Construc-tion, Criteriaand ......

ResearchAdvisoryCommittee.....

117th

meeting ofthe BoG heldon .......

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FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESKIPIRTI Bangalore celebrated its Golden Jubilee Year - 2012

Dear Readers

From its humble beginning as a Indian Plywood Industries Research Association (IPIRA) in1962, the Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute (IPIRTI) Bangalore, is entering the50th glorious year of its yeoman service to the nation in the field of Research & Development andTraining on Wood & Wood based Panel Sector. The Golden Jubilee of an Institute is a very significantmilestone in the history of any Institute. Similarly to our Institute also and made us to look back thegood achievements made by the Institute. It also diverted us to rethink and start new initiatives totake IPIRTI to its next level in the next decade and help us to join the confederation of the truly greatInstitutions of the world.

To commemorate this Golden Jubilee Year of IPIRTI an International Conference was organizedfrom 26th - 28th September, 2012. The Inaugural session of this Golden Jubilee Celebration was on26th September, 2012 at IPIRTI campus, Bangalore followed by the Technical sessions on 27th & 28th

September, 2012.

Highlights ofIPIRTI’sGolden .....

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This International Conference was a grand success and it was a great pleasure that all joined handswith IPIRTI and contributed for its glorious success.

On behalf of IPIRTI, I extend sincere thanks to all the Sponsors, Advertisers, Participants, etc fortheir co-operation and support rendered to us.

Highlights of the said International Conference have been given in this issue

During this 50 years of successful journey of IPIRTI, I am proud to announce that IPIRTI has made atremendous progress and established a unique identification in the National and International levelby providing high standards of quality Research, Training & Testing activities. Behind this achievement,there are a number of stalwarts who have sacrificed to achieve the goals. We pay homage to all thosegreat souls.

Dr. C. N. PandeyDirector, IPIRTI, Bangalore

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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENTRESEARCH & DEVELOPMENTRESEARCH & DEVELOPMENTRESEARCH & DEVELOPMENTRESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

A fire check door is a door with a fire-resistancerating (sometimes referred to as a fire protectionrating for closures) used as part of a passive fireprotection system to reduce the spread of fire orsmoke between compartments and to enable safeegress from a building or structure. With theincreasing building activities and stringent buildingregulations the behaviour of building componentsfrom various panel products or in combinationwith other materials against fire and to ensureoccupants safety is the need of the hour. There isan increasing demand for fire retardant woodendoors in housing applications and there are hugeopportunities for door manufacturers toproduce/start producing fire rated doors. Firerating has to be specified prior to the installationof a timber door in any high-rise buildings,shopping complexes, hotels and condominiums.Fire doors are “rated” by time (in minutes or inhours) that a door can withstand when exposedto fire test conditions. Fire ratings include 30, 60,90, 120 minutes etc., with the maximum ratingrequired of any swinging type fire door being 180minutes.

I. CONSTRUCTIONFire doors may be made of a combination ofmaterials, such as timber, steel, gypsum (as anendothermic fill), vermiculite-boards, glasssections etc. Both the door leaf (the swingingpanel of the door) and the door frame arerequired to meet the guidelines of the testingagency which provides the product listing. Thedoor frame includes the fire or smoke seals, doorhardware, and the structure that holds the firedoor assembly in place. Together, these

CONSTRUCTION, CRITERIA AND EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE OF FIRECHECK DOORS

components form an assembly, typically called a“door-set” which holds a numerical rating,quantified in hours of resistance to a test fire.

Door hardware generally includes automaticclosing devices, ball bearing hinges and positivelatching mechanism. Edges of a fire door usuallyneed to have fire rated seals which can becomposed of an intumescent strip, which expandswhen exposed to heat, Neoprene weatherstripping and Gaskets to prevent the passage ofsmoke. When intumescent seals are used in thedoor design, use of the correct seal is crucial inthe fire rating performance of the door assembly.Seals may vary in chemical composition, expansionrate, expansion volume, and/or charringcharacteristics.

II.CRITERIA

a.CombustibilityFire doors are not necessarily non-combustible.It is acceptable for portions of the door to bedestroyed by combustion during exposure to afire as long as the door assembly meets the firetest criteria of limiting temperature limits on thenon-fire side of the assembly. This is in accordancewith the overall performance goal of a fire rateddoor to slow fire propagation from one fire ratedcompartment to another for only a limitedamount of time, during which automatic ormanual fire-fighting may be employed to limit firespread, or occupants can exit the building.

b.Fire door failure

Fire doors are sometimes unable to provide itsrated fire resistance by ignorance of the intended

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use and associated restrictions and requirements,or by inappropriate use. For example, fire doorsare sometimes blocked open, or carpets are runthrough them, which would allow the fire to travelpast the fire barrier in which the door is placed.The door’s certification markings are displayedboth on the door leaves and the fire door frames,and should not be removed or painted over duringthe life of the building. Sometimes fire doors haveapparently very large gaps at the foot of them, aninch or two even, allowing air movement, such asin dormitory facilities. This can lead the occupantsof a building to question their status as ‘real’ firedoors.

c.Normal operationMost fire doors are designed to be kept closed atall times. Some doors are designed to stay openunder normal circumstances and closeautomatically in the event of a fire. Whichevermethod is used the door’s movement should neverbe impaired by a doorstop or other obstacle. Theintumescent and smoke-seal bounding of firedoors should be routinely checked as the actionof the door closer and latch.

Some fire doors are held open with anelectromagnet, which may be wired to a fire alarmsystem. If the power fails or the fire alarm isactivated, the coil is de-energized and the doorcloses on its own. Wireless battery operated firedoor retainers can also be used to safely and legallyhold fire doors open. Rated fire doors are testedto withstand a fire for a specified period. Thereare 20, 30, 45, 60 and 90-minute-rated fire doorsthat are certified by an approved laboratory (e.g.Underwriters Laboratories). The certificationonly applies if all parts of the installation arecorrectly specified and installed. For example,fitting the wrong kind of glazing may severelyreduce the door’s fire resistance period.

III.EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE OFFIRE CHECK DOORS

The performance of timber doors is judged bysubjecting them to the standard test procedurespecified in BS 476 Part-22 (1987), BS EN 1634-1 (2000), IS 3614 (1992), ISO 3008 (2007) etc.Tests are performed on complete door assembliesi.e., the fire door and frame with all the necessaryhardware. It is then fixed in a wall representingits use in practice. The failure is analysed byImpermeability/Integrity and Insulation.

