In Photo: The hot press machine developed by the Forest Products Research and Development Institute of the Department of Science and Technology.
A hot press machine has been developed to make life a little easier for producers of engineered bamboo. It helps cut the production time of engineered-bamboo products.
Engineered bamboo is produced by binding together fibers, particles, strips or slats of bamboo with the right adhesive.
Used worldwide to make attractive panels, floors, furniture and handicrafts, it is often stronger and less prone to warping than the equivalent solid woods.
In the Philippines about 10 companies make engineered bamboo products on a small scale.
“With our newly developed machine, we were able to press bamboo boards in only five minutes to eight minutes, compared to the current cold pressing time of six hours to eight hours,” Engr. Edward Paul S. Marasigan of Forest Products Research and Development Institute of the Department of Science and Technology which developed the machine.
“The machine can be operated using both electricity and charcoal as heat source, and makes boards with the same quality regardless of heat source and type of glue used. Fabrication cost is around P150,000, comparable to the price of the cold press available in the market,” Marasigan added.
There is currently a big demand for engineered bamboo in the country. It is boosted by Executive Order 879, which mandates that one-fourth of all desks and furniture in public schools be made of the material.
