Forest Dweller: MTC Familiarization Programme For Lecturers

On the same day, after visited Robin Resources at Mentakab, Pahang, we are now heading for another composite-based factory which is located in vicinity. This plywood manufacturing plant name is Mentakab Veneer and Plywood (MVP) Sdn. Bhd. The truth is plywood mills are steadily declined in Malaysia and only the big and strong major players are still on the run. Many intermediate and small scale veneer and plywood manufacturers have been shut down due to dramatically increased in operational and raw material costs.

MVP is one of the survival in global plywood market thanks to their brilliant management team that managed to diversified their products. To stand a great test of the turmoil global economic environment at present day, manufacturers should be proactive and creative to comply with the ever-changing demand and desire from the customers. So do we. Otherwise, your company will face a grave danger of global wipe out.

Anyway, our group arrived at MVP around 3.00 p.m. after having a very heavy lunch courtesy of Robin Resources. There, we were welcomed by Mr. Sukumaran, a MVP's HR personnel. In his short brief, Mr. Sukumaran told us about current global market of plywood and grievously Malaysian facing a great challenge from our neighbor counterpart, Indonesia. For a very long time, we have to accept that the cheap labor costs that Indonesia able to afford has left us behind in this very challenging plywood market.

We moved to one of the mill hangars after Mr. Sukumaran ended his briefing. The first area of tour is plywood finished product section. Here, you can see a lot of 4 x 8 feet plywood have been mountainous topped and stacked that are ready for shipping.

Next, we were guided by Mr. Sukumaran to the sanding section. Basically, in this section we can clearly witness the plywood passing through the wide belt sander (the name of the machine) and pushed outward to the belt conveyor. Sanding section is a section that make plywood surfaces getting smooth after contacted with continuous abrasive paper surface's belt. Typically, this mill used to apply 320 grid sand paper to produce a smooth surfaces of the plywood.

Not every single of our apparel need patches, plywood also do the same only its requires patch tape instead of needle and thread. The patches only applied on the edge of split veneers. Thus, the veneer will be intact before sending to the glue spreading section.

All the veneers need to be dried to the certain level of moisture content, typically about 5 - 8% in order to optimize the contact surfaces for bonding. This drying stage requires a series of roller dryer in a huge structure similar to that available at Robin Resources.

Outside of the main block hangars tell a different stories. The only area that located outside the roofed block is wood yard. At this place, you can clearly see a bunch of logs with a variety of sizes, colors, species etc being stored at huge open area. According to Mr. Sukumaran, MVP practiced a FIFO (first in first out) concept to prevent logs from experience the degradation by bio-degradation agents such as borer beetles and fungi which capable to bring irritating effect to the veneer surfaces.

The real excitement lies on the log peeling section. Here the debarked logs being peeled off to produce thin slice of very long veneers. One of major problem that faced by many plywood mills is hollow log. This natural defect refers to a log degraded by the appearance of large hole in the middle of its structure as seen in the photo below. The main disadvantage for this kind of defect is the production of veneer from the log tend to be decreased by means of low log volume.

Another moment that allured my attention was seeing the log being aligned parallel to the peeler knife. You must remember this, to produce veneers with uniform thickness and straight require a high precision in determining the center point of chucks (this mechanism used to hole both ends of the log). Quite an advance I must say, this factory using the laser device to determine the center point on the cross section surfaces of the log so as to ensure the peeling process that takes place will never go stuck.

Eventually, we arrived at the press section at the end of our tour. What impressed me in this section is a machine with multi-opening that served as press plate that capable of pressing a number of pre-pressed veneer at one time. We also had the opportunity to witness on how they applied adhesive such as phenol formaldehyde on the surface of veneers.

Glue spreading section.

Pre-pressing or cold pressing.

Multi-opening hot press.

At the end of the second day trip, I pay a visit by taking a photograph in front of the main entrance gate. Frankly speaking, it was the most informative and enjoyable visit I ever had from the moment I step my feet at PGRM tower, Kuala Lumpur. This Part C will be going the last chapter of my experience in program that organized by Malaysian Timber Council although there were two more factories which on the list. I've no intention to keyboarded my experience visited those factories due to company's policy that forbid us from taking photos that led me not to write further in my blog. Anyway I've to respect their policy, no offense. As a token of good will, I'm proudly present you a short clip of plywood mill.

On behalf of Politeknik Premier Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, we would like to extent my greatest appreciation to Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) the organizer, group colleagues, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB) and those who participated in this such occasion directly or indirectly. We missed you all a lot and hope to meet again in the future. Thanks and adios!