Keeping future requirements of building bye-lawsin our country and to facilitate testing of fire checkdoors, the facility has been established by Shri.Anand Nandanwar, Scientist and his team atIPIRTI, Bangalore for testing fire performance offull size door/shutters as per national/international standards such as BS 476 (part 20and 22), IS 3614 (part 2), ISO 3008:2007 and BSEN 1634-1:2000 using latest technologies andinstrumentation comparable with best in theworld.

Testing of fire check door

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Acoustic panels are commonly used as partitions,ceiling boards, roof and wall sheathing, subflooring, interior surfaces for walls, as bases forplaster and insulation strips for foundation wallsand slab floors. The acoustic capacity of a wallbetween two rooms can be expressed by noisereduction coefficient. Sound absorptioncharacteristics are affected by density, porosity,fibre fineness, bulk elasticity and thickness ofmaterial as well as surface treatment and range ofsound frequency.

ACOUSTIC BOARD FROM DEPITH BAGASSE

In the present scenario, CCB (Copper-Chromium-Boron) is widely used as woodpreservative. But, now the situation is changing

AN ENVIRONMENTALLY-BENIGN WOOD PRESERVATIVE: COPPERETHANOLAMINE BORON (CEB)

tight materials, whereas sound absorptionrequires soft, porous materials such as de-pithBagasse, the molecules of air move in and outfreely.

Mrs. Mamatha, Scientist and her team optimizedthe process parameters for the manufacturing ofdepith bagasse of different densities using Aminoresin. Depith bagasse particle boards of threedifferent densities viz. 190, 370, 460 kg/m3 weremanufactured in plant scale of 2ft x 4ft x 16mm.Moisture content, density, bending strength,modulus of rupture (MOR), Thickness swellingof board were determined as per IS 3129: 1985Specification for low density Particle Boards.Sound absorption co-efficients of the boards weredetermined using method given in IS: 10420-1982 (Specification for determination of soundabsorption co-efficient of timber by standing wavemethod).

Particle board with density 190 kg/m3 & 370 kg/m3 showed better sound absorption. Whereasparticle board with density 460 kg/m3 showedbetter MOR .The study results showed thatparticle board of 370 kg/m3 have good propertieswith reference to physical, mechanical and also thesound absorption co-efficient as perIS:3129:1985. The values of the boards arecomparable with the Noise Reduction Co-efficientvalues of fiber insulation board, wood woolbuilding slab. Depith Bagasse Particle Board canbe used as an alternative to synthetic basedcommercial products for acoustic applications.

Low density boards are classified as rigid insulationmaterials. Commercial insulation materials aremade of glass fibers, glass foam, mineral fibers,rock wool, etc. These materials possess goodthermal and sound insulating properties, but theyare noxious to human beings and causeenvironmental pollution. Depith Bagasse particlecomposites for insulation board can solve theseproblems. As agricultural waste is in an absorbingmaterial group, studying about bagasse foracoustical properties were taken up. The problemof sound absorption is quite different that of soundinsulation. Sound insulation demands heavy, air

with the introduction of the EuropeanCommission’s Biocides Regulation (EU). Thisregulation will ban or radically limit the use of

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Over the past decade, the demand for woodcomposites as building material has continuouslyincreased. At the same time, the quantity andquality of wood resources from the forest as a rawmaterial for this application have been goingdown. Consequently, the search for alternativeor substitute materials in place of wood has comeinto focus. Bamboo is a non-wood lignocellulosicmaterial that has received increasing attention asalternative raw material for use in themanufacture of wood composites. The mainadvantage of bamboo is its fast growing nature andbetter mechanical properties when compared toother wood species. In recent years, bamboo hasgained greater importance as substitute materialfor wood because of the global shortage of forestresources.

Dr. Vipin Kumar Chawla,Scientist IPIRTI & histeam has developed Bamboo Strand Lumber(BSL) at IPIRTI, Bangalore. Bamboo strandlumber is developed for the use as structuralpurpose including beams and columns. It is thenewest product of the Structural CompositeLumber family. Strength properties make it ahighly competitive alternative to traditionallumber and will become an important forest

DEVELOPMENT OF BAMBOO STRAND LUMBER (BSL)

based product in the future. Its physical andmechanical properties were analyzed. The productproperties were compared with Laminatedveneer lumber(LVL)

Dr. Vipin Chawla says that BSL can be mainlyused for structural purpose because of its highModulus of rupture (MoR) amd Modulus ofElasticity (MoE) and good compressive strengthproperties.It can be used for flooring, furnituremaking, interior decoration, moulding also.

Chromium in wood preservatives, hence newsolutions to enable copper fixation need to bedeveloped. Dr. Aparna Kalawate, Scientist andher team of IPIRTI, Bangalore has found out thesuitable replacement for Chromium. Thechromium has been replaced with ethanolamine.

The wood preservative composition consisting ofCopper-Ethanolamine-Boron (CEB) has beenformulated and tested against the various wooddestroying organisms. The CEB based wood

preservative developed at IPIRTI providedexcellent results against wood destroying bioagents. The developed chemical can be used fordipping and glue line poisoning method. Theproduct treated with the developed chemical canbe claimed as eco-friendly. The results obtainedfrom the factory trial were satisfactory. Thetechnology is ready for commercialisation.Interested persons may approach institute to takeup this green chemical technology.

Bamboo Strand Lumber (BSL)developed at IPIRTI, Bangalore

EXTENSIONEXTENSIONEXTENSIONEXTENSIONEXTENSION

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Visit to Industries/Organizations:10.04.2012: Mrs. Mamatha B.S., Scientist visitedCentral Power Research Institute (CPRI),Bangalore for FTIR analysis for the resinsdeveloped at the Institute.

08.05.2012: Dr. S.K. Nath, Joint Director, visitedM/s. Hunsur Plywood Industries (P) Ltd.,Hunsur to attend floor level problem of thefactory.

09.05.2012 - 11.05.2012: Shri. S.C. Sahoo,Scientist, IPIRTI, Field Station, Kolkata visitedM/s. S.A Plywood Industries, Coochbehar, NorthBengal to rectify the floor problem and minimizethe formaldehyde emission problem during theplywood manufacturing.

13.05.2012 – 17.05.2012: Mrs. Mamatha B.S.and Dr. Aparna Kalawate, Scientists visited M/s.Mangalam Timbers Products Ltd. Kusumi(Nabarangapur) to take up a laboratory scale trialfor the manufacture of MDF (borer, termite,fungus and fire resistant).

“Shelf Life of Resin” used for plywoodmanufacture.

03.07.2012: Dr. C. N. Pandey, Director, visitedMoEF, New Delhi in connection with IPIRTI’sInternational Conference.

09.07.2012: Dr. S.K. Nath, Joint Director, visitedM/s.Sri RamWood Industries, M/s. Apex PlyBoard, M/s. Kurjan Wood Industries and M/s.Haryana Industries, for data collection under LCAProject.

18.08.2012-19.08.2012: Dr. C. N. Pandey,Director, visited Periyapatnam and Mysore andattended Farmers Association Meeting with Mr.Gaonkar D. S., DCF and also visited Farmers Field(Melia Dubia) at Mysore.

18.10.2012-19.10.2012: Dr. C. N. Pandey,Director, visited IPIRTI-Centre, Mohali in viewof BIS Audit.

Dignitaries visits:18.04.2012: Shri. Manoj Kanoi, Proprietor,M/s. Mass India, visited IPIRTI, Field Station,Kolkata and discussed with Shri. S.C. Sahoo,Scientist on “Testing of Wood life and preservativetreatment for plywood” and submitted samplesfor testing.

22.05.2012: Shri. Ramesh Tiwari, Director,M/s. Salinty Chemicals, Jaipur visited IPIRTI,Field Station, Kolkata and discussed with Shri.S.C. Sahoo, Scientist on “Testing of Bio resin & itssuitability for manufacturing of plywood” forsponsoring a project.

29.05.2012: Dr. S.K. Nath, Joint Director, visitedoffice of Central Excise and Customs office inMeerut to explain Technical enquiries regarding

Mrs. Mamatha B.S. and Dr. Aparna Kalawate, Scientists ofIPIRTI at M/s. Mangalam Timbers Products Ltd.

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22.05.2012: Shri. R.K. Bihani, Director, M/s.Mridul Chemicals, visited IPIRTI, Field Station,Kolkata and discussed with Shri. S.C. Sahoo,Scientist for sponsoring project on efficacy studyof newly developed Extender - XTRABOND-555.

25.05.2012: Dr. J.N. Khinvasara, BusinessDevelopment Manager visited IPIRTI, FieldStation, Kolkata and discussed with Shri. S.C.Sahoo, Scientist on “Testing of reso-5 as a substituteof Phenol for PF resin”.

07.06.2012: A team comprising of Shri. S.S. Bist,IFS, Managing Director, Shri. B.K. Halder,Divisional Manager (Marketing), GeneralManager (North), General Manager (KurseongDivision) from West Bengal Forest DevelopmentCorporation Ltd., visited IPIRTI, Field Station,Kolkata and held meeting with Officer-In-Chargewherein the following points were highlighted :

(a) Need of IPIRTI expertise forrenovation/ up gradation of woodpreservation and seasoning units ofSalugara (North Bengal)

(b) Use of dhupi species which areabundantly available in hilly areas ofKurseong as filler material formanufacture of block board or as pulpfor paper industries.

(c) To strengthen bottom portion of salleaves plate which can be outmostsubstitute of plate made fromthermocol.

(d) Standard methods for retaining thecolour of logs after storage for longtime same that of freshly felled log.

(e) Standard sealant for dead end of logsto avoid crack.

12.06.2012: Shri. Kargeswar Naiya, Inspector,Commercial Sales Tax Department visited IPIRTI,Field Station, Kolkata for inspection ofequipment.

27.06.2012: Shri. Biman Chattopadhyay, Head(Lab), BIS Kolkata visited IPIRTI, Field Station,Kolkata for audit verification on NC’s raisedduring initial audit under BIS Lab RecognitionScheme.

27.07.2012: Shri. Saradindu Sinha, Director,M/s. Galaxy Fire Protection, New Delhi visitedIPIRTI Field Station, Kolkata and had a discussionwith Officer-In-Charge regarding testing of fireresistant door as well as different gradedplywood, seasoning of wood.

• Study on fire performance of door and shutterassemblies and formulation of standards in line withInternational Standards. R .R. No. 161

• Development of self-adhesive core veneerto replace the glue core of the plywood.R.R. No. 162

• Development of technique for productionof face veneers from reconstitutedplantation timbers. R .R. No. 163

• Acoustic studies of panel products anddevelopment of acoustic panel

• Phase – II: Development of acoustic panelfrom depith bagasse. R .R.. No. 164

• Development of technology ofmanufacturing bagasse particle board usinge1 resin. R.R. No. 165

• Evaluation of Earthquake resistant featureof Bamboo Housing System using ShockTable. R .R. No. 166

• Efficacy of Copper- Ethanolamine- Boronbased wood preservative against wooddestroying organisms. R.R. No. 167

RESEARCH REPORTS PUBLISHED

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Highlights of RAC Meeting:Dr. C.N. Pandey, Director, IPIRTI, Bangaloreextended a hearty welcome to Shri. SajjanBhajanka, Chairman of RAC and other membersShri. S.R. Mundra, Managing Director, M/s.Allied Resins & Chemicals Kolkata, Dr.VimalKothiyal, Head of Forest ProductDevelopment, FRI, Dehra Dun, Prof. SunilNautiyal, ISEC, Bangalore, Dr. R.V. Rao,Ex-Scientist, IWST Bangalore and a representativefrom Bureau of Indian Standards, Bangalore.

Dr. Pandey informed that Shri. S. Bhajanka is awell known person in the plywood and panelindustry and complemented the Chairman for hisdynamic leadership to FIPPI and for his efforts inguiding wood industries to overcome theirproblems in the field of R & D.

Initiating the technical discussions, Dr. Nath, JointDirector, IPIRTI informed that all research

MEETINGS / SEMINARS / WORKSHOPS / CONFERENCERESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE (RAC) MEETING

56th Research Advisory Committee Meeting of IPIRTI held on 24thMay, 2012 at IPIRTI, Bangalore

projects are industry driven and being taken upbased on suggestions/ recommendations thatcome out from any one of the following eventsand discussions held with relevant persons:

1) During IPIRTI – Industry interactive meet.2) Recommendation of Workshop, Seminar on

forest related subjects.3) Guidance given by members of RAC and

BOG.4) Problem referred by the industry during visit

of the scientists.5) Problem brought by industry/entrepreneur

during their visit to the institute.6) Based on international scenario in the field

of wood based panel industry.

Progress on the Research Projects completed werereviewed.

A view of 56th RAC meeting held at IPIRTI, Bangalore

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Following New Projects were approved byRAC :

1. WC/102/Testing/2012: Statistical dataanalysis on the properties of wood panelsto augment the quality.

2. WC/103/Review/2012: Review ofmethod of testing fire resistance of plywoodand optimization of test procedure

3. WC/105/PB/2012: Study on suitability ofplantation grown species viz. MeliaDubia forparticle board manufacture.

4 . E S L / 1 0 6 / P r e s e r v a t i v e / 2 0 1 2 :Development of nanobiocide for woodpreservation.

