Around 25% of the 400 million pallets manufactured in Europe each year employ composite blocks, rather than solid lumber. Mid-Cork Pallet is one of the manufacturers and, along with Palfab Ltd, is a partner in Eirebloc, the only company in Europe to make composite blocks from recycled timber via extrusion pressing.

The concept and the company were several years in development and hinged on collaboration with Italian gluing system and chipboard line specialist IMAL. The latter had just developed the technology for making composite block and had acquired PAL, a company that made machinery for breaking down and cleaning recycled timber – the material of choice for Eirebloc.

Eirebloc took the prototype technology to its 5,000m² purpose-built factory adjacent to the Palfab sawmill in Lissarda, Co Cork and commissioned the plant in April 2008.

Early days

It was, said general manager Pat Donohoe, a pretty torrid time for the fledgling company. “The first few years were hell,” he said. “Effectively it was a research and development plant for the first year and we used up a lot of our resources. Then the economic downturn hit and the European market for composite blocks dived from 850,000m³ to about 590,000m³ per year.”

However, the company battled through, setting up European agents and establishing export markets. Production and sales have been rising steadily as plant efficiency has improved – now at 92% – and Eirebloc is now operating around the clock, seven days a week, producing 60,000m³, or 55 million blocks a year, from four extrusion press lines.

Two more lines will be added, probably in the first half of 2013 when an output of 100,000m³ will be targeted.

Around 10-15% of the raw material is virgin fibre – sawdust from sawmills – as this helps the plant run more smoothly and reduces the final product’s water absorption. The bulk, however, is a mixture of recycled packaging, demolition and municipal waste timber. It’s pretty filthy stuff so cleaning is vital – in fact, said Mr Donohoe, around 20% of the initial investment in plant was in the cleaning and preparation equipment.

Ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics, sand, stone and grit are removed from the material, which is then milled down to a maximum particle size of 8mm. It is then dried in a biomass-fired rotary drum dryer from 30-35% moisture content to under 5%.

The material is then mixed with resin and fed into the extrusion presses. Steam is injected to cure the resin.

“IMAL’s press uses compression in two directions, which improves the particle structure,” said Mr Donohoe. “It also has automatic density control and as far as we know we’re the only manufacturer that has that. The quality control system measures the height and density of each individual block and the reject system is on the line. When we started the reject rate was about 10% and now it’s 0.7%.”

The presses produce four section sizes, each of which is then sawn to the required size – the range of different block specifications is currently about 15 – before being automatically stacked and wrapped.

Price premium

Composite blocks attract a premium of €12-15/m³ but the benefits outweigh the extra outlay, said Mr Donohoe. “Solid blocks have to be cut to size so there’s wastage, and the necessary equipment and labour. There is also an increased cycle time with kiln drying and heat treatment for solid blocks.

“One of the biggest benefits of composite block is that the very process by which it is made means that it is compliant with ISPM15 heat treatment standards,” he said, adding that other advantages were dimensional accuracy and consistent nail retention. Eireblocs are approved by EPAL.

Around 85% of Eirebloc’s output is exported to Europe, with the UK accounting for 30% of total sales.

“The German market is the most mature, with composite blocks accounting for about 40%; in the UK they account for less than 10%, so that’s where we really see the opportunity.”