Veneer thickness standard may slim down.

In a response to worldwide demand for quality hardwood veneer and pressure on North American log suppliers, two allied associations are proposing the use of thinner veneers.

Veneer suppliers may be cutting it even closer if amendments to the Voluntary Standard for Sliced Decorative Wood Veneer are accepted by the American Furniture Manufacturers Assn. (AFMA). A shortage of veneer quality logs has prompted the FHVA and HPVA to propose amendments to their 1988 voluntary standards that separate domestic and export thickness standards.

"At this time, the proposal is still under consideration and when the AFMA task force meets again in May, a decision on the amendment should be reached," said Larry Frye, executive director with the Indianapolis, Ind.-based FHVA. "If the proposal is not accepted, it may be dropped."

The FHVA is an international trade association representing the decorative veneer industry, and the Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Assn. (HPVA) is an international trade association representing more than 170 wood industry companies.

The amendments bring America more in tune with global veneer usage, according to Frye. "The Japanese veneers, which are the thinnest, measure around 0.2mm to 0.4mm. European veneers measure around 0.51mm to 0.61mm and veneers in the U.S. measure from 0.61mm to 0.71mm," Frye said. "Much of the veneering machinery used in this country comes from European machinery manufacturers, and their machines have been designed with Europe's thinner standard veneer thicknesses in mind."

The proposed amendment covers all popular hardwood veneer species. For example, the amendment would reduce the standard thickness for red oak veneer from 0.79mm to 0.65mm for domestic orders and from 0.61mm to 0.58mm for export orders.

Amendment background

The amendment was introduced by representatives of the FHVA and HPVA to an AFMA delegation at a Jan. 5 meeting in Charlotte, N.C. The meeting resulted in the AFMA Veneer Committee agreeing to take the FHVA and HPVA proposal to the AFMA Manufacturing Div. Board of Directors.

"The thickness amendment is principally a proposal based on raw material procurement," said Bill Groah, technical director with the Reston, Va.-based HPVA. "At the Charlotte meeting, representatives of the three trade associations met and thickness changes were proposed based on the synthesis of ideas between the three groups. These proposals appear to be O.K. by a small group of each organization's representatives, and the meeting attendees have returned to their organizations to present the amendment to their respective members."

The HPVA and FHVA are recommending that veneer suppliers should consider reducing the voluntary minimum domestic and export veneer thicknesses set in 1989 in an effort to increase yields on veneer quality logs and to provide uniform thickness guidelines for the industry.

Under the proposed amendment, the standard will still remain voluntary and unenforceable until it is enacted after appearing as an agreement on a contract or purchase order.

But even though the standard is voluntary, some wood product manufacturers who utilize veneer in their products are cool to the proposed amendment. These manufacturers argue that decreasing veneer thicknesses could possibly decrease productivity because the thinner veneers are more difficult to handle and may require investment in expensive machinery.

Fewer logs

According to the February AFMA newsletter, the veneering industry is suffering from unprecedented low inventories of unprocessed logs at veneering manufacturing facilities because of "the increased scarcity of high quality veneer logs, the decrease of availability of timber from public lands, demand from overseas customers for indigenous North American faced veneers, warm wet winters that have prohibited logging in many regions and the continuing activities of environmental preservationists."

According to Frye, the main factor in veneer log shortage has been the wet weather that has plagued the eastern half of the country.

"There's no question that the wet weather has had the biggest effect on the supply," he said. "We haven't had decent logging weather since last August because all it has done is rain, rain, rain. And when the weather does clear up, you can't cut and stockpile large numbers of logs in the summertime because they have to be quickly cut and dried. If you wait, the wet logs will spoil like vegetables in the summer heat."

Manufacturers speak out

Some manufacturers interviewed by WOOD & WOOD PRODUCTS cited pros and cons of the proposed amendment. Thinner veneers pose a problem with some manufacturers because the veneers require more delicate handling than thicker veneers.

Other problems associated with thinner veneers include a more brittle material to work with, potential sand-through and the need for machinery that is able to handle the thinner veneers. All can result in decreased productivity and wasted materials.

"Thinner veneers can be a real headache when you're trying to build something with bookmatched veneers and you lose an opposing face because it split or cracked," said Carl Pearson, owner of Pearson Millwork Inc., an Arlington, Wash.-based custom millwork shop that specializes in tenant residential improvement projects.

Some equipment manufacturers have found solutions to some of these problems and offer their advice.

