Steaming of sawnwood for colour alteration

For the steaming of sawnwood we provide a special steaming kiln, serving depending on the stacking approx. 50-70m³ (2-3 loads) of sawnwood (width of kiln: 8m, may be filled with a max. of 4 rows of packages in depth and 4 packages in height). A prerequisite for a uniform and unstained tone/colour is a timely delivery of the wood, as fresh as possible after cutting (if possible, without laths).

Especially beech receives a reddish-brown colour from steaming. The steaming time takes between 20 and 70 hours, depending on the thickness of the wood and the desired tone. Mild and indirect steaming air tempreratures of more than 70°C are applied.

Further types of wood, where changes in colour or tone are desired, are e.g. walnut, pear-wood and koto. Our "indirect steaming process", which works by heating a water basin inside the chamber, is more gentle than direct steaming. Thus this method is more suitable to sensitive types of wood like cherry, alder, lime oder birch.

Even spruce can receive a rustic tone ("antique-style spruce") by sufficiently long steaming of several weeks. The reached tone of colour can be controlled anytime during the steaming process.

Heating treatment of wood packaging for export, due to IPPC standard

Many countries have quarantine regulations, in order to prevent the local forest against introducing of wood pest organisms. In order to prevent the development of different import regulations, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), a subordinate organization of the FAO of the United Nations, has decreed the ISPM 15 "Packaging Material in International Trade" for the international forwarding of packaging materials made of wood.

Following China, the USA, Canada and Mexico enacted the IPPC-Woodstandard for wood packaging from the EU, on January 1st, 2001. These regulations include, that the wood packaging must not include bark (DB), and that they must undergo heat treatment (HT) or gasing with methylbromide (MB) prior to export.

We are a registered company (Registration# DE-BY-496113)Consequently we can offer, in accordance to the requirements of the Bavarian regional authority for agriculture, the following:

→ Heat treatment (HT) following the requirements of the IPPC standard

• Heat treatment of the unused sawnwood for wood packaging or the finished wood packaging (pallets, boxes, drums, frames, etc.)
  
  
• The wooden packaging material is heated according to a specific time-temperature-schedule, reaching in its core a temperature of at least 56°C for a minimum duration of 30 minutes. Relevant is the core of the thickest wooden part of the lot.
  
  
• The drying kilns and the steaming kiln, as well as the temperatur-measuring-devices, are checked by an expert of the TÜV (MOT) of South Germany.
  
  
• The treated wooden packaging material is stored and labelled in a way, preventing any mix-up with untreated wooden packaging material.
  
  
• The ordering party is provided with documentation regarding the single steps of the process (Date, Core- and room-temperature, time, number of the drying kiln, thickness of the wood, treated volume of the wooden packaging material)
  
  
• This labelling confirms, that the wooden packaging material, which holds this label, was treated due to the requirements of the IPPC-standard.
  
  
• For further information:   → Website LFL Bavaria