WO2022190070A1

WO2022190070A1 - A ready to use decorative wood panels and method of preparing thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2022190070A1
Application number: PCT/IB2022/052229
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ketan Thakkar; Smit THAKKAR
Original assignee: Nipponply Industries Pvt Ltd
Priority date: 2021-03-12
Filing date: 2022-03-12
Publication date: 2022-09-15

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a ready to use decorative wood panels. A unique method of wooden raw material & non-toxic ingredients with application of latest production technology is required to produce ready to use decorative wood panels. A ready to use wood panels providing excellent surface finish with consistent design/ decor, saves 30-35% of raw material to make economical/affordable, user friendly & time saving application, environment friendly, nontoxic, safe, maintenance free and available in all thickness. This panels will enable furniture manufactures to save cost in raw material, fast execution of project, safe & healthy for workers, environment friendly, durable & maintenance free furniture along with world class surface coating/finishing.

Description

A READY TO USE DECORATIVE WOOD PANELS AND METHOD OF

PREPARING THEREOF FIELD OF THE INVENTION: The present invention relates to ready-to-use decorative wood panels and the method of preparing thereof. Particularly, it relates to a decorative wood panel which economical, user-friendly, time-saving, environment-friendly, non-toxic, safe, and available in all thicknesses. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

Wood can be used to construct almost any part of a home from the roofing and exterior walls to the floor and interior architectural elements as well as basic domestic items like furniture and cabinets. However, in recent years the cost of solid timber wood has increased dramatically as its supply shrinks due to the gradual depletion of old-growth and virgin forests. Indeed, it is particularly expensive to manufacture solid hardwood furniture and architectural features from such material because typically less than half of the harvested timber wood is converted to natural solid wood lumber, the remainder being discarded as scrap.

Accordingly, because of both the cost of high-grade timber wood as well as a heightened emphasis on conserving natural resources, wood-based alternatives to natural solid wood lumber have been developed that make more efficient use of harvested wood and reduce the amount of wood discarded as scrap. Plywood, particleboard, and oriented strand board ("OSB") are examples of wood-based composite alternatives to natural solid wood lumber that have replaced natural solid wood lumber in many structural applications in the last seventy-five years. These wood-based composites not only use the available supply of timber wood more efficiently, but they can also be formed from lower- grade wood species, and even from wood wastes. These wood-based composite materials do offer a highly efficient way to use available wood material, however, because they typically consist of small particles (particleboard), wood strands (OSB), flat pieces of low-grade wood species, or some similar such material, products made from them do not have an attractive, grained appearance, but rather tend to have unsatisfactory aesthetic finishes. This may make them unsuitable for use in interior furnishings and articles of furniture and cabinetry.

One approach to addressing this aesthetic drawback is to prepare a special wood composite material by placing decorative veneer layers having a wood or wood grain appearance upon the top and bottom surfaces of an internal, or "core" composite wood material. These veneer sheets are very thin, having a thickness of no greater than 1/8 inch, and are typically made from decorative wood material, such as oak.

However; while these veneer-covered wood composite materials do have improved aesthetic finishes, they can be somewhat difficult to prepare and manufacture. In particular is a common problem referred to as "telegraphing", where due to the thinness of the veneer layer, the texture of the underlying wood composite material presses through the veneer layer creating a non-uniform, uneven surface with numerous imperfections.

In the recent era, the wood panel industry in India is not less than 50,000 Cr including domestic & imported material. These panels are used for producing furniture either at the site or at the manufacturing unit. Imported semi-finished or finished furniture is also not less than 10,000 Cr. There is a big vacuum of ready- to-use decorative wood panels to save cost, raw material, and labor, faster project completion with very safe & nontoxic world-class finishing.

Due to low wages and ample availability of labor on-site carpentry work and on site finishing of wood panels was choice for the Indian furniture industry. In on-site interior production of furniture take a too long time to complete a project, consume 35%-50% excess raw materials, generates 15-20% wastage. Creates a very unhealthy environment for labourers due to very toxic chemicals used for polishing, which emits lots of toxic which is even very unsafe for this furniture user too.

After all, this client does not get world-class finishing of final furniture. Since last few years’ large and bulk demand for interior decoration is started due to fast economic development due to the open market policy of the government.

