|
Softwood Lumber |
Hardwood Lumber |
Moulding |
Veneer | Logs |
Stand
Timber Timberlands |
Reclaimed Wood |
|
|
|
StickTrade.Com is your moulding and millwork exchange. Click on a region below to place or view ads for wood mouldings, millwork, and components.
|
Summary of Market Report
Imported
moulding and millwork has gained market share in Japan. One reason is the the increased acceptance of these
products by Japan's pre-cut mills. Pre-cut building systems in Japan dates back to 1976 and was started by a housing
manufacturer located in Ishikawa prefecture. Pre-cut lumber has skyrocketed in
the he 1990?fs to reaching almost half of all wooden housing starts (Figure 3).
On the supply side, precutting has allowed mills to move up the value added
product chain. Precutters have added precision crafting of holes and pegs to a
mills traditional role of simply cutting. This provides their customers with a
product that translates into increased quality and ease of job site assembly. On
the demand side, the popularity of precut systems has been driven by increased
profit potential for builders. This potential comes from increased job site
productivity and house quality.
Another advantage of precut components is their quality and precision. The
machining done in pre-cut factories is of higher quality than components crafted
by hand on the job site. The components fit snuggly together improving the
structural quality of the house and reducing drafts that arise from loose
fitting components. Furthermore, a majority of pre-cut components are kiln dried
reducing the warping and twisting that occurs with green products. Other
advantages include reduced job site noise, reduced construction times, and
reduced claims. Precut systems have taken advantage of the total cost concept.
That is, even though the cost of each piece is more expensive than a comparable
non-precut piece, the total cost, including job site labor and reduced claims,
is cheaper.
There
are various materials being used by precut factories. Originally, green hinoki
and sugi were used for precutting. However, there were two major problems with
green product. First, a high percentage of waste occurred because some pieces
were not straight and could not be machined properly. Second, even if the pieces
were straight and cut to precision at the factory so that the pegs fit perfectly
into the machined holes, by the time these components were ready to assemble on
the job site warping and twisting had often occurred. Shrinking and swelling was
the Achilles heal of the precut industry in the early 1990s.
Economic theory states that capital is a substitute for labor and the Japanese
housing market is an excellent example of principal. Capital, in the form of
pre-cutting machines, is replacing job site labor. Click here to
download the full report.
