General Veneer Core Attributes
Made with alternating veneer inner plies. In North America, the innerply species
are usually softwood (fir or pine) on the west coast and poplar or aspen on the
east coast. Veneer core panels are relatively light in comparison with composite
panels, typically weighing about 70 lbs. per 3/4" panel.
Veneer core offers great strength and stability with better spanning properties
than either PBC or MDF. Veneer core does have a wider variance in thickness in comparison
with highly engineered PBC or MDF. Additionally, this core is not as forgiving with
today's thinner face veneers; varying degrees of core transfer is possible depending
on the surface veneer or core construction specified. For high-end, plain sliced
woods, standard or premium twostep constructions are recommended to alleviate core
telegraphing.
Columbia's 100% veneer core products offer a variety of panel construction options
to satisfy a range of quality and price point needs as directed by a specific application:
Standard One-Step
Comprised of 100% regional species core* (aspen, poplar or fir, depending on your
region) in a line-by-line construction. This traditional veneer core construction
is predominantly used for commodity rotary panels and is suitable for use with faces
of dark colored commodity sliced woods such as red oak or cherry. Standard one-step
veneer core construction is a retail/do-it-yourself favorite.
Premium One-Step
Combination of regional species core* with smooth ANSI-HP-1 J-grade outer crossbands selected for uniform color and
surface smoothness next to the face and back, assembled in a line-by-line construction.
Recommended for value-priced UV Wood®
panels, and suitable for use with faces of lighter-colored sliced woods, sap birch
and sap rotary maple unfinished panels as well as high-grade rotary and dark sliced
UV Wood® panels. Available
at additional upcharge. Ask your Columbia representative for details.
Standard Two-Step
Platforms comprised of 100% regional species core* are sanded before they are assembled
with the face and back. Pre-sanding gives two-step panels a tighter thickness tolerance
than one-step. Suitable for use with faces of darker premium sliced woods where
color variation from outer crossbands is not a concern, such as cherry, alder, red
oak, walnut and hickory. Works well for high-grade rotary and dark sliced UV Wood® panels.
Premium Two-Step
Platforms comprised of the regional species core* with J-grade outer crossbands are selected for uniform color
and surface smoothness and then sanded before they are assembled with the face and
back. Pre-sanding gives two-step panels a tighter thickness tolerance than one-step,
outperforming HPVA industry standards. Suitable for use with faces of lighter-colored
premium sliced woods such as high-end maple, anigre, sycamore and sap birch. The
uniformity of these premium panels ensures better fitting components and even finish
applications.
*The platform and core species is determined by the types of trees that grow in
the region of manufacture. The regional species core choices will be either fir
or pine cores in western US and Canada, aspen cores in northern US and Canada as
well as parts of the central US, and poplar cores will be used in the south and
eastern US (click image on the right to view).
Ask your Columbia representative from which regional mill your product will ship.
Mill locations.
Composite and Imported Veneer Core Platforms
Multi-Layered Panels
This is a specialty all hardwood "European
style" high plycount birch veneer core blank. This core is often used for
decorative applications where the panel edge is revealed. Applications include drawer
sides, children's furniture, fixture components, and other exposed core profile
applications.
Many of the multi-layered panels on the market today have added urea formaldehyde.
Columbia has converted to a phenolic bonded platform to assure a no-added formaldehyde
(NAUF) panel end result.
Particleboard (PBC)
Raw PBC is composed of wood particles of varying sizes bonded together with urea
formaldehyde, or, by special order, no-added urea formaldehyde systems. The least
expensive core option for hardwood plywood, PBC offers a smooth, void-free surface
for veneer faces. It is very uniform in thickness and density, and is one of the
heaviest core options for hardwood plywood construction, weighing as much as 100
lbs. per 3/4" panel. PBC has the least amount of structural (spanning) strength
compared to the other core options, and is subject to the greatest amount of expansion
if exposed to moisture. PBC is a preferred core for fixture and low-end furniture
applications including Ready-To-Assemble furniture, and in selected kitchen cabinet
components. NAUF particleboard products are sold at a premium.
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)
Made in a production process similar to PBC, except that all wood particles are
small and uniform like sawdust, MDF offers great stability and is the least likely
to react when subjected to a measurable change in temperature or humidity. It offers
a very smooth, void-free surface for veneer faces. MDF has greater strength and
screw holding properties than particleboard and weighs about the same as PBC. Typically
used in cabinets, furniture, fixtures and molding, MDF is highly recommended for
thin panel applications such as door inserts for cabinets and paneling. MDF products
are most often manufactured with urea-formaldehyde resins, but there are no-added
urea formaldehyde resin MDF products which utilize either polymeric methyl diphenyl
isocyanate (MDI) adhesive or phenolic resin, available at a premium.
Combi-Core Panels
Constructed of veneer core inner plies with particleboard or MDF crossbands. Offers
similar strength and stability to veneer core but has the voidfree surface quality
of PBC or MDF. Excellent substrate for thin sliced woods and rotary woods, reducing
the potential for core transfer.
Combi-core panels, like Classic
Core™, tend to offer more consistent tolerances than standard veneer
cores. To learn more about the variety of core types available and which ones will
meet your specific project needs and price point requirements, contact one of our
regional sales numbers to speak to a trained Columbia representative.
Commonly Used Core Applications
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Bookcases
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Desk Sides
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Desk Tops
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Drawer Sides and Bottoms
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Furniture Structure
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Furniture Tops
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Kitchen Cabinet Boxes
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Kitchen Cabinet Doors
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Kitchen Cabinet Door Inserts (1/4")
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Media Centers
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Plaques
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Shelving
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Store Fixtures
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Utility/Storage Cabinetry
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Wall Paneling, High End (>1/4")
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Wall Paneling, Budget (1/4")
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