OSB panels are strong, cost effective and ideal for crating
OSB stands for Oriented Strand Board. It is a manufactured wood panel that is used interchangeably with plywood in home construction. OSB and plywood have similar uses and properties, but OSB is less expensive.
While both OSB and plywood are manufactured wood, the fabrication processes are different.
Plywood: Debarked logs are “shaved” by a lathe producing thin layers of wood veneers. Many layers are stacked with each tier laid perpendicular to the previous one. The layers are bonded together with glue, heat and pressure.
OSB: Debarked wood is shredded into small pieces, and then layered in a binder material. The panel is formed under heat and pressure. OSB is identified by its unique pattern of wood strands.
OSB is denser than plywood making it about 10% heavier. OSB is more uniform than plywood and has better shear strength. OSB and plywood can be made in a variety of thicknesses. When OSB was first introduced into the market place in 1978, it was deemed to have poor moisture resistance. Since then, binders have been modified that give OSB much better moisture properties. In general OSB is a durable, versatile and cost effective product that is used in construction, furniture production and packaging/crating.
Currently OSB prices are at lows (for the last 3 years) while many other types of wood are still near historic high points.
Packnet’s Slotlock ™ container uses OSB panels. The Slotlock™ container is a unique system of interlocking panels that provides a strong, rugged container that is assembled with no hardware such as nails, staples, clips or screws. Product can be loaded onto the base with the container partially assembled, making it easier to shift the product into position. This saves wear and tear on employees as they don’t need to reach and bend. Slotlock™ containers are faster to assemble; you don’t need to mess around with nailing or screwing. Because OSB is so durable, the Slotlock™ container can be reused many times over, saving packaging material costs.
The video below is a testimonial from a happy customer using the Slotlock container:
