MDF stands for Medium Density Fiberboard. It is a type of engineered wood product made from wood fibers, combined with a synthetic resin and formed into panels under high pressure and temperature.
MDF boards are made from wood fibers that are extracted from different types of wood, such as pine, spruce, or eucalyptus.
These fibers are then mixed with a synthetic resin, typically urea-formaldehyde or phenol-formaldehyde, and compressed under high pressure to form a dense, flat panel.
MDF boards are popular in the construction and furniture industries because of their consistent density, smooth surface, and versatility.
They can be cut, drilled, and shaped easily using common woodworking tools and are often used for making cabinets, shelves, doors, and other furniture items. MDF boards can also be painted, laminated, or veneered to achieve a desired finish or texture.
One of the advantages of MDF boards is that they are more affordable than many other types of wood products while still providing a uniform and stable surface that is free from knots, voids, or other defects.
However, they are not as strong or durable as natural wood and can be prone to swelling or warping if exposed to moisture. Therefore, they are typically used in indoor applications where exposure to moisture is limited.
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Medium Density Fiberboard
Medium Density Fiberboard is mainly used for internal usage applications, in part due to its inadequate moisture resistance.
It is accessible in raw form with a finely sanded exterior or with decorative coats such as wood veneer, melamine paper, or vinyl.
What Is MFD Board?
Medium Density Fiberboard is a wood material prepared by separating the softwood or hardwood residuals into the wood fibers, frequently in a defibrillator, wax mixing and forming a shape-like a panel by using high pressure and temperature.
Medium-density fiberboard is mostly dense than plywood. It is composed of separated fibers but can be utilized as a building material same in application to plywood. It is tougher and denser than particleboard.
Medium Density Fiberboard is normal-density fiberboard. A building and DIY sheet material generally used in cabinetry, furniture, and molding.
As a material, Medium Density Fiberboard is very versatile and cost-effective, making it an incredible choice for an entire host of projects.
Medium Density Fiberboard isn’t frequently used as a finish alone but is instead finished with a veneer or laminate, providing the impression of real wood.
Uses of MDF Board
MDF Board can be very easily cut, shaped, and painted because of its smooth properties.
The following are the most popular uses boards,
1. Furniture
The board is to manufacture various furniture products used by many companies. For example, you can purchase a bookshelf and TV furniture made up of a board. There are proven to be economical compared to pure wooden furniture products.
Furniture manufacturing by the use of fiberboard are cheaper and their manufacturing cost is lower compared to other product.
These are popular furniture materials as their manufacturing cost is lower than ready-made types of furniture.
2. Cabinetry Use of Board
The board is most popularly used in house interior carpentry cabinetry work.
There are lots of cabinets you will find that are made of board and which are covered with laminated wood at the top.
House furniture like cabinets of kitchens and units of shelving is manufactured from the board. It is also used for molding work, Door framework, and laminated wooden flooring.
3. Fire Resistance
Some peoples are not aware of the fact that boards are actually provided fire protection because it possesses good quality fire resistance properties.
The recent construction trend to use fire resistance materials for building construction is growing rapidly.
There are various types of MDF materials used to construct business buildings, office buildings, and other trade buildings.
4. Vapour Repulsion
The boards are used as insulation and obstacle to vapors in many commercial as well as residential buildings.
This fibreboard is manufactured such that it can deal with moisture for a long time and shrinkage-free drying process without any rotting effect on it.
These boards are resistant the moisture entry into the house, therefore less heating is required in the house and ultimately reduces the electricity bill.
5. Soundproofing
It is not a known fact but boars can also work as a sound barrier in-house. It will help to reduce the noise level in the home.
There are many sound speaker manufacturing companies that utilize the MDF board in their product because it absorbs sound and reduces internal vibration.
The boards are also used in offices, newsrooms,s and building flats for reducing the noise level in space.
6. Roofing
Fibreboard is most popular used in home roofing systems as it possesses good quality weather resistance. These boards are proofing to the best material to use for shingles backing of different roof types.
It can be used for wall sheathing work of the home interior. Fibreboard is a flexible and durable material used in home exterior and interior work decoration.
