History of Plywood: From Ancient Origins to Modern Production

Although today’s plywood production is a technological marvel, the basic concept of laminating thin layers of wood together for strength and stability is surprisingly old. Plywood was not developed as a single invention, but rather a long-term process that has spanned millennia.

Ancient Roots: Innovation Comes from Scarcity

The earliest traces of plywood date back to ancient Egypt. As early as 2600 BC, in lands where quality wood was rare and valuable, Egyptian craftsmen devised a clever solution:

• Noble and rarer woods, such as ebony, were glued onto common, more accessible woods.

• This gluing technique not only conserved valuable resources, but also created more durable and stable wood

• Archaeological finds reveal early wood lamination in coffins and decorative chests discovered in the tombs of the pharaohs.

Similar techniques of peeling and gluing wood were also found in ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, and especially in China during various dynasties. These early forms were handmade and glued with natural glues.

The beginnings of plywood industrialization

The first, real leap into modern, industrial plywood production began much later, when mechanical innovations began to enable the constant production of thin veneer.

1797, England: Samuel Bentham, a naval engineer from Britain, is often credited with the development of modern plywood. He filed patents for machines designed to make veneer and detailed the concept of laminating (gluing) multiple layers of wood together to create panels with greater strength and stability. Although his focus was on veneer production, his patent laid the theoretical foundations for modern plywood.

Mid-19th century, Sweden: About 50 years after Bentham, Immanuel Nobel (father of Alfred Nobel) investigated lamination – the gluing of multiple layers of wood. He also confirmed that laminated wood, made of multiple thin layers, was much stronger than a single piece. Nobel is credited with inventing the veneer lathe, which could peel continuous, thin veneer from a log. Although there is little evidence of the commercialization of peeling, a French dictionary already described the process as “deroulage” (rotary cutting) as early as 1870.

Late 19th century: In the 1880s, large-scale plywood production began. The Russian company A.M. Luther, based in Tallinn (now the capital of Estonia), was the first to start large-scale production of plywood and products. Their first successful products were packaging boxes and tea boxes.

1905, United States: The arrival of plywood in the United States is often associated with the Lewis & Clark exhibition at the Centennial Exposition in Portland. The company, which made small wooden crates, first introduced the concept of gluing 3-ply plywood at this fair. The basic concept (brush, glue, and a house jack as a press) was introduced at this fair and attracted considerable interest. Orders from furniture and door manufacturers followed. Thus, mass production of plywood was born.

The transition of plywood to mass production

Initially, plywood was considered a luxury material, used only for decorative purposes in furniture. It was a sign of luxury. With the advent of mechanization and mass production, and the development of true, waterproof, synthetic adhesives, in the mid-1930s, plywood transformed into a versatile and basic construction material.

• Early 20th century: Plywood was used for doors, car interiors, and even for prototype structures of railroad bridges in New York (1867).

• World Wars I and II: Plywood, due to its strength-to-weight ratio and design possibilities, became a key material for aircraft construction. The most famous was the “wooden miracle”, the de Havilland Mosquito bomber. In addition to aircraft, boats, and military barracks were also made. The increase in needs during the war contributed to even faster development of production and progress.

• Post-war boom: After World War II, surplus production in the United States spurred further consumption in the construction industry. Plywood became a major component in the construction of residential and commercial buildings.

• Aalto, Charles and Ray Eames, and Marcel Breuer revolutionized furniture design. They explored the form, flexibility, and aesthetic potential of plywood to create iconic pieces.

From ancient Egyptian ingenuity to modern plywood production, the path of plywood is a testament to human innovation. Constantly adapting to changing needs and demands for stability, strength and efficiency in the construction and woodworking industries contributes to better materials.