Uniboard has announced an investment of $5.5m in an innovative robotic material handling system at its Val-d’Or particleboard plant.
The investment is designed to put Uniboard at the leading edge of composite panel manufacturing in North America in terms of innovation, productivity and processes.
Programme Innovation Bois (PIB) of the Province of Quebec provided funding support to Uniboard to reduce the new technology risk in the applied innovation.
“This investment is part of the overall third phase of the Val-d’Or’s Renaissance Project, our particleboard modernization programme which is scheduled to come on stream in summer 2025 and affirms Uniboard’s leadership in the North American engineered wood products arena,” said James Hogg, president and CEO of Uniboard.
“Employing autonomous guided vehicles to transport our panels simply compliments the $350m Val d’Or modernization project focused on achieving highest efficiency. Using advanced technology plays a strategic role in strengthening relationships with existing clients, developing new customers, markets and business opportunities while improving overall productivity at the facility”.
In addition to its ability to produce value-added TFL products, the Val-d’Or plant also leverages the capabilities of its onsite Unires resin plant, making it one of the most integrated production sites in North America.
Uniboard Canada Inc has an installed capacity of over 660 million square feet of raw particleboard, high and medium-density fibreboard, thermally fused laminates (TFL) and high-pressure laminates (HPL). Its mills are located in Sayabec, Val-d’Or and Mont-Laurier and employ over 800 people.
