Plywood Manufacturing
https://www3.epa.gov/ttnchie1/ap42/ch10/final/c10s05.pdf
10.5.1 General
Plywood is a building material consisting of veneers (thin wood layers or plies) bonded with an
adhesive. There are two types of plywood: softwood plywood and hardwood plywood. Softwoods
generally correspond to coniferous species. The most commonly used softwoods for manufacturing
plywood are firs and pines. Hardwoods generally correspond to deciduous species. For hardwood
plywood, commonly used wood species include oak, poplar, maple, cherry, and larch.
Softwood plywood is manufactured by gluing several layers of dry softwood veneers together
with an adhesive. Softwood plywood is used for wall siding, sheathing, roof decking, concrete
formboards, floors, and containers. Softwood plywood is classified under Standard Industrial
Classification (SIC) code 2436, and North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code
321212 for “Softwood Plywood and Veneer”.
Hardwood plywood is made of hardwood veneers bonded with an adhesive. The outer layers
(face and back) surround a core which is usually lumber, veneer, particleboard, or medium density
fiberboard. Hardwood plywood may be pressed into panels or plywood components (e.g., curved
hardwood plywood, seat backs, chair arms, etc.). Hardwood plywood is used for interior applications
such as furniture, cabinets, architectural millwork, paneling, flooring, store fixtures, and doors. Hardwood
plywood is classified under SIC code 2435 and NAICS code 321211, for “Hardwood Plywood and
Veneer”.
Softwood plywood plants typically produce softwood veneers and softwood plywood on the same
plant site. However, most hardwood plywood and veneer plants either produce hardwood plywood or
hardwood veneer. Hardwood veneer plants cut and dry hardwood veneers. Hardwood plywood plants
typically purchase hardwood veneers and press the veneers onto a purchased core material.
10.5.2 Process Description1-4, 22
The manufacture of softwood or hardwood plywood consists of nine main processes: log storage,
log debarking and bucking, heating the logs, peeling the logs into veneers, drying the veneers, gluing the
veneers together, pressing the veneers in a hot press, plywood cutting, and other finishing processes such
as sanding. Figure 10.5-1 provides a generic process flow diagram for a plywood mill.
The initial step of debarking is accomplished by feeding logs through one of several types of
debarking machines. The purpose of this operation is to remove the outer bark of the tree without
substantially damaging the wood. After the bark is removed, the logs are cut to appropriate lengths in a
step known as bucking.
The logs (now referred to as blocks) then are heated to improve the cutting action of the veneer
lathe or slicer, thereby generating a product from the lathe or slicer with better surface finish. Blocks are
heated to around 93°C (200°F) using a variety of methods–hot water baths, steam heat, hot water spray,
or a combination of the three.
10.5-2 EMISSION FACTORS 1/2002
VENEER DRYING
LOG
STORAGE
(SCC 3-07-008-95)
LOG HEATING
(STEAMING/SOAKING)
(SCC 3-07-007-30)
(SCC 3-07-007-89)
LOG DEBARKING
(SCC 3-07-008-01)
AND BUCKING
(SCC 3-07-008-02)
VENEER
LAYUP AND
GLUE SPREADING
(SCC 3-07-007-27)
VENEER CUTTING
(SCC 3-07-007-25)
FINISHED
PRODUCT
PLYWOOD
FINISHING
(SCC 3-07-007-02)
PLYWOOD
CUTTING
(SCC 3-07-007-10)
PLYWOOD
PRESSING
(SCC 3-07-007-80 TO -85)
(SCC 3-07-007-11 TO -20)
(SCC 3-07-007-34 TO -71)
Additional Source Classification Codes for Combined Operations:
SCC 3-07-007-88: Hardwood plywood combined dust baghouse (includes trim saw, composer, core saw, dry
hog, hammermill, and sander)
SCC 3-07-007-90: Softwood plywood, dry veneer trim chipper (trimmed veneer from layup line)
SCC 3-07-007-91: Softwood plywood, dry plywood trim chippers (trim from panel saws)
SCC 3-07-007-92: Softwood plywood sander (includes sanders and specialty saw)
SCC 3-07-007-93: Softwood plywood saws (includes 3 saws, hog, and sander)
Figure 10.5-1. Generic process flow diagram for a plywood mill.
(SCC = Source Classification Code.)
After heating, the logs are processed to generate veneer. For most applications, a veneer lathe is
used, but some decorative, high quality veneer is generated with a veneer slicer. The slicer and veneer
lathe both work on the same principle; the wood is compressed with a nosebar while the veneer knife cuts
the blocks into veneers that are typically 3 mm (1/8 in.) thick. Decorative hardwood veneers are usually
sliced much thinner than 3 mm (1/8 in.) thick. The veneer pieces are then clipped to a usable width,
typically 1.37 m (54 in.), to allow for shrinkage and trim.
Veneers are taken from the clipper to a veneer dryer where they are dried to moisture contents
that range from around 1 to 15 percent, dry basis. Face veneer moisture contents can range up to 25
percent, dry basis. Target moisture content depends on the type of resin used in subsequent gluing steps.
The typical drying temperature ranges from 150° to 200°C (300° to 400°F). The veneer dryer may be a
longitudinal dryer, which circulates air parallel to the veneer, or a jet dryer. The jet dryers direct hot, high
velocity air at the surface of the veneers in order to create a more turbulent flow of air. The increased
turbulence provides more effective use of dryer energy, thereby reducing drying time. Veneer dryers
may be either direct-fired or indirect-heated. In direct-fired dryers, hot combustion gases from an onsite
boiler are blended with recirculated exhaust from the dryer to lower the gas temperature. In indirectheated veneer dryers, air is warmed over steam coils and circulated over the veneer. Veneer dryers
typically have one to three heated zones followed by a cooling zone or section. Each heated zone has a
hot air source, fans to move the warm air, and an exhaust vent or stack. The cooling section circulates
ambient air over the veneer to reduce the veneer temperature just before it exits the dryer. The veneers
must be cooled to prevent glue from curing on the veneers during the layup and glue spreading operations
before they reach the plywood press.
1/2002 Wood Products Industry 10.5-3
Veneer may also be dried in veneer kilns, which resemble lumber kilns. Kiln drying is a batch
operation, where the veneers are stacked with stickers (narrow wood strips) and dried in the kiln.
Veneer moisture is checked against the target moisture level as the veneer exits the veneer dryer.
Veneer redryers may be used to redry the veneer that did not reach the target moisture content. Veneer
redryers are typically heated by radio frequency (RF) and are designed to handle only a fraction of the
throughput from full-scale veneer dryers. Conventional veneer dryers may also be used for redrying
veneer. When used for redrying veneer, conventional veneer dryers are operated at faster than normal
speeds (i.e., the redry veneer passes through the dryer more quickly than does green veneer).
After drying, veneers sometimes are glued together on the edges to form larger sheets of veneer.
This process is called composing. Narrow veneer slices must be composed before they are used in
plywood panels or other products requiring wider veneer sheets.
When the veneers have been dried to their specified moisture content, they are conveyed to a
layup operation, where a thermosetting resin is spread on the veneers. The two main types of resins are
phenol-formaldehyde, which is used for softwood plywood and exterior grades of hardwood plywood, and
urea-formaldehyde, which is used to glue interior grades of hardwood plywood. The resins are applied by
glue spreaders, curtain coaters, or spray systems. Spreaders have a series of rubber-covered grooved
application rolls that apply the resin to the sheet of veneer. Generally, resin is spread on two sides of one
ply of veneer, which is then placed between two plies of veneer that are not coated with resin.
Assembly of the plywood panels must be symmetrical on either side of a neutral center in order to
avoid excessive warpage. For example, a five-ply panel would be laid up in the following manner. A
back, with the grain direction parallel to the long axis of the panel, is placed on the assembly table. The
next veneer has a grain direction perpendicular to that of the back, and is spread with resin on both sides.
Then, the center is placed, with no resin, and with the grain perpendicular to the previous veneer (parallel
with the back). The fourth veneer has a grain perpendicular to the previous veneer (parallel with the
short axis of the panel) and is spread with resin on both sides. The final, face, veneer with no resin is
placed like the back with the grain parallel to the long axis of the plywood panel.
The laid-up assembly of veneers then is sent to a hot press in which it is consolidated under heat
and pressure. Hot pressing has two main objectives: (1) to press the glue into a thin layer over each
sheet of veneer; and (2) to activate the thermosetting resins. Typical press temperatures range from 132°
to 165°C (270° to 330°F) for softwood plywood, and 107° to 135°C (225° to 275°F) for hardwood
plywood. Press times generally range from 2 to 7 minutes. The time and temperature vary depending on
the wood species used, the resin used, and the press design.
The plywood then is taken to a finishing process where edges are trimmed; the face and back
may or may not be sanded smooth. The type of finishing depends on the end product desired.
