Appendix 2 - Substrates (used with veneers) that are acceptable or not acceptable to AQIS

Engineered wood, also called composite or reconstituted wood, includes a range of derivative wood products that are manufactured by binding together wood strands, fibres, or veneers with adhesives to form composite materials. Some of these products are also used as substrate for veneer (i.e. the veneer is applied to these substrates) and they contain solid timber components that can harbour insect pests. Typically, engineered wood products are made from the same hardwoods and softwoods used to produce lumber. Sawmill scraps are often used for such products.

Various types of substrates can be used for the production of veneered panels. These include particleboard, medium density fibreboard, plywood and blockboard. AQIS considers many, but not all of them, to be a quarantine risk because of the presence of sizable pieces of solid timber that can harbour pests or be easily infested or reinfested by pests.

Examples of some AQIS acceptable substrates for veneer panels

1. Particleboard

Particleboard is a panel manufactured from lignocellulose materials (usually wood) primarily in the form of particles, flakes or strands bonded together with a synthetic resin, or other binder, under heat and pressure until cured.

2. Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF)

MDF is a wood-based panel manufactured from wood fibres bonded with synthetic resin, or another binder, under heat and pressure until cured. MDF is widely used as a substrate material owing to its smooth surface and edge-finishing qualities.

Examples of some substrates not acceptable to AQIS for veneer panel

1. Blockboard

Blockboard is usually made of strips of wood about 25 mm wide. These are glued together with the heartwood facing in alternate directions. In Australia, blockboard is rarely used in the production of decorative veneered products. In Europe, it is often used in joinery and architectural products.

2. Laminaboard (Laminboard)

Laminaboard is similar in appearance to blockboard, but is made of softwood strips, 5–7 mm in width, as opposed to blockboard that has strips 25 mm wide. In both cases, the strips are sandwiched between two outer veneers with the grain running at right angles to the core strips.

3. Plywood

Plywood is sometimes used as a core material. Plywood is typically made from thin layers of natural wood. These products all contain solid timber that can easily attract pests or be infested or reinfested by pests.

Other

AQIS acknowledges that there may be a range of other reconstituted wood products used as a substrate for veneers to produce a range of panel products. AQIS will assess those materials on a case by case basis.

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