The TEC™ Process: How MiraTEC is Made
MiraTEC trim is made in the USA in Towanda, Pennsylvania. The mill sits on 273 acres of land and was formally recognized for Voluntary Protection Program status by OSHA, recognizing superior performance in the field of health and safety.
The patented TEC™ (Treated Exterior Composite) manufacturing process begins by combining sustainable wood fibers, wax, phenolic resins, zinc borate – an EPA-registered biocide (or chemical mined from the earth) and other proprietary ingredients. Once the ingredients are combined, they are formed into a thick fiber mat.
The mat enters a pre-press cycle which removes air from the fiber mat to make it rigid and allows it to fit in the sealed press.
Next, the fiber mat is cut. First, the edge trim saw cuts the fiber mat to width. After being cut to length, the fiber mat is loaded into the press and the press is closed and sealed.
Steam is injected into the mat to disperse the materials evenly resulting in a product with uniform product density throughout the board. By contrast, hardboard and MDF trims are made in an open press which can create an uneven density profiles that makes hardboard and MDF trims variable in density and inconsistent in performance.
Inside the sealed press, a textured plate with a nickel finish produces the wood grain, giving MiraTEC trim a unique reversible finish – textured on one side and smooth on the other. MiraTEC outshines the competition in delivering the look of natural wood due to the artistry invested in creating these plates.
Next, the rough edges are cut from the mat. At this point, the trim is manually inspected at the grading station by carefully trained operators. Due to the precision of the TEC process, the yield rate is nearly 100 percent. JELD-WEN is committed to delivering a high quality product – boards are tested for density, weight and other standards throughout the day, everyday that MiraTEC is made.
Next, the boards are sanded and cut to the finished width, then primed on four sides with two coats of a low VOC primer containing a mildewcide.
After the trim is oven-dried, MiraTEC is held to cool before it is bundled and packaged.
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