From Canada to Scotland
Customer: Norbord, Inverness (Scotland)
The Canadian OSB manufacturer Ainsworth Lumber was hit hard by the real estate crisis in the North American construction sector in 2007. The company had commissioned Dieffenbacher to build the most efficient OSB plant at the time at its Alberta site. However, only a few weeks before the planned completion, assembly had to be abruptly stopped. There was the threat of a permanent shutdown, which meant potential decay of the plant.
That’s how we helped Norbord get ahead
Before the mothballed plant fell into a “Sleeping Beauty Sleep,” we took important precautions to maintain the line. Hydraulic parts and bearings were flooded with oil, rust protection measures were taken, and plant components were packed up where appropriate. In the meantime, Norbord, a wood-based panel producer also based in Canada, was planning to expand its site in Inverness, Scotland. When Norbord acquired Ainsworth Lumber in 2015, a new future emerged for the unused plant in Alberta.
The idea was born to relocate the OSB line from Canada to Scotland under the guidance of Dieffenbacher. The order also included extending the plant by adding a new forming station, complete raw board handling up to stacking, a new control system and new drive technology and electronics. For Norbord, the project was very appealing. The company was able to expand its OSB capacities with a state-of-the-art production line without having to invest in a new plant. In September 2017, the time had finally come: The first board was produced in Inverness. Since then, the plant has reliably produced 640,000 m³ of high-quality OSB boards per year for Norbord.
