Laminated plywood, its production, scope and features of use

Covering plywood with a special film classifies this building and furniture material as laminated. The top coating of the film can be very different: from tarred paper to plastic plates. Conscientious manufacturers must indicate in the labeling what this or that type of laminated plywood is most suitable for.

Large plywood producers in Russia

There are 30 factories located on the territory of the Russian Federation that successfully produce various brands of plywood. They are guided by developments produced by the world's only Plywood Research Institute.

The most successful manufacturers of competitive products are the following:

• Vyatsky plywood mill.
• Nizhny Novgorod LLC "Zavetluzhye".
• Sveza group.
• Irkutsk "Usolsky Plywood Mill".
• Obninsk plywood mill, located in the Kaluga region.
• Arkhangelsk plywood plant.
• Syktyvkar plywood plant in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

The first three enterprises from this list are leaders not only in terms of the volume of products produced, but also in their quality.

Method No. 2. Carriage screed and important subtleties of its arrangement

I won’t lie to you, compared to the previous method, the instructions here are an order of magnitude more complicated, but if you really want to master it, you’d like to.

Sequence of arrangement

Important nuances

By the way, if you are thinking about creating a business for the production of soft panels, then you can download a starting checklist with estimated prices and a description of everything necessary to create such a business.

Description of laminated plywood

High-quality plywood is obtained by pressing several (3 to 10) sheets of veneer. The perpendicular arrangement of fibers in the sheets makes plywood a fairly durable material. Plywood, which is based on birch wood waste, is suitable for construction needs. For furniture production, plywood based on coniferous tree veneer is used.

The manufacturing technology of laminated plywood differs from conventional plywood already at the stage of raw material preparation. Adhesives contain elements that will allow each individual sheet to be reinforced and laminated. This makes it possible to create each element of multilayer plywood protected from moisture throughout its entire thickness.

The outer coating has a density of 120 g/m2. Even the natural color of such a laminate gives the film a dark tint that imitates natural wood. By adding dyes, you can change the color of plywood from very light to very dark.

When used correctly, the disadvantages of laminated plywood may well be offset by its advantages:

According to GOST standards, Russian plywood, at least according to manufacturers, does not contain poplar impurities. But the Chinese one can contain almost 100% poplar sawdust. Such plywood will be of the lowest quality and its use in any industry will become a kind of risk.

This is what laminated plywood 21 mm thick looks like in the photo

Application area

Finally, let’s consider the scope of application of this material, which, as a result of all the above qualities, is very extensive.

So, most often laminated plywood is used for the following purposes:

• in construction - for arranging formwork, scaffolding, finishing warehouses, etc. It is also often used for finishing homes due to the large selection of colors and surface textures;
• mechanical engineering and shipbuilding - due to the fact that, despite the large safety margin, the weight of laminated plywood is insignificant, it is used to make ship decks, floors of trucks and public transport. In addition, it is used for body cladding and other finishing of vehicles;
• for arranging sports and children's playgrounds, which is due to its high wear resistance;
• for the production of advertising products - all kinds of billboards, stands and other advertising structures are made from sheets.

The photo shows an example of using laminated plywood in the interior

Note! To increase the durability of the material, structural holes must also be protected from moisture, for example, by covering them with several layers of moisture-resistant paint.

Of course, there are many other options for using this material. In particular, it can be very useful in private households, for example, in a suburban area, where such plywood can be used for a variety of purposes.

Specifications

According to established standards, laminated plywood must have the following technical characteristics:

• Sheet thickness can be 4mm, 6mm, 9mm, 12mm, 18mm, 15mm, 20mm, 21mm, 30mm, 40mm;
• 120/240, 125/250. 244\122, 250/125 are standard sheet sizes in centimeters;
• 680-700 kg/m3 is an indicator of density;
• 10% humidity.

These parameters are standard for all types of high-quality laminated plywood. It is noteworthy that to create thick plywood, fewer sheets of veneer are used than to create thin plywood. At the same time, plywood, which is 20 mm thick, is actively used to create cabinet furniture. But the 30mm one has found application in finishing work.

In accordance with established technical conditions, factory cutting of sheets must be clearly at right angles. And chips and cracks are not allowed on the edges. The standard deviation from 90 °C along the length of the sheet is 2 millimeters for every meter.

The following table shows the permissible deviations in sheet length:

Laminated plywood can be made from birch or coniferous veneer. In terms of thermal conductivity, the quality of birch plywood is better. GOST 53920 2010 states that laminated birch plywood with increased moisture resistance corresponds to it. Its outer lining is a thermosetting polymer. The use of such plywood is permitted in a wide variety of building structures and in the engineering industry.

