Characteristics and use of veneer plywood

The use of natural wood in various industries is a very expensive option and not every customer can afford it. In order to preserve natural resources and reduce the cost of production, materials are used that outwardly resemble natural wood, moreover, of expensive species. This material is veneered plywood. Let's take a closer look at the characteristics and use of veneered plywood.

Plywood itself is a material that consists of glued particles of natural wood. Despite its natural origin, in its original form, plywood does not have any attractive appearance and is made from the cheapest types of wood. In order for it to acquire a beautiful appearance and be in demand among manufacturers, it is ennobled.

Veneer is a thin layer of natural wood that is glued to the surface of plywood and makes it decorative and in demand. It differs in the way it is produced. It can be of several types.

• Sawn is the most expensive and of the highest quality, since a lot of waste is obtained in the process of its manufacture. Initially, valuable types of wood were used for this species, but due to the already expensive cost of production, technologies are now based on inexpensive wood to make the price of the species more affordable.
• Planed is the cheapest option. It is made from the most popular coniferous and deciduous wood species. The veneer has a thickness of 0.2–5 mm. The technology of manufacturing burl wood veneer is used, which gives an original texture and a beautiful pattern.
• For the production of rotary cut veneer soft types of wood are used, such as birch, oak, pine and others. Manufacturing technology is based on cutting a thin layer from a round log in the form of a tape. Such veneer is very high quality and indispensable in the production of products with a large area, but it does not differ in decorative qualities.

The veneer plywood manufacturing technology is rather complicated. Plywood is cleaned of dust. Then a special urea-formaldehyde glue is applied to it. They treat the surface on both sides. The veneer is placed so that the pattern of independent "shirts" clearly lies with each other. After that, plywood with veneer is determined in a special vacuum or hot press for pressing, after which it is subjected to final processing - this is trimming, cutting and grinding.

According to the functionality, veneered plywood is divided into two types:

• furniture lumber with a beautiful appearance and easily amenable to mechanical processing;
• construction plywood made from thickened veneer with good strength and wear resistance. It is used only as a cladding and construction material.

Finished veneer plywood, depending on the selected type of coating, can be of different grades.

• Grade B is the highest and most expensive. It can be coated with clear varnish. It is used to create furniture, interior decoration and toys.
• Grade S is the middle between B and BB. It must be varnished and painted.It is used to create furniture and interiors.
• BB grade. Small knots are allowed in it, and there is also a slight discoloration. It must be painted and varnished. It is used for the production of furniture and transport.
• CP grade discoloration is allowed, there may be insertion elements, synthetic putties are used, there may be small cracks. The grade is the cheapest; it is used for structural cladding in the manufacture of furniture and various types of packaging.

Veneered plywood is an absolutely harmless and environmentally friendly material, as its covering is made of natural material. It does not have an unpleasant odor and does not cause allergies. In the production process of the material, it is possible to achieve a variety of colors and surface patterns, which is very important for the manufacture of furniture for other purposes.

During its processing, you can achieve a variety of product configuration and structure, it is easy to cover and bends well. Products made of veneer plywood look like natural wood, but their cost is much lower than their counterpart, so they are in demand. In many products, a pattern with a beautiful texture is accurately and correctly selected, which gives them an excellent appearance. The material is practical, resistant to temperature fluctuations and high humidity, the surface does not crack or deform. It can be combined from several types of wood, it has a wide range of sizes and colors.

It is worth paying attention to the following disadvantages:

• in order for veneered plywood to serve as long as possible, you need to know that its surface is afraid of direct sunlight, under their influence it can change color;
• in order not to damage the surface of this material, cleaning agents with chemical additives must be excluded in caring for it;
• since a separate sheet has its own individual pattern, it is sometimes very difficult to pick up a pattern at the joints;
• products made from expensive types of veneer, it can be oak, ash, beech, still have a high cost;
• since the thickness of the sheet is not very thick, the material is not used in supporting structures; to improve the quality of veneered plywood, varnishes, natural oils and other compounds are used, with the help of which moisture resistance and wear resistance are improved.

Veneered plywood is divided into several types, corresponding to the type of wood raw material.

Oak veneered plywood is the most popular option for modern interior design and furniture creation. It has rich shades of brown, a positive texture and a particularly high porosity. This type has low flexibility, high strength, and the thickness of the natural coating ranges from 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm. The production is based on moisture-resistant birch plywood. Plates are obtained by hot pressing.

Ash veneered plywood has a slightly pronounced pattern, which is usually dominated by a light brown color with a slight brown or olive tint. The color transition is very weak and blurry. The texture is pronounced as its natural wood contains imposing vessels. The material requires staining, after which the pattern becomes very contrasting. This type is very flexible, does not form cracks during temperature fluctuations. The sheet thickness is 4 mm or more with a veneer thickness of 0.5 mm.

Beech veneered plywood is characterized by a white surface with a yellowish-red tint, which can change over time to a pinkish-brown hue. The material is not resistant to moisture, since beech has a hygroscopic structure. To connect the seams, a special moisture-resistant glue is used, which increases the moisture resistance when the board gets wet. The fibers are arranged perpendicularly, which prevents the sheet from twisting.

Veneered plywood is an environmentally friendly material, therefore it is used for cladding interiors, framing countertops, in the production of wooden stairs, in the manufacture of doors and many other options. Plywood has a solid base, and with veneers you can achieve excellent durability, natural colors and wood grain. Due to its inexpensive cost and attractive appearance, it has found wide application in the production of furniture. In this case, it must have security. Usually it is FK plywood, which is produced on the basis of urea glue. For furniture, birch veneer is used, since it has the best strength characteristics.

And also veneered plywood is used in construction to create temporary structures and formwork, for foundations, decorative panels, which are necessary for sound insulation, for cladding lecture halls, special offices, sales rooms, equipment for playgrounds. In the automotive industry, it is used for covering floors and truck bodies, covering car dealerships, making trailers, and interior decoration of yachts. With its help, decorative boxes, beautiful elements for packaging are created, it is used in the arrangement of shops, to create equipment for hotels, furniture for cafes and restaurants, hairdressers and other types of business. Cheap varieties are used to create billboards and car signs on the roads.

For an overview of veneered plywood, see the following video.