62 STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS Behind the scenes of Egger in Hexham C
overing over 64 acres, EGGER Hexham is the manufacturer’s primary site in the UK and sees up to 45 miles of chipboard produced
every day.
Step inside one of the UK’s leading wood-based panel manufacturers and discover how raw timber and recycled wood are transformed into high-quality chipboard products, for specifi cation across the interior design, building and decorative fl ooring markets. One of two UK sites, Hexham is at the heart of EGGER’s operations, making the manufacturer one of the largest employers in Northumberland. A dedicated team of over 650 employees work around the clock to ensure production runs smoothly, 24/7.
A COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY “Wood is much too valuable to simply throw it away”. These were the words of founder Fritz EGGER Sr. and is an ethos that remains at the heart of EGGER. The manufacturer operates a closed loop production cycle across all its sites, with at least 45% of the wood in EGGER UK chipboard made from recycled wood. Before production even begins, every piece of timber that enters the plant is carefully sourced. Roundwood comes from responsibly managed forests, overseen by EGGER’s forestry team and comes from 100% verifi ed legal and controlled sources according to ISO 38200. Furthermore, internationally acknowledged third-party Chain of Custody certifi cation programs guarantee EGGER’s adherence to environmental and social standards. Timberpak, a subsidiary of EGGER UK, ensures
a steady supply of recycled wood, collecting waste from the industry and repurposing it for chipboard production. While just under half a million tonnes of sawmill by-products, such as hackchips, sawdust and off cuts, are also used in production every year, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
THE LOG YARD Even standing at the Hexham entrance and it’s a hive of activity, with an average of 130 lorries arriving at the site every day, delivering raw timber and waste wood for recycling. Test samples are taken from all deliveries, to determine the quality of the material and its dry weight.
The log yard itself is a vast landscape of
roundwood, hackchips, sawdust and recycled wood. With a capacity to store around 50,000 dry tonnes, the log yard typically holds enough material to support production for around a month.
THE FIRST STAGE OF PRODUCTION First, the raw materials are loaded into the wet chip preparation area, where they will be cut down and processed into the right size for chipboard production. These wet chips travel along belts before entering core dryers to fully dry out the wood and remove moisture. It is this process that produces the clouds of clean steam visible for miles around, earning the Hexham plant its nickname among local school children: the Cloud Factory. Once dried, the wood chips are stored in silos. Sustainability remains at the forefront
natural gas.
throughout. Any wood residue and dust that cannot be used for production is used to fuel EGGER’s on-site bio-mass energy plant. Generating hot gases and energy, used to dry the wet chips and help power the plant, this saves 70,000 tonnes of CO2
being compressed under pressure and heat to form raw chipboard. The press line stretches an impressive 48.7 metres long and can produce around 45.6 miles of chipboard every day. That’s enough board to get from Hexham to Newcastle and back again. Once the boards come off the continuous
press line, they are carefully cooled before being sanded and inspected.
FINISHING TOUCHES Once the raw chipboard has been manufactured, it embarks on its fi nal journey depending on the intended use. For structural fl ooring, all P5, Peel Clean Xtra
and Protect boards must pass through the T&G line. Here, a diamond tipped tool creates precise tongue and groove profi les, enabling tight and consistent joints to be achieved. While EGGER’s decorative boards, for use
compared to using
FROM WOODCHIP TO CHIPBOARD Inside the ‘Conti Hall’, the real magic happens. Here, the dried wood chips are combined with glues and resins (also produced on site), before
in furniture and interior design, are sent to the impregnation line. Decorative papers are impregnated with resin to form sheets ready for lamination, before the boards are processed through fi ve short cycle lamination presses. Each line compresses the paper onto the raw chipboard, using a variety of textured press plates for a realistic aesthetic.
QUALITY LAB At EGGER, quality is paramount. Each production batch undergoes a series of rigorous tests in the on-site laboratory, where over 20,000 individual tests are carried out each year. From bending strength tests and internal bond tests to the abrasion test, every board must meet strict European, local and EGGER internal standards.
BIODIVERSITY While the Hexham site is a hive of manufacturing activity, you are never too far away from nature. Located within Northumberland, the site is also home to a host of green spaces, with wildfl owers and even bee hives that are home to 150,000 bees. With House Martins and Sand Martins, as well as annual visits from nesting Oyster Catchers, EGGER has also installed nest boxes to provide safe habitats away from the busy plant.
01434 602191
www.egger.com
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