Weight

A sheet of plywood is not lightweight. So, with a thickness of 4 millimeters, a standard sheet of laminated birch veneer plywood, dimensions 2,440/1,220, weighs just over 8 kilograms.

The same sheet with a thickness of 9 millimeters will weigh more than 18 kilograms, but a 21 millimeter sheet will already weigh more than 41. And a plywood sheet with a thickness of 27 millimeters will weigh 53.5 kilograms. Weight indicators are indicated at a density of 665 kg/m3.

Video about the production of laminated plywood:

Panel arrangement

Whatever the decorative panels, their structure is approximately the same. Initially, a rigid base is taken, which can be sheets of fiberboard, MDF, chipboard or something similar. As a rule, foam rubber with a thickness of 10 mm to 100 mm is glued to this sheet. After which all this is covered with leather, leatherette or fabric.

Now there are several types of such coating, some models are truly exclusive and it is not possible to make them at home with your own hands. So in the photo below you see soft 3D wall panels. They certainly look impressive, but trying to make them at home is useless; special machines are needed here.

Making 3D wall panels with your own hands is impossible.

Making soft panels for walls with your own hands at home has certain features; from experience I can say that there are 2 relatively simple models that a home craftsman can handle - these are smooth soft panels and panels made using the carriage screed method, which will be discussed further below. there will be a speech.

Carriage screed is considered one of the most popular and impressive types of wall panels.

Types of laminated plywood

According to GOST, the designation for laminated plywood is FL.

The main varieties of this material are as follows:

• FL standard;
• FC (glued plywood);
• FSF adhesive. It is made on the basis of phenol-formaldehyde glue;
• FL construction.

Varieties of laminated plywood are still possible according to class. Thus, according to European and Russian standards, class E-1 means that this material for every 100 grams of plywood sheet contains no more than 10 milligrams of free formaldehyde. According to environmental standards, this indicator classifies this plywood as a safe material.

The markings to indicate the top layer are as follows:

• SP – paper;
• W – mesh;
• F – smooth.

Any abbreviation is known mainly only to professionals. But even those who have once encountered the use of this material should know the indicators by which it is possible to use plywood.

Waterproof

The property of plywood to resist the harmful effects of a humid environment gives it the name moisture-resistant in the labeling. In Russian plywood production, such material can also be obtained by alternately gluing sheets of birch and coniferous veneer. This plywood has several grades that determine the degree of moisture resistance.

And this indicator does not depend on the quality of the veneer, but only on the composition of the adhesive:

• FC (moisture-resistant plywood) is obtained by gluing elements using urea-formaldehyde resin. Its use is justified and safe indoors.
• FSF is obtained when veneer sheets are glued with a composition based on phenol-formaldehyde resin. Plywood of this marking is best used outdoors, but under a canopy.
• FBS – bakelite plywood. Bakelite glue is used in its production process. It is the most water-resistant plywood and can be used in the construction of ships, aircraft and automobiles.

Mesh

Mesh – transport laminated plywood with mesh is a special material whose outer surface has a mesh texture. Thanks to the latter, nothing will be able to slide on the plywood.

Mesh plywood is used for the interior arrangement of the floor covering of any cargo transport, as well as:

• in the manufacture of doors in a car trailer;
• for creating formwork;
• for temporary arrangement of subfloors.

The standard thickness of laminated mesh plywood is from 4 to 30 millimeters. Thinner material is laid on the flat floor of the car, and the walls of the boat rooms are lined with it. But thick mesh plywood can be used for walls and doors.

In our country, we learned how to make mesh plywood relatively recently. Before that, it was brought from Finland. Russian production uses international quality standards and this allows consumers to receive excellent material.

Photo of mesh automotive plywood

Colored

Laminated plywood with increased moisture resistance can be available in 8 standard colors and a fairly large number of shades. When using color lamination, the manufacturer produces plywood, the thickness of which ranges from 6.5 to 40 millimeters. Each side of a sheet of such plywood can be smooth or mesh.

Colored moisture-resistant plywood withstands environmental influences well, including chemicals, precipitation and moderate mechanical loads.

This material is used for:

• furniture production;
• finishing work indoors;
• construction, including capital;
• car production;
• creation of carriages;
• shipbuilding;
• production of packaging containers.

The use of such material for its intended purpose allows us to speak about its high technical parameters.

FOF

This is a type of plywood that is lined with a film coating. The surface material is special paper, the density of which is as high as possible. Plus, during the application process, the paper is impregnated with synthetic resin. For FOF brand plywood, birch semi-finished product is used, the production of which is close to the production of FSF brand (plywood with increased moisture resistance).

