The 14-member team led of door manufacturers from India, Indonesia and Philippines visited the Sauerland factory in Gotha Germany on the sidelines of Ligna exhibition. The fifth educational trip organised by Sauerland for its customers from ASEAN area. The team was led by Nitin Vaze CEO, Sleek Boards Marketing Services LLP for exposure and education for the ASEAN door industry.

During the tour the manufacturers visited the massive factory and witnessed the fire test of all 100 per cent engineered material door which exceeded 60 minutes. It showed the most economical way to make the fire rated doors, lighter in weight with no additives or inorganic fillers. Later, a visit to the two leading door factories saw that none of the door manufacturers use any flat pressed board as infill or filler board in door manufacture due to its swelling in thickness property which can be a great disaster in life, durability and finishing of the door.

Sauerland started supplying in fill or the tubular filler boards to the ASEAN door industry in 2007 and has deeply impacted on the use of timber use and has grown in its use in internal doors and main doors. Although the product is in use for over 65 years globally and exported to over 78 countries with approximately 100,000 doors being made daily somewhere in the world the ASEAN area is yet decades behind in the specifications with timber infill whilst rest of the world is already manufacturing the modern and eco-friendly door.

Key improved properties in doors with tubular in fill are:
Sound insulation: Extruded tubular and solid boards offer a wide range of sound insulation results for light weight construction as well as high end solutions.

Fire resistance: The board being produced by extrusion method the particle direction is predominantly vertical to surface which in case of exposure to fire provide a low rate of burning.

Construction: The density in solid areas that is walls of board is high 500 kgs/m3 minimum. Further the arch principle as in case of construction of dams or bridges give high impact resistance.

Thickness tolerance: Critical thickness tolerance of +/-0.1mm in the board gives rid of telegraphing as the board calibrated board gives a beautiful surface finish and a good bond between the skin and the board.

Low emission: All Sauerland products are E1 norm for formaldehyde emission. Lower levels are also possible against special production runs.