Bamboo Cultivation
Timing plays a crucial role when harvesting bamboo poles. As a matter of fact, knowing when and how to harvest bamboo has been one of the most important and traditional bamboo preservation methods in areas with smaller resources.
Some say harvesting bamboo according to the right season or moon phase is hocus-pocus, but it is NOT! Studies show that when bamboo is not harvested correctly (and left untreated) it will deteriorate much faster and is more attractive to borers. Therefore, good harvesting practices will enhance the resistance of the bamboo poles and will retain their strength.
To understand why timing is so important, we just have to look at the composition of bamboo. Bamboo possesses large amounts of starch (sugars) which are the principle nutrients for parasites, borers and fungi. When carbohydrates are reduced, the bamboo culm will be more naturally resistant to those biological degrading organisms.
Selection and Harvest
Only mature bamboo culms of 4-6 years old that grow on altitudes between 1,200 and 1,600 m above sea level are selected and harvested. These Guadua culms are extremely strong and hardened (lignified) which maximizes the mechanical properties for construction related applications.
Perforating and Dimensioning
After the bamboo stems are harvested and transported to our treatment facility they are cut to the required size and and all nodes (diaphragms) are perforated. Because bamboo has a natural water repellent outer layer, it is impossible for preservatives to enter the bamboo fibers from the outside. Therefore, the chemicals needs to be introduced from the inside where the fibers can absorb the solution. A steel rod with a large drill bit welded to the tip is used to penetrate each node throughout the length of the Guadua pole.
Guadua angustifolia is a thin walled bamboo species except near the base where wall thickness is much greater compared to the center and top part of the bamboo tree. In order to provide top quality poles for export, we only select the sections near the base as these are most desired by our clients.
1.Raw Material Quality Check
If the bamboo age is less than 4 years, the internal components of bamboo are not lignified enough, with unstable strength, large dry shrinkage and wet expansion rate. So normally factory choose bamboo with more than 5 years.
Bamboo generally has thick root wall and thin tip wall. Therefore, fresh bamboo with diameter at breast height of more than 10cm and wall thickness of more than 7mm is generally selected as raw material.
2. Cutting off
Cut to length and split in stripe for processing
3.Bamboo Strip
Punching the original bamboo into regular bamboo strips
4.Bamboo strip double-sided planning (removing bamboo green and yellow)
The initial bamboo strips need to be finely shaves on all sides by four-sides planning to remove residual bamboo green, bamboo yellow and knife marks left by rough planning etc.
Only after such treatment can the bamboo strips and bamboo strips be glued firmly, without cracks, cracking and delamination.
Bamboo strips shall be sorted after fine planning, and bamboo strips with non-conforming processing size and large color difference shall be removed from the production line.
5.Steaming (insect prevention and mildew prevention treatment) or carbonization and coloring treatment
The chemical composition of bamboo is basically the same as that of wood, mainly cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and extraction substances. However, bamboo contains more protein, sugar, starch, fat and wax than wood, and is susceptible to erosion by insects and fungi under the condition of appropriate temperature and humidity.
Therefore, bamboo strips should be subjected to cooking treatment (natural color) or high temperature and high humidity carbonization treatment (brown) after rough planning to remove some extractives such as sugar and starch, and insect repellent and preservative should be added during treatment to prevent the growth of insects and fungi.
6.Dry
The moisture content of the steamed bamboo chips exceeds 80%, reaching a saturated state. The moisture content of bamboo directly affects the size and shape stability of finished bamboo products. In order to ensure the quality of bamboo floor products, the bamboo raw materials used for processing need to be fully dried before gluing.
The moisture content of bamboo should be controlled according to the local climate and use environment. Under normal circumstances should be controlled at 5-9%.
7.Bamboo strip fine planning
Bamboo strips are finely planed to the required specifications.
8.Selection of bamboo strips
Sorting bamboo strips into different grades
9.Hot pressing and gluing
Glue spreading and blank assembling: select high-quality environment-friendly adhesive, glue and evenly spread according to the specified glue spreading amount, and then assemble bamboo strips into blanks according to the required specifications.
Some products made from bamboo :
In the video below, you can see Amazing Bamboo Farming Techniques & Bamboo Product Processing in Factory
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Video resource: Noal Farm
