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High-quality commercial & technical plywoods

Multiplex Beech Plywood

Beech Plywood: Beech veneer - Class II unjointed face

Unjointed Beech Face

Beech Plywood: Beech veneer - Class II jointed face

Jointed Beech Face

Beech Plywood: Beech veneer - Class III (back)

Jointed Beech Reverse

  • Available from stock in closed core construction with 2.5mm thick Class II+ faces (unjointed, single-piece veneer without patches)
  • Stock thickness: 18mm, 26mm, 31mm, 41mm (available 4mm-102mm)
  • Stock size: 2500x1250mm/2550x1250mm
  • Oiled 'beech multiplex' worktops produced to order:
    2000x750mm, 1500x750mm, 1830x762mm, 1525x762mm plus special sizes
  • To special order in full pallets per item up to:
    2550x1830mm (beech throughout) or
    3660x1220mm & 2500x2070mm (beech faced)

Overview

Multiplex beech plywood is used for many different applications requiring extreme strength and hardness. It is used for a wide range of industrial & engineering uses, and in the manufacture of hard-wearing beech multiplex worktops, workbenches, and school furniture. It is often used as flooring and the manufacture of decorative furniture & shopfitting. Often it is used where lower-cost, commercial plywood products such as birch are not suitable - whether for its superior technical performance or aesthetic purposes.

The panel is often incorporated into highly decorative furniture, particularly with the plywood edges left exposed - or even accentuated - to reveal the uniform colour & grain of solid core beech throughout the panel with no open defects.

This wood is also available in the form of: beech 'Triply' 3-layer panel, beech fineline, and decorative beech veneered panels & doors

Multiplex Beech Plywood Types

Winwood Products is a beech plywood supplier offering the following configurations/options:

Beech Throughout Plywood

Multiplex Beech Plywood: Beech throughout plywood
  • 18mm, 26mm, 31mm, 41mm 2500x1250mm/2550x1250mm closed core construction from stock, most thicknesses with 2.5mm thick unjointed faces (Class II+/III)
  • Pre-oiled 'Beech Multiplex' worktops produced to order - standard sizes:
    2000x750mm, 1500x750mm, 1830x762mm, 1525x762mm others by arrangement
  • To special order up to maximum 2550x1830mm (full pallets per item)
  • Can be supplied raw or precoated with lacquer, oil or special finishes

This high-quality beech throughout panel can be supplied using a combination of different veneer thicknesses.

The normal construction is generally based around 1.7mm/2.5mm core veneers with 1.7mm faces (2.5mm @ 25mm + thicker)

Panels can also be manufactured to order using veneers of 0.8mm throughout ('Piano Plywood') or 1.7mm ('Fineply') as standard - with other veneer thicknesses and/or combinations produced by agreement.

Beech throughout plywood has high mechanical properties and can be relied upon to perform in a regular and predictable manner under stressful conditions due to being made from veneers of beech throughout.

Plywood of this type is used in the manufacture of toys, vehicles, workbenches & tables, decorative furniture, and many other applications where a plywood product offering high-performance & dimensional stability in a consistant manner is required.

Beech Faced Plywood

Multiplex Beech Plywood: Beech faced plywood - beech/fir combi plywood
  • Produced to order in full pallets per item, typically sizes 2440x1220mm, 2500x1220m & 3050x1220mm dependent upon core type
  • Standard thickness 4mm up to 50mm and above
  • Standard core options of lightweight poplar plywood, and birch plywood
  • Up to maximum 2550x1850mm, 3050x1525mm or 3600x1250mm dependent upon construction (other sizes by arrangement)
  • Can be supplied raw or coated with various coatings such as clear lacquer or oil

Beech can be mixed with other species used wholly or partly as the core, most typically using a poplar plywood, birch plywood or silver fir plywood core. Including these particular woods in the makeup of the panel core offers a product that is lighter in weight, or with birch plywood core but remains beech faced.

Plywood constructed in this manner can be supplied as 'beech twinply' - where only the face veneers are of beech, or  'beech combi plywood' in the case of poplar plywood and silver fir plywood - where every other veneer is beech.

It is possible to mix higher value woods such as ash, maple, oak, etc. into the core, for example to achieve a high quality contrasting edge effect that profiles cleanly & precisely. Other woods - specially dyed veneers for example - can be incorporated into the core to achieve a particular desired edge appearance.

