The
drying kiln is a very
important machine
in the process of
manufacture of woodfibre
panels (or woodwool
boards). Usually this
aspect of manufacturing
is neglected.
At
what stage does a
drying kiln come in?
Once woodfibre panels
are demoulded, they
are stacked to air-dry
and achieve equilibrium.
Once the matrix is
set and the panel
is semi-rigid it needs
further drying prior
to next process of
cutting and trimming.
Enter the drying kiln!
What
does a drying kiln
do?
A drying kiln is usually
a very long tunnel
through which the
panels travel slowly
in a hot, dry atmosphere.
This helps to extract
the excess moisture
from the panel and
ensure the output
product is ready for
the next process.
How
does this benefit
the customer?
Panel dimensions change
on full drying as
there is shrinkage.
If there is no drying
kiln and a wet panel
is cut then the dry
panel will show lesser
dimension in a non-uniform
manner. This will
result in poor fit
and finish at project
sites. A drying kiln
eliminates all this.
So next time before
buying woodwool boards,
ask the manufacturer,
‘Do your boards
pass through a kiln?
Can you show me? Will
your boards not shrink?
