Design of a Cross-Laminated Timber Press

Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) presses are becoming commercially available within the United States. However, the systems are often expensive and costly to own and operate, requiring large physical footprints, large power draws, and extensive equipment to support the on-and offloading of CLT. CLT presses are critical to facilitate the experimental investigation of novel lumber species and novel panel lay-ups. This experimentation will allow for greater material use and design efficiency. For CLT to advance, local production and increased material efficiency are required, which will be through rapid prototyping of panels. Small-scale CLT presses in academic settings are necessary to help complete this prototyping work. Given the high cost of creating a CLT press, I propose developing a design for a CLT press. This is accomplished by reviewing current press technology and analyzing the benefits of design decisions before developing and creating plans for a press.