With the recent shortage and increased cost of plywood, Ogden Group recently launched a manufacturing method that replaces plywood with a solid engineered core substrate. The solid core substrate consists of a 2-ply construction - a rotary peeled veneer bottom layer and a top layer comprised of sticks that are gang-ripped from 4/4 low-grade lumber. The wear layer would then be applied on top of the core substrate, just as it would be placed on plywood.
The substrate core is made into a panel that is 2’ wide by 8’ long. This panel is then ripped into the widths required for the flooring. Based on the 2’ x 8’ panel, the machinery system can produce approximately 30,000 sq. ft. of substrate core per shift.
There are several advantages of manufacturing your own solid engineered core.
- The cost of the solid engineered core is a fraction of the price of plywood
- You no longer need to rely on outside vendors to provide your substrate
- Significantly less glue lines on the solid core – resulting in increased tooling life
- Requires minimal labor due to the automation of the system
- A core that is 100% made in the USA