IPOS Swedish wood - Innovation potential for the bio-based society

Aim and goal

Through collaboration, sharing of knowledge and a systematic learning, the individual sub-projects granted within “Construction & Design, IPOS Swedish wood - Innovation potential for the bio-based society” will make "Swedish wood" a competitive and environmentally friendly material in products on the global market.

The goal within three years is to increase the value added to wood and especially pine, develop innovative, custom-made materials, products and processes that are streamlined in every way from customer relationships to the production process.

Challenge

In recent years, the activity in the market for pinewood has declined and the development of new pine-based products have stopped. In addition, it is difficult to charge for the intrinsic value of this raw material.

Solution

Therefore, several of the sub-projects have a common denominator which is to develop and improve products made of pine. By gathering a strong consortium with relevant actors in order to jointly create a powerful bio-innovation project in which basic prerequisites are established for Swedish wood, and especially for pinewood, the Project will make the material a competitive and environmentally friendly material in products on the global market w here competing materials are primarily fossil-based plastics, concrete and steel.

Effect

IPOS manages innovation in wood-based building materials for various applications and creates conditions for efficient and sustainable manufacturing of these. There are four subprojects that together will concentrate the efforts for developing new materials, processes, products and working methods in terms of market, product development and communication.

The effect of the program is increased value added on wood especially pine, that processes at all stages are streamlined from customer relations to the production process. Through IPOS, communication to the customer becomes clearer, more modern design, increased certainty as regards the characteristics of wood products that enhance consumer credibility and thereby improving the competitiveness of bio-based Products.

BioInnovation is a strategic innovation programme financed by VINNOVA, The Swedish Energy Agency and The Swedish Research Council Formas, and by the participating organisations.

The four subprojects (DP) are:

• DP 1. DeProtion- Design, Product Development & Communication, Kerstin Johansen LiU.
  DP 1 will develop a general innovative product development model. That will support the wood industry's development of products with value-added designs and / or with the aid of design automation.
• DP 2. Demand controlled refinement of Swedish timber, Bror Sundqvist LTU.
  DP 2 will focus on ensuring effective processes that can deliver the right wood for further processing within the value chain industrial woodbuilding, as well as exterior and interior joinery products. For example, Fire protection, shape stability, hardness and abrasion resistance, as well as the aesthetic and tactile properties of wood surfaces.
• DP 3. The Facade of the city Swift, stylish, smart, Karin Sandberg/Anna Pousette RISE.
  DP 3 will develop a concept for attractive functional facade systems for urban environments with increased architectural space, long maintenance intervals and competitive cost and clear environmental profile.
• DP 4. Outdoor load-bearing timber structures, Erik Serrano, LTH.
  DP 4 will advance the knowledge of chemical modification of wood. A long-term goal of the project is an increased use of wood in construction, especially the construction of supporting outdoor constructions

Results from IPOS

The results from IPOS is compiled in a RISE Report. 

Conclusions of IPOS

Renewal for the pine market

• Applying the acetylation process on Scots pine and birch instead of foreign wood species such as Radiata pine.
• Using acetylated wood in load-bearing structures is new in Sweden, and in an international perspective, the use is extremely limited (a handful of structures).
• Development of a facade system in pine that can be used in multi-storey buildings up to eight storeys is new on the Swedish market.
• Increased dimensional stability of pine sapwood, which opens up for more areas of use
• Increased knowledge of fire-protection impregnated pine sapwood with weather protection
• Protection against microbiological attack during the construction of wooden frames during the construction phase
• Students have gained an understanding of materials and worked with the design of wood products

Development of innovative products

• Hybrid glulam made from spruce and acetylated birch
• Manufacture of acetylated plywood, based on gluing acetylated birch veneers
• Designed wooden facade where patterns and design are adapted to the production process.
• Pine products with double value through compaction and ionic liquids
• Hardening of wood with belt press
• New combined 3-D X-ray system
• Thinner band saw blade that gave a saw groove of 2.2 mm.
• Individual tracking and timber order level to link forest information and timber quality.

New businesses and markets

• Acetylated wood in load-bearing outdoor products opens up new areas of use for wood
• Broadened market for wood facades. This has been made possible by developing a facade system in Swedish wood that is manufactured industrially. The system can be quickly installed on the construction site with specified quality that meets the market's requirements.
• Efficient cutting processing with more efficient raw material utilization gave a yield increase that gave a 1.3–1.4% yield increase.
• Improved X-ray technology interconnected data, development of algorithms resulted in better raw material utilization in the sawmill and the right quality of the products.
• By tracking from saw to forest, identify stands suitable for different product categories.