One very crucial problem of wood veneered panels is a “panels made from veneers sliced from one log can have same or close grains & color in all panels.” Veneer sliced from another log of same species from same area can have very different color with different grain. Panels made from two logs cannot be expected matching or identical looking to use side by side.

US9975314B1 discloses a method for treating panels are described that include coating a wood substrate with a polymeric solution, curing the coated wood substrate by subjecting the coated wood to ultraviolet radiation, and causing the polymeric solution to crosslink to produce a fire-resistant veneer. Also described is a composite material comprising a wood substrate layer, and a UV-cured flame retardant coating the wood substrate layer, wherein the composite material has a Flame Spread Index values within 0 to 25 and a Smoke Developed Index of 450 or lower.

US20110073253A1 discloses a resilient MDF, HDF, or particleboard material is prepared by pressing natural fibres, which have been pre-treated with a binder which falls within the scope of the present invention, to form a fibreboard material. The fibreboard is a mixture of fibres, and a resin system comprising an isocyanides, and a polyol component. The resin system is selected to provide are resilient material that provides sound attenuating properties. US20150239230A1 discloses method of decorating a panel comprises the steps of supplying a panel to a carrier, performing at least a first printing step by means of a first printing module and performing a second printing step by means of a second printing module, wherein the first and second printing steps are performed according to a predetermined positional relationship to form the decorated panel, and wherein during and between the first and second printing steps the panel is held at a substantially fixed position with respect to the carrier.

The problems associated with available methods consumes three times more human resources, 30-35% more natural resources in form of panels/chemicals, emits lots of toxic particles from finished product which is very harmful for labours at site & even for end user. Top of all clients do not get excellent finished furniture like imported. There are many examples of the failures of veneered products due to the wrong lacquer being used or inappropriate process or due to frequent change in weather / moisture. Most unidentified but very crucial problem for end user is he can see / understand final decor value of decorative veneer panel after polishing/ finishing, which can be great suspense /uncertainty to end user as it can be very different then he has been shown at time of purchase - veneer without finishing.

So, it is desperately needed to develop an indigenous technology to produce ready to use decorative wood panels for all type of interior decoration & furniture

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION:

The principle object of the present invention is to overcome all the mentioned and existed drawbacks of the prior arts by providing a ready to use decorative wood panels and method of preparing thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a ready to use decorative wood panels which using veneers to maximize the use of harvest wood. Another object of the present invention is to provide ready to use decorative wood panel which is non-toxic, environment friendly, reduce the waste of raw material and human efforts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a veneered panels which are less prone than solid figured timber to shrink, check and warp.

Another object of the present invention is that the wood panel uses parts of trees, such as burls and stumps or distorted logs that provide highly figured and colored wood, can be utilized for decorative purposes when sliced into veneer but are structurally unsound in the solid wood.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a decorative veneers which produced to display aesthetic surface appeal. The decorative veneers of the present invention can be used in architectural, secondary manufacturing such as furniture, joinery, and cabinets, engineered wooden floor panelling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

In view that the prior art quick interchange mechanisms are not perfect for use, it is tried by the inventor to develop a ready to use wood panels which can only need to assemble in the field and so it is cost and time saving, no- toxic and easy to apply.

The present invention is all about a ready to use decorative wood panels and method of preparing thereof.