Read More: Fire Resistant Materials Used in Construction
Particle Board vs MDF
The following is the comparison between MDF vs Particle Board
| MDF | Particle-board | |
| Look | The board has a shiny finish and smoothness properties because of the gains of wood that are used of the same size. | It does not provide a shiny and smooth surface. |
| Density | The board has a greater level of density compared to particleboard. | Its low density compares to |
| Strength | The board is less strong compared to Particle Board. | Particle-board is not very strong as MDF Board |
| Durability | The board is durable and long-lasting material compared to particleboard. | Particleboards are less long-lasting and durable compared to |
| Weight | The board is Heavy | Less Heavy |
| Moisture | It is resistant more compares to particleboard | Less resistance |
| Lifespan | Lifespan is more than 10 years | More than 25 years |
| Price | Its costlier materials | Cheap |
Read More: 35 Types of Wood With Pictures & Use
Cutting MDF Board
The following is the guideline for how to cutting the MDF board,
1. Keeping Yourself Safe
A. Put on Thick Helping Gloves and A Long-sleeved Shirt
Before handling or cutting through your Medium Density Fiberboardpiece, make sure to put on an item of heavy-duty helping gloves and a durable, long-sleeved shirt.
This will provide you a minor layer of security against hard Medium Density Fiberboardedges and your saw blade.
B. Wear A Dust Mask and Protective Goggles
When cut, Medium Density Fiberboardpublishes a huge amount of dust particles into the air. To make sure this dust doesn’t receive into your eyes or throat, wear a high-quality dust mask and a pair of apparent safety goggles while working.
Medium Density Fiberboarddust ingredients are not naturally dangerous, but their sheer size of them may lead to unwanted irritation.
C. Make Your cuts In A Vast, Clear Area
Since Medium Density Fiberboardpublishes so much dust, try to cut your wood outside or in an open area like a garage. If you don’t possess a clear space to work in, open any windows or doors near the cutting room so the dust has a direction to exit. If you’d like, put a fan in the room to enable blowing the dust outside.
Cover objects around your working area in narrow plastic sheets to protect them from getting dirty.
4. Making Straight Cuts
A. Connect A Sturdy Blade To a Circular Saw
To make straight cuts in your Medium Density Fiberboard, obtain a circular saw that remembers a trimming speed between 3,000 and 3,350 meters per second (9,800 and 11,000 ft/s).
For the decent cut possible, establish a blade that remembers at least 60 teeth and a width of nearly 355 mm (14.0 in). For more strength, grab a blade that remembers a carbide tip.
You can discover circular saws at extensive home improvement stores. High-quality models commonly cost between $100 and $300.
Before establishing the blade, make sure you unplug the device to avoid any accidents.
B. Modify Your Blade’s Depth So It Is Barely Lower Than Your board
Position your circular saw so that the underneath of the saw blade settles flush against the side of your Medium Density Fiberboard.
Then, relieve your saw’s bottom knob or lever and carefully drag the blade until the tip stands just below your Medium Density Fiberboardplank. When you have placed the blade where you want it, retighten the deep knob or lever.
To assure the blade cuts appropriately, try to position it so that the tip stands between 1⁄8 in (0.32 cm) and 1⁄4 in (0.64 cm) below the Medium Density Fiberboard plank.
C. Connect your board to a sturdy table
Spot your Medium Density Fiberboard piece on a large working table or, if you are cutting through the middle of the plank, spot each end on a distinct working table or sawhorse.
Make sure the room you want to cut hangs over the perimeter of the surface, then lock the Medium Density Fiberboard place utilizing heavy-duty clamps.
D. Prepare A Line Over The Area You Need To Cut Through
Utilizing woodworking tape or a pencil, generate a line on top of your Medium Density Fiberboard piece indicating the area you want to cut through.
Since you can only cut through the wood formerly, double-check the – line’s distance using a tape measure and its alignment using a level or L-square.
If you are using a pencil, make sure the line is thick sufficient so that you can detect it easily from the distance.
E. Cut Through The Considerable Area Utilizing Your Circular Saw
Line up the front of your circular saw with the starting of your marked line. Then, twist the saw on and gently push it through a Medium Density Fiberboard piece. Do your best to carry the saw steady, and make sure your cutting velocity is slow and consistent.
