ABSTRACT

"Technological and Commercial Development of Bamboo Ornamental Boards Production of Autochthonous Species "

 

Among Non Wood Forest Products ( NWFP), bamboo has a preponderant significance in the world, due to great dispersion, high speed of growth and wide use range. In spite of being used from the humanity's beginnings, only these last decades have had a quick development as much in their cultivation as in the use in the industrial field.

Bamboo employment in the production of boards and ornamental panels has been increased strongly in Asia, in particular India and China, existing demand especially for boards of the ornamental type in EE. UU, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and countries of Europe, with good prices.

FONDEF, has financed a prospective project, in current execution, on "Use of autochthonous and introduced bamboo" to INTEC–CHILE together with the U. Austral and INFOR and a group of private companies. Among the range of products prospected in this project, rehearsed at level pilot and possible to develop, the ornamental boards appear as potentially viable from technician and economic point of view, just as Chinese experts that visited the country in year 2000 have recommended.

The present project has as main objective to develop the technological and economic feasibility of production at industrial scale of ornamental boards, with the raw material Chusquea culeou. This species is presented in abundance in the country and it assures a high level of exclusivity of the product for its endemismo and condition of solid bamboo that differentiates it from the rest of the commercial bamboo of the world.

For the realization of the project has been formed a team with vast work experience, incorporating capacities of different institutions that work in associated form with excellent companies in the topic, so much to be manufacturing of wooden ornamental boards, makers of adhesives, raw material producer, furniture factories, marketers, design companies, and a company exporter expert of the Japanese market, potentially a good market. It is also considered the formation of new capacities so much institutional as national, by means of training and improvement of the potential of existent investigation and new investigators' incorporation.

We had the attendance and collaboration of specialist institutes of investigation of India (IPIRTI and the Forest Research Institute), and a specialist of SARNE (India), with the cooperation of technical institutions of China INFORTRACE and University of Nanking, as well as experts of international organisms as INBAR (China).

The project contemplates R + D in ornamental boards, alternative technology of production of boards for use of waste or canes of inferior qualities, on the base of reconstituted boards, and the formulation of plans of sustainable supply of raw material.

The study topic and development of markets and business plans, are important part of the execution, it contemplated to investigate the placement possibilities in volumes and prices in local and external markets.

The project contemplates studies of economic technical feasibility, for the regions IX, X and XI region, the technological transfer to the productive sector and the preparation of reference terms for the incubation of companies in the post project phase, as well as formation shops, participation in international events and a technological mission with managers of private companies.

The future installation of small productive units of bamboo ornamental boards, implies work generation at rural and urban level in the different productive phases: harvests, handling of natural formations, nurseries, cultivation, transport, raw material, and applications in the secondary industry.

Inside the potential destinations for the product Ornamental Boards of Bamboo: lateral linings, walls, furniture parts and components, ceiling, linings of doors and diverse applications in the items of the design of furniture and design of ambience.

The execution of the project contributes to valorize an existent abundant, renewable and sustainable resource especially in the IX, X and XI Region, having a very positive economic and environmental social impact.