Making Plywood
Below is a general outline of the steps that go into making plywood.
- Debarking-Bark is removed from the incoming logs. Bark is used to generate
steam in the drying process.
- Cut-off Saw Outfeed-Logs are cut to 8.5 foot lengths.
- The Steam Vats-Logs are soaked in a chemical solution to condition them
for peeling.
- Lathe-Logs are peeled into 1/6, 1/8, or 1/10th inch veneers. The lathes
peel at a rate of 1100 ft/min.
- Clipper-A rotary knife cuts the veneers into 27 x 50 inch sheets
- Green Chain-Veneers are sorted according to moisture content into; heart,
sap, heavysap
- Green Stacker-Veneers are stacked for drying
- Dryer-Veneers are dried for 10-13 minutes to 4-8% moisture content. The
dryer uses bark to create steam for drying.
- After the Dryer, dried veneers are sorted by Grade and Stacked
- At the Raimann Machine, knots in the veneers are replaced with patches and
the resulting veneers are graded again.
- Core Composer-Veneers are cut to 8 x 8 foot sheets before heading to
the...
- Lay-up Line-where veneers are assembled into 5-ply sheets to make the
finished plywood. Veneer layers (or plys) are arranged with the grains of
alternate layers running perpendicular to each other.
- Hot Presses-Assembled boards are individually stacked and inserted into
the presses where they are cured by 90psi pressure and 300 degree F.
temperatures into plywood.
- Patch Line-fills holes in the pressed plywood boards with polyurethane.
- Saw Line-Panels are graded and cut to 4 x 8 sizes
- Sander Out-feed-panel faces are sanded for smoothness
- Sander Bander-Panels are strapped together for shipping.
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