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Fire-Retardant Plywood Continuous Press Line

This Fireproof Plywood Continuous Press Production Line is an advanced manufacturing system specifically designed for producing high-end fire-rated plywood. The production line adopts continuous flat-press technology and integrates core processes such as automatic impregnation, precise glue application, and continuous high-temperature/high-pressure curing, ensuring the finished plywood meets international fire safety standards (e.g., BS476, ASTM E84). Equipped with an intelligent temperature control system and fire-resistant coating treatment units, it efficiently processes veneer impregnated with flame retardants, achieving an optimal balance between fire resistance and physical strength. Ideal for applications with strict fire safety requirements, such as construction, shipbuilding, and rail transportation. Supports customized configurations with a daily production capacity exceeding 200 cubic meters.
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Fire-Retardant Plywood Continuous Press Line


MINGHUNG MCHINERY


Complete Production Process of Fireproof Plywood  


The production of fireproof plywood adds the core step of "fire-retardant treatment" to the standard process. The two main technical routes are: ① Veneer Impregnation and ② Finished Board Surface Treatment. Veneer Impregnation is the most mainstream and effective method for producing high-performance, durable fireproof plywood.


1. Log Processing & Veneer Production: Identical to ordinary plywood: debarking, bucking, steaming, peeling, clipping to produce green veneer.

2. Veneer Drying: Drying green veneer to 8-12% moisture content, preparing it for impregnation.

3. Core Step: Veneer Fire-Retardant Impregnation:

      Impregnation: Dried veneer is placed in an Impregnation Tank. A vacuum is drawn to remove air from the wood cells, followed by pressure injection of fire-retardant (FR) chemical solution, ensuring deep penetration.

      Re-drying: Impregnated veneer must be re-dried (often in a low-temperature dryer) to remove excess moisture, cure the FR chemicals within the veneer, and adjust moisture content for gluing. Critical to prevent delamination/blistering during pressing.

4. Glue Mixing & Application: FR fillers (e.g., Aluminum Hydroxide, Magnesium Hydroxide) are added to the adhesive (usually modified UF or PF resin) to create a fire-retardant glue. This glue is applied to the already impregnated veneers (usually cores) via a glue spreader, creating a "dual protection" system.

5. Layup & Cold Pre-pressing: Glued veneers and unglued face/back veneers are cross-oriented and assembled into a mat, which is then cold pre-pressed for initial bonding and easier handling.

6. Hot Pressing: The mat is loaded into a hot press. Heat and pressure cure the resin, bonding the veneers into a solid panel.

7. Finishing & Curing: Cooling, trimming, sanding identical to ordinary plywood. Curing: Panels are stored for 24-72 hours to release internal stress and balance moisture content.

8. QC & Packaging: Finished panels are tested for fire performance (sent to lab) and physical/mechanical properties before packaging.


(Note: Path ② involves applying fire-resistant coatings or laminates to the surface of finished ordinary plywood. cheaper but less durable and integral than impregnation.)


plywood production line


Production Equipment List  


A complete production line can be divided into the following main sections:


Section 1: Log Processing & Veneer Production Section  

This section processes logs into sized green veneer, common with standard plywood lines.

1.  Log Unloader & Haul-In Machine: Automatically unloads logs from transport vehicles and conveys them orderly to the line's start.

2.  Debarker: Efficiently removes bark and dirt from logs via rotating drums or cutterheads, ensuring clean logs for high-quality veneer and protecting subsequent expensive peeling knives.

3.  Bucking Saw: Cuts long logs into standard-length blocks based on required veneer length and log defects.

4.  Soating Pond/Vat: Softens log blocks via hot water or steam, increasing wood fiber plasticity for smoother, rupture-free peeling.

5.  Veneer Lathe/Peeler: A core equipment. Clamps and rotates the softened block against a precision feed knife bed, continuously peeling it into a ribbon of preset thickness. Its accuracy determines veneer thickness uniformity and surface quality.

6.  Veneer Clipper: Cuts the continuous veneer ribbon into rectangular sheets of preset dimensions in real-time, automatically rejecting severely defective parts.


Wood Log Debarker Easily Remove Bark

debarker

Wood Logs Cutting Machine for Saw Mills

sawmill

veneer peeling lathe

veneer peeling machine


Section 2: Veneer Drying & Fireproofing Treatment Section  

This is the core distinctive section for fireproof plywood, determining its fire performance.


1.  (Primary) Dryer: Typically roller or mesh belt type, uses hot air to rapidly reduce veneer moisture content from >60% to 8-12%, preparing it for FR impregnation.


veneer dryer


2.  FR Impregnation Line:

      Impregnation Tank: The most critical equipment. A large pressure vessel. Process: Load → Vacuum (remove air from wood cells) → Fill with FR solution → Pressurize (force deep penetration) → Drain → Unload.

