Veneering wood with a vacuum press – the modern alternative to a veneer press

Name: Columbus GmbH
Address: Peter-Behrens-Platz 6, Linz, 4020, AT
Telephone: +43 732 931 641-0
Price range: €€€
Rating: 4.9

Using a vacuum press as a veneer press for flat surfaces

Can you veneer ordinary wood with a vacuum press?

Yes. A modern vacuum press is ideal for use as a veneer press for flat surfaces. Veneering large surfaces of MDF, chipboard, multiplex or other substrate boards is particularly efficient and produces high-quality results.

As most work today is carried out using pre-finished boards, traditional veneer presses and hot presses are becoming increasingly obsolete in many workshops. They take up a lot of space, are often prone to breakdowns and incur high running costs.

A vacuum press offers numerous advantages here:

no warm-up time
no set-up time under the membrane
uniform pressing pressure across the entire surface
significantly lower risk of glue bleed-through
multiple workpieces can be pressed simultaneously
two-sided veneering possible

Why is a vacuum press suitable for veneering?

When veneering with a vacuum press, atmospheric pressure acts evenly across the entire surface. This results in perfectly uniform pressing without pressure peaks.

The even glue joint protects the veneer and significantly reduces the risk of glue bleed-through. At the same time, unevenness is levelled out and a high-quality surface finish is achieved.

This is a key advantage over many conventional pressing systems, particularly when working with delicate veneers or high-quality visible surfaces.

Which adhesive is suitable for veneering?

As no heat is normally applied during vacuum pressing, the pressing time depends on the adhesive used.

However, modern PVAc, UF or PUR adhesives now allow for very short pressing times. For optimum results, we recommend consulting your adhesive manufacturer to select the right system for your application.

Veneering several panels at once

A major advantage of the vacuum press is that several panels can be veneered or coated in a single pressing operation.

A standard PE film should be inserted between the individual workpieces. This reliably prevents the panels from sticking together due to any glue bleed-through.

It is also possible to veneer or coat both sides of the workpieces simultaneously without any problems.

Using the correct spacer

As the membrane is flexible, a spacer should be inserted between the top workpiece and the membrane.

Suitable options for this include, for example:

a thicker chipboard panel
an MDF panel
a hardboard panel

The spacer distributes the pressure evenly, compensates for minor unevenness and ensures an absolutely smooth pressing surface.

Set-up for veneering three panels

The layers are arranged from top to bottom:

Spacer for pressure distribution
Film
Veneer or coating material (e.g. HPL)
Adhesive
Base board (e.g. MDF)
Film
Veneer or coating material
Adhesive
Base panel
Film
Veneer or coating material
Adhesive
Base panel

Conclusion

Nowadays, a vacuum press is far more than just a solution for moulded parts. It can easily be used as a high-performance veneer press and is ideal for veneering, laminating and coating flat surfaces.

Thanks to the uniform atmospheric pressure, ease of use and the ability to press several workpieces simultaneously, it represents a cost-effective alternative to the traditional veneer press for many businesses.