EPPINGEN, Germany -- Three new Dieffenbacher lines produced first boards in a four-day period in June. The Chinese Wanhua Group and its subsidiary Wanhua Ecoboard reported that on June 10, the first board rolled off the production line at their Jingzhou site in Hubei Province. Three days later board production began in Tongling, Anhui. Wanhua produces particleboard made from rice straw on both lines.

Wanhua has worked with Dieffenbacher on alternative raw materials equipment since 2015. The plants, which began operations in June, were orders number four and five between the two companies. Three more lines, which will produce particleboard but also MDF and Fine Surface OSB from straw content, are planned.

The commissioning of the two Wanhua plants was special for Dieffenbacher. It marked the debut of the CPS+ system in China.

Novopan in Ecuador.

Another first board celebration took place on June 12 near Quito, Ecuador. Here, a new Dieffenbacher particleboard plant started production for Novopan del Ecuador.

Dieffenbacher has a long-standing partnership with Novopan. The equipment manufacturer began servicing Novopan’s first Quito plant in 2008, when Metso sold its wood-based panel business to Dieffenbacher.