WORKING VENEER OR PLYWOOD (applying liquids or other fluent materials to surface in general B05; grinding, sanding, or polishing of wood B24; applying adhesives or glue to surfaces of wood B27G11/00; manufacture of veneer B27L5/00)

Description

B27D encompasses machinery and processes for manufacturing, processing, and finishing veneer sheets and plywood products. This classification covers equipment for peeling, slicing, or otherwise preparing veneer from logs, as well as devices for assembling, bonding, pressing, and trimming veneer layers into composite plywood structures. It includes technologies for controlling veneer thickness, moisture content, and grain alignment, along with finishing operations such as surface treatment and edge finishing specific to plywood manufacture. Adjacent classes address raw wood preparation (B27B) and general woodworking operations on solid timber (B27F).

Filing statistics

CPC subclass B27D recorded 8,717 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 289 in 2013 to 677 in 2023 (+134%), peaking at 1,175 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class B27 are ROBERT BOSCH (868 applications), NANJING FORESTRY UNIVERSITY (463 applications) and HOMAG (437 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings