Shape stability of laminated veneer products

Sammanfattning: This thesis is about the shape stability of laminated veneer products.Laminated veneer products consist of veneers bonded together with adhesive into a predetermined shape. Such products are used in several contexts but especially in furniture manufacture. Deviation from the intended shape is a problem for both manufacturers and customers of the final products. The shape stability of laminated veneer products depends on a variety of material and process parameters, and this thesis identifies several important factors that influence shape stability. The purpose of this thesis is to find ways to decrease distortion and improve shape stability so that product quality can be improved.Different ways of measuring shape stability, both in an industrial environment and in a more research-based context, are presented in this thesis. Various studies have been conducted to evaluate the influence of different material and process parameters on shape stability. The parameters studied were species (beech and birch), adhesive system (bio-based adhesives, adhesive systems based on urea formaldehyde), adhesive distribution on the veneer, climate, moisture content and fibre orientations of the veneers, as well as orientation of the individual veneers in an assembly.The results clearly show that the fibre orientation of the veneer strongly influences the shape stability of a laminated veneer product. This means that products can show considerable distortion (particularly twist) if the fibre orientation of the veneer is orientated in an unsuitable way in the assembly before moulding. The effect of fibre orientation on shape stability can be very small directly after moulding, but it increases considerably when the moulded product is subjected to a change in moisture content. In general, a change in moisture content leads to distortion. Moisture change alone, however, results in a controlled distortion.An asymmetrical construction coupled with different moisture contents of the veneers in an assembly before moulding will result in poor shape stability of the product. Other studied parameters had a low impact on shape stability, although beech resulted in more distortion and poorer shape stability than birch.In order to produce shape-stable laminated veneer products, the veneers should be conditioned to a uniform moisture content and sorted with regard to fibre orientation before bonding. The orientation of the veneers is highly important regarding both fibre orientation and the loose or tight side of the veneer. If shape stability is the main target, the loose sides of peeled and sliced veneers should be oriented in the same manner.