Exclusive Interview for Modern Woodwork - Part 3

Mr. Shobhan Mittal, Executive Director, Engineered Panel Division

Q: What according to your assessment, is the one  thing that  will  make  your Company products to stand out in the market ?

Ans: Mr. Shobhan Mittal: It will be our endeavour to be able to replace imported products by offering a variety of products and maintaining a high quality  at  competitive  prices  for  locally manufactured ones.  We feel confident of being able to target many applications and usages that will eventually lead to the capacity utilization of our plant. We are also confident that world standard  MDF  can  be  produced  by  us competitively enough to take on competition from foreign suppliers.  Along with that we promise quality guarantees and after sales service which Greenply is known for. The aim is to also to be able to replace unbranded imported products with our products and we are sure that we will be able to convince many consumers to shift their preference to use our products.

Q: What will be the prospects of Indian & global MDF/ particleboard industry in near and distant future ? How will you nvisage this industry ten years down from now?

Ans: Mr. Shobhan Mittal: Looking at the existing worldwide scenario in the panel industry today, almost 80%  market share belongs to the engineered panel boards as compared to only 20% of plywood.  Though the trend in India is presently in reverse, we at Greenply forsee an eventual shift in the same direction, specially in view of the Indian govt's restrictions on licensing for the manufacture of plywood.
At our end we are gearing ourselves to grow the market  through  extensive education programmes on usage and applications of panel products for carpenters, who are the major influencers, and   customers, to accept home furniture made with MDF and be reassured of its strength and durability.
Compared to China which has 400 MDF plants, in India,  which  has  almost 80%  of  China's population, we have only 5 today. In the current scenario  where the  demand for more cost-effective panelled products is spiralling everyday with the boom in the building and construction industry, the estimated growth percentage is expected to be around 20-25 % year on year, which
bodes well for us. In the coming years we expect the  demand  for  panel  products to  go up proportionately.

Read More»

Exclusive Interview for Modern Woodwork - QA

Mr. Shobhan Mittal, Executive Director, Engineered Panel Division

Q: India's business climate today is relatively favourable as compared to the gloomy weather of recession which has hit badly to furniture industry in Europe & USA. What are your opinions about the current state of Indian furniture and related industry, in this light?

Ans: Mr.  Shobhan  Mittal:  With  increasing urbanisation, India is seeing a sea change in the building and construction areas with Interiors and furniture industry being one of the fastest growth segments. In the furniture segment alone
the demand for ready-made furniture is growing tremendously  as  people  increasingly  find themselves short on time and convenience to have customised furniture made by carpenters.
The rapidly developing urban centres are giving the necessary boost to demand in this industry. Affordable housing and the culture of ready-to -move-in offices/retail outlets, with low-cost modular furniture are comparatively new to India
and its growing upwardly mobile middle class.
Time  constraints  on  projects  and  shorter completion schedules due to high cost of finance have also led to a preference for machine- made furniture made from engineered panels like MDF and particle boards. In all this, MDF with its more attractive pricing and versatility of surface which allows carving, curve etching, laser cutting and high gloss finishes, is bound to see greater usage in the residential, commercial and retail sectors.
Growth in this segment is inevitable.

Q: As on today most of the  domestic requirement of engineered panels is met by Imports. In last two years a good number of
MDF / particleboard manufacturing plants are started in India. According to your analysis, what will be the challenges for MDF/Particle Board plants which are recently launched?

Ans: Mr. Shobhan Mittal: The challenge to us mainly comes from the Imported products which have been and will continue to be imported into India. With no major local players in this area the demand for MDF has been largely controlled by foreign players, especially in the thin MDF market which  is  completely  controlled  by  foreign products currently.
One of the main factors in providing an edge to the foreign suppliers has been the differentials in pricing between the local and imported material due to costing of raw materials. Our pricing of timber against foreign suppliers can be different.
Many foreign producers even purchase ready-made resin from specialised chemical companies unlike the conventional in house production by Indian companies, mainly due to lack of resin providers in our country. Other factors  such as quality of electrical supply etc. add to higher overheads.   Interest loading on the cost of the product also comes with the higher cost of finance and substantial import duties on machinery in our country. All these factors contribute to differential costing of MDF between foreign producers and us. However, now Anti dumping duty has given some breathing space to domestic producers in
terms of capacity utilisation and pricing.

