Tafisa Canada completes $23M upgrade of Line 1 press

Tafisa Canada recently completed a $23-million upgrade of its Line 1 continuous particleboard press.

The Lac-Mégantic, Quebec–based manufacturer refurbished its original press, which is used to produce particleboard panels for the company’s thermally fused laminate (TFL) line of decorative panels.

“This latest investment brings our Line 1 particleboard press to the most advanced, state-of-the-art industry standards, delivering a wide range of benefits to our customers,” says Louis Brassard, Tafisa CEO, in a statement.

The project was completed over nine weeks in collaboration with Siempelkamp, a provider of press lines for the wood-based panel industry.

The installation began in February and was nearing completion when government authorities declared a public health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project was able to proceed at a reduced rate alongside extra sanitary measures to ensure a safe environment for workers and employees.

Photo: Tafisa Canada

Line 1 was one of the first original continuous presses to be installed in North America 28 years ago. The new continuous press will enable Tafisa to prepare for a potential capacity increase to Line 1.

This investment will provide for more consistent physical properties, better surface characteristics and more precise control over panel thickness, Brassard says.

The project consisted of removing every component of the press, leaving only the structure of the original frame. The team replaced the heating platens as well as hydraulic, electronic and mechanical components.

This latest investment by Tafisa comes on the heels of the installation of new rotary screens and a gas extraction system on the same particleboard Line 1.