Why we swapped hot platens for infrared in our veneer presses
Most people are used to the old way of doing things—big, heavy hot presses that take forever to warm up. But at Burkle, we’ve moved toward infrared (IR) lamps. It isn’t about following a trend. It’s just a smarter way to handle heat, glue, and wood. The trick is in where the heat goes. With a traditional press, you’re heating up the entire machine. You’re wasting a ton of energy just to get those massive steel plates hot. IR is different. The lamps send short-wave radiation straight through the veneer and hit the glue line directly. It creates a quick, sharp spike of heat exactly where you need it. You aren’t baking the air in your shop or heating up the press plates for no reason. Because the heat is so targeted, you don’t end up with as many VOCs floating around your factory floor. It makes keeping your shop clean and compliant a whole lot easier. It’s fast. Really fast. We’re talking about turning hours of drying time into minutes. Because the heat density is so high, your turnaround is quicker and the machine doesn’t need to take up half the shop. But there’s a catch: you have to be precise. You can’t just “set it and forget it.” If your timing is off, you risk scorching the veneer or causing blow-outs in the glue. It takes a bit of calibration, but the speed is worth it. Saving power (and your sanity) Think about the energy it takes to keep those giant steel platens hot 24/7. It’s a nightmare for the electric bill. Our lamps just snap on and off. No waiting around for the machine to warm up. No wasting power while the press sits idle. If you’re trying to get a “Green” certification without slowing down your production, this is the way to do it. You’re essentially trading brute force for precision. It just makes sense.