Radio Frequency

The RF process for curing adhesives has been used for many years in the production of curved plywood. This process is used for smaller upholstered grade pieces, and works much like a microwave oven where electricity is used to quickly cure the glue from the inside out. This allows a relatively fast press cycle and lends itself to multi-layer pressing, driving costs down. Because RF technology can result in warping on large pieces, this process works best on smaller upholstered pieces.

Induction Heating

The induction process provides better control than the RF process when larger and more complex forms are produced. Larger, one-piece upholstered grade shells and exposed-grade plywood are pressed using the induction heat process. The IH process has two significant advantages over RF curing - even curing and deeper penetration of the glue. The adhesive is heated from the outside. Penetration of the glue is crucial because this displaces moisture in the wood cells, which inhibits warping. Deeper penetration also decreases the size of the glue line, cutting the part thickness (in many cases) to one-half that of a similar component pressed using the RF process. The induction heating process is common in Europe. Davidson is the first to commercially use this technology here in the United States.