Read More»

Exclusive Interview for Modern Woodwork

Mr. Shobhan Mittal, Executive Director, Engineered Panel Division

Greenply Industries Ltd is Rs 1007 Crore company and a leading brand in plywood and laminates across India and  neighbouring countries. It would have been difficult to establish a brand awareness in an unorganised sector like plywood and laminates but Greenply with its extensive advertising and marketing network has been able to make itself a household name.
While currently 70%of India's MDF requirement is being met by Imports, Greenply has recently set-up for the first time in India, an MDF plant with a capacity of 1 80,000 cubic metres using the latest continuous pressing technology imported from Europe,  at Uttarakhand.   We at Modern Woodwork [India] wish you grand success in your project.

Q: What is your opinion regarding the controversy:  the small capacity plants versus large capacity plants, which is a matter of big worldwide debate today. Can you tell our readers about your selection of plant with high capacity & German Technology?

Ans: Mr. Shobhan Mittal: This is not a matter of a big debate anymore. There is logic behind opting for a larger capacity continuous production line which is already proven in areas like Europe and China, where all recent installations by large producers have been large format continuous press lines similar to ours.   Keeping in mind the tremendous growth in the infrastructure industry, we would like to utilize this huge opportunity to position ourselves to meet the growing market demand with our high capacity plant which has a capability of producing 650 cubic metres of MDF per day. This, we believe, will provide us cost-effectiveness and economies of scale to compete and lead to eventual profitability, and become market leaders.

Also, in recent times many single/multi opening plants are coming up for sale in developed countries after finding themselves increasingly uncompetitive against large continuous lines. Even in China where numerous plant suppliers offer very cost effective multi/ single opening lines, panel producers are opting for larger European continuous lines, clearly indicating the comparative advantage of larger plants.
As far as using German technology is concerned we have consciously  opted for a Diffenbacher plant, based on their commitment to provide high quality of service and other competency parameters. Their takeover of Metso's panel product division also enabled them to offer us a combination of the best of the two technologies.

Q: Our  readers  will  like  to  read  the information about kind of set up you have installed to assure the quality? What are your plans for value added products?

Ans: Mr. Shobhan Mittal: Greenply's Green Panelmax MDF  manufacturing  facility  at  Pantnagar, Uttarakhand is the first-of-its-kind in India that incorporates the latest European technologies. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is also the country's largest and most technologically advanced plant in its category.
To maintain  stringent quality norms, we have invested in the latest technology and machines; wood room and chipping from Bruks Klockner (Sweden), chips storage and conveying from Trasmec (Italy), refining from Metso (Finland) and  drying  from  Sunds  MDF  Technologies (Sweden).
We have also purchased the latest machinery for forming, press and raw board handling from Dieffenbacher (Germany),  sanding  from Steinemann (Switzerland),  panel  sizing from Giben (Italy) and energy plant from Thermax (India). To ensure optimal emission levels, we have invested heavily in dust extraction/fume absorption  systems  supplied  by  Scheuch (Austria).
As far as value added products are concerned we a are  the first manufacturers in India to offer an extremely diverse range of MDF and HDF in various  sizes  and  thicknesses  ranging from 2.5mm to  35mm and  sizes  in  8'x  4',  8'x6', 7'x6',7'x4' and 6'x4'.  We also have plans to manufacture pre-laminated MDF and HDF.
In  the  future  we  also plan to  manufacture laminated flooring.

Read More»

Greenply

Grecnply is set to launch its Green Panelmax Medium Density Fibreboards (DIDF), which have uniform, dense, smooth surfaces that are free of knots and grain patterns, making them an excellent substitute for solid wood in many applications. These boards are manufactured with a variety of physical properties and dimensions best suited to the design of the end-product and will be available to Indian consumers in a comprehensive set of sizes.

Read More»

Construction World Interiors

MDF is more value for money, emerges as an attractive alternative to plywood, which is currently being sourced from the unorganised sector

Limited spaces demand thoughtful pre-planning. With more and more urban living being centred around apartments where work and storage areas need thoughtful organising for optimum space utilisation, the modular kitchen trend seems to be garnering massive appeal. Today one witnesses a flurry of European brands offering their unique selection of kitchen designs in the Indian market.

