R&D+i

The Garnica Group has an ongoing interest in keeping up-to-date with the latest innovations in the field of wood and adhesives. This constant search for technological advances to improve our products and production processes, allows us to remain at the forefront of the wood processing sector, and brings us the maximum added value to poplar.

Customers and suppliers are an important source of information

The strong relationships maintained with customers and suppliers alike, ensure that Garnica Plywood can act as a vital link between the two, by providing technical assistance to the former and co-operating in joint innovation projects with the latter.

Collaboration with technology centres and universities

Garnica Plywood have collaborative agreements with various technology centres and universities which have the facilities to conduct cutting-edge research. These make it possible for the company to remain at the forefront of research into poplar production and processing techniques..

R&D+i GOALS.
Research never comes to an end. Innovation is a state of mind.
Ongoing research in order to achieve ever higher objectives in the following:

  • Greater knowledge of the bonding phenomena to make it possible to optimise our raw material and technological resources
  • Innovative developments in formulas for improved wood – adhesive interaction.
  • Cost reduction: Search for new raw materials and improved material performance, cheaper and more effective extenders and additives.
  • Increased productivity through process optimisation.

R&D+i: the development of new products

  • The combination of different materials and the incorporation of specific additives in the wood and adhesives make it possible to extend the range of applications for poplar
  • The wood and adhesives both lend themselves to modifications, to improve their properties in the following areas:
    • Surface hardness.
    • Durability against mechanical, atmospheric and biological damage.
    • Fire resistance.
    • Increased capacity to insulate against noise and vibrations.
    • VOC emissions.

Laboratory: turning words into actions.
Pilot plant: Prototype manufacture

The controlled replication of factory conditions makes it possible to study and improve each particular variable.

The Garnica Group laboratory is a model plant that is small enough to allow for precise process control whilst being large enough to ensure that any conclusions reached from the trials conducted there can be extrapolated to normal factory conditions.

Modifications to the adhesives and wood. Process optimisation.

It is possible to modify the conditions of production and the properties of the plywood produced by using additives in the glue formula or substances specially designed to be incorporated into the wood itself.

  • Press conditions: temperature, time, and pressure.
  • Veneer conditions: moisture content, surface roughness, mature wood or sapwood.
  • Modifications to the composition, quantity and distribution of the adhesive: formula, weight, viscosity, additives…
  • Modifications to the number of veneer sheets and thickness of each sheet: composition, percentage of fibre in each direction, ply thickness (faces / cores / backs).

We manufacture the prototypes and then evaluate their properties.

The laboratory tests the raw materials in compliance with the current rules and regulations.

Raw material analysis:

  • Resins.
  • Catalysts.
  • Additives.
  • Extenders.
  • Veneer sheets (plies).
  • Glues and resins.
  • Putties for repair work…

Analysis of the finished product: mechanical resistance tests (flexural resistance and elastic modulus), moisture content, bond quality (shear strength of each bond line), stability and ageing trials under extreme temperature conditions (environmental test chamber).