In-house magazine of The Western India Plywoods Ltd,January 2021

1. The Western India Plywoods Limited Vol.5 Issue 1 January 2021
1 COIR MAT OVERLAID SOFTBOARD 2 BORON IMPREGNATED LAMINATES
3 NEW COMBLOC STEAM BOILER 5 THE NEW NORMAL 6 STEVIA - ALTERNATE TO SUGAR
We have come to the end of a unique year – 2020.
Somecallitthezeroyear.
Yes, it has been an unprecedented year –our lives
changed in the most unheard ways – Lockdown!
Theword“positive”becameadreadedword!
We learned a few important lessons. We learned
that with all the knowledge and capabilities the
humankind took pride in… it took an invisible virus
to bring us to our knees literally – we were totally
unprepared! Humility, empathy, concern for
others, innovation took priority. We learned to be
more flexible and adaptable and the change was
made in quick time. An example is the search for a
vaccine. The first vaccine has come in less than a
year – normally it would have taken a few years for
the development of a vaccine. We can look forward
with hope in battling the virus with the vaccines –
hopingthevaccinewillbesafeandworkeffectively.
As we look back at 2020, we can be grateful for the
blessings we have received in spite of the difficult
times. As we begin the new year ‐ 2021, let us
become more sensitive to the environment we live
in, seek ways to make it more sustainable so that
our future generations do not bear the brunt of our
follies.Let'slooktothefuturewithHope.
“Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all
the evidence to the contrary, that something better
awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it and
toworkforitandtofightforit.”
–BarackObama
From all of us at Western India Plywoods, we wish
each one of you and your families a New Year filled
withgoodhealth,happinessandhope.
P.K.MayanMohamed, MD
FROM
THE DESK OF THE
MANAGING
DIRECTOR
WIP MANUFACTURES COIR MAT
OVERLAID SOFTBOARD
Softboard or Low Density Fibre Insulation Board is Fibreboard
which is a soft, resilient, light coloured sheet material
manufactured from hardwood chips, ground and thermo‐
mechanically pulped to fibres and felted to form a continuous
sheet. After cutting to appropriate sizes, the sheet is passed
through a continuous drying oven. The panel's strength
properties is primarily dependent upon the uniformity of the
densityaswellasthedegreeofdryingtreatment.
The wood fibre‐based softboard is 100% eco‐friendly and
biodegradable and is increasingly used as efficient packaging
material for glass and ceramic tile industry. It is also used for
notice boards and pin boards and for thermal insulation and
acoustic absorption on finished walls and ceilings. Recently, WIP
has developed a premium quality, decorative variety of this
softboard and is manufactured as a multi-coloured sheet
material, using coir mat in combination with softboard
manufacturedfromwoodpulp.
Process has been developed for overlaying wood‐based
softboardswithcoirmats. Thedecorativepanelismanufactured
by applying a layer of coir mat on softboard and subsequent hot‐
pressing under high pressure at an elevated temperature and
thencoolingunderthesamepressure.
The overlaying is found to improve physical and mechanical
properties of the boards as well as the appearance. The mat
overlaid boards may be suitable even for semi structural
applications.Theresultsobtainedfromcoirmatoverlaidboardin
comparison with the data on softboards indicated that water
absorptionandswellingpropertiesofcoirmatoverlaidsoftboard
improved considerably enhancing the durability of such panels
even under adverse climatic
conditions. Mechanical
properties of softboard
increased considerably due
to coir mat overlaying and
screw holding power, water
absorption and swelling
properties also improved
over 70 per cent indicating
the durability of such panels
under adverse climatic
conditions.
WIP develops a decorative variety of its wood‐based
softboard i.e., Coir mat overlaid softboard ideal for making
tabletops,kitchenandbathroomcabinets,countertops,etc.
Softboard
HOPE IN THE
NEW YEAR

2. 2
The Western India Plywoods Ltd.