One way to help companies overcome this problem is to carefully monitor moisture content, said Gerd Studel, service manager with Duespohl USA, a Atlanta, Ga.-based supplier of profile wrapping equipment. "Moisture content is the key to success. If the thinner veneer has a higher moisture content, it will be more flexible. But because the veneer is thinner, it will also dry out faster."

Some companies are already using thinner veneers from Europe and finding these imports are not only of similar thicknesses proposed in the new thickness amendment, but some say they offer superior quality in regard to moisture content and defects.

"I'm in favor of the European exported veneers because of their quality and I find their thinner thicknesses easier to work with," said Carl Booth, president of Carl Booth Inc., a New Albany, Ind.-based manufacturer of high-end custom plywood.

The prospect of more problems such as sand-through concerns some manufacturers because the thinner veneers require sanding equipment to be able to meet even higher tolerances. Some older sanding equipment is not able to achieve these tolerances and some companies have experienced disappointing results. "We tried using thinner Japanese veneers and there was no wood to sand off the surface glue. Sanding blocks went right through it on corners," said Pearson. "They probably would be good for wall paneling because you never have to touch or sand it, but not for kitchen cabinets."

One alternative would be to purchase updated sanding equipment that can accurately sand the thinner veneers, but purchasing this equipment has its trade-offs. Benefits include high-tolerance sanding capabilities and the opportunity to increase productivity.

"With timber supplies being stretched to the nth degree, sanding will have to be done at a more delicate level," said Eric Johnston, veneer division manager with Stiles Machinery Inc. "The new sanding equipment offered today can handle veneers that are sliced thinner than 1/42-inch. Also, their increased productivity has some single machines being as productive as three or four older models, while at the same time offering quick paybacks."

One drawback to purchasing new sanding equipment is that it often requires a substantial amount of capital. Frye and Larry Runyan, director of manufacturing services with the AFMA, each said they hope President Clinton will address the need for capital investment incentives to help companies update their equipment.

"The government has failed to provide favorable capital gains benefits for new equipment," said Runyan. "The long-term benefits of capital gains incentives are good and it keeps jobs here. If other countries do it successfully, why shouldn't we?"

Maximizing resources

According to Frye, the acceptance of thinner veneers is a good way to optimize raw materials, insure industry uniformity and offer a greater selection. But the potential implementation of a new veneer thickness standard has some manufacturers and organizations representing the woodworking industry voicing varying opinions on how they might be affected by the new standard.

"Any standard makes everyone play the same game, and the customers' needs get ignored," said Booth. "Standards can give suppliers rules to hide behind and I think my business would be stifled by industry standards."

But Frye insists that no one will be left out. "The veneer industry is and still will be a customer oriented group. When you've got a buyer from a major manufacturer, he knows what he's looking for and what he will pay. The buyer is setting the price."

The standard is not intended to quickly revolutionize the veneer supply industry, according to Runyan and Frye. It is a standard designed to provide an adequate supply of raw materials for future use.

"The switch to thinner veneers will not happen overnight and will require a good effort on everyone's part," Runyan said. "Suppliers and users need to work closely together to maximize resources and keep the standard from shrinking any smaller."

INTERIM VENEER GRADING STANDARD AVAILABLE

A revised 1993 version of the Interim Voluntary Standard for Hardwood and Decorative Plywood is now available from the Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Assn. (HPVA) and may serve as the basis for the new ANSI (American National Standards Institute) quality standard.

Unlike the proposed amendments to the Voluntary Standard for Sliced Decorative Wood Faced Veneer that would reduce minimum veneer thicknesses, the HPVA's interim guide seeks to establish nationally recognized grades, marketing classifications, quality criteria and other product designation practices for plywood produced primarily from hardwoods.

"The previous ANSI quality standard had not been extensively examined in 30 years," said Bill Groah, technical director with the HPVA. "Customer pressure concerning variation in grade suggested that more uniform standards and more defined categories were necessary. So we started with a clean sheet of paper."

According to an April 2 press release from the HPVA, the 1993 interim guide was developed to be the governing standard for hardwood and decorative plywood manufacturers.

The organization's interim guide will be the basis for the new standard if ANSI agrees, according to Groah. The HPVA is in the process of mass mailing the interim standards to people in the industry for feedback. After adjustments are made and upon passing review by ANSI, the revised standard will probably be adopted as an ANSI standard sometime before June 1994, he added.

The new standard is being issued on an interim basis because of the need to expand and better describe grades for hardwood face, backs and inner plies and the length of time required to achieve a consensus on formaldehyde emission requirements during the ANSI revision process, according to a HPVA press release.

Copies of the Interim Voluntary Standard are available for $10 and can be purchased by contacting the HPVA at [phone].