Masonry Magazine October 2002 Page. 35
Laminated Veneer Lumber
Laminated Veneer Lumber is an engineered wood product comprised of veneer layers and exterior adhesive similar to plywood, except that the veneer grain is orientated in one direction (unidirectional), not cross-ply or perpendicular to one another.
Some manufacturers purchase kiln-dried veneers on the open market while others peel their own logs, kiln dry the veneers, then select and organize them according to grade quality. The dried veneers are then sequentially fed, relative to grade designation, into the highly automated production line where they are coated with adhesive, slightly lapped end-to-end, and stacked in layers to the desired thickness. The production line precisely controls the exact placement of each veneer, relative to grade quality, and ensures that all lapped joints are dispersed uniformly throughout the entire panel lay-up.
The long continuous ribbon of stacked veneer is then fed through a hydraulic press where, under heat and pressure, they are bonded into a thick, uniform panel known as a billet. Essentially, the billet appears to be a very large plywood panel, but, again, the veneer grain direction is orientated parallel to one another.
Depending upon the production line capabilities, a billet can range from 3/4 to 3-1/2 inches thick, by 24 to 96 inches wide and as long as 48 feet in length. Ultimately, the billet gets precision ripped to width and cut to length relative to the desired product size needed for the specific application.
Obviously, the following description is simplified, but essentially all LVL plants are formatted the same with the exception of some proprietary equipment. This unique manufacturing process provides for a uniform, homogeneous lumber type product with predictable strength. Yet, every mill tries to differentiate by using certain wood species and their own special combination of veneer grades within the lay-up process.
Billet to plank
Billets intended for scaffold plank are generally produced in 1-1/2 or 1-3/4 inch thickness, and then ripped to typical plank width of 9-1/4 inches for 2 x 10 or 11-3/4 inches for 2 x 12. Lengths are obviously cut respective to customer needs.
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