The Manufacturing Advantage and Application of OSB Particleboard in North America

APA – The Engineered Wood Association is a non-profit trade association for and for manufacturers of structural plywood lumber, glulam, I-beam joists, LVL and other engineered wood. 156 wood companies in North America. OSBs bearing the APA trademark are manufactured under APA’s rigorous quality assurance program and are approved by major US and Canadian building codes, as well as many international building codes. Each sheet has its “Performance Class”, which means it has met the necessary performance requirements for its end use.

1, Manufacturing and advantages of OSB

Manufactured in a cross-orientation process similar to plywood, OSB is a structural panel with high strength and stiffness. OSB is made from interleaved stacks of elongated wood chips that are layered to form panels. OSB is bonded with a completely waterproof adhesive. Most boards also have sealant applied to the edges to prevent moisture in transit. Another feature of this sheet is that it is non-slip, since usually at least one side is textured.

OSB’s use of wood is very high, mainly because OSB structural cladding panels can be made from smaller, younger, fast-growing tree species such as poplar and southern pine. In addition, about 85%-90% of a log can be used to make high-quality structural panels; the remaining parts, such as bark, sawn shavings, sawdust, etc., can be converted into energy, wood pulp wood chips or Bark scraps.

After nearly 35 years of laboratory testing and actual use results, OSB is a material with excellent performance. Its excellent performance has been revealed since the factory. The panels stay flat and square during storage and transportation, so they are easier to install when they arrive at the job site; and the grooved panels are perfectly spliced ​​with little effort; even after prolonged use , OSB can still maintain its excellent performance. The board also exhibits excellent nail-holding ability, even if the nails are close to the edge of the board.

2, the application and conventional size of OSB

The most common uses of OSB are in traditional applications such as roof and wall structural cladding, floor base and single-layer flooring; its exceptional properties make it popular in many other fields as well, such as structural insulation panels , Cladding for I-beam joists, material handling applications, furniture and a range of DIY applications.

The size of OSB manufactured in North America is usually 4*8ft, and some manufacturers also provide sheets of metric unit size, such as sheets of 1.25*2.50m. Panels used as façade panels are also available in widths of 6in (152mm) or 8in (203mm) and lengths of 16ft (4.88m). Most OSB manufacturers can also produce oversized panels, up to 8*24ft, which are often used for large prefabricated roofs and floors. If the operation of oversized panels is not inherently problematic, they will reduce the total number of panels required for construction, thereby speeding up installation schedules and reducing installation costs.

3. Exposure level of OSB

OSBs rated for performance by APA have a specific exposure rating, which is used to indicate the change in the appearance of the sheet after exposure to moisture. Sheets are divided into the following two groups:

“Exterior” grade sheets feature a fully waterproof adhesive, wax emulsion for particle board and the product is intended for applications that require permanent exposure to sunlight or moisture.

‘Exposure 1’ grade sheets feature a fully waterproof adhesive, and the product is intended for applications where there may be a long period of time between applications before being protected. About 95% of performance-rated sheets are manufactured to this standard.

4, the environmental performance of OSB

When purchasing APA graded engineered wood materials, the adhesives used in production are harmless to construction workers and occupants.