History
For a long time, there has been a need for a wood fibre material with the advantages of wood, such as strength and flexibility, but without the disadvantages, such as its weight and non-uniform quality. Developments have led to materials such as “glulam”, plywood and particle board, but disadvantages have nearly always remained, for example that the product has been more expensive than wood or not as strong as wood. One of the most successful wood composites is called Oriented Strand Board (OSB) which consists of long, thin wood chips which are heated and pressed together under high pressure. So far, however, it has only been possible to press the OSB-material to plane sheets.
Newbeam Sweden AB has now developed and patented a method based on the OSB wood composite material to press wood-composite girders and beams with different profiles. These beams have a high strength and a slender cross section, more reminiscent in many respects of steel girders than of traditional wooden planks, and they are now integrated into in a newly developed structural system.
Newbeam Sweden AB
Newbeam Sweden AB has been formed to commercialize and further patent the technology. The company possesses “know-how” concerning both production and machinery. The purpose of the company is to promote research and development to further refine the products and to find new markets and new customers. The company has a wholly-owned factory in Söderhamn in Sweden.