Despite the wide diversity in designs, what remains common is the increasing usage of high quality engineered panel boards like Medium Density Fiber board’s (MDF) for the purpose of creating storage cabinets. Interestingly, they offer more value for money as opposed to plywood and are fast becoming the most preferred product in modular kitchens. Greenply recently launched Green Panelmax MDF, in an extensive range of thicknesses.

Shobhan Mittal, Executive Director, Greenply Industries Limited outlines key advantages of using MDF in kitchens.

1. MDF allows for easy moulding, routing, and membrane press and post forming- a specialised technique of veneering ensuring a perfect finish which no other panel can hope to achieve. This makes it a great option for cabinetry and other furniture in the kitchen. Besides, cabinets constructed with MDF panels use specialised joineries and hardware. Today termite and borer resistant MDF panels are also easily available.

2. The boards are dense and have an exceedingly smooth finish and homogenous structure which resembles timber. Even for intricate designs, MDF provides the most perfect surface for carving, lattice and laser cutting lending perfectly clean edges and a brilliant finish.

3. Whether it is polishing and painting or veneering and lamination, MDF presents a hassle-free base where surface defects are completely eliminated. The boards are ideal for post-lamination since they are bereft of bubbles and other discrepancies that often surface on post-laminated plywood panels.

4. Using the right grade of MDF additionally ensures the longevity of the kitchen up to 15-20 years. Exterior grade MDF panels are highly recommended for use in kitchens since they are moisture proof.

5. Pre-laminated MDF boards cut down on the labour intensive process of laminating plywood thereby saving time. Besides, it is almost 5o per cent more economical than plywood.

Green Panelmax is available in 2.5-3.5 mm thickness in sizes ranging from 8'x6'; 8'x4' to 7'x6'; 7'x4'; 6'x4'. Thin MDF ranging from 2.5 mm to 5 mm and panels of 6 tf wide are being manufactured in India for the first time.

Read More»

Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) is one of the most versatile of all the wood-based panel products available today. Made from wood or lignocellulosic material, which is refined into fibres and then reconstituted with a resin binder at elevated temperatures to form panels, MDF is being used for the construction of interiors and furniture among various other applications. Being eco-friendly, MDF is an ideal wood substitute being used extensively around the world in home and building interiors with typical applications in furniture, modular kitchen, cupboards, chairs, benches, to name a few. MDF experiment and utilize these for achieving various kinds of innovative effects and stylish finishes in their interiors.

However, the use of MDF in India has so far been limited mainly due to the lack of availability of superior quality of MDF in India and partly because of inadequate knowledge about its applications and construction. In fact, currently most of the high-end requirements are being met by imported MDF. However, with a spiraling boom in the construction and building ndustry, MDF boards are now being recognized as highly durable and cost-effective substitutes to wood panels and, thus, becoming extremely popular even in India with builders, furniture manufacturers and interior designers. Taking cue from this growing trend, the country's leading interior infrastructure company, Greenply Industries Limited, has set-up a European technology-based world-class manufacturing plant for MDF at Pantanagar in Uttarakhand.

Greenply's Green Panelmax MDF boards are qualitatively comparable to the very best in the world. Apart from the environmental savings the usage of these panels entail, there are many intrinsic advantages that they have over conventional non co-friendly wood panels. These boards come with the maximum promise of delivering the best in quality and performance. Made with a unique fibre interlocking technology that leads to high bonding strength and rigidity, these boards are loaded with features best suited for constructing durable furniture and creating unique interiors. Homogeneous construction imparts easy machining characteristics to these panels and enables them to be intricately and precisely routed,carved and moulded. Additionally, their surface smoothness and 0% latex content ensure a perfect end finish while painting, polishing and using high-gloss. It is also extremely simple to apply laminates and veneers over these panels. Moreover, Green Panelmax boards undergo various processes to make them termite, borer and fungus resistant. Green Panelmax MDF Range

Plain MDF:

Grade I (Exterior grade) boards manufactured with special melamine formaldehyde.

Read More»