SPACEBOARD-II STRUCTURAL PANELS - FORMING APPARATUS AND METHODS

Never methods and a patented apparatus have been developed to fabricat e Spaceboard II, a new unique structural board of pulped wood fiber. L ike the earlier Spaceboard I, the board has flat, high-density faces a nd a core of rectangular cells defined by high-density cell walls form ed integrally with the faces. The board is assembled from two asymmetr ical panel halves joined cell to cell. The panels are formed (molded) at low bulk density and subsequently compacted to a unique shape and u niform high density. Spaceboard II is formed by the porous mandrel met hod, which allows fabrication of much thicker panels than was possible with the original Spaceboard I method. A variety of wet or dry (adhes ive-coated) fiber furnish may be used, with either air or water as the forming vehicle. The boards are being investigated for use in light f rame and commercial construction; for packaging, palletizing, partitio ns, and furniture; and for other uses. In the present study, a total o f 55 panels, 635 by 1,244 by 38 mm thick, were made by wet- and dry-fo rming methods in a Forest Products Laboratory patented apparatus.