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Birch Plywood

Birch Plywood: Rotary birch veneer
  • 1.5mm-50mm immediately available
  • Stock sizes (full pallets/bundles):
    1220x1220mm, 2440x1220mm / 1220x2440mm, 2400x1200mm / 1200x2400mm, 1220 / 1525x3050mm, 1830x3660mm
  • Standard birch without jointed faces available to special order up to max 1880x4000mm or 2150x3850mm in pallets
  • All items can be supplied prefinished lacquer or oil coating in matt, satin, gloss or high-gloss sheen

Overview

Birch plywood is a well-known, good quality utility plywood panel that has a very good strength to weight ratio, and is relied upon to be stable under various ambient moisture conditions. It is used in various industrial & engineering applications, and used extensively for furniture manufacture & shopfitting.

This product is commonly used where a stable product with a light, blond surface is desired, especially where a relatively low cost is also required.

Types of birch plywood

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

Thin Birch Plywood - 'Laser Plywood' / 'Aircraft Plywood'

(See below for scans of various veneer grades)

Flexible Plywood: Thin Birch 'Aircraft Plywood'
  • Stock thickness:
    1.5mm (bundles of 10)
    3mm (pallets of 100)
  • Stock sizes:
    1.5mm 2400x1200mm
    1.5mm 1200x2400mm (cross-grain)
    3mm 1220x1220mm

A birch throughout product that is manufactured using thin birch veneers and graded to more stringent technical characteristics, thin birch plywood is extremely flexible at its thinner dimensions and extremely stable due to its mutliple layer construction.

It is stocked for immediate delivery in 1.5mm & 3mm thickness, and is regularly used in the manufacture of boats, toys, furniture, lighting & business cards, often laser cut to final shape when the correct glue is specified.

Also sometimes commonly known as 'aircraft plywood', this thin birch plywood can be supplied with a standard glueline or a special clear 'flexfilm' compound that offers much more flexibility, to accomodate designs that mean you will be bending plywood to an extremely small radius.

The 'flexfilm' glueline is transparent and allows light to pass right through it unhindered, whereas the standard black glueline tends to add a dark grey tinge to the colour of the face veneers - this is more obvious with the thinner panels. e.g. 0.4mm.

True aircraft plywood must be supported by a certificate to guarantee the panel has passed a inspection to check for allowable core defects - such products are classed as GL1 certified. To meet the strict requirements required, only AB/AB panels can be used. (This higher grade of panel is available to special order in typical minimum 50 sheets per item.)

  • Stock thickness:
    • 1.5mm (minimum bundles of 10)
    • 3mm (pallets of 100)
  • Stock sizes:
    • 1.5mm 2400x1200mm
    • 1.5mm 1200x2400mm (cross-grain)
    • 3mm 1220x1220mm
  • Standard sizes:
    • 1200x1200mm, 1220x1220mm, 1270x1270mm, 1500x1500mm, 1525x1525mm, 1550x1550mm
    • 2400x1200m & 1200x2400mm (min 1.5mm thick)
  • Standard thickness:
    • 0.4mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1.0mm, 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm, 3.0mm, 3.5mm, 4.0mm, 4.5mm, 5.0mm, 6.0mm
    • Non-stock items produced to special order in minimum 50 sheets per item
  • Gluing:
    • EN 314-2 Class 1: Suitable for laser cutting - typically available up to max size 1550x1550mm
    • EN 314-2 Class 3: Exterior phenolic resin glue
    • 0.4mm is also available with 'flexfilm' bond, which is a clear, interior glue that allows bending to radius as small as 10mm

Thin Birch Plywood - Direction of flexibility

Standard Birch Plywood

(See below for scans of various veneer grades)

Birch Plywood: Birch throughout plywood
  • Stock item
  • Thickness: 4mm-50mm
  • Available in pallets: 2440x1220mm, 1220x3050mm, 1525x3050mm, 1830x3660mm
  • Max size: 1880x4000mm or 2150x3850mm (up to 2900x13000mm if scarf jointed)

Birch plywood is a high-quality utility plywood product that is used for applications where a very strong & resilient, attractive plywood is required.

It is widely used as the substrate for laminates, veneers, painting and other coatings due to its stability, in such applications such as toy & model making, interior decoration, and in the manufacture of a variety of sports equipment.

This product is most often used in its patched form (BB/BB).

  • Stock sizes:
    • 2440x1220mm, 1220x3050mm, 1525x3050mm, 1830x3660mm
  • Max size:
    • 1880x4000mm or 2150x3850mm (up to 2900x13000mm if scarf jointed)
  • Stock thickness:
    • 4mm, 6mm, 9mm, 12mm, 15mm, 18mm, 21mm, 24mm, 30mm, 38mm, 40mm, 50mm
      (composites available up to max 100mm)
  • Gluing:
    • EN 314-2 Class 2: Exterior phenolic resin glue
  • Finishing:

Face Grades - Thin Birch Plywood

  • AB Grade Thin Birch Plywood

    (nearest EN 635-2 Class I)

    Thin Birch Plywood: AB Grade thin birch veneer

    Almost defect-free surface with some small knots allowed. Minimal colour variance and streaks.