Unidirectional Beech Plywood (Drawerside Plywood)

Multiplex Beech Plywood: Unidirectional beech drawerside plywood
  • Special order item in pallet quantities
  • Standard thickness 12mm up to 50mm
  • Standard panel size 2500x1250mm/2550x1250mm (other by arrangement)
  • Can be supplied raw or coated with various coatings such as clear lacquer or oil

Unidirectional beech plywood is often used where the appearance of the panel edges is of paramount importance - especially to minimize the appearance of end-grain visible along the side of the panel. This product is thefore often used as beech drawerside plywood - for making drawer sides - and for beech plywood skirtings or similar applications.

In the normal construction of this product, the core veneer directly under the face is bonded at right angles to all the other layers. This has been found to offer increased stability across the face and therefore to reduce the incidence of splitting on the face veneer.

This more unusual layup increases the bending strength & stiffness in the direction of the grain, at a small reduction across the grain.This makes the panel perform in a manner more akin to beech lumber, except with a more reliable performance due to its engineered construction. Sometimes this type of panel is called beech LVL (beech laminated veneer lumber).

Because every alternate layer is now in the same direction the number of torn fibres caused by cutting or profiling end grain is reduced, giving an overall cleaner edge finish.

Face Quality

All rotary peeled beech plywood is sanded to 80 grit as standard. (A secondary sanding at finer grit can be arranged to special order by arrangement.)

  • Class I:
    • Maximum 1 joint
    • No colour defect
    • No tears or knots
    • No knife knick or rough surface
  • Class II+:
    • Single-piece, unjointed face veneer
    • Light colour irregularities up to 1/6 of the face or maximum 3 sound knots or point knots
    • One split max 3mm wide at the edge up to 1/10 of the panel length allowed if repaired with filler
  • Class II:
    • As Class II+ plus...
    • Face may be jointed for width, provided veneers are very similar colour
    • One split up to 5mm wide (4mm if unfilled) up to maximum 1/5 of the panel length if repaired with filler
  • Class III:
    • As Class II plus...
    • Open knots up to 30mm diameter: 4mm & 6mm
    • Open knots up to 60mm diameter for all other thicknesses
    • Slight contrast allowed to the odd strip

Thickness, Weight & Construction

Beech Throughout Plywood:

  • Stock thickness:
    • 18mm, 26mm, 31mm, 41mm
  • Stock size:
    • 2500x1250mm/2550x1250mm
  • Standard sizes:
    • 2200x1250mm, 2500/2550x1250/1530mm, 2550x1850mm
    • 1250x2200mm, 1250/1530x2500/2550mm, 1850x2550mm (i.e. cross grain)
  • Special sizes:
    • Any size up to maximum 2550x1850mm or 1850x2550mm
  • Face veneer:
    • 1.7mm: 4mm, 5mm, 8mm, 9mm
    • 2.5mm: all other thicknesses
  • Core veneer:
    • 6mm, 12mm, ≥26mm: 2.5mm throughout
    • Other thicknesses: 1.7mm and/or 2.5mm in balanced layout
  • Standard thicknesses:

Tolerance = ±0.5mm, >25mm @ +0.5mm/-1.0mm (95% of panels expected @ ±0.5mm)

NB: 2.5mm faces can be calibrated to 1mm below that declared - others by arrangement

  • 3mm =2.2 kg/m2
  • 4mm =2.9 kg/m2
  • 5mm =3.6 kg/m2
  • 6mm =4.3 kg/m2
  • 8mm =5.8 kg/m2
  • 9mm =6.5 kg/m2
  • 10mm =7.2 kg/m2
  • 12mm =8.6 kg/m2
  • 15mm =10.8 kg/m2
  • 18mm =13.0 kg/m2
  • 21mm =15.1 kg/m2
  • 26mm =18.7 kg/m2
  • 31mm =22.3 kg/m2
  • 36mm =25.9 kg/m2
  • 41mm =29.5 kg/m2
  • 46mm =33.1 kg/m2
  • 51mm =36.7 kg/m2
  • 56mm =40.3 kg/m2
  • 61mm =43.9 kg/m2
  • 72mm =51.8 kg/m2
  • 82mm =59.0 kg/m2
  • 92mm =66.2 kg/m2
  • 102mm =73.4 kg/m2

