I-PAN OSB board is made of layered poplar strands which are bonded and pressed at hot temperature, in compliance with EN 300. The mattress is made of longwise strands on the external layers and crosswise strands into the internal layer. Thanks to the crosswise layered structure, the possibility of shrinking and swelling due to variations in humidity is highly reduced.Raw material and technology determine the quality of a panel of engineered wood such as I-PAN OSB.The most important factor for wooden raw material is density. A wood-based panel of low density, such as poplar, has better mechanical properties and lower density variations compared to a panel made of a high density wood, such as fir. The strands are pressed more, and so it is possible to obtain fewer voids and more points of adhesion between the strands.In terms of technology, the plant for the production of I-PAN OSB is now the most advanced in the world. And it is this technology that controls the main quality factors of I-PAN OSB: thickness, drying and resin coating of the strands.I-PAN strands, obtained from debarked logs of poplar, are about 15-30 mm wide and a few tenths of a millimeter thick, much thinner than those used for standard OSB. Moreover it is well known that the board’s bending strength is inversely proportional to the thickness of the strand. Furthermore, the surface is much more uniform and quite smooth.Drying, which is necessary for an effective resin coating, is obtained through a low-temperature process that does not damage the thin strand and keeps the light colour which is one of the major qualities of an OSB board made from poplar.The sifting process sorts the strands according to the sizes required to form the different layers of the panel.

The resin coating overcomes the inefficiencies of the traditional process and allows the appropriate quantity of adhesive to be distributed where it is required.

The formation of the mattress with three layers and the pressing process with injections of steam results in the finished board.

Poplar + Technology = an OSB board complying with EN 300, lighter, more performing and more aesthetically pleasant.