Using Super-Refined MDF2® Proper Care Prior to Use

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Plum Creek takes as much care in the packaging and shipping of its Super-Refined MDF^2® as it does in manufacturing it. A typical unit of 3/4" 4'x8' is about 30" high, and weighs roughly 3,200 pounds. At the customer's option, the unit may be covered with a protective cardboard shroud. Each unit is banded with steel straps wrapped around bottom bolsters for easy forklift manipulation.

To help ensure that Plum Creek Super-Refined MDF^2® performs as expected, follow proper handling and storage procedures from the time the shipment arrives, through every phase of the fabrication process, until the finished product is packaged. Physical damage to the panel edges and faces and exposure to water, dust, dirt, oil and so-forth can be prevented by following some simple practices:

Handling:

Bolsters permit forklift movement of units for transfer to storage and fabrication areas. Drivers must use caution to avoid abrading surfaces, raking or jabbing sides of units with forks, and otherwise damaging corners, edges or ends of units.

Automated equipment such as conveyors, power-driven feed rolls, machining equipment, scissor lifts, transfers, and so-forth must be kept free of metallic burrs, dirt, and liquid contaminants - such as oil and hydraulic fluid - that could damage or contaminate panel surfaces. Transfer rolls used to move units of board should always have eased or rounded edges. Panels moved manually with hand trucks should be stacked and aligned carefully for safe and stable transport.

Storage:

Plum Creek Super-Refined MDF^2® should never be stored outdoors. The indoor storage area should be kept clean, dry, well-ventilated and isolated from operations that create dust, dirt, or airborne contaminants.

Proper bolstering is essential to prevent warping and panel breakage. Bolsters and top protectors within a unit must be of the same thickness and should span the complete width of the unit. When bundles are stacked on top of one another, the bolsters should be vertically aligned between bundles. Missing or unaligned bolsters should be replaced or repositioned. Spacer strips used between units or individual panels should be kept clean and dry to avoid wetting and possible contamination of the adjacent panels.

Moisture Content and Dimensional Stability:

Like all wood-based products, Plum Creek Super-Refined MDF^2® is susceptible to change in dimension, surface smoothness and flatness as it gains or loses moisture.

Temperature and relative humidity conditions largely determine the equilibrium moisture content of the panel, which will either be picking up or losing moisture until it reaches a stable state. Depending on ambient temperature and humidity, it may take up to 7 days for unitized panels to acclimate - and even longer under adverse conditions.

Ideally, Plum Creek Super-Refined MDF^2® should be stored or conditioned in a temperature range of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme changes in temperature and humidity should be avoided. A percent to 8 percent moisture content is best for material being fabricated.

The rate of air movement has a strong influence on the rate of change in board moisture content, so be sure to store material away from windy, exposed areas. If bundles get wet, either from a direct source, or from moisture condensation on the surface, the fiber will swell and rise, rendering the surface unsuitable for some applications.

Inventory Control:

It is a good practice to utilize material on a first-in / first-out basis to minimize the potential for contamination, changes in dimensional stability and physical damage that could result from prolonged storage.