Pina S.A.

Pina S.A, a mid-sized particleboard mill in Cuenca, Spain, produces both base panels and panels covered with veneer or melamine. Its products are derived as much as possible from wood sector sub-products like doors and pallets.

As part of Spain's Losán Group, Pina operates with a dual strategy: constant process improvement and maximum use of recycled wood as a raw material. Recently, both of these points were put to the test when increasing prices for traditional materials led Pina to seek better recycling alternatives.


Weighing the options

Pina knew the potential savings in waste wood, but the recycling options left much to consider. Impurities in the wood, such as stones, sand, metals and plastic, could lead to machine wear and breakdowns. Likewise, inadequate cleaning might leave the end product too abrasive or too poorly surfaced for Pina's customers.

Pina's managers were therefore doubtful that existing solutions would meet their needs. Instead they turned to Metso Panelboard, having heard about a new process technology for contaminated wood.


Trust and technique

For Pina employees, Metso was a trusted name. Pina had purchased Metso's ClassiFormer and ClassiScreen in 1996, and experience with both products had been extremely positive. Metso's qualified staff, knowledge of particleboard and familiarity with Pina operations were major advantages.


As it turned out, Metso's ClassiCleaner technology was also aligned with Pina's needs. Using roller screens, ClassiCleaner separates impurities and sorts flaked wood particles by size, removing a high percentage of contamination before the flake dryer. This leaves a material flow of one-fifth the original volume, enriched with the impurities, to be handled by ClassiCleaner's air separators.

Though ClassiCleaner had only recently left the prototype stage, Pina was impressed with its potential. Its sophisticated separation technique offered a cost-effective solution for raw material cleaning.


Wide-ranging improvements

With its ClassiCleaner purchase, Pina's aim was to maintain quality and capacity while using a greater share of recycled wood. When the system came on-stream in 2003, it proved to have been a very profitable investment.

Today, Pina achieves quality products with low-grade waste wood, no matter how high the level of contamination is. ClassiCleaner removes 90 percent of impurities before the flake dryer, creating cleaner material that gives a lighter board surface.

In addition, ClassiCleaner wastes little wood with the reject, and the cleaner material flow has reduced problems later in the production chain. This means that by replacing logs and round wood with recycled material, Pina has gained lower costs, higher quality and even greater yield.