“LVL is Cost-effective, Reliable, and a Perfect Replacement of Conventional Wood”

From over two and a half decades, Shri Ram Panels Pvt Ltd is continuously catering to the needs of construction and infrastructure industry. Initiated its operation by supplying materials to local dealers, the company has now become a leading supplier to the topmost infrastructure companies including L&T, DLF, Gammon India, and other renowned entities of national repute. Shri Ram Panels, which is going to participate in the forthcoming Excon 2015 – a leading exhibition of construction and infrastructure industry, has recently augmented the portfolio of its umbrella brand 'Magnus' by introducing laminated veneer lumber (LVL). While speaking to NBM&CW, the Managing Director Mr. Mahesh Gupta delineates the company's focus area during Excon 2015, highlighting LVL's attributes, and its feasibility in construction industry. Here are the excerpts:

Shri Ram Panels is fully geared to make its presence felt in the forthcoming Excon 2015, to be held in Bangalore, this November. The highlight at Shri Ram Panles, this Excon, would be the newly launched Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL), which is of great importance for the masses across the construction and infrastructure sector. "We always believe in bringing up innovative ideas. Our repertoire of products, catering to different sectors, is the outcome of our thorough brainstorming and uninterrupted innovations," asserts Mr. Gupta.

Recalling Excon 2013, Mr. Gupta says, "In the last edition, we launched H-beam and scaffolding planks for construction sector, compreg plywood for mould & die, and plywood for mezzanine flooring for industrial sector. This year, the focus at Shri Ram would be on LVL, which is a sustainable and durable framing product made for superior performance. It can be used in place of traditional lumber for greater consistency and design flexibility. Visitors would be made aware of all the applications of the product. In fact, complete information pertaining to the product would be provided to them. Based on all this, we hope to receive huge enquiries from trade visitors."

Speaking about this new product, Mr. Gupta says, "We feel immense pleasure to introduce the futuristic and emerging product, LVL that plays crucial role in construction and housing sector worldwide.


LVL is produced and used extensively in all the developed countries since longtime. North America alone produces more than 49.47 million cubic feet (1.39 million cubic meters) of LVL in 18 different facilities, saving millions of dollars in natural resources."

Discussing the feasibility of LVL, he says, "LVL is a highly cost-effective and reliable building material that provides many of the same attributes associated with large sized timbers, and therefore, can be a perfect replacement of conventional wood. India is importing 61,200 cubic meters of wood/timber worth `11,489.24 crore ($1770 mn). By replacing this imported wood with LVL/DVL, we can save millions of dollars in turn generating hundreds and thousands of jobs, boosting agro forestry, resulting in the curbing the CO₂ emissions."

In fact, Magnus futuristic LVL, an engineered wood product, is manufactured by compressing multiple layers of thin wood. It is much less likely than conventional lumber to warp, twist, bow, or shrink due to its composite nature. Being highly stable dimensionally, stronger, straighter, and more uniform, LVL can be suitable for various applications including shuttering, supports, beams, header, edge forming door frame, concrete formwork, scaffold planking, window frames, architectural roof trusses, doors, external cladding, flooring, framing, interior stairs, windows, and construction with wood.

Specifications:
Sizes (in length) :	2440 to 3200 mm
Width :	as per application
Thicknesses :	25 to 100 mm
Density :	0.65 to 1.20 gm/cm3 or as per application

According to Mr. Gupta, 'Magnus' brand name is synonymous with quality of plywood, and hence, enjoys a high level of equity in the Indian market. A trademark of Shri Ram Panels, the products under this brand occupy an enviable position in the international marketplace and have multifarious applications - ranging from household products to construction materials. "We expect to receive same level of response for our Magnus LVL in time to come," he asserts.

Divulging on the infrastructure, he informs, "For LVL, the company has set-up an all new manufacturing unit M/s. Shri Ram Panels Pvt. Ltd., which is embedded with world-class infrastructure and automated machinery. A strong infrastructure has played a crucial role in the success of our business. At Shri Ram Panels, we endeavor to strengthen our infrastructural base and therefore, we regularly invest on acquiring cutting edge technology. Owing to our focused approach, today we are a company with all world class facilities required for plywood production. We possess sophisticated manufacturing units with well-equipped quality testing and R&D facilities, and warehousing."

Adding further, he says, "Captive machinery such as Dryer, Hydraulic Hot Press, Glue Spreader, Paddle Chopping Machine, DD Saw, etc., is installed in our production unit. These are regularly upgraded as per the rapidly changing industrial needs. A well trained and highly skilled team of professionals diligently operates on our production and marketing procedures with immaculate efficiency to meet the exact requirements of our clients on time and at market leading prices."

Advantages:

• Protection: water-resistant coating protects during construction.
• Peace of Mind: Consistent, accurate sizes and resists warping, twisting and shrinking.
• High Load: Ideal for high-load applications.
• Sustainability: Wood sourced through programs certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
• Strength: Ultrasonically graded veneers are arranged in specific patterns to maximize strength and stiffness.
• Safety: Enhanced durability and safety
• Structural rigidity: Unrivalled structural rigidity, stability and strength
• Solid: Proven to last at least five times as long as solid wood equivalents
• No metal end band required
• No on-going maintenance or remedial repairs required
• Excellent electrical insulation properties
• Excellent anti-corrosive and chemical properties
• The veneers are bonded with exterior-grade adhesives under pressure and heat, resulting in low moisture content for dimensional stability