The list of specialized woodworking equipment includes a press machine, in another way a press. Depending on the principle of operation and a set of functions, all pressing machines are divided into several types: a hot press for furniture panels, for veneering, a cold press for gluing thick plate materials, press guides for the manufacture of frame structures. However, one of the most popular ones rightfully includes equipment for veneering and laminating wood-based panels.
What is veneering
Veneer is a natural finishing material, often used in furniture production. It is a thin sheet of wood, specially removed from the trunk. The thickness of such a sheet is 0.5-1 mm. Most often, this material is used to improve tables, facades of cabinets and other cabinet furniture made of particleboard, MDF and other wood derivatives.
The process of coating veneered chipboard and MDF is called veneering. It is carried out on special machines - veneer presses.
Hot Press Design
What is a veneer? This is a special device consisting of several basic elements. It:
- bed;
- hydraulic system ;
- guides;
- heating shades;
- operator panel.
The hot press for veneering is equipped with hydraulic equipment and a bed made of steel. It is thanks to the frame that the construction is stable and stable.
Heating elements are used as heating elements. They are connected with the working panel, which is in direct contact with the surface of the workpieces.
Wood boards are moved using guides. These elements are located on the machine and synchronously moved.
Thanks to the special design, access to the workplace of the hot press is available from two sides, which makes the operation and maintenance of the machine as convenient as possible.
Management and control of work operations is carried out from the control panel. It controls the operating pressure and temperature.
Principle of operation
Working on a hot press machine is quite simple. A workpiece is placed on a special movable table. It can be a door, a finished element of cabinet furniture or linear material MDF or fiberboard.
A veneer sheet coated with a special adhesive is laid on a material plate. After that, the press is activated, and the workpiece is clamped between the table and the top plate. After hydraulic and temperature exposure, a finished veneered part is obtained suitable for further work.
A suitable adhesive composition and a correctly selected mode allow achieving such results in which the veneered plate will fit snugly against the wood board and not peel off even with high humidity and active use.
Press setup
Working with a hot press is quite simple. The plate of material is covered with veneer and laid on the working surface of the table. After that, the machine starts up. In this case, the operator of the press machine should provide several features of the settings:
- heating temperature;
- pressure indicator;
- pressing time.
To a greater extent, the settings depend on the characteristics of the processed material. Errors in the operator's work become the reason for the release of low-quality products, therefore, a trained master must work on the veneer.
Types of veneer press
Manufacturers offer equipment for veneering of various types. Among them:
- single span;
- multi-span;
- machines of continuous action.
All of the above varieties are somewhat different in structure and effectiveness. The cost of equipment will also vary. For this reason, machines should be selected taking into account the characteristics of production.
Single span presses
According to the description, a single-span hot press is the simplest device of all analogues. Quite often it is called single-level.
Such a device is a machine with one working surface, so only one plate of material is processed on it at a time. Its performance is relatively small, but the cost is the most democratic. Due to these characteristics, a single-level veneer press has found application in small furniture workshops.
Multi-span machines
These units by the principle of action do not differ from the previous ones, however, their device is more complex, and their sizes are larger. They are equipped with several hydraulic devices located one above the other (in several tiers).
Thanks to this structure, several plates are processed on the machine at once, which significantly increases productivity. The price of such equipment is an order of magnitude higher than that of a single-span one. In addition, the installation of this press will require a fairly large room.
Continuous Machines
A distinctive feature of such equipment are several guide rollers that deliver plates of materials to the working surface. The continuous baler is suitable for use in large workshops and can provide high productivity. It is important to consider the high cost and dimensions of the device.
Veneering machines in the production line
According to the characteristics, the hot press acts as equipment that is part of an integrated line of devices for woodworking and furniture production. After the fiberboard or MDF boards were veneered, they come for further processing. The next stage is the final trimming of the edges and gluing of the end parts. There are special machines for this. Due to some features of such devices, facing of not only straight, but also rounded corners is possible.
What to look for when buying
Buying specialized equipment is a serious costly business, so the selection of a machine requires a thorough study of the characteristics. Among the features requiring increased attention are the following:
- number of hydraulic devices (directly affects performance);
- work surface dimensions;
- maximum heating temperature;
- dimensions and weight of equipment.
Many European and Russian companies are engaged in the production of such machines. Most manufacturers attach photos of the hot press, which greatly facilitates the choice. You can find some samples in the article.
In other words, a hot veneer press is an extremely important link in the furniture production line. The presented models differ in volume, performance, appearance and cost, so the purchase should be taken very seriously. However, given the advice of specialists, deciding on a suitable model will be quite simple.