The thickness of such plywood sheets ranges from 4 to 40 millimeters. According to the standard, manufacturers produce two types of plywood:

• Covered with laminate with a smooth surface on both sides.
• Covered with a smooth surface on one side. The second side has a mesh covering, like shipping plywood.

This plywood can be used in the manufacture of cars, sea and river vessels, as well as in capital construction. The technical characteristics of the material are not inferior to other types of waterproof plywood.

Photo of plywood brand FOF

Formwork

The creation of plywood used for formwork assumes that this material will be exposed to the aggressive effects of abrasives and other chemicals, which are found in huge quantities in concrete. This circumstance forced manufacturers to create a special type of plywood that can withstand the destructive effects of such reagents. Laminated plywood copes with this task perfectly.

The cyclicity of plywood, that is, the number of times it is expected to be used in formwork, is called turnover. In such formwork, the seams between the profile and the plywood must be taped, which additionally protects the material containing wood waste from swelling. Considering that laminated plywood is also intended for creating formwork (and in any way), it is not worth paying extra for advertising of increased turnover.

A short video about laminated plywood for formwork:

Furniture

Most often, plywood is used to create furniture walls, the components of which are glued together with urea glue. It is believed that in this case the furniture maker will work with environmentally friendly material. For this, experts choose laminated plywood of classes E1 and E2. Both of these types are not prohibited for indoor use.

Laminated plywood of the FK and FL brands for furniture can be used as a secondary part of the structure. In other words, its use is justified for rear walls and internal partitions. Here it copes with its tasks perfectly, and for facade parts it is more advisable to use veneered plywood.

Wherein:

• Furniture plywood is easy to cut.
• She keeps her shape wonderfully.
• The structure is simply connected using special glue.
• Furniture plywood holds small nails quite well.

With minimal contact with water, even in damp areas, furniture plywood as interior partitions and back walls can last for decades.

For floor

You can choose any type of this material for flooring. However, it is worth considering the fact that if we are talking about arranging the floor of a room where there is high humidity, it is better to choose laminated plywood, for example, the FK brand.

It is best to lay any plywood on a pre-leveled surface. This will create strong, beautiful floors, and will also extend the life of all materials.

Selecting materials for panels

The range of applications for soft panels made of leather or fabric is huge, starting with small ottomans with a soft seat and ending with solid decoration for cafes and other similar places, but the use of such finishing in the interior is a big topic worthy of a separate article.

Now we are talking about the applied direction, and any work on the manufacture of anything begins with the selection of materials.

• Basis - here it all depends on the purpose for which you are making your panel. So, for furniture, for example, headrests for beds, MDF, chipboard or OSB boards with a thickness of about 10 - 12 mm are taken. Plywood works well, but is more expensive. Pure wall cladding or lining of entrance doors should not be too thick, so such panels are made on the basis of thin plywood or fiberboard;
• The filler or backing is responsible for softness and volume. As already mentioned, this often includes furniture foam up to 100 mm thick. Although there are some smooth models that are filled with padding polyester and even batting. For example, if you make yourself a soft ironing board, then it is filled only with batting;

Furniture foam rubber is the most practical backing for soft panels.

• The list of finishing materials for such panels consists of 3 points:

1. Making soft wall panels covered with natural leather is a good option, but very expensive. After all, finely tanned leather is used for these purposes, and its price is high; not everyone can afford such a coating;
2. Furniture fabrics, especially velvet, look impressive, but are difficult to care for. The more you vacuum and wash the fabric covering, the faster it will become unusable;
3. Leatherette wall panels now occupy approximately 50–70% of the market. This material combines the best price with decent quality. Plus, you can wash artificial leather as much as you like.

Important: now all companies specializing in the production of soft panels use so-called eco-leather, in principle it is the same leatherette, only of very high quality. Visually, eco-leather is practically indistinguishable from natural leather, plus it stretches well and does not burn.

Plywood certification

The consumer is protected from low-quality products by the current certification system for any product in Russia. But to confirm the quality of most brands of plywood, it is enough to obtain only a declaration of conformity.

Among the mandatory documents that accompany each shipment there must be a Fire Safety Certificate. It is issued by the Ministry of Emergency Situations after testing plywood samples.

Laminated plywood, which is manufactured in accordance with technical specifications, has a fairly wide range of uses. It is widely used in furniture production, shipbuilding and aircraft construction, in the factory creation of cars and their further arrangement, even in an ordinary garage.

With its help, it is even possible to carry out some roofing work and make high-quality packaging or containers. In this case, laminated plywood can also be used as a leveling base under the laminate. Experts highly appreciate its qualities and highlight the main ones. Strength, durability, ease of use.