5. WC/107/Testing/2012: Assessment ofrelative toxicity of various panel productsand study the toxicity index behaviour oftreated and untreated wood based panelproducts.

6. WC/108/Panel/2012: Development oflight weight composite panel products.

7. NWC/109/MDF/2012: Development ofMedium density fiber board – Phase 1 –Wheat Straw.

8. WC/110/Resin/2012: 1 year 6 monthsKeratin Modified Urea formaldehyde resinfor particle board and plywood and studyon the durability of panel product.

9. ESL/111/Resin/2012: Enhancing servicelife of plywood by Keratin Modified Ureaformaldehyde resin.

10. WC/112/Extender/2012: Effect ofcassava flour in UF and PF resin for theBonding strength of plywood.

11. WC/116/MDF/2012: Development ofMDF from cassava stem and sunflower stalks.

12. NWC/117/Resin/2012: Development ofbamboo composites with epoxy resin.

4 New Sponsored Projects were ratified bythe members of RAC:

1. SP/93/KFS/Extender/2011: Study onSubstitution of conventional extender/Filler with XTRA BOND of different grades

2. SP/94/KFS/Extender/2012: EfficacyStudy of Alchemix (Extender/Filler) as anadditive for Phenolic & Amino resins forplywood industries

3. SP/95/Bamboo house/2012: Seismicperformance studies on bamboo structuresin North East region

4. SP/96/Resin/2011: Exploratory studieson the utilization of industrial waste for thedevelopment of wood – plastic composites

Progress of 25 ongoing Institute Projects and 6Sponsored Projects were reviewed by RAC

Chairman of RAC Shri. Sajjan Bhajanka expressedhis satisfaction by stating that the selections ofprojects are very good and he appreciatedscientists for their good presentation of projects.He appreciated Dr. C.N. Pandey, Director for hiscontinuous effort in making the Institute to growbigger and for his great contributions &

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achievements. He also appreciated Dr. S.K. Nath,Joint Director for his pleasant presentation andfor contribution in R&D work of the Institute andsupport to the young team of Scientists in theirresearch projects.

BoG MEETING AT IPIRTI BANGALORE

Dr. S.K. Nath, Joint Director extended vote ofthanks to all the members of RAC for theirappreciation and worthy suggestions to the youngteam of Scientists is IPIRTI.

117th meeting of the Board of Governors ofIPIRTI, held at IPIRTI Conference Hall,Bangalore on 04th April, 2012. The meetingwas chaired by Dr. Tishyarakshit Chatterjee,IAS, Secretary to Ministry of Environmentand Forests, Govt. of India,

118th meeting of the Board of Governors ofIPIRTI, held at IPIRTI Conference Hall,Bangalore on 27th July, 2012. The meetingwas chaired by Dr. Tishyarakshit Chatterjee,IAS, Secretary to Ministry of Environmentand Forests, Govt. of India.

22.01.2012: Shri. Anand Nandanwar and Shri.Kiran M.C., Scientists attended Seminar on“Vibration Testing and Applications’’ organized bySaraswati Dynamics at Hotel ITC Gardenia.

06.02.2012: Dr. Aparna Kalawate and Dr. K.Ch.Varadarajulu, Scientists attended one day “Authorsworkshop” organized by Springer and Edanzgroup at the Atria Hotel, Bangalore.

A view of BoG meetings held at IPIRTI, Bangalore

Dr. Aparna Kalawate and Dr. K.Ch. Varadarajulu,Scientists attending one day “Authors workshop

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09.02.2012: Dr. C.N. Pandey, Director, Dr. S.K.Nath, Joint Director, Ms. Sujatha D.,Shri. Uday D.N., Dr. Vipin K Chawla and Shri.Jagadish Vengala Scientists attended AGM meetingof the Institute at New Delhi.

11.02.2012: Dr. Aparna Kalawate and Dr. K.Ch.Varadarajulu Scientists attended one day seminaron “Know Your Wood” during India Woodexhibition at International Exhibition Centre,Bangalore.

14.02.2012: Ms. Sujatha D., Scientist attended themember level discussion meeting to finalizeAnnual Plan 2012-13 of the MoEF at Planningcommission, New Delhi.

14.02.2012: Dr. C.N. Pandey, Director, Dr. S.K.Nath, Joint Director, Shri. Uday D.N. and Shri.Anand Nandanwar, Scientists attended meetingwith German delegates “Hubertus Flototto (ofSourland Spanplatte, Germany), Sleek board andWKI, Germany” regarding collaborative projectat Palm resort Bangalore.

21.02.2012: Shri. Prakash V., Scientist delivereda guest lecture at State Level Bamboo Mela whichwas organized at Kalamandir, Mysore.

16.03.2012-17.03.2012: Dr. Vipin K Chawla,Mrs. Mamtha B.S. and Dr. Ranjana Yadav, Scientistsattended the two days National Seminar onAdvances in Polymeric Materials (APM-2012) andpresented the paper entitled “Formulation andCharacterization of lignin formaldehyde resins asa wood adhesive, Adhesives from Biomaterials forthe green building and Kinetics of alkalinecatalysed Cardanol formaldehyde reaction”organized by Department of Polymer Science &Technology, SK University, Anantapur.

18.03.2012: Dr. C.N. Pandey, Director and Shri.Uday D.N. Scientist visited BCDI, Agartala formaking recommendations for procurement ofBamboo processing machines.

19.03.2012: Shri. Uday D.N, Scientist visitedTripura Forest Development & PlantationCorporation Ltd., Agartala, Tripura to presentpaper on “Bamboo mat Moulded skin Doortechnology” in presence of Hon’ble Minister forForests,Govt. of Tripura.

19.03.2012 – 20.03.2012: Dr. Vipin K Chawla,Scientist has co-ordinated the Workshop on“Construction of Bamboo Houses” held atBuilding Technology Centre and Division ofStructural Engineering, Department of CivilEngineering in Anna University Chennai inassociation with IPIRTI.

19.04.2012: Dr. S.K. Nath, Joint Director,attended a seminar on “Bamboo Housing” andpresented a paper on “Post Harvest Managementand Storage of Bamboo Culm” at Anna University,Chennai.

20.04.2012 – 21.04.2012: Shri. Kiran M.C,Scientist attended Training on “Estimation ofMeasurement Uncertainty in testing andcalibration” as per ISO/IEC 17025-2005 held atTrans Quality System Consultancy PrivateLimited, Bangalore.

24.04.2012: Dr. S.K. Nath, Joint Director,attended CED-20 Meeting of Bureau of IndianStandards at BIS office in Bangalore and presentednew standard on “Emission of Formaldehyde fromPanel Products”.

05.05.2012: Dr. C.N. Pandey, Director, Dr. S. K.Nath, Joint Director, Ms. Sujatha D.,

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Shri. Anand Nandanwar, Shri. Narasimha Murthyand Shri. Kiran M.C, Scientists attended theBureau of Indian Standards Seventeenth Meetingon Wood and other Ligno-cellulose productsSectional committee, CED:20, CED:20:1 andCED:20:6 held at BIS office, Bangalore.

20.05.2012 - 21.05.2012: Dr. C.N. Pandey,Director, visited IPIRTI-Centre, Mohali and heldReview Committee Meeting to discuss with ShriA. R. Talwar, IAS, Principle Secretary atDepartment of Industries and Commerce,Udhyog Bhawan, Punjab regarding the Progressof the Mohali, Centre.

29.05.2012: Dr. C.N. Pandey, Director,attended National Consultation on Development,Construction and Dissemination of Cost EffectiveTechnologies at Gulmohar Hall, India HabitatCentre, New Delhi organized by BMTPC.

08.06.2012: Dr. C.N. Pandey, Director,attended the meeting of Departmental PeerReview Committee at ICFRE, Dehradun as aSubject Expert.

20.06.2012: Shri. Uday D.N., Scientist presentedpaper on “Processing of Rubber wood for plywoodand panel industries” in the seminar organized byM/s. M & M, Cochin.

22.06.2012: Dr. C.N. Pandey, Director and Dr.Aparna Kalawate, Scientist met Dr. Lalit Varshneyand Shri. Subrata Dutta from BARC, Mumbai andhad discussion regarding the project entitled“Utilization of radiation technology to increase thepreservation quality of wood by inhibition ofwood rotting fungi and Insects”, sanctioned fromBARC, Mumbai.

29.06.2012: Dr. C.N. Pandey, Director, Dr. S. K.Nath, Joint Director, Shri. Anand Nandanwar,Shri. Jagadish Venagala, Shri. Narasimha Murthyand Dr. Aparna Kalawate, Scientists had discussionwith Mr. Birthold from WKI, Germany regardingthe collaborative project.

06.07.2012 – 07.07.2012: Shri. S.C. Sahoo,Scientist, IPIRTI, Field Station, Kolkata hasundertaken NABL training on “Estimation ofUncertainty in Chemical Measurement as per IS/ISO 17025” at CETE Kolkata.

21.08.2012 – 22.08.2012: Dr. S.K. Nath, JointDirector, attended a Seminar on “Life CycleManagement” organized by FICCI, New Delhi.

31.08.2012: Dr. C.N. Pandey, Director,attended APAFRI Sixth General Assembly atGuangzhou, China as an official representative ofIPIRTI.

01.09.2012 – 03.09.2012: Dr. C.N. Pandey,Director, participated in the InternationalSymposium on Sustainable Management ofTropical Forest organized by Research Instituteof Tropical Forestry at Guangzhou, China.

Dr. C. N. Pandey , Director IPIRTI with APAFRI committeemembers in China

IPIRTI – SIPMA INTERACTIVE MEET

Highlights:Following issues were discussed during the meet:1. Issues pertaining to Licensing of Saw

Mill/Veneer/Plywood IndustriesIt transpired in the discussion that there are severalPlywood and Veneer Industries coming up in thestate without license in view of existing ambiguitycreated by decisions of Supreme Court of Indiaand Karnataka High Court. The delegatesrequested the State Government to take censusof all the units and take action to issue licenses tothese industries, so that they can continueproduction within the parameters of the law incompliance with the Orders of the SupremeCourt of India and Karnataka High Court.

2. Identification of fast growing species3. Establishment of Nurseries of chosen

species by Karnataka ForestDepartment

4. Supply of quality planting material –Melia Dubia

It was resolved that, Wood based industriesincluding SIPMA in association with Institutes like

IPIRTI – SIPMA INTERACTIVE MEET was heldon 11th May 2012 at IPIRTI, Bangalore

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Institute of Wood Science & Technology (IWST),Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding(IFGTB), Research Wings of Karnataka ForestDepartment and Agricultural Universities shouldwork jointly to identify fast growing plantationtimber species under different agro climatic zonesin the Southern states, so that industry is assuredof raw materials security. It was further resolvedthat, Indian Plywood Industries Research &Training Institute (IPIRTI), Bangalore will take thelead in coordinating the production of qualityseedling of Melia Dubia in co-ordination withIWST, IFGTB, Karnataka Research Wings,Agricultural Universities and Tree GrowersSocieties. The IPIRTI will also co-ordinate theproduction of seedlings through micro and macropropogation of Melia Dubia through appropriateorganization including progressive farmers andTree Growers Societies.

5. Lifting of restrictions on cutting andtransporting of timber

It was resolved to take Melia Dubia and other nonforest grown species of industrial raw material(Timber) from the purview of restrictions offelling and transporting under the Karnataka TreePreservation Act (KTP Act) and Karnataka ForestAct as it is not a components of natural forests, itis grown outside the forest by individual farmersthrough their efforts and investment. Hence,restrictions will become a major impediment ingrowing tree crops outside the forest area. Thespecies has been found very suitable for Woodbased industries in general and Plywood & Veneerindustries in particular. This will generate goodincome to the farmers and encourage them toextend the tree growth outside the reservedforest in pursuance of Indian Forest Policy 1988on expanding the forest and tree cover up to 33%.

A view of IPIRTI-SIPMA meet

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6. Requirement of Fumigation Certificatefor Imported Logs

In view of the difficulties faced by many importersin general and plywood industries in particularwith regard to the Phyto Sanitary Certificaterequirements of Fumigation with Methyl Bromidewhich is banned all over the world, as exportingcountries are unable to treat the logs and as ourGovernment is insisting on this treatment, theimports are getting affected causing hardship andnon-availability of logs. IPIRTI was requested totake up the matter suitably with the AgriculturalMinistry to sort out the issue on emergency basis

and prescribe such treatment as is accepted oralternately prescribe this Methyl BromideTreatment at the Indian ports till a final decisionis taken in the matter.

It was also resolved to request FinancialInstitutions like NABARD and Schedule Banks toprovide financial assistance to take up the treefarming at a subsidized or differential rate ofinterest to promote greening of India as far aspossible involving Agricultural FinanceCorporation of India to provide subsidies.

Shri. S.R. Mundra, Managing Director, M/s.ARCL Organics Ltd., Kolkata and Dr. C.N.Pandey, Director, IPIRTI, Bangalore signedand exchanged a MoU for a Joint ResearchProgramme entitled “Adhesive for Wood basedPanel Products” on 14th February, 2012 atIPIRTI, Bangalore.

MoU’s

Shri. Krishan Myer, Trustee, Centre forHousing Science and Construction Technology(CHSCT), Chennai and Dr. C.N. Pandey,Director, IPIRTI, Bangalore signed andexchanged a MoU for the “Collaborative workrelated to Pre-fabricated Bamboo Housing” on29th February, 2012 at IPIRTI, Bangalore.

Dr. C. N. Pandey, Director, IPIRTI and Shri. S.R. Mundra,MD, M/s. ARCL Organics Ltd., exchanging signed MoU inpresence of Shri. Rajesh Mundra, M/s. ARCL Organics Ltd.

and Dr. S. K. Nath, JD IPIRTI

Dr. C. N. Pandey, Director, IPIRTI and Shri. Krishna Myer,Trustee, CHSCT exchanging signed MoU in presence of Dr.Vipin K Chawla and Shri. Jagdish Vengala, Scientists, IPIRTI

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HIGHLIGHTS OF IPIRTI’s GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATION AND INTERNATIONALCONFERENCE ON “FUTURE OF PANEL INDUSTRY- CHALLENGES AND KEY ISSUES”

Inaugural FunctionTo commemorate the Golden Jubilee Year-2012of IPIRTI an International Conference on “Futureof Panel Industry – Challenges & Key Issues” wasorganized from 26th-28th September, 2012. TheInternational Conference was inaugurated byDr. Tishyarakshit Chatterjee, IAS, Hon’ble

♦ Dr. Abd Latif Mohmod, D.G, FRIM,Malaysia

♦ Dr. Maharaj Muthoo, President, RomanForum, Italy

♦ Shri. Sajjan Bhajanka, President, FIPPI,New Delhi

♦ Mr. Ladislaus Döry, President, EuropeanPanel Federation, Brussels

A Presentation on IPIRTI’s 50 years of Excellencewas given by Ms. Sujatha D., Senior Scientist,IPIRTI. Shri. S.S. Zoolagud, Ex-Joint Directorof IPIRTI shared his old memories of IPIRTI. Dr.Abd Latif Mohmod, D.G. FRIM congratulatedIPIRTI on its Golden Jubilee Celebration and saidthat celebrating 50 years of meaningful existenceafter the culmination of year long hardship untilthe Institute grew from a tiny to a mightyorganization is undeniably praise worthy. Hehighlighted the scenario of wood based panels ofworld in general and Malaysia in specific. Heapplauded IPIRTI for commissioning the

Secretary, MoEF, New Delhi on 26.09.2012. Thewelcome address was given by Dr. C. N. Pandey,Director, IPIRTI and he invited the Chief guestand the following Guests of Honour on the dias:

Dignitaries on the dias

Lighting of the lamp by Dr. Tishyarakshit Chatterjee, IAS,Hon’ble Secretary, MoEF,

International Conference to embark on theresearch papers and discussion on new issuesconnected with the wood-based panel industry.He also said that through this InternationalConference all can make appropriate choices insetting up the direction of the technologicalinnovations in wood-based panel industries tomeet the global issues.

Dr. Maharaj Muthoo, President, Roman Forum,at the very outset recalled his association with Ex-Director, Late Dr. P.M. Ganapathy, IFS andappreciated him for his initiation in establishing aTraining Centre for Mechanical Wood IndustriesTechnology at IPIRTI, Bangalore. Further he alsohighlighted the scenario of wood raw materials andstatus of wood certification in India.

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Mr. Ladislaus Döry, President, EPF delivered aKey-Note address.He gave a scenario on World

Dr. Maharaj Muthoo, President, Roman Forum delivering a talk

Shri. Sajjan Bhajanka, President, FIPPI delivering a talk

Inaugural Address by Dr. Tishyarakshit Chatterjee, IASSecretary, MoEF

The Chief Guest, Dr. Tishyarakshit Chatterjee inhis inaugural address said that he was delighted toparticipate in Golden Jubilee Celebration ofIPIRTI. He also mentioned that during these 50years IPIRTI has rendered outstanding services tothe nation. He congratulated the Directors,Scientists, Technicians and the Administrative staffof the Institute and also all those who have

Forest based Sector and highlighted the substantialforest management system. He said that India haslarge and excellent future in this wood based panelproducts technology and industry. He wished andcongratulated IPIRTI and also whole Indian Woodindustries sectors for many many years of successand a long life.

Shri. Sajjan Bhajanka, President, FIPPI gave apresentation on Wood based Panel Industries inIndia

Mr. Ladislaus Döry, President, EPF delivering a Key-Noteaddress.

contributed in promoting the activities of IPIRTIduring the last 50 years to reach the heights ofbeing recognized as a premier research Institute.He appreciated IPIRTI for which it hastransformed itself from a small Institute to uniqueand renowned Centre for R & D, developmentand Training related to panel products from woodand other lignocellulosics. He said that it was veryinteresting to know that global concern forprotection of environment and conservation ofbiodiversity are reflected in the researchprogramme of IPIRTI. He appreciated the R & Dactivities and subsequently Testing and Trainingactivities of IPIRTI. He informed that IPIRTIshould take-up R & D which would suit the futureneeds. He stressed to have more Bilateralagreements with countries like Malaysia, Chinaetc. who are also engaged in the similar R & Dactivities.

Dr. Tishyarakshit Chatterjee, IAS released theSouvenir of the Golden Jubilee and InternationalConference.

Dr. S.K. Nath extended Vote of thanks andpresented memento to the dignitaries on the dias.

Technical SessionsThe two days Technical Sessions on 27th and 28th

September 2012, included 7 country statuspapers from China, Malaysia, Brussels, Indonesia,Italy, India, Bangladesh with 9 lead papers fromIndia, USA, Netherlands and nearly 23 technicalpapers were presented on the following themes:

♦♦♦♦♦ STATUS OF PANEL INDUSTRY -COUNTRY SCENARIO

♦♦♦♦♦ RAW MATERIAL DEMAND &SUPPLY

♦♦♦♦♦ TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION &VALUE ADDITION:PRODUCTS, PROCESS/ RESIN/PRESERVATIVE/ EVALUATION OFPROPERTIES

♦♦♦♦♦ HRD & MARKETING♦♦♦♦♦ CERTIFICATION, POLICY & LEGAL

ISSUESThe Technical Sessions was followed by PlenarySession and the following Recommendations weremade based on the themes projected in theconference:

Theme I : Status of Panel Industry-Country ScenarioThe scenario of panel industries are rapidlychanging around the world. Most of the panelindustries are shifting towards increasedproduction of particle board, Medium DensityFibre board and Oriented strand board while theplywood production is almost getting stabilizedbecause of the diminishing supply of largerhardwood peeler logs. In India we are stillpracticing the production of traditional plywoodwhich occupies about 80% of the total paneldemand in the country. With the increasing annualdemand of the panel production, our country alsoneeds to diversify in the production of engineered

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Releasing the Souvenir during the International Conference

panel products like LVL, particle board, MediumDensity Fibre board and Oriented strand board.

