WOOD COMPOSITE FORMING AND CURING SYSTEM

摘要

Adhesive coated wood strands are laid up on a conveyor belt and conveyed thereon to a microwave curing press (104). Due to uneven temperature or moisture profiles of the layup and/or uneven microwave deposition patterns in the press (104), the structural wood products thereby formed in the past had uneven density profiles, which reduces product strength and product properties especially after wetting. Before entering the press (104) the moisture and/or temperature profiles of the layup are controllably altered according to this invention thereby improving the resulting density profiles. Moisture and/or temperature levels of predetermined areas of the mat are increased or decreased to obtain the desired pre-press profiles. The profiles can be adjusted, for example, by the application of hot steam to the lower mat surface directly or the conveyor belt directly and the mat thereby indirectly, and/or the application of a water spray and cooling fan air to the same or different mat layers.