dunes surface texture and the Premium / Plus range has a lively surface from a patented planing process which enjoys a good interaction with light.

Each board in the Signum range has a different grain structure to mirror natural wood, while the Classic has reeded and grooved faces, with the Classic Varia enjoying a partially grooved surface on one side with colour gradient.

The company sees big potential for its new cladding product, launched in 2019, which is 2.40m long and 8-24cm wide, with horizontal, vertical or diagonal profiles available. A cladding clip system allows movement in the product, with metal distance sticks to ensure a 4mm gap between boards.

Green is a colour NOVO-TECH CEO Holger Sasse predicts will do well with cladding, declaring it “the new grey” – it has been installed on the exterior of the company’s offices.

NOVO-TECH is seeking to work with interested partners in the UK to develop the product.

Meanwhile, the LIMES fence system features Augusta wavy or Colonia smooth boards and round and square posts, with prefabricated 1.90m x 1.85m panels also available.

Manufacturing

Mr Sasse puts a high emphasis on the product composition and production process, pointing out that making WPCs needs to be carefully managed for boards to perform well.

“We have a 75% wood content, so we have a more natural feeling product and use a minimum amount of plastic,” he said.

The company marketing makes a play on the visual appearance, feel and smell of wood remaining intact, with no surface plastic layer. “Barefootboards” is a word used to emphasise this in brochures, also claiming the product to being free from risk of splinters.

The company says the higher wood content also makes for a harder surface.

Wood shavings originate from sawmills then go to a specialised company where they are made into fibres. Softeners and PVC are not used, with the 25% plastic content being virgin polymer.

One of the key elements in WPC production is the extrusion process, with some 16 extrusion lines operating at Megawood. A key focus at the factory is melting the plastic and wood at the same temperature and managing the wood’s moisture content. It is designed with a 0% water content, which comes back to about 2% after two years of outside use.

“We have spent a long time to understand this material,” said Mr Sasse.

“This is the heart of Megawood,” said Mr Sasse. “We can produce 24 hours a day, with a capacity of 100 tonnes a day.”

Scanners after the extruding line are designed to verify correct product composition and identify any problems.

Mr Sasse said a failure to carefully control moisture content and the extrusion process when producing WPCs could result in excessive product movement and even failure during fluctuations of weather after installation.

After extrusion there is a planing line and brushing to gain surface effects.

R&D is a big area and at NOVO-TECH there are labs for strength testing and accelerated weather testing. Strength testing on a 21mm Megawood board has revealed a performance at nearly three times European test requirements, while there is documented experience of 13 years’ weather testing in situ and 100 years of accelerated weather testing.

Unusually, the company makes its own installation system in-house, fabricating all metalwork.

“Previously it had a plastic clamp and clip system but three years ago we started to make steel clips because people said to us they wanted the installation to last over 25 years,” said Mr Sasse. “The fact we made the installation system ourselves is a big advantage.”

Amazingly, the company also has its own 3D printer which it built itself to develop products for the future.

The company has 8,000m3 in stock in the warehouse, with April-June being its busiest months when 150-200 picking orders are fulfilled every day.

Turtle branding

As we speak, the company is preparing to hold its annual handball sports and community event in July called Megawoodstock, with its brand ambassador and German handball national team manager Oliver Roggisch in attendance.

Here, and just about everywhere, the Megawood turtle logo will be in evidence.

Its perhaps the most prominent branding on the WPC decking market.

The first time NOVO-TECH exhibited its product in 2006 in Hanover it had several marketing images and logos utilising animals, including a turtle, penguin and rhino. The latter two were eventually discarded in favour of the Mega turtle, seen as the best image for the company as it symbolises longevity and a very strong hard shell.

The Megawood and EasyDeck brands are on sale at a number of UK timber companies, with NFP Europe Ltd being the UK sales and technical support office for NOVO-TECH.

We could be seeing a lot more of the Mega turtle in the future!