Production

Sanded waterproof birch plywood of emission class E1 is used as a raw material for laminated boards. And a film based on thermoset, obtained by impregnating paper with a thermosetting resin that hardens when heated.

All defects in the outer layers must be repaired. These include:

• not completely fused knots;
• unfused knots;
• falling out knots;
• cracked knots;
• knot holes;
• wormholes;
• loose cracks.

To eliminate defects, veneer inserts or putty are used. The end part of the sheet is treated with an acrylic-based water emulsion.

Features of plastic lamination

In addition to laminating plywood surfaces with paper-resin, polyvinyl chloride or polyvinyl fluoride films, the front and back sides of the material can be lined with other materials (for example, a layer of cork chips, asbestos, fiberglass, etc.). Plywood coated with a layer of plastic or fiberglass has higher characteristics in terms of hardness and abrasion resistance, is more resistant to chemically aggressive substances, and is light and water resistant.

One of the most practical ways to improve the performance properties of plywood is plasticization, based on a special chemical-thermal treatment of rotary-cut veneer, pre-impregnated and coated with binding components.

Advantages of PVC film

• Wide range of colors and decors (glossy, matte, smooth, embossed, etc.)
• Wear resistance (resistant to mechanical and chemical stress, temperature changes or loss of color, and does not deteriorate from detergents)
• Environmental friendliness (as manufacturers claim:)

PVC film has a number of advantages, but its main advantage is that it is capable of high-quality coating of volumetric and relief surfaces of parts, in fact, which is its main task.

Source: mebsam.com

Colored coatings

Pigments can be added to the synthetic layer to give a particular color to the material.

White laminated plywood can be used to decorate the bathroom and other wet rooms in the apartment. At the request of customers, many enterprises are ready to make products in different colors. Modern technologies make it possible to quickly apply dyes to laminated wood products.

Bright colored sheets are used for the construction of children's playgrounds.

Darker or lighter laminated plywood is used for the production of vans, seats in public places, and partitions in transport.

How to laminate chipboard with your own hands: what can be done at home?

Despite the emergence of new, better materials, particle boards are not going to lose their positions. As before, they continue to be used to make furniture. The reason is simple: the popularity of the material is explained by its affordable price. However, ordinary “bare” slabs are completely unsuitable for furniture production; this is to blame for their “simple”, unattractive appearance, as well as their complete lack of protection from moisture. Therefore, they were replaced by laminated products - chipboard. These materials are particularly durable, come in a wide range of colors and have an almost unearthly beauty. When making furniture on their own, many craftsmen decide to use ordinary boards, and at the same time are interested in how to laminate chipboard with their own hands. To answer this question, you first need to learn about the production of such boards, or rather, about lamination technology.

How to laminate chipboard with your own hands?

Since we can already come to the conclusion that lamination at home is impossible, we will talk about laminating, which is not so demanding. With this kind of work there is no need for pressing, and in some cases heating is also not necessary. However, you need to know that this chipboard processing is done at your own peril and risk. Such a coating will not hold as firmly as a factory-made one.

Working with self-adhesive film

Although this operation is one of the simplest options, all stages must be performed correctly.

1. Preparing the slab - sanding it. For a large amount of work, it is better to use a grinder with wood attachments. If the product is small, then sandpaper fixed on a special holder or block will be sufficient. The surface is sanded until it becomes completely smooth.
2. Further processing. The sanded slab is puttied, and after the composition has dried, it is processed again, but with a fine sanding attachment or fine-grained sandpaper. The purpose of this stage is to eliminate the smallest, almost imperceptible defects.
3. Padding. It is necessary to purchase a composition intended for wood processing. The soil will provide the opportunity to obtain the strongest possible adhesion of dissimilar materials. After completing the operation, wait until the surface dries.
4. Reveal the details. First, the chipboard product is measured. The blanks are cut out with a sharp knife (stationery knife, breadboard knife). To avoid mistakes and get straight edges, it is better to cut them using a metal ruler.

The pattern is glued, gradually releasing the film from the protection. Make sure that no bubbles form. If “air defects” do appear, they are driven out towards the nearest edge with a rubber spatula.

Types of PVC film

1. In order to apply a coating to the relief surfaces of MDF products, milled table tops, as well as other paneled surfaces, use a machine with a vacuum press and PVC with a thickness of 0.3-0.5 mm, less often 0.25 mm.
2. To laminate MDF products, a film is used, the thickness of which is 0.3-0.5 mm, and the entire lamination process is done on a special facing machine. This process is also applied to linear products made from materials such as plastic, wood or metal.
3. For laminating smooth surfaces that do not have patterns, use a film whose thickness is 0.25-0.3 mm, no more.