Theme II: Raw Material : Demand &Supplya. To ensure long term industry access to adequate

wood supplies on sustainable basis, forestmanagement policies and practices need to beimproved, specific policy is required to beframed to promote and support plantation oftrees on agriculture and other lands outsideforests.

b. Suitable incentives for growth anddevelopment of farm forestry andsimplification of restrictive regime of treefelling permits and timber transit rules forfarm grown timbers. Only certified producersshould be allowed to market seedlings. Raisinghigh quality planting materials and theestablishment of centralized hi-tech nurseriesand a network of satellite nurseries throughoutthe country.

c. Constitution of a National Forum/AgroForestry Board under the administrativecontrol of MoEF, GoI. Integration of Agroforestry programme with the forestry sectorand combine management and supportfunction within Forest system.

d. Contract farming should be formed.

e. Buyback programme of timber for theplantation has to be worked out i.e., to bringin Guarantee of Buying (Planter and thebuyer).

Theme III : Technological Innovation andValue Addition

a. Encourage the transfer of state of ar ttechnology and innovation for production ofspeciality and value added products.

b. Develop long term R&D programmes forall wood panel sectors and reinforce existingindustry advisory committee to guide theimplementation of the industries R & Dprogramme.

c. Exchange of scientific knowledge amongresearch organization in the field of paneltechnology, machinery, process applicationetc., and networking among forestrydepartments, Research Institutions andIndustry.

d. Encourage industry-government co-operation on environmental issues such asenvironmental impact and occupationalhealth hazards.

e. Value addition through technologicalinnovation can be achieved by utilization ofagro/forest residues which are availableplenty in our country and can be convertedinto panel products. This not only adds toeconomy but also reduces pressure on foreststhereby improving environment andecology.

f. With the increasing globalization there is aneed to standardize the product at par withthe international standards. This wouldenhance the product life, meet the users needand benefit economically for the user.

g. Process improvement in par with ISOstandards would bring environmentalconsciousness among the users group.

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A view of delegates during the technical session

h. Internationalization of R & D to theindustries.

Theme IV : HRD & Marketinga. Wood and panel products are versatile

engineered and structural component.Training needs in India are not available atthe graduate/post graduate level in theuniversity on wood science & technology.There is an urgent need to develop coursecurriculum, induction of these courses intechnical institutes/ universities besidesstrengthening & upgrading the existingtraining courses conducted in India.

b. In the absence of authentic data on thetotal production/consumption in Indiadefinite marketing network could not becreated in India. This is mainly due to theunorganized nature of the panel industriesin our country.

c. Constitution of a National Timber TradeAssociation in association with other trade,Commerce & Industry federations andInstitutes and also establish an appropriatetimber trade and market information.Promotion organization in the countryalso needs to be established.

d. Establishment of a forum for periodicdiscussions between MoEF, Ministry of

Industry, Ministry of Commerce &recognized associations of wood basedindustries to review and evolveappropriate timber trades and marketinformation and promotion mechanismincluding a periodical timber bulletin.

e. Strengthening of Marketing Research isneeded to provide information regardingturnover, resource usage and manpower.

Theme V: Certification, Policy & LegalIssues:

a. The increased demand for forestcertification is likely to affect the economicprospects of many farm forestry/Agroforestry areas in India unless these areasare certified. The success of such a systemlargely depends on its credibility at bothlocal and global contexts. So far, India hassecured one FSC forest management unitcertificate and a few chain of custodycertification is mainly by small and mediumcompanies to meet export demand. Butthe situation is likely to change due toincreased demand for forest certificationin the global market and the high growthof Indian economy. The impact of suchdemand on forest based industries andgrowers particularly those of small andmedium scale in India will be severe unlessthey secure forest certification. To addressthis situation, there is a need to ensureadequate forest certifications in thecountry.

b. Need to ensure forest certification forintelligent ecological use of the wood.

c. Develop International acceptancecertification scheme of sustainablymanaged forestry.

d. Certified processing of managed forestryto maintain the image for panel industrieshas to be worked out.

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Dr. C. N. Pandey, Director, IPIRTI concluding the TechnicalSession in the presence of Dr. Lakshmana Murthy, IFS, Regional

Director, FSI, Mr. Ladislaus Dory, President, European PanelFederation and V. Ramakrishnan, Leitz India Ltd., Bangalore

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POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA COURSE INWOOD AND PANEL PRODUCTSTECHNOLOGY23rd Batch of One year Post-graduate Diploma inWood and Panel Products Technology forgraduates in Science or Engineering is in progresswherein 19 candidates are undergoing training.

SHORT TERM TRAINING COURSESA short term training course on “Plywoodmanufacturing technology” was conductedduring2 January – 8February, 2012 for 6candidates at IPIRTI Field Station, Kolkata.

A short term training course on “Testing ofplywood as per IS: 1328, 710 & 4990” wasconducted during13 – 17 February, 2012 for thecandidates sponsored by Plywood industry atIPIRTI Centre, Mohali.

A short term training course on “BambooPreservation & Bamboo Joints” was conductedduring 26-30 March, 2012 for 15 candidatessponsored by M/s. Centre for Green BuildingMaterial and Technology (CGBMT), Bangalore atIPIRTI, Bangalore.

A short term training course on “Resinmanufacturing” was conducted during 26-30March, 2012 for 3 candidates sponsored byPlywood industry at IPIRTI Field Station,Kolkata.

A special training course on “Development of Skillson Bamboo sector” was conducted during 11 April– 11 May, 2012 for 8 candidates sponsored byDirectorate of Commerce & Industries, Govt. ofManipur at IPIRTI, Bangalore.

A special training course for Bamboo BasedIndustries was conducted during 14-18 May 2012for 13 candidates sponsored by M/s. Centre forGreen Building Material and Technology(CGBMT), Bangalore at IPIRTI, Bangalore.

A short term training course on “Block board &Flush door Manufacturing” was conducted during30 April – 4 May, 2012 for 5 candidates sponsoredby plywood industry at IPIRTI, Field Station,Kolkata.

A special short term training course for BambooBased Industries was conducted during 14-18 May2012 for the candidates sponsored by M/s.Centre for Green Building Material andTechnology (CGBMT), Bangalore at IPIRTI,Bangalore.

