The list of specialized woodworking equipment consists of a pressing machine, otherwise a press. Depending on the principle of operation and the 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 board materials, press rims for the manufacture of frame structures. However, equipment for veneering and laminating wood-based panels is rightfully among the most demanded.
What is veneering
Veneer is a natural finishing material often used in furniture production. It is a thin sheet of wood, removed in a special way from the trunk. The thickness of such a sheet is 0.5-1 mm. Most often, this material is used to refine tables, cabinet fronts and other cabinet furniture made of chipboard, MDF and other wood derivatives.
The process of veneer chipboard andMDF is called veneering. It is carried out on special machines - veneer presses.
Hot press design
What is a veneering machine? This is a special device, consisting of several basic elements. This is:
- bed;
- hydraulic system;
- guides;
- heating coils;
- operator panel.
The hot veneer press is equipped with hydraulic equipment and a bed made of steel. It is thanks to the frame that the structure has stability and stability.
Heating elements are used as heating elements. They are connected to the working panel, which is in direct contact with the surface of the workpieces. Wood boards are moved with the help of guides. These elements are located on the machine and move synchronously.
Due to the special design, access to the workplace of the hot press is from two sides, which makes the operation and maintenance of the machine as convenient as possible. Management and control over work operations is carried out with control panels. The operating pressure and temperature are adjusted here.
Working principle
The operation of the hot press machine is quite simple. The workpiece is placed on a special movable table. It can be a door, a finished element of cabinet furniture or MDF or fiberboard material.
A veneer sheet coated with a special adhesive is placed on the material slab. After that, the press is activated,and the workpiece is clamped between the table and the top plate. After hydraulic and thermal exposure, a finished veneered part is obtained, suitable for further work.
A suitable adhesive composition and the right mode allow you to achieve results in which the veneered plate will fit snugly against the wood board and not peel off even with high humidity and active use.
Abs setup
Working with a hot press is quite simple. The slab of material is covered with veneer and placed on the working surface of the table. After that, the machine starts up. In this case, the operator of the pressing machine must provide for several features of the settings:
- heating temperature;
- pressure indicator;
- pressing time.
To a greater extent, the settings depend on the characteristics of the material being processed. Errors in the work of the operator cause the production of low-quality products, therefore, a trained master must work on the veneering machine.
Types of veneering press
Manufacturers offer various types of veneering equipment. Among them:
- single span;
- multi-span;
- continuous machines.
All of the above varieties are somewhat different in structure and efficiency. The cost of equipment will also vary. For this reason, the choice of machines should take 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 work surface, so it processes only one plate of material at a time. Its performance is relatively small, however, the cost is the most democratic. Due to these characteristics, the single-level veneering press has found application in small furniture workshops.
Multi-span machines
These units do not differ from the previous ones by the principle of operation, however, their device is more complex, and the dimensions 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. In addition, the installation of this press requires 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 press machine is suitable for use in large workshops and can achieve high labor productivity. It is important to take into account the high cost and dimensions of the device.
Veneering machines in production line
According to specifications,The hot press acts as a part of a complete line of devices for woodworking and furniture production. After the fiberboard or MDF boards have been veneered, they are sent for further processing. The next step is finishing trimming the edges and gluing the end parts. There are special machines for this. Due to some features of such devices, it is possible to finish not only straight, but also rounded corners.
What to look for when buying
Buying specialized equipment is a serious costly business, so the selection of a machine requires careful study of the characteristics. Among the features that require increased attention are the following:
- number of hydraulic devices (directly affects productivity);
- 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 include a photo of the hot press, which makes selection much easier. You can find some samples in the article.
In other words, a hot press for veneering is an extremely important link in a furniture production line. The presented models differ in volume, performance, appearance and cost, so the purchase should be taken very seriously. However, taking into account the advice of experts,it will be quite simple to decide on a suitable model.