If you realize your saw jitter or kick, twist the device off and allow it to rest for a minute.
3. Creating Curved Cuts
A. Receive A Jigsaw With A Bi-metal Cutting Blade:
To make curved cuts in your Medium Density Fiberboardpiece, obtain a jigsaw that is similar to quick-change blades. Then, acquire a bi-metal jigsaw blade and spot it inside your device’s blade clamp mechanism. For decent results feasible, look for a thin blade that has plenty of small teeth, such as a T-shank.
High-quality jigsaws mainly cost between $80 and $200. Look for them at home modification stores. For security, unplug your tool before establishing the blade.
B. Ensure Your Piece To A Durable Table
Set your plank of wood on a sturdy working table and situation it so the area you want to cut hangs over the perimeter. Then, spot big clamps around the perimeters of your Medium Density Fiberboardpiece to protect it from moving around.
- If the room you are cutting is in the middle of the Medium Density fiberboardpiece, spot each end of the wood on a sturdy table or sawhorse.
C. Utilize Your Jigsaw To Cut Through The Considerable Area
Spot the front of your jigsaw’s shoe at the beginning of the room you want to cut. Make sure the device’s blade lines up with a marked line, then turn the saw on and ease it into the wood.
The Board is extremely dense, so used to slow, gentle actions to work your direction through it.
Board Manufacturing
The following is the manufacturing process of MDF board,
- Debarking and Chipping
- Chip Water
- Defibrillator
- Mat Formation
- Storage
1. Debarking And Chipping
The initial step in the manufacturing of the Medium Density Fiberboard is Debarking. The bark of the softwood of eucalyptus can be obtained as it is but to give a decent quality of the final product the bark from the log is removed.
This reduces grit and organic waste. It also enables rapid drainage of the water and enables a finer surface finish.
Once the bark is omitted the log is then stripped. The chipper drum decreases the logs into evenly molded chips. The ensuing chips, if they are too large, may be re-chipped, and the undersized chips are utilized for another purpose.
2. Chip Water
The chips are then washed to check for damage. The procedure also removes bits of bark, dirt, dust, and so on.
3. Defibrillator
Before the defibration procedure, the chips are coated with molten paraffin wax. This glues the chips jointly. The glued chips are then dried by transferring them through a heated air dryer. This brings out the defective fibers.
The chips are then fed into the defibrillator for limited minutes at a high temperature while they are ground to create a pulp. Right through from the defibrillator, there is the entry of pulp in blowing, where it is blended with the resin.
The wax improves the moisture resistance and the resin originally benefits to decrease clumping, but eventually is the primary binding agent. It is then approved through a dryer where it dries out rapidly.
4. Mat Formation
The dry fibers are then expressed to the mat-forming system. Here they are dropped on the belt which is transformed into a straight mat with the support of the distribution arms.
The mat is wrapped through a series of heavy rollers which provides them the desired thickness. The perimeter trimming saws trim the perimeters of the mat to provide the desired size to the board. The chipped fiber from the perimeters is vacuumed and recycled.
The mat is hence passed through a hot press to create a strong bonding of the fiber mats. The hot press allows up to 10 mats to be pressed at a period to the specified thicknesses.
The boards are weighed on a weighing platform, chilled to compartment temperature in a star cooler, and then loaded on a platform. They are then cut off with the help of the saws to the necessary size.
5. Storage
The cut-off Medium Density Fiberboardboards are then loaded up into the warehouse from where they are loaded into the trucks as per the necessary quantity.
MDF Board Advantages
Following are the MDF Wood advantages,
- Medium Density Fiberboard possesses economic value to common people as it is reasonable at cost and economical. So, they are within everyone’s capacity to purchase.
- Medium Density Fiberboardsaves the trees as it is a recycling procedure.
- It is simple to take any color where wood carries long tenure for staining several colors
- Medium Density Fiberboarddoes do not possess knots or kinks which disturb the smooth and shiny surface.
- Medium Density Fiberboard is protected from some insects as some chemicals are utilized for the processing of MDF.
