Industrial Woods
Industrial evolution around the world of wood has achieved, starting from this raw material, products that equal or exceed it in some areas. The greater use, derived from the use of what until now was considered waste or even the reuse or recycling of wood, allows to obtain significantly lower prices, the development of adhesives and the superposition of sheets or strips allows to obtain longer pieces and resistant, the application of some chemical treatments allows to improve characteristics such as resistance to humidity or fire, etc.
It consists of boards made from the union of several natural wood veneers with the opposite direction of the grain, using different adhesives for this. By doing it in this way, it is possible to give greater resistance and stability to the result. It is very common to use for the exterior veneers, the visible ones, a wood of superior quality or with the characteristics or appearance that we are looking for, and then others of a different or inferior quality wood for the interior ones. The natural wood used to create plywood must have among its qualities, that of withstanding the unrolling process, the main method used to obtain veneers from a log. Some of the most used species are poplar, okume, eucalyptus or birch. This type of wood is in high demand since it has an infinite number of uses, among which the manufacturing of curved pieces, furniture, construction, etc. stand out. Using the right adhesives, typically phenolic glues, plywood (also known as marine veneer) is suitable for outdoor use, and even for boat building.
It is a type of beam specially designed for construction. It is a very stable and resistant type of technical wood, it is obtained from the union with multi-section glues or previously treated and dried boards. This manufacturing process allows to obtain pieces that exceed 30 meters in length, something unthinkable with traditional sawn beams.
Following the same principle as with laminated beams, that is, by joining different pieces of wood previously treated and dried, a much more resistant and stable product is obtained than that offered by natural wood. In the case of counter-laminated panels, we are talking about large-scale pieces, not only in length, but also in width. In construction with wood they would form the walls, ceilings and floors of the house. Building with this type of wood would be very similar to putting together a giant puzzle, where the pieces have been previously manufactured in the workshop. Then, with the help of cranes, they are assembled in their final location. This type of industrial wood is the one that is destined to revolutionize the world of construction.
Agglomerates. They are manufactured from particles of several millimeters and are generally marketed coated with melamine (this resin protects printed designs). Its main use is the manufacture of interior furniture. The great drawback they present is their low resistance to humidity and the deformation that it produces.
MDF. Medium density fiberboard is made from very fine fibers or strands of wood. The term MDF is generally used for all fibreboard, including high- and low-density. It is simply a generalization. Its main use is also the manufacture of furniture, although we can also find it as cladding, laminate flooring support, moldings, doors, etc. Its use as a support for the application of all kinds of finishes, such as lacquers, stands out, since it offers a smooth and ideal surface for this type of work.
OSB or oriented strand board. It is a middle ground between particle board and plywood. They are formed from the union of different layers in opposite directions of chips of several centimeters. The result is a very resistant board, similar to plywood, with a significantly lower price. Although it is currently used mainly as a cladding or structural element, it can also be used for the manufacture of furniture, packaging, etc.
They are chipboards or MDF on which a natural wood veneer is glued, so that we would have a board with the appearance of a specific wood at a much lower price. The technical characteristics of this wooden board will be defined by the materials that are finally used.
This type of wood is obtained by joining wood fibers and resins. The appearance can change a lot from what we are used to or it can be quite similar to what we expect when we talk about wood. The final properties depend to a great extent on the components used, types of resins and proportions of each of these components, but normally we find a material with great durability outdoors. Hence, its main uses are the manufacture of exterior flooring and facade cladding.
These are just some types of industrial wood, since it is a sector in constant evolution, where new products and solutions appear every day for all kinds of needs: Lighter and more resistant woods for the construction of structures, manufacturing methods that improve the application of lacquers, paints and varnishes, etc.
