You, as a funeral director, would see or handle MDF coffins almost every day in your funeral home.
In fact, more than 2 out of 3 coffins used in Australia is made from MDF.
Therefore, it may be worth knowing a little bit about this product. Especially so you can talk with families about it with more confidence when you’re arranging a funeral.
But what is it? Is it actually timber? Or is it a man-made product? The answer, as you’ll read below, is both.
What is MDF?
Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) or Customwood is a man-made, engineered wood product.
How is MDF produced?
MDF is made by breaking down wood into fibres – much like the production of cardboard.
These fibres are then combined with wax, glue and resin, along with heat and pressure to form 16mm thick panels.
The panels are as hard, or harder than actual wood. And, are smooth and free of blemishes.
Finally, a thin paper (veneer), with a printed wood grain effect, is glued onto the surface of the MDF to look like real timber grain.
Why is MDF used to make coffins?
Traditionally, all coffins were made from solid timber. However, over time high quality solid timber became more expensive and harder to source.
Paper-veneered MDF was introduced into coffin making because it gave the look of real timber grain without the cost of real timber.
Nowadays, MDF allows for a cheaper range of coffins to be produced that may be more affordable for some families.
Other benefits of MDF includes:
MDF is free of knots. Knots can occur naturally in some timber but are undesirable in coffin manufacture as they can cause weak points.
MDF is also strong but can be cremated and buried.
MDF can be cut, machined and sanded just like regular timber. This allows for more efficient production, as machinery can be used in our factory that is common to both MDF and solid timber coffin manufacturing.
Is MDF environmentally-friendly?
At Ashton, we use eZero MDF.
Which has has lower formaldehyde emissions than some other MDF.
Our MDF is produced from timber which is sourced from plantation radiata pine grown in Oberon in New South Wales and Gympie in Queensland.
For more information, we have a one-page brochure on the MDF production process on our Resources page. Why not share this with your team.
If you haven’t already, just register on our Resources page to have free access to useful items such as our catalogues, marketing assets and educational material.
When a loved one passes away their Facebook account can have real value for family members left behind. There may be numerous photos, videos and moments from the deceased’s life, captured over the years, that the family wants to be able to access thereafter. Often, the photos and videos on Facebook don’t exist elsewhere. Having access to these can help with the grieving process and in remembering the deceased for family and friends.
However, many people are not aware that Facebook has a memorialisation feature that can be activated once someone has passed away. Funeral directors can assist to make families aware of this feature and easily help families to memorialise their loved one’s Facebook account.
What are the benefits of a Memorialised Facebook account?
Memorialised Facebook accounts are a place for friends and family to gather and share memories after a person has passed away. Memorialised accounts have the following key features:
The word ‘Remembering’ will be shown next to the person’s name on their profile.
Depending on the privacy settings of the account, friends can share memories on the memorialised Timeline.
Content the person shared (eg: photos, posts) stays on Facebook and are permanently visible to the audience it was shared with.
Memorialised profiles don’t appear in public spaces such as in suggestions for ‘People You May Know’, ads or birthday reminders.
No one can log into a memorialised account, so it becomes permanently secure, and an enduring online tribute.
How can funeral directors help?
Funeral directors can:
Advise families that their loved ones’ Facebook accounts can be ‘memorialised’.
Explain the benefits of a memorialised account.
Direct families to this Facebook link where their memorialisation request can be made.
Suggest this link for further reading for families about managing a deceased person’s Facebook account.
Planning for the day you leave your business is a valuable investment. Whether you decide to sell up, retire or have to get out of business due to health reasons, it’s important that you spend the time with your family and/or your business partners and plan what you’re going to do.
A good succession plan enables a smooth transition with less likelihood of disruption to operations. By planning your exit well in advance, you can maximise the value of your business and enable it to meet future needs.
Create a succession plan that is attainable – this means setting a realistic timetable and measurable milestones along the way and sticking to them.
The Australian Government’s business.gov.au website has a free succession plan template and guide for you to use. Download it here
This Succession plan template provides you with a sample structure and suggested contents to help guide you when preparing your own succession. It also includes examples and specific links to relevant websites for more information.
Our new Ashdale Outback is a modern coffin design which was inspired by historical Australian outback scenes of slab-walled huts and natural, earthen colours.
Beautiful timber
Crafted from solid cedar
Natural linseed oil finish to highlight timber grain characteristics
Natural, deluxe drapery
‘Outback Earth’ drapery
Luxurious textured linen
Padded upper sides for added ‘comfort’ aspect
Includes matching pillow, mattress and quilt
Inclusions
Hardware is mounted and is metal, antique gold colour
New ‘Twist’ handles
Thumbscrew/escutcheon set and matching nameplate
Size: 1800 x 525 x 325 (mm)
Part of our Memorial Tree Program
Call us on 1300 263 346 to place your Ashdale Outback order.
Our production team uses the latest software to create detailed, 3D, CAD drawings to assist during the development and modification of our coffin and casket designs.
This software allows our designers to create products that are:
the highest quality;
most up-to-date designs;
structurally sound; and
efficient to manufacture.
These technical drawings also allow our robotic CNC machines to be programmed from the software to produce precise components, such as intricately detailed patterns on sides, lids and ends. 3D drawings also hasten the development time from initial product concept to full production output.
Come and see how it’s all done
Funeral Directors are always welcome to schedule a tour through our facility to see our production process. Just call us when you are next coming to the Gold Coast and we will be happy to show you (or your team) through our factory.
With floodwaters crippling much of Penang, Malaysia, daily life has ground to a halt for most residents.
But for one family trying to give a relative a final send-off, there was little choice but to improvise and use a small boat to ferry the casket through the flooded streets to the funeral home.
Please note that Ashton Manufacturing will be closed on Wednesday 25th, Thursday 26th, Friday 27th December 2024. We will reopen and resume normal operations on Monday, 30th December 2024.
