We are all familiar with the uses of plywood, having used them for our home or office furniture at some point in our lives. So, what exactly is Plywood? Plywood is thin sheets of wood glued together, pressing them under pressure. The thickness of the plywood depends on the number of sheets of ply bonded together.
Plywoods come in all types. One of the most popular types is the laminated ones. The bonded plywoods found in the market are aesthetically enhanced. The use of decorative laminate or film faces to one or both sides of the raw plywood substrate help in improving the look of the bonded plywoods.
Nowadays, many plywood companies are manufacturing pre-laminated plywood sheets. It reduces the trouble of manually gluing the laminate to the Plywood.
Why do people prefer laminated Plywood?
The laminated Plywoods are water, moisture, and chemical resistant. They are made with stringent quality control making them tough and resistant to all types of weather conditions. They are also robust than sun mica as they use thin sheets of wood, whereas sun mica uses paper and plastic.
Applications of Laminated Plywood
There are many uses of laminated plywood. For instance, laminated plywood is predominant in furniture making, in designing partitions, doors, cabinets, and shelves. Special laminated plyboards are common in making billboards and electrical boxes. However, the crucial use of laminated Plywood’s is in interior and exterior decorations of large organizations, hotels, hospitals, and airports.
Types of laminated Plywood
The type depends on the Plywood laminate pressing techniques used.
High-Pressure Laminates
This type is made by pasting the décor paper to the sheets of ply at extremely high pressure. They are durable and can withstand heavy loads.
Low-Pressure Laminates
The use of low-pressure laminates is extensive in laminating particle boards and MDF. The decorative film is soaked in melamine resin and then used on the board.
Laminates based on the thickness
The regular sheets are usually 0.8mm to 1.50mm thick and are glued manually to the plywoods. The compact sheets have a thickness ranging from3 mm to 30 mm and are self-supporting. They can also be uses as decorative top or bottom.
While there are many uses of laminates, they come categorized into two major segments.
- Industrial Laminates
The laminates are explicitly designed for industrial use and can withstand wear and tear. They are water, fire, and chemical resistant and are durable.
- Decorative laminates
These laminates are rigid sheets and come in various designs, colors, and textures to choose from. They have a thickness of 1 mm and help in providing finished looks to interior work. The laminates come in matt or glossy finishes, solid colors, or can be textured, and therefore are selected accordingly.
The role of hydraulic Press Machine
Manufacturers use the hot-pressing techniques for pre-laminated plywoods. They use the highly versatile Hydraulic Plywood Press Machine for making different types of plywoods, ply boards, industrial and decorative laminates. Hydraulic press machines come in various capacities and are used as per application.