Founder Managing Director
Late A. K. Kaderkutty
Former Managing Director
Late P. K. Mohamed
Managing Director
P. K. Mayan Mohamed
(In‐house magazine of
The Western India Plywoods Ltd.,
Baliapatam)
Vol.5, No.1,
January 2021
Printer and Publisher
P. K. Mayan Mohamed
Editorial Consultants
Cornucopia ‐ Bangalore
(080‐41235431 / 32)
For commercial enquiries about the
product and services mentioned in
these columns, please contact:
P. K. Mehaboob
Head ‐ Marketing
Mob: 9847024720
Your response and suggestions on
Woodtalk may please be sent to
The Editor, Woodtalk
The Western India Plywoods Ltd.
Mill Road, Baliapatam,
Kannur ‐ 670010, Kerala, India
Ph: 91‐497‐2778151‐54
Fax: 91‐497‐2778181
Email:westernply@gmail.com
Website: www.wipltd.in
(For private circulation only)
Printed and published By
P. K. Mayan Mohamed
on behalf of
The Western India Plywoods Ltd.
Printed at: A. R. Enterprises,
R.T. Nagar Post, Kanakanagar
Bangalore 560032.
Ph: 9845125828
The design and the attractive
colour of the product make it an
ideal fit for a unique ambience.
It can be used for a variety of
living room furniture, from
teapoys to kitchen chairs.
Interior designers may find it as
a more aesthetically‐pleasing
alternative to other panels.
Work is in progress at our
fibreboard unit to provide
multiple design options and
modifications to the product so
that it suits the customer's style,
functionality and budget and
also to find more applications.
NEW COMBLOC STEAM BOILER
COMMISSIONED
Teapoy with Coir mat overlaid softboard
….. cont'd
th
WIP has commissioned its new Combloc steam boiler on 27 October,
2020. It is a packaged, multi‐fuel fired steam boiler of the
conventional Hybrid Boiler type. The new installation is part of WIP's
ongoing projects on transition from oil boilers to biomass boiler
running on firing fuels such as wood chips, biomass briquettes and
other dry waste woods from our wood processing units. As it is fueled
from a sustainable source, this conversion is expected to reduce our
CO emissions. The ash produced by this boiler is considered to be
2
safe and can be used for making cement composites on our site itself.
WIP Managing Director, P. K. Mayan Mohamed expressed his
thoughts saying “We are focused on improving our environmental
performance. We have new wood waste segregation and briquetting
facilities on our factory premises to feed our boilers. This has been a
great project well executed by our engineers on site and all the
contractors involved. We are really happy with the outcome.”

3. 3
BORON IMPREGNATED LAMINATES
FOR NEUTRONSHIELDS
More than half of the woodworking done today in
our homes, shops, offices, factories, etc. makes use
of plywood and it has worked quite differently from
solid wood. Plywood is used for a wide range of
structural, interior and exterior applications ‐ from
form work through to internal paneling. It can also
be tailored to suit an extensive range of other
specialized applications. For instance, the laminated
densified varieties are unique and versatile
engineering materials made from thin veneers
vacuum‐impregnated with boron and synthetic
resin adhesives and pressed at high temperature
and pressure.
With extraordinary dimensional stability combined
with superb physical and mechanical properties,
WIP's laminated densified wood product, under the
brand name WIPROC, is widely used for specific
heavy duty applications in various industries. The
laminates are good electrical insulators and they
resist corrosion and acid as well as moisture
absorption. Due to its special material properties,
WIPROC is mainly used for press forming tools for
aluminium alloy and thin steel sheets and also for
drilling jigs and router templates. Densified wood
laminates are also used as neutron shielding for
their effectiveness of neutron moderation.
It is widely known that hydrogenous materials like
water, rubber, wood, etc. composed of light
elements are preferred for fast neutron shielding
because of large energy loss per collision.
When boron is added to these materials, it
promotes the absorption of neutrons and reduces
secondary gamma radiation.
Boron containing wood composites are generally
used since boron compounds have excellent
thermal neutrons absorption ability and are
relatively cheap.
WIPROC can be impregnated with boron up to a
maximum of 4% to be used in areas where Gamma
radiation produced on Neutron capture reaches
unacceptable dose rates. Boron impregnated
WIPROC finds application in TAPS 3 and 4 as a
shielding material for the Ion Chambers and the
Horizontal Flux Units (HFU). The shielding property
of this material is optimized by incorporating
requisite amount of boron in wood.
Boron content in this product was determined
accurately prior to its use in the nuclear
reactors.
It can be used with other neutron shielding
materials such as Lead to form complex
shielding structures. Its relative light weight
and cleanliness in handling are additional
features that make it a suitable candidate for
the standard design of neutron shielding
equipment.
It was developed as per the requirement of
India's atomic power company, Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) based on their
specifications and is approved for use by many
other leading manufacturers also.

4. 4
THE NEW NORMAL POST PANDEMIC
COVID CARE
As always said, prevention is better than cure.
Do not be complacent. Adhere to the following
healthcareregimentopreventcovid.
 Cleanyourhandsoftenwithsoap/
sanitizer
 Cough or sneeze in your bent elbow ‐ not
your hands!
 Avoid touching your eyes, nose and
mouth.
 Limit social gatherings and time spent in
crowded places.
 Avoid close contact with someone who is
sick
 Clean and disinfect frequently touched
objects and surfaces
by the common man. People have become more
health conscious.
Another satisfying change is the decline in
avoidable lavish spending on social occasions such
as marriages and other celebrations. It is no
surprise that the online purchase and home
delivery of groceries has surged amid coronavirus
lockdowns.
So, what will be the new normal ‐ The pandemic
has definitely led to a new normal in our lives. It
may sometimes appear to be restrictive, but is not
difficult. It has taught us to be more disciplined,
care for one another, use technology, become
financially more responsible and prudent. This
pandemic has also made us realize values and
systems, some of which can be termed as
traditional, concerning hygiene, health, education
and even society and communities in which we
live. For example, leaving your shoes outside, not
spitting on the roads or in public places, washing
hands though may appear to be the new normal,
are not new for us.
The pandemic has taught us how to use new
techniques and technologies with the otherwise
normal systems and practices. The pandemic has
driven us to a new world order of work and living.
The Covid‐19 pandemic has impacted mankind
across the world in a manner like never before.
The pandemic has affected people physically and
mentally and also a new socio‐economic world
order seems to be in the making.
COVID 19 is a crisis which has no precedent and
therefore this was something new for the health
care industry too. We can be asymptomatic and
yet be a carrier of infection However, there is
hope as the vaccine will soon be a reality.
The most critical issue of our globalised world was
closing down of trade, business and industry
during lockdown which have impacted through
loss of jobs, production processes coming to a
stop and the markets being closed. Even after
unlocking the markets, there are not many buyers
due to the declining income and liquidity crunch.
The gradual opening of businesses has, however,
created hope.
Besides the losses faced by the society and the
economy, the pandemic has compelled the people
to change their behaviour, which is otherwise
difficult to achieve. Maintenance of social
distancing, hand hygiene, wearing of the mask,
avoidance of unnecessary travel and luxurious
spending or any such thing that keeps one's health
assured or good and saves life are being followed

5. 5
DID YOU KNOW?
1. Trees are the Oldest Living Organisms on Earth ‐ In
Utah, the Pando colony of Quaking Aspen, also
known as the Trembling Giant, is believed to be the
oldest living organism on Earth. Although it's not a
single tree, the 105‐acre colony is made of genetically
identical trees, called stems, connected by a single
root system. The root system is estimated to be
80,000 years old!
2. Trees never Grow Beyond Their Means ‐ Trees do not
grow beyond their ability to support themselves.
During periods of stress they shed their flowers,
leaves, fruit, seeds, and/or branches. They also do
not repair injured wood or branches. They segment
off the damaged tissue and focus resources on the
healthy growth.
3. Trees Never Die of Old Age ‐ Trees never die of old
age. Typically, they are killed by insects, people, or
disease. Some individual trees, including California
Bristlecone Pines and Giant Sequoias, have been
known to live 4,000 to 5,000 years.
4. Trees Communicate ‐ Some trees are known to talk or
communicate with each other. For example, when
willow trees are attacked by insects, they release a
chemical that alerts all nearby willows of the danger.
The neighboring trees then respond by pumping
more tannin into their leaves making it difficult for
the insects to digest the leaves.
5. Trees have gone to the Moon ‐ In 1971, trees were
brought to the moon as part of the Apollo 14 mission,
where “moon trees” were grown. Some seedlings
made it home where they were planted and live to
this day.
6. Trees Contain DNA ‐ The amount of DNA in a tree
exceeds that of a human! In fact, your average
Christmas tree has seven times more DNA circulating
through its system that you do!
7. Trees Can Explode ‐ The sandbox tree is considered
armed and dangerous. Aside from its trunk, which
contains endless thorns that are closely packed
together, and its leaves, bark, and seeds, which are
extremely poisonous, a sandbox also has pumpkin‐
like seeds that protrude from its trunk and shoot out
at a speed of 150 mph when they go off (explode).
The force is similar to a shotgun and can inflict
serious harm to anything standing nearby.
TEST YOUR BRAIN POWER
1. WhichwoodisusedtomakeRailway
sleepers.
2. WhichisthenationaltreeofIndia.
3. WhichisthenationalfruitofIndia.
4. States that produce most Sandal
wood.
5. Indian rose wood is available in which
StateofIndia.
6. Hockey sticks and cricket bats are
madefromwhichwood.
7. WhichtreeiscalledtheIndianLilac
8. What are two main substances that
treesneedtolive.
9. What is one of the byproducts of
photosynthesis.
10. Approximately how much of the
originalforestshavedisappeared.
TIPS TO REUSE MILK
CARTONS
We can reuse milk cartons without
pollutingtheenvironment. Justcutoffthe
top of the milk carton and it can be used as
a planter. It can also be filled with water
andplacedinthefreezertomakeice.
By being a little cautious and responsible,
we can go a long way to save our
environment.
Answers on page 8

6. 6
ALTERNATE TO SUGAR - GROWING
STEVIA AT HOME
Stevia rebaudiana is a South American
herb whose leaves are so sweet that a
drop of their extract is enough to
sweeten a cup of tea. In powder form,
1 teaspoon of stevia leaves is 8 times
sweeter than a teaspoon of sugar.
Stevia is now very popular among
diabetics and weight‐watchers
because it doesn't increase blood
sugar, has zero calories and zero
carbohydrates. It can also be used
fresh, dried and ground. It sweetens
beverages, fruits, dressings, sauces,
sorbets, yogurt and many creamy
desserts. Though it is heat‐stable,
stevia isn't recommended for cooking
or baking since high heat can make the
taste slightly bitter. It likes full sun and
will flourish in any well‐drained pot,
container or bed.
It's a fast‐growing perennial that rises up to 4 feet. Three to four stevia plants will provide enough
sweetener for a family of four for an entire year. A word of caution, though: The natives of South
America are said to use it for contraception, so women who are trying to conceive should stay away
from this herb. Stevia is perhaps unique among food ingredients because it's most valued for what it
doesn't do. It doesn't add calories. Growing stevia is easy in well‐drained beds or large containers, and
the leaves can be dried for winter use like any other herb. Grow three to five plants for a year's supply of
dried stevia leaves.
USE WISELY
Wise use of resources includes not throwing away
products that are reuseable or recyclable. When
these products are reused or recycled, it
maintains resource availability, uses less landfill
space,anduseslessenergy.
Trees per person:

7. 7
CULTIVATING YOUR OWN
KITCHEN GARDEN
Cultivating your own kitchen garden gives immense
satisfaction of producing your own nutritious veggies
and fruits. It offers a variety of health benefits. It is a
great outdoor activity to be engaged in which keeps your
mind and body healthy. It is said that working in the
garden ‐ pulling out weeds, digging, watering, etc., can
burn up to 400 calories. In addition, you can grow organic
vegetables for a fraction of the cost in Shops and save on
themonthlyfoodbill.
There are no rules to creating a kitchen garden. You can
mixvegetables,fruit,herbsandflowers.
Fruits and vegetables grown in your own garden
organically will be rich in nutrients, especially
phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamin C, Vitamin A and
folate, without the risk of adulteration and pesticides.
Radish, broad leaf mustard, chillies, beans, pumpkins,
brinjal, mint, coriander, peas, tomatoes ‐ your kitchen
garden can be as ambitious as your imagination allows it
to be.
Preparing the soil and planting are just the first steps. You
will need to maintain the same by timely weeding,
watering etc. Begin with a plot that's manageable for you
and your schedule. An area as little as 6 by 4 feet (even
balcony space) will provide 24 square feet to work with,
and can also be used vertically, which is ample space to
produce a good yield and maintaining it won't take up
much time. It should also be ensured that the area
selected receives 6‐8 hours of sunlight per day which is
ideal. It should also be sheltered from winds, and have
easyaccesstoawatersource,likeafaucet.
EasyPlantstogrow:
A pleasant climate allows to grow herbs like spinach,
fenugreek, amaranth, coriander, mint and vegetables like
tomatoes, eggplant, capsicum, beans, cabbage,
caulifloweretc.allyearlong.
Some of the important tips for maintaining a healthy
kitchen garden would be ‐ removal of dried leaves and
dried flowers, cutting, pruning to optimize growth,
checking soil condition and loosening soil, providing
support for creepers, repotting of dying plants, watering
frequency, relocating pots to optimize sunlight, organic
pesticide spray to control pests if required, nutrients and
fertilizersforgrowth,etc.
Growing Indian herbs for cooking in your
kitchen garden guarantees a fresh supply of
herbs. Some of the herbs are of medicinal
value and can be grown easily in your kitchen
garden. Examples of few herbs are listed
below:
Mints spread rapidly in a moist garden. It is
necessary to harvest the leaves just before
flowering. Any longer, and they will begin to
taste bitter.
Calendula is also known as pot marigold. It's a
centuries‐old antifungal, antiseptic, wound‐
healing ally and a great pest control plant.
Rosemary is the great reviver. This perennial
woody herb stimulates energy and optimism
and sharpens memory and concentration by
bringing more oxygen to your brain.
Lavender is another herb that has been used
to treat many different ailments, including
mental health issues, anxiety, insomnia,
depression, headaches, hair loss, nausea,
acne, toothaches, skin irritations, cancer.
The list is endless ‐ you can grow ginger,
turmeric, lemon grass, etc. your own little
ayurvedic garden.
Growing our kitchen garden gives us a chance
to produce our own food fresher and
healthier. In the coming year, let's make a
resolution to have a small kitchen garden,
thereby making ourselves healthy and eating
pesticide free food.
Happy kitchen gardening!
Microgreens are a quick and easy source of
nutrition that you can grow indoors as well as
outdoors. You can recycle old plastic boxer for
growing them in your kitchen by a window in two
tothreeweeks.
If you are a beginner and want to grow food at
home organiclly, try
growingmicrogreens.
But a word of caution,
not all seeds can be
grewn as microgreens.
So, check it out before
you start growing the
microgreens.

8. 8
FLASHBACK
Just finished with a visit to the
factory it was a tremendous
education.
It was fascinating to see a whole
new world of 'plywood' with all
the new vistas it is opening up for
theworld'srequirements.
It speaks of a lot of dedication ,
zeal for research and highlighted
managerial acumen. I wish
“Western India Plywoods” the
very best in their laudable efforts
to put a lesser known industry at
parwithknowngiants.
Sd/‐
Maj. Gen.
(General Officer Commanding)
Andhra, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka & Kerala Area
12 Oct. '81
Answers to the Quiz
1. Saalwood
2. TheBanyanTree
3. Mango
4. Karnataka,TamilNaduandKerala
5. Haryana
6. Willowwood
7. NeemTree
8. WaterandSunlight
9. Oxygen
10. Halfoftheforestarea(420million
hectaresofforesthavebeenlost)