Overview
This manual on the production of rotary wood veneer and associated manufacturing of veneer-based products draws on the results from completed ACIAR projects. It provides extensive information and guidance on the processing of small log resources into veneer, along with the description of manufacturing techniques to convert the veneer into high-value engineered wood products suitable for a range of appearance and structural applications.
Traditionally, only the very largest and best logs were suitable for veneer production. The resulting veneer recoveries were relatively low, less than 50%, and the final dried veneer cost, influenced by high log price and recovery, was expensive. We now have new technology with low capital cost (less than 20% of a traditional spindled lathe) capable of producing quality veneer from a low-cost small diameter resource and achieving unheard-of recoveries above 60%.
