Many productions working with MDF know the problems that the sawdust from this raw material can cause. The health hazards of MDF dust types are both centered on the dangers of general work conditions breathing in the dusts, because of the harmful contents of MDF. Additionally it is also important to be aware of the risks of dust explosions at production sites . Therefore, many manufacturers working with MDF materials deal with high expenses of disposing of the excess dust from the production. But what if this excess dust could be a source of income rather than a source of worry and expenses?
At C.F. Nielsen, we are experts in briquetting, and we constantly work to expand our knowledge in the use of raw material to produce briquettes as energy sources - both for consumers and for industrial use. We have developed technologies that can handle MDF dust types with low moisture content, add moisture to the material and turn the dust into manageable briquettes, which can be sold to other industrial plants, or used in your own production as a renewable energy source.
MDF is short for “Medium Density Fibreboard” and is a wood-based sheet material, made from wood fibres bonded together with a binding agent. MDF has gained a lot of popularity over solid timber, as a cheaper and more versatile alternative in many production types - both for B2B and end-customer use. MDF is mostly made from softwood, but some brands are a mixture of softwood and hardwood.
Normally, the residue of MDF comes in dust or as wooden chips and offcuts. Much of the MDF dust is very fine, and hence difficult to handle. Mostly, the moisture level of the raw material is between 6 and 8 percent. This moisture level is too low for briquetting without pre-treating the dust in an adapted briquetting line. The low level of moisture is also the reason that the dust poses a danger of explosions. A material that dry only needs a small spark to ignite, and that can cause serious harm to both staff and machinery.
At C.F. Nielsen we offer engineering advice to create an adapted solution to handle your MDF waste through a briquetting line.
At C.F. Nielsen, we think that all raw materials should be utilized to their full potential. Therefore, we have made sure that our briquetting presses can handle all sorts of material - also dust from MDF. We deliver single presses or full production lines, depending on your need. We deliver solutions for both medium - and large scale productions, and our specialists will always guide our customers to the right solution for their production.
We offer both standard solutions with presses of various capacities and processing lines, ensuring that moisture is added to the dust before the briquetting process. Yet, we can also deliver customized solutions, in which we will collaborate with other suppliers in creating the best suited solution for your specific production.
In the U.K. there is a large market for producing and selling bedding for horses. Most of the bedding is made from shavings from softwood. The shavings have to be clean from dust, so the dust is removed during the processing of the shavings.
One of our customers in the U.K. has decided to utilize the left over dust from the production of shavings to produce briquettes for consumers.