DOST-FPRDI develops hot press for engineered bamboo Philippine | 27/04/2018

A hot press machine to make life a little easier for producers of engineered bamboo has been developed by the Department of Science and Technology – Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI).The hot press was designed to 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 equivalent solid woods. In the Philippines, about 10 companies make engineered bamboo products on a small scale.

Says DOST-FPRDI’s Engr. Edward Paul S. Marasigan, “With our newly developed machine, we were able to press bamboo boards in only 5-8 minutes, compared to the current cold pressing time of 6-8 hours. 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 Php 120,000, comparable to the price of the cold press available in the market.”

There is currently a big demand for engineered bamboo in the country, as it is required by Executive Order 879 that one-fourth of all desks and furniture in public schools be made of the material.