A short term training course on “Band Saws andTCT Saws” was conducted during 21-25 May, 2012for 5 candidates sponsored by Directorate ofFisheries, Lakshadweep, Kavaratti at IPIRTI,Bangalore.

TRAININGTRAININGTRAININGTRAININGTRAINING

Students from Manipur undergoing training on Development ofSkills in Bamboo Sector

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A short term training course on “ParticleboardManufacturing” was conducted during 21–25 May,2012 for 7 candidates sponsored by plywoodindustry at IPIRTI, Field Station, Kolkata.

A short term training course on “Testing of blockboard and flush door as per IS 1659 & 2202” wasconducted during 21-25 May, 2012 for 3candidates sponsored by plywood industry atIPIRTI Centre, Mohali.

A short term training course on “Saw milling &Saw doctoring” was conducted during 23-27 July,2012 for 16 candidates sponsored by Govt. SawMills at Chatam & Betapur at IPIRTI, Bangalore.

A short term training course on “Wood seasoning& wood preservation” was conducted during 23-

27 July, 2012 for 5 candidates sponsored by Govt.Saw Mills at Chatam & Betapur at IPIRTI,Bangalore.

A short term training course on “Plywoodmanufacturing technology” was conducted during23-27 July, 2012 for 6 candidates sponsored byPlywood Industry at IPIRTI, Bangalore.

A short term training course on “Plywoodmanufacturing technology” was conducted during01-31 August, 2012 for 12 candidates sponsoredby Plywood Industry at IPIRTI, Field Station,Kolkata.

A short term training course on “Testing ofPlywood, Block board and Flush door” wasconducted during 16-20 September, 2012 for 4candidates sponsored by Plywood Industry atIPIRTI, Field Station, Kolkata.

A short term training course on “Testing ofplywood and block board as per IS: 303, 710,1328, 4990, 1659” was conducted during 6-10August, 2012 for 2 candidates sponsored byPlywood Industry at IPIRTI, Bangalore.

A short term training course on “Testing of Flushdoor and skin door” was conducted during 27-30August, 2012 for 2 candidates sponsored byPlywood Industry at IPIRTI, Bangalore.

A. Training Course for IFS OfficersTwo days training workshop was conducted on“Contribution of Forests Plantation in LivelihoodSupport and Industrial Production” for 23 IFSOfficers from different states sponsored by MoEF,New Delhi at IPIRTI, Bangalore during 05th to 06th

January, 2012.

Staff from Directorate of Fisheries, Lakshadweep, Kavarattiundergoing training at IPIRTI, Bangalore.

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C. Training Programme for KannurUniversity students

A Special Training course and practicals wereconducted on “Sawmilling & Saw doctoring andWood working & Wood finishing” during 13th to24th February, 2012 for the final year students ofM.Sc in Wood Science & Technology from KannurUniversity.

Centre for Ph.D Registration

Two candidates Shri. K. Thanigai (Scientist,IPIRTI, Bangalore) and Shri. Ganesh Gopal

T.M., Kerala enrolled for Ph.D in the field ofWood Science and Technology at IPIRTI,

Bangalore as IPIRTI has been recognized as aNodal Centre for Ph.D Registration under FRI

Deemed University, Dehradun.

B. Training Course for InternationalCandidates

A Special Training Course on “PlywoodManufacturing and Resin ManufacturingTechnology” was conducted during 3rd to 31st

October, 2012 for 10 candidates sponsored byRai Plywood (K) Ltd, Kenya at IPIRTI,Bangalore.

Mr. Tim Sundermann and Mr. Johannes Freyfrom University for Sustainable Development,Eberswalde, WKI, Germany undergone theInternship on the Project entitled “BambooLumber”, which targets the use of engineeredbamboo as construction material at IPIRTI,Bangalore during March 17th, 2012 to July 31st,2012.

Staff from Rai Plywood(K) Ltd undergoing one monthtraining at IPIRTI, Bangalore.

MSc.Students from Kannur University

Mr. Tim Sundermann and Mr. Johannes Frey from Universityfor Sustainable Development, Eberswalde, WKI, Germany

undergoing training

IPIRIPIRIPIRIPIRIPIRTITITITITI, P. B. No. 2273, Tumkur Road, Bangalore - 560 022, INDIA, Telephone: 30534000, 30534002(Director), (General) 30534000-99 (PABX) Fax: 91-80-28396361, E-mail: contactus@ipir ti.gov.in, websites: http://www.ipir ti.gov.in, bamboocomposites.com

President-IPIRTI Society, Minister for Environment and Forests, Govt. of India Smt. Jayanthi NatarajanChairman, Board of Governors - Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India Dr. Tishyarakshit Chatterjee, IASDirector & Principal Executive Officer Dr. C. N. Pandey

Editorial Team :

Editor: Smt. Ravikala KamathAssociate Editor: Smt. C. S. LalithambaMembers: Shri K. Thanigai and Shri Jagadish Vengala

Graphics & Layout: Shri. Ashok Kumar A.CPhotographs Shri. H.H. Thippeshappa

D.T. P Assistance Ms. K. Nadhiya

Supervision and Guidance : Dr. C. N. Pandey, Director, IPIRTI, Bangalore

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IPIRTI NEWS Records with profound sorrow thesad demise of Dr. Joseph George on 9th July, 2012.

Dr. Joseph George was a “Man of Environmentand Forests” as he loved and admired nature verymuch. He beautified IPIRTI with various speciesof trees and bamboo and had them brought fromvarious parts of the nation. He was an avid birdwatcher and sparked that enthusiasm in many.

Dr. Joseph George was the Director of IPIRTIfrom 1970 - 1979

Dr, George was an eminent Scientist with over100 publications in various fields and over 35publications during his service in IPIRTI. He gotan Indian Patent IP-141649 in 1977 for his finding“an adhesive composite based on natural polyphenols.”Realising the need for systematic Training in WoodScience and Technology, which at that point of timewas an unorganized sector, Dr. George conductedthree Plywood technical courses in Wood Scienceand Technology with emphasis on Wood Panelduring 1970, 71 and 74.

Dr. George never let his age deter him fromquenching his thirst for research and continued tillone week before he was hospitalized. During histenure as Director in IPIRTI, he had his own littlelaboratory in the vicinity of IPIRTI where he spentmost of his time.

More than all, he was a person of great humilityand was always cordial towards scientists and staffmembers of this Institute. IPIRTIANS fondlyremember forever Dr. George and hiscontributions to IPIRTI.

MAY HIS NOBLE SOUL REST IN ETERNALPEACE.

A Tribute

Dr. Joseph GeorgeEx-Director, IPIRTI, Bangalore