IMPORT PLYWOOD
Since 2002 InterGlobal Forest has been committed to finding the highest quality Hardwood Plywood manufactured in Asia.
Some might think that all plywood from Asia is the same— but this simply isn't true. While some manufacturers are more concerned with profit than quality, others are committed to producing high-quality products that stand up under the most rigorous conditions.
Since the beginning, we've established a designated team on the ground in Asia to help maintain our stringent quality control process, inspect our loads, visit our partner mills and make sure they are following our strict manufacturing specification requirements each and every day.
BEECH
Sizes:
Various Sizes Available
Dimensions:
4' x 8'
Core:
MDF
Description: European Steamed Beech has a pale cream color, sometimes with a pink or brown hue.
CHERRY
Sizes:
Various Sizes Available
Dimensions:
4' x 8'
Core:
MDF
Description: The heartwood is a light pinkish brown when freshly cut, darkening to a deeper golden brown with time and light exposure.
MAPLE
Sizes:
Various Sizes Available
Dimensions:
4' x 8'
Core:
MDF
MDF x Combi
Description: Sapwood ranges from nearly white to a cream color, sometimes with a red golden hue. Heartwood tends to be a darker reddish brown.
RED OAK
Sizes:
Various Sizes Available
Dimensions:
4' x 8'
Core:
MDF
Veneer Core
Description: Red Oak has a light to medium reddish-brown color, though there can be a fair amount of variation in color.
WALNUT
Sizes:
Various Sizes Available
Dimensions:
4' x 8'
Core:
MDF
Description: Heartwood can range from a light pale brown to a chocolate brown with darker brown streaks, sometimes with a grey, purple or reddish cast. Sapwood is pale yellow-gray to nearly white.
WHITE OAK
Sizes:
Various Sizes Available
Dimensions:
4' x 8'
Core:
MDF
Description: White Oak has a heartwood that is a light to medium brown, commonly with an olive cast. Nearly white to light brown sapwood is not always sharply demarcated from the heartwood.
WHITE BIRCH
Sizes:
3mm C4
5.2mm, 9mm, 12mm, 15mm, 18mm C2
19mm D3
Dimensions:
4' x 8'
Core:
Veneer Core
Description: Color is a light reddish brown with nearly white sapwood. No color distinction between annual growth rings, giving white birch plywood a uniform appearance.
PRE-FINISHED
WHITE BIRCH
Sizes:
PRIME - 18mm C2, UV1S, UV2S
PREMIUM - 5.2mm, 12mm, 18mm C2
UV1S - 5.2mm, 9mm, 12mm, 18mm C2
UV2S - 18mm C2
Dimensions:
4' x 8'
Core:
Veneer Core
Description: Pre-finished White Birch features a clear, durable top coat, adding toughness, scratch resistance and added protection from dirt and spills.
WHITE PAINTED BIRCH
Sizes:
UV1S - 5mm, 12mm, 18mm
UV2S - 18mm
Dimensions:
4' x 8'
Core:
Veneer Core
Description: Panel with white primer applied to both sides, ready to paint.
WHY CHOOSE OUR PLYWOOD?
1. THICKNESS TOLERANCE
Our own HPVA (Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association) specifications allow the largest variance in thickness of what is allowed in HPVA panels (18mm -0/+ 0.5mm with Total Variance 0.019"). We are working with suppliers that can hold tighter thickness tolerances and are allowing less overall thickness variance. While our panels are produced as 18mm, the thickness range is within the range allowed in ¾” panels per HPVA, therefore our 18mm can technically be called ¾”.
2. MOISTURE CONTENT
The core veneer moisture content is the most important factor when manufacturing a panel that will stay flat over a wide range of climate types. While most mills know the correct moisture content for plywood (8-11%) – many do not have a moisture meter in their factory to check either the veneer dryness or the finished plywood moisture content.
To ensure that they are producing consistent and quality panels, each of our mills operate using the same Wagner MM220 moisture meter that has been specifically calibrated for the hybrid poplar species used in the core veneer.
3. LAY-UP PROCESS
Most plywood (import or domestic) is produced using a two-step process:
1. The platform is made and calibrated.
2. The face and back are laminated & finish sanded.
We have added an extra step - our platforms are made without the final cross-bands, calibrated, then the cross-bands are added. Next, the products are repaired, painted, the face and back are laminated and finished sanded. This third step not only helps to better control thickness tolerance and eliminates the waviness inherent to veneer core product as much as possible, the painted platform also provides more even color to the finished panel.
4. FACE VENEER THICKNESS
Many mills in Asia use “thin face” veneer, generally 0.2-0.3mm thick. Our veneer from Asia is 0.4mm (or thicker) which is comparable to US domestic production. The face veneer thickness is important to consider as it can determine the amount of sanding the panel can resist before the glue line is exposed. A thicker veneer means greater ability to withstand sanding with coarser grit paper, whereas thinner veneer is more likely to split or peel with changes in relative humidity.
Please note that this veneer thickness refers to raw face veneer – your finished panels will have face veneer of this thickness minus what has been removed in the finish sanding process at the mill. Therefore, the actual veneer thickness of what you will see is also partly determined by the quality of sanding equipment at the mill.
5. CORE QUALITY
Poplar core veneer is made & sold by thousands of veneer mills scattered throughout the poplar growing region – the plywood mills do not peel this veneer themselves. This veneer is bought by the plywood mills as grade #1, #2 & #3 (#1 as the highest grade, made from larger pieces with fewer defects and #3 as the lowest grade, crafted from smaller pieces with greater defects).
Many mills sort the veneer by size, mixing up the veneer in their core lay-up process with the larger pieces processed in the dryer and the smaller pieces are air dried. Using lower grade core veneer not only increases the number of core voids, it also inhibits the small pieces of veneer from going through the rolling dryer, resulting in panels with wide variations in moisture content – the worst possible scenario. Our strict policy is that we only allow #1 grade core veneer in our plywood to provide our customers with the highest quality core possible.