From joinery and decking, to cladding, and even cutlery, modified wood is now well established in markets around the world and manufacturers are geared for continuing growth.
Kebony is making an €8m investment to expand production capacity in Norway and investigate a new facility, probably in Europe; a new Accoya plant in Germany is due to open next year; and Fibre 7 is officially launching Lignia in the UK in September and will appoint a European manufacturer before the end of the year. "There’s not been a eureka moment with one application, it’s been general market acceptance of the material," said Paul Clegg, chief executive of Accoya manufacturer Accsys Technologies.
And that market acceptance is down to modified timber’s sustainability and performance characteristics.
"Architects have really embraced the product on the grounds of performance and environmental credentials; those are the key drivers for specifying modified wood," said Adrian Pye, Kebony’s international sales director. "We’ve captured a good section of the market looking for a high-performance material and distributors are stocking it as a mainstream product."
Mr Clegg agrees that modified wood is benefiting from – and contributing to – a perception of wood as a precision material. "Architects are prepared to specify not only modified woods, but also engineered timbers for multi-storey buildings and that’s because the products have been tested and proven to deliver what they say," he said. "One of the problems with wood was that it couldn’t be used as a precision material so architects didn’t want to use it, but now they can." Manufacturers agree that the EU Timber Regulation has increased demand for modified wood but the response is hard to quantify.
"We thought it was going to have a fairly quick impact but it’s only now starting to take effect," said Mr Pye.
Mr Clegg also believes that the EUTR has made an impact on how the market looks at hardwoods and sustainability, and that has helped demand for modified wood, but in the UK the stronger economy and improved housing starts have also played their part.
"Also, Accsys has eight-plus years of positive industrial experience which is contributing to the speed of market growth now and builds on the long-term field test data for the product from data of up to 20 years in durability, termite testing, and stability trials. These findings from around the world now underpin a large number of independent certifications and ancillary product extended warranties, such as coatings," said Mr Clegg.
Kebony is forecasting growth of more than 40% a year from this year, and in the UK there’s been good, steady growth of about 20% year on year. All this means its Norway manufacturing plant is running at full capacity so the €8m will help to provide more "leg room" while the company works on a second facility in Europe. This will be followed by phase two – further international expansion which will include the US, Asia and the Middle East, said Mr Pye.
Accsys Technologies is also expanding production of Accoya. Capacity at its plant in Arnhem has risen to 41,000m3 and so the new facility in Freiburg, Germany, due to open in the second quarter of 2016, is "sorely needed", said Mr Clegg. The new plant, built and operated by Solvay under a licensing agreement, will be twice the size of Arnhem and have a minimum capacity of 63,000m3. Accoya, too, has found worldwide appeal and is sold in 45 countries through 55 distributors. "It’s being used in theme parks in Asia, fast food outlets in New Zealand, and decking in North America. It’s a broad mix," said Mr Clegg.
It is used in windows, doors, decking and cladding and Mr Clegg believes there is potential for other applications.
"Civil engineering, with structural applications such as noise barriers and earth bunds, is developing and I think it will be a very interesting market for modified and high-precision woods, allowing people to use natural materials, where in the past they might not have been able to," he said.
Now that Accoya and its MDF counterpart, Tricoya, are established they’re being used in combination with other materials, such as aluminium in windows. Tricoya’s stability also enables the market to be "adventurous" with more exotic finishes.
"People are now exploring existing product categories and seeing how far they can go," said Mr Clegg.
Fibre 7 will launch Lignia, and the exterior version, Lignia XD, in the UK in September and is appointing three distributors.
Sales director Hans Ng is confident that the product – densified radiata pine from New Zealand – will be taken up by the UK market for joinery, cladding and decking. A big selling point, he said, is Lignia XD’s fire rating. Tested by TRADA in the UK, and Intertek in the US, Lignia XD achieved Euro Class B and Class A respectively for flame spread and smoke criteria.
"Lignia XD is an untreated naked board and will make it very cost-effective for cladding and decking," said Mr Ng. "The fire rating is a massive uplift for the commercial market. Another advantage of Lignia is that it’s pH neutral so users can use any fixings, not only stainless steel, and it also has excellent finishing."
Lignia is available in five standard colours, including an on-trend charcoal grey, but can be produced in any colour for a minimum order of 70m3.
"A company in Holland wanted bright orange for door lippings in a hospital," said Mr Ng.
Lignia machines like a natural wood and, because the colour is consistent throughout, it could be used in the decorative veneer market.
"Designers can use it for door veneers matched with solid lippings, as well as decorative panels, and mouldings. It’s a huge market," said Mr Ng.
Thermally modified timber, known generically as thermowood, has also found solid markets in cladding and joinery and demand is rising.
Last year the International Thermowood Association’s members, which include companies in Finland, Turkey, Sweden and Japan, produced 147,662m3, up from 132,008m3 in 2013.
The association’s Jukka Ala-Viikari believes the market will continue to grow as specifiers and consumers are attracted by thermowood’s dimensional stability, reduced thermal conductivity, improved durability, and its appearance.
Lunawood, Finland’s largest thermowood producer, has a capacity of 62,000m3 and exports 90% of production, mainly to Europe. In the UK it is sold by MBM Specialty Forest Products and Howarth Timber.
Export and marketing manager Ulla Viitasalo said that although the product wasn’t well-known among consumers, its eco and performance credentials appealed to architects.
"There are no chemical additives, and it’s durable and stable for exterior use," she said. The colour was also an attraction, she added.
Recent additions to the Lunawood range include solar shades, for which the company is seeking industrial manufacturers, and LunaLam, thermally-modified glulam available in widths of 160mm, 185mm and 210mm.