The main aspect of the present invention is to provide a ready-to-use decorative wood panels and the method of preparing thereof. Particularly, it relates to a decorative wood panel which economical, user-friendly, time-saving, environment- friendly, non-toxic, safe, and available in all thicknesses. Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels, comprising following steps: a. collecting the raw materials ready: small diameter grade log, wood processing leftover pieces are carried out defect processing, then the timber saw after process is separated the sheet material; b. inspecting collected logs of step 1 with a metal detector; c. carrying out upper and lower surface after wood plank dipping has softened and to scrape process, then stack in press after wood plank plate face spreads wet-cured by hand making it easier to slice or cut; d. carrying out horizontal or longitudinal splicing on flitch of step-2 with splicer; e. joining veneer leaves together to form lay-on to creating width necessary to cover the surface of the material to be veneered and produce identical look panels by mismatching veneer with close wood color; f. gluing procedure with the adhesive; g. pressing after assembly more laterally spells wide; h. sanding to be carried out to remove the surface wood layers, producing a smooth and uniform surface and eliminating blemishes due to step 5 and step 6; i. trimming veneers to manageable size and shape; j . sending said sliced veneer in leveling drying device and carry out drying process; k. finishing and coating of veneered panels. Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of preparing ready to use wood panel which using veneer to maximize the use of harvested wood. Less wood is used to produce a wood product made with veneer in comparison with the same product made with solid wood. Most solid boards used for furniture tabletops are 25 mm thick. As veneer is usually 0.6 mm thick, about 40 slices of veneer can be obtained in comparison to one solid board of the same thickness. This results in the more economical use of wood by enabling the maximum surface area to be obtained from suitable materials.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method to prepare the decorative wood panel which can be designed through creating various patterns, which would not be possible using solid wood. This can be done by combining veneers of several species of wood for contrasting borders and inlays or by using highly figured wood such fiddle-back, bird’s eye and flame wood. It also enables the use marquetry in furniture design to create beautiful pictures and patterns.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide a unique method to prepare ready to use decorative wood panel which covers all aspects of the veneering process, including the requirements for decorative veneers, unique veneer matching technology to produce identical look panels by mismatching veneer with close wood color, substrate materials, glues and finishes, manufacturing procedures, storage and handling, the environmental benefits of natural timber veneers, typical problems related to veneered products and their prevention, and quality control in the production of decorative veneered products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, exemplary constructions of the invention are shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 represents the steps for method of preparing a ready to use decorative wood panels.

FIG. 2 represents the Balanced and unbalanced construction of veneered panel. FIG. 3a represents the cross sectioned view of rotary peeling method.

Fig. 3b (i) represents the cross sectioned view of the slicing method. Fig. 3b (ii) represents the cross sectioned view of the crown cut method.

Fig. 3c represents the cross sectioned view of the half- round slicing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein, however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific functional and structural details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs.

The present invention overcomes the aforesaid drawbacks of conventional mechanism. The objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will now be described in greater detail. Also, the following description includes various specific details and is to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that: without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure and its various embodiments there may be any number of changes and modifications described herein.

It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although any systems and methods similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present invention, the preferred, systems are now described. Throughout the invention, the “veneer” used is the thin slice of wood cut from a log using peeling, slicing, or sawing methods, with its thickness determined by the end use. A veneer is used to make plywood, fine furniture and laminated shapes for construction, decorative and architectural purposes

The main embodiment of the present invention is to provide a ready-to-use decorative wood panels and the method of preparing thereof. Particularly, it relates to a decorative wood panel which economical, user-friendly, time-saving, environment-friendly, non-toxic, safe, and available in all thicknesses.

As per detail embodiments of the present invention, a method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels, comprising following steps: a. collecting the raw materials ready: small diameter grade log, wood processing leftover pieces are carried out defect processing, then the timber saw after process is separated the sheet material; b. inspecting collected logs of step 1 with a metal detector; c. carrying out upper and lower surface after wood plank dipping has softened and to scrape process, then stack in press after wood plank plate face spreads wet-cured by hand making it easier to slice or cut; d. carrying out horizontal or longitudinal splicing on flitch of step-2 with splicer; e. joining veneer leaves together to form lay-on to creating width necessary to cover the surface of the material to be veneered and produce identical look panels by mismatching veneer with close wood color; f. gluing procedure with the adhesive; g. pressing after assembly more laterally spells wide; h. sanding to be carried out to remove the surface wood layers, producing a smooth and uniform surface and eliminating blemishes due to step 5 and step 6; i. trimming veneers to manageable size and shape; j . sending said sliced veneer in leveling drying device and carry out drying process; k. finishing and coating of veneered panels.

As per detailed embodiment of the present invention, unique technology of veneer matching is developed by the inventors of the present application. Veneers from various logs of same species are segregated in four standard grain patterns i.e., quarter cut, crown cut, semi crown cut, crown + quarter cut in light color & dark. So, in one specie we have created eight variation which can be produce as standard product can be manufactured in required quantity.

As per detailed embodiment of the present invention, the raw material requirements for logs used for veneer production are different for peeled and sliced veneers. The criteria for log selection mainly relate to log size, shape, quality, and grades, but also include log transport and handling requirements. Various types of substrates can be used to produce veneered panels, such as particleboard, MDF, plywood, blockboard. Veneered panels should be balanced, that is, generally the same species and thickness of veneer should be applied to both sides. An unbalanced panel would warp upon moisture gain.

