All About Substrates
What are Substrates?
All of our substrates are engineered wood, composite materials – depending on the materials used and the structure each has respective properties which make them ideal for different applications.
MDF
Composition:
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is a single solid sheet, formed by heat and pressure. Wood chips are washed, pre-heated with steam, and separated into individual fibers. These fibers are the primary building blocks of plant cell walls, and when separated out provide an incredibly versatile and stable base. This base is coated with resin and wax, when dry the fibers are formed into mats. The mats are then passed through presses; the pressure is maintained from start to finish until the board is formed. The continuous press technology used for this step was pioneered in New Zealand and a key factor in the consistency, strength and stability of the final board. The boards are then finished, sanded to a fine, ultra-smooth surface. After finishing the surface, the boards are then cut to size and packed, ready for transport.
Sourcing:
Our MDF is NZ-Made, sourced from South Island Radiata Pine forests. Radiata Pine is a fast-growing softwood species, producing the ideal consistent high-quality fiber source. The softwood structure makes breaking down and refining the fibers simpler and more efficient. The lightness of the timber and resulting fibers structure has good bonding potential and produces a clean, consistent panel core. This consistency and stability supports machinability and the surface maintains the bonding potential perfect for laminating.
100% of the wood used in our MDF boards is sourced from New Zealand, ethically and sustainably. The speed of the Radiata life cycle makes harvesting and regrowing sustainably efficient and minimizes possible ecological impact.
Best Use:
Surface – MDF is an ideal board for lamination, a smooth extremely consistent and absorbent surface. The uniformity of the surface reduces the chance of possible defects telegraphing through the laminate, makes consistent adhesion and pressure easier and the final product consistent and stable.
Bonding – MDF also has high surface bonding potential, allowing adhesive to bond the substrate and laminate backer tightly, sealing and fusing the decorative surface to the board with greater stability and machinability.
Dimensional stability – MDF performs well against temperature and environmental dampness. This is interior environments only, and some laminates further enhance this.
- Kitchen and residential cabinetry
- Furniture and built-in joinery
- Wall linings, partitions and interior fit-out
BirchPly
Composition:
Birch Ply is a multi-ply decorative plywood board, made from layered birch veneers. Birch logs are debarked and conditioned, turned against a blade peeling a thin continuous sheet of birch veneer. The veneers are dried to a precise moisture level, separating sheets for face quality, selecting the most ideal veneers for use on board surfaces. The veneers are then glued and stacked, with alternating grain direction to create crossed grains for maximum panel strength and stability. The glued veneer pack is then pressed under heat and pressure, until the adhesive cures. The cured sheets are then sanded, cut to size, and pass a final visual inspection.
Birch Ply is Birch throughout, no mixed hardwood, leaving no voids and decorative surface grade front faces and a beautiful edge that can be left exposed.
Sourcing:
Birch Ply is Birch throughout, no mixed hardwood, leaving no voids and decorative surface grade front faces and a beautiful edge that can be left exposed. The veneers pass through multiple inspections, picking out damaged, knotted, or discoloured or otherwise defective veneers to be used in the middle layers or if structurally compromised, disposed of sustainably.
Best Use:
Structural Strength and Dimensional Stability – Because each layer is a separate veneer, cross-grained to the layer above and below, Birch has exceptional structural strength and dimensional stability. There are no voids, or weaker spots to compromise and weaken the structure of the board.
Screw holding – Birch Ply is an excellent screw holding board, because of the pure veneer core. This makes a solid, uniform composite ensuring that 100% of the screw’s threads bite into high-strength material with a dense structure:
- High-end Cabinetry with exposed edges
- Furniture
- Kitchens, Laundry, Bedroom Joinery
IndoPly
Composition:
IndoPly is a lightweight substrate made from alternating layers of mixed hardwood veneer and engineered wood. The veneers are applied crossed-banded* providing greater structure and resistance to warping. Resins and high-pressure pressing create strong, waterproof bonds with minimal adhesive or chemicals.
*Cross-banding,
also known as cross-lamination, is the process of rotating each veneer layer 90° to the one beside it, so the grain runs in alternating directions. By opposing the grain orientation, the panel resists movement and bending more effectively. This composition increases structural stability, reduces warping, and ensures consistent strength across the panel in all directions.
Sourcing:
True to it’s name IndoPly is sourced from Indonesian forests, under the Indonesian Timber Legality System assuring legal, ethical extraction, sustainability practices and quality assurance. This system is to prevent exploitation and illegal foresting, licencing the extraction and processing of wood.
Best Use:
Lightweight – Because of the layered structure, IndoPly is lighter, ideal for weight sensitive applications:
- Caravans, Motorhomes, RVs
- Overhead Cabinetry
- Mobile Displays
Dimensional Stability – The cross grain structure also makes for greater dimensional stability and high strength to weight ratio. This ensures that despite it’s lightness, IndoPly is able to retain it’s structural integrity.
Impact and Movement Resistance – The layered veneers grains disperse energy, dissipating instead of absorbing the energy of impacts and movement. This is another reason it makes an ideal motorhome joinery material. Vehicles experience constant movement and vibration, which the grains take and disperse with minimal warping and deformation.