Reconstructed and reimagined

OSB Mill Line Rebuild

After a fire damaged their oriented strand board (OSB) mill in Timmins, Ontario, Mallette needed quick and efficient reconstruction to get back on track. Problem was, it was the middle of winter in Northern Ontario. We joined the project as multi-discipline engineering designers and construction supervisors and set out to help Mallette get their mill up and running again.

We set up a remote engineering office, selected equipment, provided detailed design, and participated in construction management, commissioning, and startup. Before the fire, the plant could only achieve about 70% of its design basis. Taking advantage of the heavy reconstruction, our teams worked with Mallette to improve their systems—with very little additional cost—allowing the plant to significantly surpass its design production rate.

Constructing through the winter meant several innovative approaches. One example? We had to dry ice blast the press frames and plates to remove shipping protectant (the grease applied for protective coating).

The good news though—the project was completed on time and on budget. With facility upgrades and cold-weather construction rolled in, Mallette was able to minimize their downtime and get the mill running again.