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NorCore

Better manufacturing starts from the inside

NorCore™ ESP (Engineered Strand Panel) is a precision-calibrated wood core suited to applications that demand exact thickness tolerances. The precision-sanded face is perfect for the overlay industry. It’s the smart alternative to other products, like offshore plywood, that often have surface imperfections.

  • NorCore Strand is our standard, cost-effective strand panel that is available un-sanded, sanded on one-side or sanded on both sides.
  • NorCore ESP is a high-performance panel that is precision-sanded on both sides, it is engineered to be a replacement for particleboard and MDF.
  • NorCore ESP Plus is our strongest panel that is precision-sanded on both sides. It is engineered for the most demanding applications and is a high-quality substitute for plywood.

Versatility Redefined

Our family of NorCore panels gives you the versatility to choose the panel that best meets your specifications.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

  • Manufactured with a proprietary pressing technique that ensures flatness and consistency of core properties superior to structural panels such as plywood
  • Panels can be precision-sanded to meet the most exacting applications
  • The strength-to-weight ratio of NorCore panels exceeds composite wood-based panels such as particleboard and medium-density fiberboard
  • Available thicknesses 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4, 7/8, and in lengths from 6’ to 12’
  • CARB (California Air Resource Board)-exempt and contains no added urea-formaldehyde resins

engineered wood core

Can’t find a panel that meets your specifications? Contact our Solutions Team and let us engineer a panel that meets your needs.

Industrial

  • Sizes / Lengths:
    6’ to 12’
  • Thickness:
    3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4, 7/8
  • Edge Seal Color:
    None
Have any questions regarding industrial products?
Contact us today.
 

  • Product Documents

    NorCore Sell Sheet | pdf - 720.16 KB

  • FAQ

    1. Where should I use NorCore panels?
    2. What are minimum order quantities?
    3. How do I purchase NorCore Panels?
    4. What is the difference between Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and Norbord’s Engineered Strand Products (ESP) ?
    5. What does CARB Exempt mean?
    6. Why does the weight of a panel product matter?
    7. Why purchase a sanded panel?

    Where should I use NorCore panels?

    NorCore panels can be used as core panels in overlay applications – HPL’s, Plastics, Wood Veneers and Paints.
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    What are minimum order quantities?

    There are purchasing minimums required to ensure manufacturing efficiency and consistency.
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    How do I purchase NorCore Panels?

    Purchase either directly from West Fraser or through one of our distribution partners.
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    What is the difference between Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and Norbord’s Engineered Strand Products (ESP)?

    Our ESP products are produced specifically for demanding OEMs to excel in applications requiring consistency of core density, flatness across the width and length of the panel and uniformity of thickness (when sanded).  OSB is typically used in construction and is thus designed to meet local building codes.
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    What does CARB Exempt mean?

    It means that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has deemed the wood-based panel product is formaldehyde-free (neither contains nor emits formaldehyde) and CARB has granted the product an exemption.
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    Why does the weight of a panel product matter?

    A product, such as particleboard, that weighs more than alternatives that are lighter but have comparable performance properties (such as West Fraser ESP) provides a disincentive to manufacturers and consumers to use it. Raw panels are shipped from a production facility to an OEM, which adds value to it, then ships a finished product to an end user. The lighter the original panel, the lower the net transport cost through the supply chain. West Fraser’s ESP are considerably lighter, stronger and more moisture resistant than alternates such as particleboard and medium-density fiberboard, both of which weigh more and offer inferior mechanical performance.
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    Why purchase a sanded panel?

    Sanded NorCore panels offer a precision-calibrated core required in applications demanding exact thickness tolerances. Its precision-sanded face is perfect for many different laminates such as High-Pressure Laminate (HPL) and is an excellent alternative to other products, like off-shore plywood, that typically have surface imperfections. The thickness tolerance and consistency of our NorCore panel reduces net glue content and increases the bond between the wood core and the laminate applied.
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