Flat-Press Veneer Prep

The flat press area prepares veneer faces for further pressing operations. “Face” is the outside ply. This can be 1, 2, or 3 ply depending on the complexity of curves. When veneer is received in, it is first sorted for “A grade” face-quality pieces. Pieces with splits or imperfections are downgraded to smaller pieces used as inner ply, or simply scrapped.

Two-ply and single-ply faces are pressed (heated and flattened) in the flat press area. Two-plying is performed to provide thinner face veneer a greater degree of stability during pre-sanding and to prevent the face veneer from splitting on highly complex or deep contours. Single-ply faces tend to be used on pieces with moderate compound curves.

Pre-sanding also occurs in the flat press area. Pre-sanding is a technique used at Davidson Plyforms to improve the appearance of an induction-heated exposed component and to reduce the cost of post-mold sanding. When the face veneer is sanded in flat form prior to pressing, it can be sanded in an automatic wide-belt sander. Conversely, after the component has been molded, it takes on a completely different form that can be sanded only by hand.