- It can be painted or shaded and given a look almost the same as natural wood. So, it can replace the position of wood furniture.
- Depiction on Medium Density Fiberboard is simpler than on wood.
- To give Medium Density Fiberboard look like natural wood veneers, laminators may easily be connected to it.
- The strong, dense, flat, stiff Medium Density Fiberboard is a decent choice rather than wood.
- Medium Density Fiberboard has no grain as it is not a real product, it is easy to cut, and drill without any damage.
- It has outstanding machining character its adequate density.
MDF Wood Disadvantages
The following are the disadvantages of MDF wood,
- A board has poor strength compared to wood. Material made up of boards has less life.
- Medium Density Fiberboard can break or slash under excessive pressure.
- Medium Density Fiberboard soaks water quicker compare to wood.
- Driving screws and nails on a board is not easy.
- Medium Density Fiberboard is made of VOC, including urea-formaldehyde, which can enter the lungs and eyes and become a reason for irritation.
- The board cutting spread lots of dust in the air which is can cause damage to the lungs and make breathing difficult for a human.
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MDF Board Properties
In the past, the raw material was wheat for Medium Density Fiberboard completely suited to pilot plants. For the manufacture of greater quality Medium Density Fiberboard binders is utilized.
Chemicals like Urea melamine-formaldehyde, and Urea melamine-formaldehyde adhesive combination are utilized as a binder.
Various quality Medium Density Fiberboard production required distinct quantities of resin and various qualities of wheat straw, generated MDF was called Straw Medium Density Fibreboard.
MDF Board Thickness is between 2 – 35 mm and the width is 4 ft.
- Modulus of rupture
- Modulus of elasticity
- Thickness
- Elasticity
- Water absorption
- Swelling
Cost Of MDF Board
| No. | Medium Density Fiberboard | Thickness | Price |
| 1. | Decorative Medium Density FiberboardBoard | 1.9 mm to 25 mm | Rs. 52 / Square feet |
| 2. | Laminated Medium Density FiberboardBoard | 2.5 mm to 25 mm | Rs. 42 / Square feet |
| 3. | Laminated Medium Density FiberboardTeakwood | 2.5 mm to 25 mm | Rs. 42 / Square feet |
| 4. | Pre Laminated Medium Density FiberboardBoard | 2.5 mm to 25 mm | Rs. 42 / Square feet |
| 5. | LaminatedMedium Density Fiberboard | Size – 9 x 6 | Rs. 42 / Square feet |
| 6. | Medium Density FiberboardPre Laminated Board | – | Rs. 51.63 / Square feet |
Conclusion
In conclusion, the MDF board is a popular and versatile engineered wood product that is widely used in the construction and furniture industries.
Its consistent density, smooth surface, and affordability make it an attractive choice for a variety of applications, from making cabinets and shelves to producing decorative items and soundproofing materials.
However, it is important to consider the specific grade and environment in which it will be used, as the MDF board is prone to swelling or warping if exposed to moisture.
Additionally, the synthetic resin used in its production can release formaldehyde gas, which can be harmful if inhaled in large quantities.
Overall, the MDF board offers a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to natural wood products, and its popularity is expected to continue to grow as more environmentally friendly and safer options become available.
FAQs:
What is an MDF board?
MDF board is a type of engineered wood product made from wood fibers, combined with a synthetic resin and formed into panels under high pressure and temperature.
What are the advantages of using an MDF board?
MDF board is affordable, has a consistent density, and provides a smooth surface that is free from knots, voids, or other defects. It can be easily cut, drilled, and shaped, and is often used for making cabinets, shelves, doors, and other furniture items. MDF boards can also be painted, laminated, or veneered to achieve a desired finish or texture.
What are the common uses of the MDF board?
A: MDF board is commonly used in the construction and furniture industries for making cabinets, shelves, doors, and other furniture items. It is also used in the manufacturing of decorative items, such as picture frames, and in the production of soundproofing materials.
A: MDF board is commonly used in the construction and furniture industries for making cabinets, shelves, doors, and other furniture items. It is also used in the manufacturing of decorative items, such as picture frames, and in the production of soundproofing materials.
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