      Storage & Mixing System: Tanks, agitators, pumps, and pipes for storing, mixing, and transferring FR solution.

      Re-Dryer: Crucial. Slowly dries the soaked veneer (high moisture) using a dedicated low-temperature dryer (often mesh belt, precise temp control) to the required MC for gluing (8-12%). Prevents chemical migration and pressing defects.

3.  Veneer Finishing Equipment:

      Veneer Splicer: Joins small dried veneer sheets into large full sheets via scarfing, improving yield.

      Veneer Patcher: Automatically detects and patches defects like holes or splits, upgrading veneer grade.


Section 3: Gluing, Layup & Forming Section  

1.  Glue Mixer: Adds FR fillers (e.g., ATH), hardeners, etc., into adhesives (e.g., MUF, PF resin) and mixes them uniformly.

2.  Glue Spreader: Applies the FR glue evenly and quantitatively onto veneer surfaces (usually cores), often via 4-roll system.

3.  Automatic Layup Line: Assembles glued core veneers with unglued face/back veneers into a full mat according to preset layers and grain direction.

4.  Pre-Press: Applies brief cold pressure to the mat for initial bonding, facilitating handling and preventing mat breakage before hot pressing.


2000MM Glue spreading

glue spreading machine

China MINGHUNG Plywood cold press

pre press


Section 4: Continuous Hot Pressing & Curing Section  

The heart and most expensive part of the line.


Continuous Press: The mat enters between two endless steel belts, passing over dozens of segment control heated platens. It continuously undergoes preheating, compression, resin curing, setting, and pressure release.

      Key Advantages:

          Superior Product Quality: Uniform density profile, minimal thickness tolerance (±0.15mm), smooth surface, low internal stress, minimal warpage.

          High Efficiency: Continuous operation, no downtime, huge output.

          Energy Saving: Rational heat distribution, 15-20% more efficient than multi-opening presses.

      Composition: Steel belt system, segmented heating platen system, precision hydraulic system, main drive system, advanced PLC/DCS control system.


Continuous Hot Press Machine Line



Section 5: Finishing & Packaging Section  

1.  Cooler & Turner: Cools the hot panels (>90°C) from the press, preventing deformation from accumulated heat and relieving stress.

2.  Cross-Cut & Edge Trimming Saws: Precisely cut the irregular pressed edges off the panels to standard sizes.

3.  Sander: Typically a multi-head (e.g., 4-6) wide-belt calibrating sander. Sands both surfaces to remove the pre-cured layer, thickness variation, and defects, achieving uniform thickness and a smooth finish.

4.  QC & Packaging System: Inspects finished panels, then automatically stacks, films, bundles, and labels them for storage/shipment.


plywood trimming saw

cross-cut saw

sanding machine

sander


Continuous Press - Detailed Introduction  


1. Introduction to the Continuous Press

The continuous press is the top-tier equipment in modern panel industry, representing the highest level of production efficiency and product quality.


  Working Principle: The mat enters continuously between two endless steel belts. The belts pass over a bank of heated,segment control pressing plates. The mat undergoes continuous "pressing-heating-curing-pressure release" in a single pass, with extremely precise segment control pressure and temperature profiles.


  Key Features & Structure:

      Steel Belt System: Two massive high-strength alloy steel belts circulating on rollers, carrying the mat through the press.

      Heating Plates: Multiple independently controlled heating segments allow for precise temperature zoning.

     Hydraulic System: Provides uniform and stable pressure.

      Control System: Advanced PLC/DCS for millisecond-level control over temperature, pressure, speed, and thickness.


Details of continuous flat pressing lines


  Advantages vs. Multi-Opening Press:

      Very High Efficiency: Continuous operation, no downtime, huge output.

      Superior Product Quality: More uniform density profile, smoother surface, minimal thickness tolerance (±0.15mm), lower internal stress, less warping.

      Energy Saving: More rational heat distribution, 15-20% lower energy consumption than batch presses.

      High Automation: Minimal manual supervision required (1-2 operators).



2. Adoption Rate in Plywood Industry its adoption rate remains relatively low (estimated <10%), though it is growing rapidly.

      Ideal Application Scenarios:

       1.  Large-Scale Production: Lines with annual capacity exceeding 100,000 m³, pursuing economies of scale and maximum efficiency.

       2.  High-End Products: Ideal for producing thin panels (<3mm), large format panels, and high-quality products like FR plywood. Its precise control is perfect for handling steam generated from impregnated veneers.

       3.  New High-End Projects: Newly built, top-tier plywood mills increasingly choose continuous presses to establish technological and quality superiority.


