Veneer is a very thin slice of wood which is obtained from tree log. It is the finest appearance of wood. Wood veneer is usually glued onto core panels (plywood, particle board or medium density fiiberboard)
Cutting solid wood creates more wastage than wood veneer. Solid wood is cut down from tree log whereas wood veneer cut down from tree log. With the ability to join veneers, even small pieces of veneer are usable, resulting in very little waste.
Why you Should use Wood Veener?
There are various reasons to use wood veneer as it is economical than using solid wood. There are lots of textures, patterns, shades and variety of wood veneers are available in market. According to lights in Room shades of veneer change which gives warm feeling.
The color and shades of veneer is also changes with type of wood species, cutting pattern etc. Wood veneer is used mainly for Interior decorations in hotels, Restaurants and Home.
Properties of Wood Veener
- It has better sound insulation.
- It has better color permanence.
- It increases strength of wood products and make it more durable
- It can not resist water because it may damage polish and wood surface
- It is resistant to clipping, fragmentation and wrapping
- Wood veneer surface can be customized by painting and polishing
- It can be recycled as it is a natural material
- Special care has to take while cleaning the surface to prevent damage
How is Wood Veener Manufactured?
Step-1: Log Yard
In first step trees are cut down and creates long solid wood. These log yard further classified according to their types, shades and textures. They are kept under optimal humidity conditions to avoid any deterioration during warm season.
Step-2: Debarking
The bark on the log is remove with great care and precise evenness. The bark is shredded and used as fuel. Once debarked, the logs are cut into halves or quarters.
The logs are cut depending on the slicing method used to produce veneer. Modern sawing method allow us to place the log in the best possible to obtain highest quality and yeild of veneers without damaging the wood.
Step-3: Soaking the Logs
This is a crucial step in manufacturing quality wood veneers. In this step, Logs are soaked to soften the fibre which is necessary for uniform slicing.
The logs are kept in steamers and completely submerged for a period of 12 to 72 hours at a temperature 80 degree to 100 degree.
The success of different curing methods depends on the consistency of wood fibre, hardness of wood, Size of log, fragility of species of wood and weather conditions.
Step-4: Slicing
For maximum effectiveness, the logs should be cut within a hour after soaking.
Flat slicing is the most common cutting method used. In this method, the half log is positioned such that it is firmly held. The slicing is done at a specific speed to cut the veneers to the right thickness required.
The slicing speed is choose based on wood species so that the wood log is not damaged. Half round slicing, rift cut and rotary cut are some other methods used for veneer slicing.
Step-5: Drying
After slicing, veneer sheets are put them in dryer in which they are dried evenly within a few minutes. Air temperature is blasted with high velocity on veneer slice .Veneer should dry in such a way that it should have 8-12% moisture content.
Step-6: Quality Check
In this process involves inspecting, examining and classifying veneers according to their standards, thickness, shades etc. An expert carefully inspects each log to make sure customers receive quality veneers.
Step-7: Clipping
It is the initial step in the splicing process. They are cut with an in clipper to obtain sheets that are even in length. A similar clipping or cutting process is performed to acquire sheets of a proper width.
The quality of the veneer panel depends on the precision and angle of the cut. Panels are then headed to the glue machine, which bonds the edges of the sheets.
Step-8: Splicing
In this process veneers are assembled according to match. The pressure exerted and heat applied on veneer slice ensures solid consistent match.
Step-9: Packing
The sheets are finally measured, classified and packed with proper labels and transported as per requirement.
Thickness of Wood Veener available in Market
The thickness of wood veneer is very important factor to determine durability. More the thickness of veneer means more the durability of veneer. The standard thickness of veneer is available in market is 0.6 mm to 0.8 mm. The thickness of flexible veneer is 0.3 mm.
Price of Wood Veneer
The price of wood veneer is depends on type of wood species, Type of cut, Thickness of sheet. The cost of veneer sheet varies Rs.70-9000/Sq.ft. this range is vary according to manufacturer and type of wood species.
Wood Veener Manufacturers in India
Some of the top brands of Veener manufacturers in India are:
- Century
- Green ply
- Deco wood
- Euro Décor
- Apex
