Engineered Doors: The Future of Door Manufacturing

The introduction of the ‘Plywood and Wooden Flush Door Shutters (Quality Control) Order, 2024’ marks a significant milestone in the Indian woodworking industry, setting new benchmarks for quality and safety. As the industry continues to evolve, the commit-ment to excellence and innovation will play a crucial role in shaping the future of engineered doors in India and beyond.

In the evolving landscape of the woodworking industry, engineered doors have become a crucial element, reflecting stringent government regula-tions and the push towards higher quality and safety standards. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India has recently issued the ‘Plywood and Wooden Flush Door Shutters (Quality Control) Order, 2024,’ a transformative mandate that aims to elevate the standards for doors across the country.

Quality Control Order : A Commitment to Quality
The Quality Control Order, which will take effect from February 28, 2025, with staggered implementation dates for small and micro enterprises, sets forth stringent requirements for 1. Wooden Flush Door Shutters (Solid Core Type with Plywood Face Panels). 2. Wooden Flush Door Shutters (Solid Core Type with Particle Board, High Density Fibre Board, Medium Density Fibre Board, and Fibre Hardboard Face Panels). 3. Wooden Flush Door Shutters (Cellular, Hollow, and Tubular Core Type with Plywood Face Panels). 4. Wooden Flush Door Shutters (Cellular, Hollow, and Tubular Core Type with Particle Board, High Density Fibre Board, Medium Density Fibre Board, and Fibre Hardboard Face Panels. According to the order, these products must adhere to the latest version of Indian Standards and bear the Standard Mark under a license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), as per the Scheme-1 of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations. This order does not apply to goods manufactured domestically for export.
The BIS has been designated as the certifying and enforcing authority for these products.
Any contraventions of the order will incur penalties as outlined in the BIS Act, 2016. This rigorous certification process ensures that wooden flush door shutters meet the highest performance standards, guaranteeing reliability, superior quality, and safety.

The Importance of Engineered Doors
In the realm of door manufacturing, a new era is dawning with the advent of engineered doors certified with IS 2202 Part 2: 2022 and IS 2191 Part 2: 2022. These certifications mark a significant shift in the industry, challenging the long-held belief that solid timber-infill doors are inherently superior. Flush doors, regardless of their construction, can now be certified under four distinct standards, each tailored to different materials and applications. This transformative deve-lopment is poised to redefine quality, efficiency, and sustainability in door manufacturing.

The standards for engineered doors are as follows:

• IS 2202 (Part 1) : 2023: Wooden Flush Door Shutters (Solid Core Type with Plywood Face Panels).
• IS 2202 (Part 2) : 2022: Wooden Flush Door Shutters (Solid Core Type with Particle Board, High Density Fibre Board, Medium Density Fibre Board, and Fibre Hardboard Face Panels).
• IS 2191 (Part 1) : 2022: Wooden Flush Door Shutters (Cellular, Hollow, and Tubular Core Type with Plywood Face Panels).
• IS 2191 (Part 2) : 2022: Wooden Flush Door Shutters (Cellular, Hollow, and Tubular Core Type with Particle Board, High Density Fibre Board, Medium Density Fibre Board, and Fibre Hardboard Face Panels).

These standards ensure that despite variations in construction, performance criteria remain consistent. The belief that solid timber doors are inherently superior is a misconception. Flush door shutters can now be classified into two grades:

• BWP (Boiling Water Proof ) Grade: Recommended for use in both humid and dry locations.
• MR (Moisture Resistance) Grade: Recommended for dry locations only.

Rigorous Testing for Quality Assurance
All four types of flush doors fall under mandatory quality control orders, nece-ssitating the ISI mark on all manufactured doors from February 28, 2025. The doors must undergo rigorous Type and Acceptance Tests to ensure quality, including:

Type Tests:

• Dimensions and squareness test
• General flatness test
• Local planeness test
• Impact indentation test
• Flexure test
• Edge loading test
• Shock resistance test
• Buckling resistance test
• Slamming test
• Misuse test
• Varying humidity test
• End immersion test
• Knife test
• Glue adhesion test
• Screw withdrawal resistance test

and Acceptance Tests:

• Dimensions and squareness test
• General flatness test
• Local planeness test
• Slamming test
• End immersion test
• Knife test
• Glue adhesion test

A Sustainable Future with Engineered Doors
Engineered doors, which utilize nearly 100% engineered materials produced from sawmill waste, shavings, and other by-products, offer the same performance as traditional doors but with superior surface finishes. This opens up new opportunities for the door industry and furniture manufacturers to transition to fully engineered material doors, allowing the use of popular MDF/HDF skins and decorative options with modern edge banding.

Engineered doors represent a sustainable and efficient solution for the future of door manufacturing. With the adoption of modern materials and standards, the door industry can look forward to a future of innovation, productivity, and quality assurance. Companies like Sleek Boards are at the forefront of this transfor-mation, providing essential services and high-quality products that meet and exceed these new standards. As the industry continues to evolve, the commit-ment to excellence and innovation by
these entities will play a crucial role in shaping the future of engineered doors in India and beyond.

Engineered doors are not just a technological advancement, but a sustainable and efficient solution for the future of door manufacturing. With modern materials and standards, the industry is set for a future of innovation, productivity, and quality assurance.

By partnering with the largest wood panel manufacturing companies worldwide, Sleek Boards ensures that their products are of the highest quality and performance. They also promote the ‘Make in India’ initiative, developing products of global standards for the Indian subcontinent markets.

Sleek Boards Marketing Services LLP
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Email : sleekboards@gmail.com
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