Transfer of technology model: Bamboo mat board

Bamboo mat boards (BMB) are produced from woven mats of bamboo that are soaked in adhesive resin and then pressed firmly together in a hot press. They were the first of the wide range of different panel boards presently available that use bamboo as a raw material, but they are the simplest to produce, involve only bamboo raw materials and have great income generating potential for the rural poor, who are able to weave the mats from which they are formed. The technology for the manufacture of BMB in India has been developed by the Indian Plywood Industries Research Institute (IPIRTI), Bangalore, who have developed a technically feasible and commercially viable technology for its manufacture. BMB is gaining in popularity and there are currently a handful of BMB factories in operation in India and 16 in China. Bamboo mat board is very versatile and can be produced up to 6 mm thick by varying the number of mat layers used; boards are usually formed of 2, 3, 5 or 7 mats. For thicker laminated boards, wood veneers are interleaved with the bamboo boards to produce bamboo mat-veneer composite boards (The production of these is not covered in this TOTEM). BMB is at least as durable and stable as wood-based plywood and is very resistant to pest attack, extreme climatic conditions and fire. It can be used for many of the uses to which plywood is now put such as paneling, ceilings, prefabricated shelters, packing cases and storage bins, roofs, doors and door panels, furniture, and household utensils such as trays and plates. BMB is much more flexible than wood-based-plywood and can be used in structural applications such as stressed skin panels, wall bracings and web beams for which plywood is not suitable.Bamboo mat board (BMB) is a plywood-like wooden board made from layers of woven bamboo mats that have been pressed togethe