Production

Know more about the process flow of the rubber wood

PROCESSING THE RUBBER WOOD

In Malaysia, rubber wood is the primary source of raw materials for furniture industries. Our raw materials are 100% rubber wood veneers and is in accordance with the International Forestry standards with Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) / Chain of Custody endorsement.

 

Various processes are involved in getting from the raw materials to the finished product.

PEFC Certificate

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is the world’s largest forest certification system with credible standards that seek to transform the way forests are managed globally and locally for environmental, social and economic benefits.

 

PEFC is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) through independent third-party certification.

 

PEFC promotes good practice in the forest and to ensure that timber and non-timber forest products are produced with respect for the highest ecological, social and ethical standards.

 

Each national forest certification system undergoes rigorous third-party assessment against PEFC’s unique Sustainability Benchmarks to ensure consistency with international requirements.

I. DEBARKING

Initially, the logs are of irregular shapes and are covered with layers of bark and dirt. To achieve a uniform cylindrical log, these raw logs are lathed whereby the barks are removed. This debarking process facilitates the next process whereby the resultant thickness of the veneer sheet can be regulated.

II. ROTARY CUT VENEER

The thickness of our veneer sheet is either 1.5 or 2 millimeters. Veneer sheets are rotary cut, in which the peeler block is rotated around its axis in a lathe, whilst a continuous veneer sheet is cut by a blade which is mounted parallel to the axis of the block.

 

Veneers sizes are cut according to customers’ requirement.  The dimensions of veneer ranges from 16in X 16in (406mm X 406mm) to 38in X 72 in (965mm X 1828mm).

 

The rubber wood veneers are categorized into 2 grades, A and B. They are graded according to the surface quality. Grade A veneer has even tone (fair) in terms of color and lesser black spots on the surface. They are being used for furniture that is intended to display the natural wood grain.  Grade B veneers are normally used as an inner layer, such as furniture that are wrapped with cushion.

III. CHEMICAL TREATMENT

Next, the veneer sheet is chemically treated to prevent wood decay or infection by insects and consistency in the product quality.

IV. DRYING PROCESS

The moisture content of the veneers will be significantly high after the chemical treatment. Hence, the chemically treated veneer will have to be dried using Mesh-Roller veneer dryer.  The drying process will ensure that the glue applied during multiple layer compression will be effective and of consistent quality.

V. SANDING OF VENEER

The surface of every single veneer sheet has to be smoothen using specially made veneer sanding machine fitted with wide-belted drum sanders.

VI. STRIP JOINTING

The assembly of the veneer prior to pressing entails the jointing of the narrow strips of veneer, which are edge-glued to match the veneer sheets to the required size.

VII. BENDING / COMPRESSING

Glue is then applied to the inner piles or core, which in turn, are laid in between the outer veneers ready for bonding.  High quality Class 1 E1 glue meant for application to interior layers is used.

 

Once the veneers are laid-up as assembly plywood sheets, they are fed into hydraulic presses.  This brings the veneer into direct contact with the adhesive, where the application of heat cures the glue.  The multiple-opening hot presses, with drying period ranging between 5 to 25 daylights and platen temperature between 80-180°C is being employed. Compared to a single opening, the overall pressing cycle time is much shorter and the pressure capacity is higher.  Hot water or steam is used to heat the platens.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

PART JOINT AND FINGER JOINT

Two jointed semi-circle veneer piles will produce a round shape product. To secure the strength of the jointing, finger-jointing or part-jointing technique is applied to join the two half-round veneer piles. The minimum thickness of these products is 23mm due to the specially made rotary blade. For a stronger joint, certified glue and high-pressure hydraulic compression are used to achieve maximum grip on both half-round veneer piles.

DRILLING SERVICE

Drilling service is an essential procedure for furniture that requires screws to be hidden from the surface and strengthening of the structure of the furniture. For example, customers who order apron for table will require us to deliver cut-to-size product and finished with drilling. In rounded aprons, we provide T-wood Joint which join at the end of 2 half-round aprons.

SANDING PROCESS

Some wood furniture is designed to showcase the fine-looking wood grain. In this scenario customers will order Grade A veneer to achieve the maximum visual effect. This is where the second stage of sanding process comes into place to achieve an aesthetic feel. For the maximum effect of smooth surface, sanding materials of grade 120 to 240 are used.

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