Main Raw Materials  


1.  Wood Material: Various wood veneers (e.g., Poplar, Eucalyptus, Pine, Birch). Same as ordinary plywood.

2.  Adhesive: Usually Melamine-modified Urea Formaldehyde (MUF) or Phenolic Formaldehyde (PF) resin to meet moisture resistance and durability requirements.

3.  Core Material: Fire Retardants.

       Most common Inorganic FRs Include:

          Phosphorus-Nitrogen Systems: e.g., Ammonium Polyphosphate (APP). Work by promoting char formation, creating a protective barrier.

          Inorganic Hydrates: e.g., Aluminum Trihydroxide (ATH), Magnesium Dihydroxide (MDH). Work by endothermic decomposition, releasing water vapor to cool the material and dilute gases. Also excellent smoke suppressants.

      These FRs are used in aqueous solutions for impregnation or as powder fillers in adhesives.


杨木poplar

poplar

松木pine

pine

桉木 Eucalyptus

eucalyptus


How Fire Performance is Achieved  

The fire performance is achieved through combined physical and chemical mechanisms:


1.  Barrier Effect: FRs melt to form a glassy layer or decompose to form an intumescent char layer (P-N systems), coating the surface and insulating the underlying wood from heat and oxygen.

2.  Cooling Effect: Endothermic decomposition of inorganic hydrates (ATH, MDH) absorbs significant heat and releases water vapor, cooling the material and delaying thermal decomposition.

3.  Dilution Effect: Non-flammable gases (water vapor, CO₂, N₂) released by FR decomposition dilute the concentration of oxygen and flammable pyrolysis gases (e.g., CH₄, CO), stifling combustion.

4.  Gas Phase Radical Trapping: Some FRs capture free radicals (H·, OH·) that propagate combustion, interrupting the chain reaction in the flame.

5.  Char Promotion: Phosphorus-based FRs catalyze the dehydration and charring of wood, forming a protective, insulating carbon layer.


The impregnation of FRs deep into the wood, combined with FR glue in the bonds, creates a comprehensive, durable protective network. This network effectively delays ignition, inhibits flame spread, and reduces smoke production when exposed to fire, allowing the panel to achieve mandated fire ratings .



Application Scenarios   

The core value of fireproof plywood lies in its ability to delay the spread of flames, buying precious time for evacuation and property protection. Its main application scenarios are as follows:

I. Building & Interior Decoration

This is the largest and most core market for fireproof plywood.


1.  Commercial Spaces:

      Shopping Malls/Retail Centers: Used for partition walls between stores, suspended ceilings, backing boards and shelves for display cases, and wall/ceiling linings in emergency exits.

     Office Buildings: Used for office partitions, elevator shaft enclosures, access doors for utility shafts, and ceilings.

      Hotels: Used for partition walls between guest rooms, corridor wall and ceiling linings, and furniture (e.g., wardrobes, bedside cabinets).


2.  Public Facilities:

      Hospitals/Schools/Libraries/Museums/Theaters/Stadiums: These are high-occupancy areas where fire safety is paramount. Widely used for interior partitions, ceilings, wall panels, lockers, and storage cabinets.

      Airports/Railway Stations/Subway Stations: Used for ceilings in waiting halls, retail partitions, advertisement board backing, and interior linings of baggage handling areas.


3.  High-Rise & Underground Buildings:

      According to national building fire codes, finishing materials in high-rise and underground spaces (e.g., basements, underground parking) have strict fire rating requirements (e.g., Chinese B1 grade). Fireproof plywood is an ideal choice to meet these requirements.


II. Transportation


1.  Shipbuilding:

      Passenger Ships/Cruise Liners: Used for partition walls, ceilings, and furniture (beds, cabinets) in crew and passenger cabins. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) mandates strict standards for fire resistance, flame retardancy, and low smoke toxicity for ship interior materials. Fireproof plywood is essential.

      Workboat Compartments: Used for interior finishing in various work compartments.


2.  Rail Transportation:

      High-Speed Rail/EMU/Subway/Light Rail Vehicles: Used for interior wall panels, ceilings, luggage racks, and partitions in toilets and galleys. Must meet stringent standards for flame retardancy, low heat release rate, low smoke density, and low toxicity (e.g., European EN45545 standard).


3.  Vehicle Manufacturing & Conversion:

      RVs/Fire Trucks/Ambulances/Special Vehicles: Used for interior panels, partitions, and cabinetry within the vehicle body, requiring a balance of lightweight properties and fire safety in confined spaces.


III. Furniture & Industrial Applications


1.  Furniture with High Fire Requirements:

      Server racks in data centers.

      Laboratory furniture and chemical storage cabinets.

      Custom furniture for high-end commercial spaces.


2.  Industrial Sector:

      Cleanroom Partitions: Used for walls and ceilings in cleanrooms for the electronics, pharmaceutical, and food industries.

      Equipment Protection: Fabricating enclosures or covers for equipment requiring fire protection.






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