Accsys Tech Regulatory News (AXS)

20 Mar 2006 07:01

Accsys Technologies PLC20 March 2006 20th March 2006AIM: AXS Accoya wood to Set "New Standards of Reliability" across Windows, Doors and Cladding Markets Following BSW Timber's recent Press Release, which is reproduced below, AccsysTechnologies PLC comments as follows: • BSW recognises the market potential for Accoya wood, with its exceptional attributes: dimensional stability, durability, reliability and sustainability; • BSW will promote Accoya wood to UK & Ireland's major window, door manufacturers and joinery firms and has further plans to market Accoya wood in the timber cladding sector through the A. Proctor Group Ltd.; • BSW has forged an exclusive agreement with leading coatings supplier Akzo Nobel Sikkens to provide a package of coatings guarantees for windows and doors that is set to create a new industry benchmark; and • Extensive testing has yielded impressive results, endorsed by British Research Establishment. BSW Press Release reads as follows: " BSW Timber, the UK's largest sawmillinggroup, is hoping a new high performance wood will significantly increase itsshare in the windows, doors and cladding markets. The company has signed an agreement with Titan Wood to be the exclusive supplieracross the UK and Ireland of Accoya wood - a modified, environmentally friendlywood that offers outstanding levels of performance, stability andsustainability. Following two years of extensive research, BSW is now promoting Accoya wood tomany of the UK's leading window and door manufacturers as well as joinery firms,and is further planning a route to market for the timber cladding sector throughthe A Proctor Group. BSW has also signed an exclusive agreement with leadingcoatings supplier Akzo Nobel Sikkens to provide a high quality finish for thenew product. Accoya wood offers performance attributes that are equivalent to or better thanthe best tropical hardwoods and superior to many artificial materialalternatives. It is produced using a patented process that adapts sustainablygrown softwoods and non-durable hardwoods by increasing the amount of acetylmolecules present in the wood. Natural wood has 2% acetyl molecules, oak has 4%and Accoya wood has 20%. Wood acetylation protects wood from rot by making it inedible to mostmicro-organisms and insects, without making it toxic. It also greatly reducesthe wood's tendency to swell and shrink, making it less prone to cracking andensuring that when painted it requires dramatically reduced maintenance. Since acetyl molecules are already present in all wood species, the process doesnot introduce anything that does not occur naturally in wood and Accoya wood istherefore completely non-toxic. John Alexander, Head of Business Development at BSW Timber, says: "Accoya woodwill raise standards of reliability and performance for timber windows, doorsand cladding to new levels. It is a high performance wood product, which hasexcellent environmental credentials and is more sustainable than other materialsused in non-timber windows and doors. "Testing of Accoya wood for machining properties, gluing and coatings has nowbeen completed, with excellent results. We now offer a product that has newlevels of warranty against decay and a new warranty for quality coatingfinishes, and does not require any further preservative treatment at joinerycompanies' factories. "Significantly, these benefits are endorsed and backed by leading third partytechnical experts such as the British Research Establishment. And our two-yearcommercial partnership with Akzo Nobel Sikkens will offer a solution for joinerycompanies looking for new market opportunities and increased manufacturingefficiencies. "We aim for this advanced technology to contribute to our partner and customersuccess in the joinery products market, as well as helping them compete withnon-wood products and imported timber windows." Customer trials of Accoya wood in key product applications are currentlyunderway in the UK with BSW and Titan Wood interested in establishing referenceprojects for the UK, in cladding in particular, during the next four to sixmonths. Trial material, at maximum four metres lengths, is coming to the UK from TitanWood's large-scale pilot plant in the Netherlands. Titan Wood is presentlybuilding a 30,000 m3 commercial scale production plant, with start-up due inSeptember 2006. Initial commercial volumes are expected to be available in the UK through BSWtowards the end of 2006. Larger volumes will be available in the in 2007 oncethe Dutch operating plant achieves full operating conditions. BSW Timber plansto establish a BSW Accoya wood production plant in the UK as the marketmaterialises." ACCOYA is a registered trademark owned by Titan Wood Limited ENDS For further information, please contact: Accsys Technologies PLC Collins Stewart Parkgreen CommunicationsWilliam Paterson-Brown, Andrew Smith / Martin Eales Justine Howarth / Ana RibeiroExecutive Chairman+44 (0) 20 7598 4040 +44 (0) 20 7523 8000 +44 (0) 20 7493 3713www.accsysplc.com Notes to Editors: BSW Timber in the UK / Europe • BSW Timber is the largest sawmilling business in Great Britain. The company has six sawmills in the UK and one in Latvia, producing a total of over 600,000m3 of sawn timber per year. • BSW Timber supply sawn timber products to customers in the Construction, Pallet and Packaging, Fencing and Garden Products sectors. • BSW is committed to supporting sustainable forestry, and use FSC certification by independent auditors as a way to display this. • All BSW Timber sawmills have FSC Chain of Custody Certificates, and all timber supplied from UK sawmills is FSC certified. • BSW Timber's Group Headquarters is in Earlston, Berwickshire. Its six UK sawmills are based in: o Boat of Garten, Inverness-shire / Fort William, Inverness-shire / Petersmuir, East Lothian / Carlisle, Cumbria / Newbridge-on-Wye, Powys / Senghenydd, Mid Glamorgan Accsys Technologies - owns the rights to a number of processes, including hightemperature cracking and cellulose modification. Accsys' core technologies haveeither existing patent protection or pending patent applications. Accsys isfocusing its energies on the launch of its Titan Wood business: once thisbusiness has been established, the Directors intend to pursue other technologieswithin its portfolio. Wood Acetylation - Wood acetylation is a process which increases the amount of 'acetyl' molecules in wood, thereby changing its physical properties. Theprocess protects wood from rot by making it "inedible" to most micro-organismsand insects, without - unlike conventional treatments - making it toxic. Italso greatly reduces the wood's tendency to swell and shrink, making it lessprone to cracking and ensuring that when painted it requires dramaticallyreduced maintenance. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange