Where is Baltic Birch Plywood Made?
Where is Baltic Birch Plywood Made?
Baltic Birch Plywood comes in many varieties. Quality Baltic Birch is from the Baltic Region, the largest producers of which are Russia and Finland. This is why it is sometimes referred to as Finnish Birch or Russian Birch plywood. It is made from top quality birch veneers laminated together without filler wood. Also, care is taken not to leave any gaps in each layer of the wood. Baltic Birch is all made with exterior adhesive and is suitable for outdoor applications when properly sealed. Marine applications include Baltic birch and extremely void-free and quality aircraft grade plywood at a much higher cost.
Finland and Russia are the leading countries in the production of general purpose birch plywood. Approximately 2 million m3 of birch logs were used in Finland in 2006 and 95% of these logs were used in plywood and veneer production. 0.87 million m3 of birch logs were used in Russia, Estonia and Sweden, and 98% of these logs were used in plywood and veneer production. Baltic Birch production has a very wide geographical distribution. It is common in the northern hemisphere, Europe, Asia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Russia and Central Europe. Birch; It grows on forest edges, meadows and peatlands, in humus-poor, slightly acidic, dry sandy soils and sandy loam soils.
Birch plywood with high quality, high resistance properties and sufficient hardness is generally used in construction, transportation, interior surfaces of products. However, high-quality birch veneers are used on display surfaces in furniture, interior decoration panels, handicrafts and various special places.
The countries where the birch tree grows most are as follows;
- Europe
- Central Europe.
- Asia
- Finland
- Sweden
- Norway
- Russia
- Turkey
Countries that grow the most birch trees and produce birch plywood;
- Finland
- Russia
7 Reasons Why Baltic Birch Is a Preferable Plywood
Birch plywood is at the forefront with its strong and durable structure, which is resistant to severe cold in winter and produced with a raw material that grows in cool weather with plenty of light in summer, in muddy regions in difficult weather conditions.
- Superior Screw Holding
- Cleaner Joinery
- Improved Strength and Stability
- Attractive Appearance
- Thicker Face Veneer with Reasonable Quality
- Accepts Paper Back Veneer for More Decorative Projects
- It’s Just the Thing for Laser Cutting and Engraving
What are the Mechanical properties of Birch wood and Birch plywood?
Birch wood has a permeable structure, there is usually a compatibility between summer wood and spring wood. It has bright colored wood and its average full dry density is 480-520 kg/m3. 13 It is stated that the average air-dry density of birch wood (12-15% moisture level) is 630 kg/m3. In studies, the mechanical properties are higher in the root wood (bottom log part) and close to the root wood of birch wood. Hardwood birch is one of the common wood species used in plywood production. It is one of the most suitable types of plywood production with its superior mechanical properties and beautiful appearance. It is widely used indoors and outdoors. Birch logs to be used for plywood production should be of a certain smoothness and diameter. 50% of the birch log is used at this stage. In addition, since birch is very valuable, the core formed during peeling is not used as waste or fuel and is used in other wood processing industries. Birch grows faster (30-35 years) than other tree species (eg spruce and beech). Birch Plywood displays the striking structural beauty of wood grown in the cold northern European climate. This cold climate ensures tight-grained and consistent, high-quality timber production.
Main usage areas of Birch Plywood
Birch Plywood is widely used for architectural designs, furniture, construction, toys, vehicle construction, packaging, high-end wind turbine blades, acoustic panels, home and commercial joinery, watercraft and aircraft material.
The reason why it is the most preferred type of plywood is that it is water resistant and durable. It can be used safely by making use of the possibilities of use in every sector. When the birch plywood properties and structure are examined, the most important feature is that it is water resistant and long lasting. As the countries with the most birch wood, Finland and Russia are the leaders as the countries producing the most birch plywood. And the harsh climatic conditions basically explain the durability of this plywood.