    AB thin birch plywood surface may contain some instances of small colour defects, flames and curly figuring, along with small streaks and overlaps, some solid knots max Ø 5mm, and some deviation of the grain

    NB: Only this grade can be used for true aircraft plywood.

  • B Grade Thin Birch Plywood

    (nearest EN 635-2 Class II)

  • Thin Birch Plywood: B Grade thin birch veneer

    Visual grading that allows more natural characteristics of birch than grade AB.

    B thin birch plywood may contain some natural colour variation, flames and curly figuring, along with small streaks and overlaps, some knots or knotholes max Ø 7mm and some deviation of the grain

  • BR Grade Thin Birch Plywood

    (nearest EN 635-2 Class III)

    Thin Birch Plywood: BR Grade thin birch veneer

    A technical face grade showing natural birch characteristics.

    BR thin birch plywood may contain natural colour variations, figuring and grain deviations, mineral streaks typically found in birch, overlaps, solid knots max Ø 8mm, and deviation of the grain

Face Grades - Standard Birch Plywood

  • BB Grade Birch Plywood

    (nearest EN 635-2 Class III)

    Birch Plywood: BB Grade birch veneer

    Natural face with colour variations suitable for coating with non-transparent overlays & films, paints, varnishes, veneers, laminates.

    As S grade except may contain healthy knots max dia. 25mm (total = 60mm/m2) and patches or filler to repair open defects. (Patches are typically butterfly-shaped but may be oval, as illustrated.)

    May also contain light discolouration, good repairs, and some limited glue stains (max 2% of area / 5% @ 24mm + thicker). Some mills allow jointed faces.

    (Total number of defects allowed = max. 9)

  • Clear Grade Birch Plywood (not generally available)

    B or S+ depending upon producer (nearest EN 635-2 Class I)

    Birch Plywood: Clear Grade B or S+ birch veneer

    Faces that may remain visible - ideal for any type of finishing, i.e. clear coatings such as varnishes & lacquer, or pigmented finishes such as paints & other surface coating systems.

    A natural-coloured & sanded, almost defect-free, single-piece veneer that is clear of all patches. Some hairline cracks and intergrown pin knots to max 6mm dia. are allowed (max 3/m2)

    (Total number of defects allowed = max. 3)

  • Standard Birch Plywood - S Grade (not generally available)

    (nearest EN 635-2 Class II)

    Birch Plywood: S Grade birch veneer

    Faces that may remain visible - ideal for any type of finishing, i.e. clear coatings such as varnishes & lacquer, or pigmented finishes such as paints & laminates.

    As Clear grade, except may also contain a few pin knots or healthy & live knots without cracks, small, well-done putty repair work that blends well with the rest of the surface, and very light discolouration. Patches allowed to max 1/m2. Some mills allow jointed faces.

    (Total number of defects allowed = max. 6)

Information

Technical Details - General:

  • Tolerances:
    • Length/width:
      Typical: up to 1m @ ±1mm, up to 2m @ ±2mm , 2m & above @ ±3mm
    • Thickness (standard birch):
      Ranges from 4mm @ +0.3mm/-0.4mm to 50mm @ ±1.2mm
    • (Special tolerances by arrangement)
  • Approximate weights of birch plywood:
  • 0.4mm =0.3 kg/m2
  • 0.6mm =0.4 kg/m2
  • 0.8mm =0.5 kg/m2
  • 1mm =0.7 kg/m2
  • 1.2mm =0.8 kg/m2
  • 1.5mm =1.0 kg/m2
  • 2mm =1.4 kg/m2
  • 2.5mm =1.7 kg/m2
  • 3mm =2.0 kg/m2
  • 3.5mm =2.4 kg/m2
  • 4mm =2.7 kg/m2
  • 4.5mm =3.1 kg/m2
  • 5mm =3.4 kg/m2
  • 6mm =4.4 kg/m2
  • 9mm =6.3 kg/m2
  • 12mm =8.2 kg/m2
  • 15mm =10.1 kg/m2
  • 18mm =12.0 kg/m2
  • 21mm =13.9 kg/m2
  • 24mm =15.9 kg/m2
  • 27mm =18.0 kg/m2
  • 30mm =20.0 kg/m2
  • 35mm =23.8 kg/m2
  • 40mm =26.3 kg/m2
  • 45mm =29.6 kg/m2
  • 50mm =33.7 kg/m2