A record breaking year for the production and consumption of particleboard and MDF is anticipated by the European Panel Federation (EPF).
Use of particleboard grew 1.5% during 2000, while European MDF sales surged by 18%, according to the EPF.
This hike and considerable growth in exports was matched by substantial production increa-ses by European manufacturers – particleboard by 4.3% to a record 29.2 million m³ and MDF by 27% to 9 million m³. A further 11% growth is expected in MDF during 2001, buoyed by its increasing acceptance and the strong growth in laminate flooring; some manufacturers are even predicting a slight shortage of supply.
OSB production also saw a rise during 2000, growing 19% to 1.22 million m².
The EPF’s upbeat forecast is backed by a recent report from Jaakko Pöyry Consulting claiming that worldwide demand for decorative panel surfaces now exceeds 10 billion m² per year, due to 6% annual increases over the past decade.
The coming nine years will see annual rises in demand for the various surface materials – veneer, low pressure melamine (LPM), laminate, paper foils, low basis weight paper (LBWP), thermoplastic foils and paint – of 4%.
