Kiln Stacking Sticks

Without a doubt, drying is the most important step in the manufacture of wood and ceramic products or the disposal of waterlogged waste. Lowering the moisture content improves product quality while reducing transportation costs.

Order Kiln SticksVisit Redwood Plastics

Redwood Plastics and Rubber

Preferred Plastics is excited to have Redwood Plastics and Rubber be the sole distributor of the Duramax™ Kiln Stick product line. For over 50 years, Redwood has supplied sawmills and kiln operators with custom plastic and rubber solutions that reduce maintenance and improve operations. Redwood has built trusted partnerships across the North American forestry and wood products sectors, we believe Redwood will be a great partner in expanding Duramax’s proven success.  

Redwood has facilities across North America and each one has a ready supply of Duramax. Complete our form to reach a Redwood Duramax™ expert and place an order today!

Preferred Plastics has partnered with Redwood Plastics and Rubber as the exclusive distributor for our extruded polycarbonate kiln sticks to increase availability, and shipping capabilities to minimize ordering times for all our customers. Joining forces with Redwood Plastics, Preferred Plastics will continue manufacturing the highest quality kiln stacking stickers on the market. Our patented design will now be joining the Duramax™ brand alongside Redwood Plastics' already existing premier lineup of lumber drying products.  

Kiln Stacking Stickers

Preferred Plastics' kiln stacking stickers are extruded polycarbonate tubes designed to be used as kiln drying sticks. Our Plastic kiln sticks are specifically designed to allow moisture to escape the lumber being dried while being strong enough to handle heavy loads. Take your drying or dehydration application to new levels of operational performance with polycarbonate kiln stickers from Preferred Plastics, also known as stacking sticks or kiln sticks. An ISO 9001:2015-certified extruder of thermoplastic resins, we specialize in the manufacture of rigid, flexible, and co-extruded products for a wide range of markets throughout the world. Our high-performance thermoplastic kiln stickers offer long-lasting, extremely effective heat-generation solutions for kiln-drying operations.

Kiln Sticker Benefits

Kiln stickers are used to dry or dehydrate lumber, ceramic items, waste, and other products both in kilns and in natural, outdoor environments. Also called stacking sticks or kiln sticks, they improve the drying process by enabling air to contact all sides of the item being dried uniformly. This offers a range of advantages:

• Better usability
• Lower likelihood of stain or decay
• Reduced susceptibility to insect damage
• Increased strength
• Lower shipping costs
• Enhanced finishing
• Improved heat insulation
• Greater preservation
• Added value

Drying Issues Kiln Sticks Address

After trees, agricultural products, or minerals are harvested, the weight of water is often more significant than the items themselves. This water must be removed to some degree for usability. Drying with natural products can be problematic, however.

Extensive energy usage

Drying operations account for up to 80 percent of an application’s total energy usage.

The possibility of drying defects

As materials like lumber and ceramics dry, they shrink in several dimensions. Incorrectly dried products can exhibit defects like checks, splits, warping, casehardening, and honeycombing. These non-conformities can reduce the value or result in scrap, which negatively impacts the bottom line.

Thermoplastics Over Wood

Conventional drying methods have peaked. Improve your application with high-value kiln sticks from Preferred Plastics.

Our kiln stacking sticks are manufactured from high-performance polycarbonate, a thermoplastic material prized for its strength, flexibility, and weatherability. The polycarbonate used in manufacturing our kiln stickers is safe to use in temperatures up to 220F degrees. It efficiently absorbs and withstands heat, which creates a range of benefits over traditional kiln stickers for drying applications.

• Low initial cost
• Long-term usability
• Increased performance
• Low operational cost
• Improved environmental sustainability

Polycarbonate kiln stacking stickers from Preferred Plastics are incredibly effective at transferring energy to the items being dried. Polycarbonate is also considerably less toxic than many other plastics, and the ease with which it’s recycled adds to its environmental friendliness. Wood stacking stickers are known to mold when left wet for long periods, this is not an issue with our polycarbonate kiln sticks. A range of industries can benefit from our polycarbonate kiln stick products.

• Lumber
• Agriculture
• Minerals
• Sludge removal
• Ceramics
• Food production
• Waste Industries

Trusted Drying and Dehydration Solutions for Demanding Applications

For industries that must dry products before transporting them to market, performance is critical. Subpar drying or dehydrating processes can lead to missed production targets and cost overruns. Off-the-shelf kiln stickers are not enough for these situations.

At Preferred Plastics, our area of expertise is the production of tailor-made polycarbonate kiln stacking stick solutions for challenging applications. We have a vast knowledge of the issues you are up against and work in partnership with you to develop optimal products using a trusted consultative process aimed at successfully addressing performance, fitment, longevity, and safety.

Call us today to discuss the sizes and quantities of polycarbonate kiln sticks & stickers required for your business.  We will prepare a custom price quote to meet your needs.