Oriented strandboard Oriented strandboard structural panels are manufactured from thin wood strands8 sliced from logs (in the direction of the wood grain) that are then dried, mixed with wax and adhesive, placed into a form in multiple layers (usually four or five), and hot-pressed into panels. While the homogeneous or non-oriented “chipboard” predecessors of OSB date back to 1963, the first oriented strandboard panels were manufactured in 1983. The strands in the outer layers are oriented (typically ± 40º) along the length of the panel, thus giving the panel its primary strength along this axis. The strands of the inner layers are oriented perpendicular to the outer layers