Beech 'Fineply' Plywood

Manufactured using 1.7mm veneers throughout

  • Standard sizes:
    • 2200x1250mm, 2550x1250mm
    • 1250x2200mm, 1250x2550mm (i.e. cross grain)
  • Special sizes:
    • Any size up to maximum 2500/2550x1250mm or 1250x2500/2550mm
  • Face & core veneer:
    • 1.7mm throughout
  • Standard thicknesses:
  • 4.5mm =3.2 kg/m2
  • 8.0mm =5.8 kg/m2
  • 11.0mm =7.9 kg/m2
  • 14.5mm =10.4 kg/m2
  • 17.5mm =12.6 kg/m2
  • 21.0mm =15.1 kg/m2
  • 24.0mm =17.3 kg/m2
  • 31.0mm =22.3 kg/m2
  • 34.0mm =24.5 kg/m2
  • 40.5mm =29.2 kg/m2
  • 44.0mm =31.7 kg/m2
  • 50.5mm =36.4 kg/m2
  • 54.0mm =38.9 kg/m2
  • 60.5mm =43.6 kg/m2

Beech 'Piano Plywood'

Manufactured using 0.83mm beech veneers throughout

  • Standard sizes:
    • 1250x1250mm
  • Face & core veneer:
    • 0.83mm throughout
  • Standard thicknesses:
  • 4.0mm =2.9 kg/m2
  • 5.8mm =4.2 kg/m2
  • 7.5mm =5.4 kg/m2
  • 10.8mm =7.8 kg/m2
  • 12.3mm =8.9 kg/m2
  • 15.8mm =11.4 kg/m2
  • 20.8mm =15.0 kg/m2
  • 25.8mm =18.6 kg/m2
  • 31.6mm =22.8 kg/m2
  • 36.0mm =25.9 kg/m2
  • 41.0mm =29.5 kg/m2
  • 44.5mm =32.0 kg/m2
  • 50.8mm =36.6 kg/m2

Information

Core Types:

  • Closed Core:
    • Open defects are removed from all core veneers
  • Standard Core:
    • Open knots of max 60mm diameter
    • Open tears max 1/5 of panel length
    • Open tears of max 6mm width

Technical Details, General:

  • Thickness:
    • See above (non-standard thickness by arrangement)
  • Standard sizes:
    • See above
  • Special sizes:
    • By arrangement to maximum sizes shown above
  • Tolerances (panel size):
    • ±1mm (lengths up to 1m)
    • ±2mm (lengths up to 2m)
    • ±3mm (lengths of 2m and above)
    • (Others by arrangement)
  • Tolerances (thickness):
    • <25mm @ ±0.5mm
    • ≥25mm @ +0.5mm/-1.0mm (95% of panels expected @ ±0.5mm)
    • (Others by arrangement)
  • Face combinations:
    • II/III and II+/III held in stock (closed core construction)
    • I/II, II/II, II/III, III/III to special order
  • Specification:
    • EN 636-2 - Protected exterior usage
    • EN 636-3 - Fully exterior usage
  • Bonding:
    • Clear glue always used for cleaner edge-finish
    • EN 636-2 = EN 314-2 Class 2 (Protected exteriors only)
    • EN 636-3 = EN 314-2 Class 3 (Fully exterior)
    • (see above for panel performance)
    • All glues meet Class E1 requirements (test method EN 717 Part 2)
  • Fire reaction:
    • EN 13501-1 Class D-s2, d0 (≥9mm - depending upon installation)
    • EN 13501-1 Class E: (<9mm)
  • Other features:
    • Available with no open defects throughout the core
    • Special beech plywood layup available - core veneers of 0.83mm or 1.7mm thickness
    • Also available with unidirectional veneers
    • Can be supplied as 100% beech throughout plywood, or with a core to any required mix of other species

Technical Properties - Beech Throughout Plywood (closed core, clear glue production)

4mm 6mm 12mm 15mm 20mm 25mm 30mm 40mm 50mm 60mm
Bending Strength
fm,0 (N/mm²)
170 135 98 86 67 62 63 73 67 67
Bending Strength
fm,90 (N/mm²)
35 43 47 56 60 67 57 62 58 63
E-Modulus
Em,0 (N/mm²)
15,100 14,000 9,610 8,715 8,162 7,900 7,750 8,400 8,060 8,080
E-Modulus
Em,90 (N/mm²)
1,600 2,865 3,385 4,795 5,800 7,055 6,320 6,200 7,399 7,250
Breaking force with grain
Fmax (N)
1,185 1,365 1,800 2,130 2,790 3,295 3,432 4,385 5,130 5,519
Breaking force cross grain
Fmax (N)
240 485 1,010 1,190 2,140 2,345 2,965 3,775 4,795 6,362
F Class (EN 636) F80/20 F80/25 F60/30 F50/30 F40/40 F40/30 F40/30 F40/30 F40/30 F30/30
E Class (EN 636) E140/15 E140/25 E90/30 E80/50 E80/50 E70/70 E70/50 E80/60 E80/70 E70/60