Why You Need a Veneer Press

When it comes to replacing, purchasing or upgrading woodwork machinery, operators like you will generally give plenty of pause before making a purchase. A veneer press is an incredibly useful piece of kit, used in industrial manufacturing and by professional woodworkers alike. However, you need to know the ins and outs of the machines you consider for your work. With this in mind, this blog will be a deeper look at veneer press technology and what it does.

The wood veneer press
This is a heavy-duty machine. It is designed to use controlled pressure to bond multiple thin sheets of wood – which will typically be under 3mm thickness – onto a substrate such as MDF, plywood or particleboard. Adhesive is then used to aid the bonding process to produce a smooth, strong and durable surface. The pressure applied to the veneer panels ensures the adhesive cures perfectly. This will eliminate any air bubbles or gaps.

The structure of a veneer press
The frame will typically be constructed from solid steel beams. These are welded securely into a box-shaped body to provide the strength, rigidity and stability needed to apply controlled pressure without moving or bending during operation.
Within the structure, you will find the hydraulic pressure system. Above this will be the pressure table, equipped with the heated platens which bond the veneer plates together with the substrate.

The movement type of the platens dictates one of two types of the main press.

These two types are:

• Downstroke Press – cylinders mounted above push down onto the workpiece
• Upstroke Press – cylinders are located below to lift the platen up towards the top plate
A toothed rack guides help to balance the movement. This ensures both plates close evenly under perfect alignment to ensure perfect quality pressing.

The types of wood veneer presses
There are three main types of industrial veneer press machines depending on production requirements.

• The Cold Press (Hydraulic Press)
  Cold presses operate at room temperature using hydraulic cylinders to apply pressure without added heat. What this means is that cure times will be longer – usually several hours – to allow for the adhesive to completely set.
  The Cold Press machine is ideal for heavy-duty batch production where fast setting time is less critical. A big advantage with this format is simpler operation and lower energy costs. Downsides are the slower cycle time because processes depend on the adhesive used and its room-temperature cure rate.
• The Hot Press (Heated Hydraulic Press)
  Aluminium or steel press plates are heated, typically to 130-200˚C and pressed onto the wood panel. A Hot Press has a more rapid turnaround time – minutes rather than hours due to fast curing of heat-activated adhesives.
  A downside is that they consume more energy and require high temperature safety measures.
• Vacuum (Membrane) Press
  This is commonly used for curved or irregular surfaces. The glue and veneer are placed in an airtight bag or under a silicone membrane plate to create even pressure ensuring flat, void-free bonds.

Interested in learning more? Head on over here for more information on Veneer Presses and how one can benefit your workshop.