As per detailed embodiment of the present invention, in the flitching process logs selected for veneer production are usually inspected with a metal detector. They are debarked and cut to the desired length into flitches (they are usually 2.4 m to 3.9 m long). The flitches may be squared up with a saw. The method of “shaping” the flitch depends on the log quality and size, which then determine the method of slicing. The shaping also eliminates the need to trim the veneers to manageable sizes and shapes. The flitches are heated in water vats or steamed to soften the wood, making it easier to slice or cut and to improve the quality of the veneer produced. Schedules, in terms of temperature and of time, depend on species, size, density and figure variation. Heating schedules vary greatly, depending on the species and the size of flitches and the manufacturer. The temperature usually varies between 50°C and 90°C. The heating time is between 24 to 36 hours; however, some high-density species require heating for many days. The log color depends upon the heating provided to it.

As per the detailed embodiment of the present invention, the veneer cutting method can be selected from rotary peeling, slicing or half-round slicing which shown in Fig. 3.

As per detailed embodiment of the present invention, production of veneered products consists of two manufacturing stages as manufacture of veneered panels without finishing and manufacture of ready to use decorative wood veneer panels. The production of ready to use decorative wood veneered panels involves the following processes:

• veneer and board storage and handling jointing veneers into lay-on

• gluing and pressing

• panel conditioning

• sanding

• finishing of veneered panels

• coating of veneered panels

As per detail embodiment of the present invention, veneer leaves need to be joined together to form a “lay-on” to create the width necessary to cover the surface of the substrate material to be veneered. Jointed veneer leaves should be suitably matched for figure and color according to purchase requirements. Matching is the method by which the individual leaves are jointed edge to edge into a lay-on. The method of match determines the final appearance of the panel. Careful choice of veneer color and grain pattern may produce highly decorative effects. The method of matching can be selected from book matching, slip matching, reverse slip matching, random matching, herringbone matching, diamond and reverse diamond matching. As per one embodiment of the present invention, veneer jointing or veneer splicing, is a process that has a significant contribution to the quality of the final product. Before joining veneer leaves into lay-on, veneer bundles must be trimmed. In the industrial situation specialized guillotines are used for trimming. It is essential that the joint lines are straight, parallel, and square with minimal tear-out. Joints that are not straight create gap problems. If the joint line is bowed in just one millimeter, the result is a two millimeters gap when two sheets are laid-on. If the joint is bowed out one millimeter, the result is a two millimeters gap at either end, which will affect the joint quality. The methods of veneer splicing can be selected from butt joining (splicing) or paper tape. It is essential that the moisture content of veneer leaves are checked before joining them into lay-on. It is recommended that the moisture content difference between adjacent leaves less than 2%. Otherwise, the movement of veneers due to changes in environmental conditions will result in veneer splitting and checking. The recommended moisture content of veneers is between 8% and 10%. The thickness of veneers should be measured to eliminate any problems due to thickness variation. If the thickness of the veneer leaves varies more than 0.1 mm they should not be jointed as the difference may give rise to problems during further manufacturing stages.

As per one embodiment of the present invention, the parameters of the jointing machine should be checked prior to joining. Machine instmction/specifications should provide recommended parameters (usually temperature and pressure applied to the joint) which should be applied for jointing different types of veneers).

As per one embodiment of the present invention, a buckled veneer can be flattened by various methods, which are based on the application of moisture, heat, and pressure. The most used method involves the application of a mixture of water with glycerin to the veneer to dampen the wood. Various proportions of the two liquids are recommended. Preferably, a solution of 10% glycerin to 90% water is used. A sheet of dry absorbent material (e.g. Particleboard, brown Kraft paper) is inserted between every six to ten sheets of veneer (depending on the species and its density) to absorb excess moisture. The veneer is then kept flat in a warm press. The time in the press can be varied, but two hours at 60°C is thought to be adequate provided sufficient absorbent material is included within the stack in the press.

As per another embodiment of the present invention, the method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels in which gluing procedure of step 6 having following steps: a. preparing adhesive mixture; b. controlling moisture content; c. preparing gluing surface on which gluing procedure needs to be done; d. applying glue mixture on the surface and applying heat pressing on it.

The moisture content of the veneer and the substrate must be check prior to gluing. Gluing and pressing conditions are critical to achieving a good quality glue bond. The factors that need to be considered are temperature, glue spread, pressure, press time. The temperature of the wood, adhesive and room in which gluing and pressing are performed, affect the temperature at the glue line. However, the wood temperature is most important because of its mass at the glue line. An adhesive glued below its minimum curing temperature will experience “chalking”, which prevents the glue line from forming a continuous interlocked film. A “chalked” glue has a whitewashed appearance and will result in a permanently weakened joint.

Various types of glue spreaders are available for the application of glue on the substrate. The most common type is a double-sided glue spreader that applies glue on both surfaces of the substrate panel. The amount of glue spread on the contact surfaces is a very important parameter of the veneer laminating process. Therefore, glue spread must be controlled within the limits set by the glue manufacturer. Spreader operators should measure and record glue spreads at least once per day. Even spread on both top and bottom spreader rolls. Excessive glue spread will increase the moisture content of veneer and/or will cause steam blows because the water will turn into steam during the pressing operation. Too small an amount of glue will result in lack of bonding and will cause delamination of veneer. As per one embodiment of the present invention, hot presses are predominantly used for veneer gluing in industrial situations. When heat pressing, the following important factors need to be considered: the temperature setting of the press, pressure applied and the pressing time. The species of wood veneer should also be considered. Different densities require different pressing times and application techniques. After pressing, veneered panels should be stored in relatively dry conditions to allow the moisture from the adhesive to dissipate. If the ambient conditions in the factory are not considered to be dry, it is recommended that the completed veneered panels be stored in a purpose-built area with controlled temperature and relative humidity. As the moisture content of veneer is related directly to relative humidity, control of humidity in isolation is known to be effective and less expensive to operate. Panels should be allowed to condition to a moisture content of 8% - 10%. If excess moisture is present, a hot conditioning area may be required. On the other hand, excessively dry panels may well have to be humidified.

As per one embodiment of the present invention, sanding is carried out to remove the surface wood layers, producing a smooth and uniform surface and eliminating blemishes due to previous operations such as gluing. Sanding is also carried out on applied coats after drying and just before the application of the final finishing coatings. In this case, the function of sanding is to smooth any raised grain and to improve the inner coat adhesion of subsequent finishing coatings. The sanding operation is performed for the following reasons:

• to produce a clean finish suitable for subsequent polishing or painting.

• to produce a panel of a required thickness and having thickness uniformity within specified limits. This is called thickening.

• to remove veneer repair tapes, to clean up filled splits or holes and to remove dust, finger marks and dirt.

The quality of sanding should be checked regularly. This should involve: • the visual evaluation of the surface to ensure that there is no sanding through the veneer

• the measurement of thickness of the panels to ensure uniformity of the sanding operation.

As per another embodiment, the method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels in which finishing and coating of the veneer panel having following steps: a. preparing veneer board for finishing treatment; b. applying finishing; c. selection of coating; d. applying base coat filler, base coat sealer, UV curing coatings using roller coating machine.

As per another embodiment of the present invention, in radiation, curing formulation monomers are usually used as diluents to reduce oligomer viscosity. However, their presence can also have a great effect on other coating properties such as adhesion promotion or flexibility (either Increase or decrease).

These are some monomers, which are commonly uses in wood coatings.

• HDDA (1,6-hexanediol diacrylate) low viscosity dysfunctional monomer characterized by its high diluting power and excellent adhesion.

• TPGDA (Tripropylene glycol diacrylate) is a dysfunctional monomer characterized by good curing speed.

• TMPT A (Trimethylolpropane triacrylate) is a trifunctional monomer characterized by high curing speed.

As per another embodiment of the present invention, UV curing method for wood finishing are UV base coat filler, UV base coat sealer and top coat.

UV base coat (filler and sealer): The sealers have a lower viscosity compare to the fillers, but both are similar. The effect of the sealer is to fill the veneers so that the pores of the substrate are filled to give a smooth surface. An open grain effect is obtained by the sealer on wood veneers. Since sealers are required to proceed through a sanding process, in most cases an epoxy acrylate oligomer will be used because of its effective sand ability.

In the case of high abrasion resistance required, small amount of Urethane acrylate may be used to modify the overall properties (have a good abrasion resistance). Fillers and sealers have Calcium carbonate, Barium Sulphate, Calcium Sulphate, Talc, Zinc Oxide, and ATH Aluminum trihydroxide, in low percentage in sealers and high in fillers, these materials are used as fillers and sanding agents which can help for better sanding and can help to reduce the high glossiness of the 100% solid UV coating.

UV Topcoat:

To achieve a low gloss coating the film thickness is of great importance, the thinner the film the less in gloss whereas the thicker the glossier. In the application of an epoxy acrylate to achieve matt finish, high functionality monomers and amine additives are not recommended. The oligomer for easy matting will be polyester acrylate. Benzophenone, Amine/ Acrylate system increases the glossiness hence should not be used in matt coating, and the system had a yellowing effect. Aliphatic urethane acrylate has less yellowing effect than the aromatic urethane acrylate, polyester and epoxy acrylate. Photo initiators are generally added in 3-5%. Increasing this percentage may lead to a problem in UV -curing system, because of uncontrolled reactions of the remaining amounts, which cause yellowing effects, and emission of odorous fragments like benzaldehyde. In general, the points that should be considered by the UV formulator are low cost, ease of application, Production of matt surface, and fast curing

As per another embodiment of the present invention, the veneer panel must be laminated. For the veneer lamination it is require to detect the loose and tight sides of the veneer. Face veneers should be laid with the tight side outwards if it is possible to detect. The difference between the tight and loose sides of veneer sheet results from the slicing of flitches. When veneer is sliced from the flitch, the veneer side closest to the center of the flitch usually has more fissures and checks than the other side. This side is often identified as the “loose” or inner side of the veneer leaf. The outer side is known as the “tight” side. It is much smoother and gives a better surface for finishing than the loose side. The easiest way to distinguish the loose side of the veneer is to hold the sheet in both hands and flex it back and forth. The loose side will flex outward more easily as the knife checks open. When it is flexed inward, and the checks close, the sheet will feel stiffer. When two sheets of veneer are book matched, the tight and loose faces alternate in adjacent leaves. For some species, the different between the tight side and the loose side is significant and easy to detect. However, there are species in which such identification is very difficult. When the decorative veneer sheet is laid-on a plywood core, its grain should always be at right angles to that of the outermost veneer of the plywood, otherwise cracking and checking may result. Veneer panel producers must check the moisture content values of veneers and boards prior to gluing to ensure confidence in the veneered board. It should be noted that most veneers are imported from overseas and are produced under different environmental conditions and their moisture control could also change during their transport in shipping containers.

Referring to Fig. 1 the whole method to preparing the ready to use wood panel shown. As per that the ready to use decorative wood veneered panels involves the following processes:

• veneer and board storage and handling jointing veneers into lay-on

• gluing and pressing

• panel trimming

• sanding

• finishing of veneered panels

• coating of veneered panels The finishing process can be made by base coat filler, base coat sealer and top coat, UV curing.

Referring to Fig. 2, Veneered panels should be balanced, that is, generally the same species and thickness of veneer should be applied to both sides. An unbalanced panel would warp upon moisture gain (Fig. 2). There may be occasions where a purchaser requires differing species of veneers on the face and back sides. However, to avoid warping it is essential to ensure that if different species are used, both veneers have similar strength properties and dimensional behavior characteristics. The grain of the veneer should be generally parallel to the long edges of the panel, there will be exceptions to this according to requirements, e.g., diagonal, and cross grain panels. In this case, grain direction should be the same on both sides where possible. Fig. 2 (1) shows the substrate with veneer applied of both sides (balanced construction). Fig. 2 (2) shows the substrate with veneer on one side a backer showing possible slight wrap (unbalanced construction). Fig. 2 (3) shows the substrate with veneer on one side only (unbalanced construction).

Referring to Fig. 3 of the present invention, it represents the veneer cutting method. The method used to cut veneers is an important factor in producing the various visual effects. Two logs of the same species, but with their veneers cut differently, will have entirely different visual characteristics. There are three major methods of veneer cutting: rotary peeling (Fig. 3a), slicing (Fig. 3b) and half-round slicing (Fig. 3c). These methods produce different grain patterns regardless of the wood species involved.

Referring to Fig. 3a, it shows the rotary peeling method. The log is mounted centrally in the lathe and turned continuously against a knife. The veneer is “unrolled”, much like a ribbon. Since the cut follows the log’s annual growth rings, a bold variegated grain marking is produced. Rotary peeled veneer is exceptionally wide. The veneer is then clipped to width and objectionable defects are removed. Referring to Fig. 3b (i), it shows the slicing method. Slicing is used to produce decorative veneers. There are various methods of veneer slicing such as quarter cut, crown cut. The quarter log or flitch is mounted on a metal frame so that the growth rings of the flitch strike the knife at approximately right angles, producing a series of stripes, straight in some timbers or varied in others. This cut requires the largest diameter logs, usually from tropical species. In this method, the average inclination of the growth rings to the wide surface is greater than 45 degrees.

Continuously referring Fig. 3b (ii), also shows the crown cut method. The half log, or flitch, is mounted on a metal frame with the heart side flat against the guide plate. The frame moves up and down against a knife in a straight plane parallel to a line through the center of the flitch. As each slice of veneer is removed from the flitch, the knife moves forward the same distance as the thickness of the veneer that is removed. This is repeated until the entire flitch is converted into veneer. As the veneer is removed from the flitch, it is kept in the same sequence, and the flitch is literally re-built-in veneer form.

Referring to Fig. 3c, it shows the half- round slicing. This method is a variation of rotary cutting. Segments or flitches of the log are mounted off center in the lathe and then rotated against a knife and a pressure bar. This results in the veneer being cut in a curved manner slightly across the annual growth rings. The veneer visually shows modified characteristics of both rotary and flat sliced methods. This method produces a wider sheet of veneer from a given size of log as compared to a flat slicing method. As a result, smaller logs can be used for veneer production. This technique is ideally suited to produce veneer from plantation logs of a relatively young age and smaller diameter.

With comparison to the panel prepare with the convention method,

• In the panel of the present invention Top/Bottom face is not required and resin labour and factory cost saved. • In the panel of present invention, back face and platform ply not required.

• In the panel of present invention resin and adhesive is saved for veneer ply process.

• With the panel of present invention, UV coating can be done at factory, nontoxic environment, economic and fast assembling.

Claims

CLAIMS We claim

1. A method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels, comprising following steps: a. collecting the raw materials ready: small diameter grade log, wood processing leftover pieces are carried out defect processing, then the timber saw after process is separated the sheet material; b. inspecting collected logs of step 1 with a metal detector; c. carrying out upper and lower surface after wood plank dipping has softened and to scrape process, then stack in press after wood plank plate face spreads wet-cured by hand making it easier to slice or cut; d. carrying out horizontal or longitudinal splicing on flitch of step-2 with splicer; e. joining veneer leaves together to form lay-on to creating width necessary to cover the surface of the material to be veneered and produce identical look panels by mismatching veneer with close wood color; f. gluing procedure with the adhesive; g. pressing after assembly more laterally spells wide; h. sanding to be carried out to remove the surface wood layers, producing a smooth and uniform surface and eliminating blemishes due to step 5 and step 6; i. trimming veneers to manageable size and shape; j . sending said sliced veneer in leveling drying device and carry out drying process; k. finishing and coating of veneered panels.

2. The method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein the veneer cutting method can be selected from rotary peeling, slicing or half-round slicing.

3. The method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate to produce the veneered panels can be selected from particleboard, MDF, plywood, blockboard.

4. The method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein the veneer jointing method can be selected from butt joining, paper tap or longitudinal veneer splicer.

5. The method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein the moisture control of veneers can be in the range of 8%- 10%.

6. The method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein gluing procedure of step 6 having following steps: a. preparing adhesive mixture; b. controlling moisture content; c. preparing gluing surface on which gluing procedure needs to be done; d. applying glue mixture on the surface and applying heat pressing on it.

7. The method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein finishing and coating of the veneer panel having following steps: a. preparing veneer board for finishing treatment; b. applying finishing; c. selection of coating; d. applying base coat filler, base coat sealer, UV curing coatings using roller coating machine.

8. The method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein coating material using monomers which can be selected from HDDA, TPGDA or TMPTA.

9. The method of preparing ready to use decorative wood panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein UV curing coating can be selected from urethane acrylate, polyester acrylate or epoxy acrylate resin.