Rubberwood plywood
Rubberwood plywood, from the cluster that runs on it.
Plantation-hardwood panels in 6 to 18mm, pressed for packing and general commercial work and loaded in full truckloads from Kochi. Made by our group in Perumbavoor, which has worked rubberwood since 1986.
By Edwin David, Director, Cochin Wood Industries — plywood manufacturer in Perumbavoor, Kerala. · Last updated 29 July 2026.
The hardwood Kerala peels more than any other.
Cochin Wood Industries is a rubberwood plywood manufacturer in Perumbavoor, the Kerala cluster that turns more rubberwood into plywood than anywhere else in India. Rubberwood is the timber of the para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) — a plantation hardwood that is felled and replanted on a roughly 25 to 30 year cycle once its latex yield falls, so the raw material is farmed rather than taken from forest.
The cluster standardised on it for good reasons: steady plantation supply on our doorstep, a clean peel that gives even veneers, and a medium density that takes MR and BWR bonding well. That is why the packing and commercial plywood shipped out of Perumbavoor is, more often than not, rubberwood at its core.
Why the weight matters for your freight.
Rubberwood is a medium-density hardwood, so a rubberwood panel weighs less than a dense-hardwood or gurjan-cored panel of the same thickness. On a loaded container that difference decides your payload. Dense plywood tends to weigh out — it hits the container, axle or destination road-weight cap — before it cubes out. A lighter panel lets you load more usable sheets within the same weight limit, which is a direct freight saving on every square foot shipped.
We work the arithmetic on our rubberwood plywood container-weight guide, and price and load export orders around it on the export desk.
Grade and bond, stated up front.
Our standard rubberwood range is MR-bonded to IS 303 — moisture-resistant, pressed for structure, and the grade most packing and general-commercial work asks for. Where the service is humid or splash-prone we make a BWR-bonded panel to order. Cores are rubberwood or eucalyptus; faces are commercial by default, with Okoume or Gurjan on request. Packing and commercial grade runs on minus tolerance — a nominal thickness may finish slightly under, never over — and we state the tolerance band on the quote so there is no argument at delivery.
Thicknesses and indicative pricing.
Five thicknesses cover most work; others within the 6–18mm band are made against order. Tell us the spec and monthly quantity when you enquire.
| Thickness | Typical use |
|---|---|
| 6mm | Liners, lids, partitions, cladding |
| 8mm | Light boxes and inner walls |
| 12mm | General cases, commercial panelling, box walls |
| 15mm | Heavy cases and crate walls |
| 18mm | Bases, decks and point-load crates |
Packing-grade rubberwood ply is quoted per thickness, ex-factory across 6 to 18mm, with GST and transport extra. Rates move with log and veneer cost, so treat that as indicative only and confirm current pricing on enquiry — the live picture sits on our plywood price guide and Perumbavoor price tracker.
Where rubberwood plywood earns its place.
Most of what we make goes into packing cases, crates and pallets for exporters and case shops, where the weight advantage and a bond that ignores transit humidity matter more than a polished face. The same panel serves general commercial and panelling work, and it is the base we build Okoume-faced and calibrated panels on. If you are crating for shipment, note that plywood panels are ISPM-15 exempt; only solid-wood crate members need the heat-treatment stamp.
Common questions
Is rubberwood plywood waterproof?
Our standard rubberwood plywood is MR-bonded (moisture-resistant) to IS 303 — it stands up to transit humidity and damp handling but is not for permanent water immersion. For humid or splash-prone service we make a BWR-bonded rubberwood panel to order.
What thicknesses of rubberwood plywood do you make?
Six to 18mm. Five thicknesses — 6, 8, 12, 15 and 18mm — cover most packing and commercial work, and other thicknesses within the 6–18mm band are made against order.
Is rubberwood plywood good for packing and export?
Yes. It is the grade most packing cases, crates and pallets are built from. Because rubberwood is medium-density, a panel weighs less than dense-hardwood ply of the same thickness, so a container carries more sheets before it hits its weight cap — a direct freight saving. Plywood panels are also ISPM-15 exempt.
Do you export rubberwood plywood, and from where?
Yes. We ship from Kochi to the Gulf, Sri Lanka and Israel, quoted FOB. Country-specific terms are on our export pages; send your spec and destination for a written quote.
Tell us the spec, get a written quote.
Send thickness, monthly quantity and delivery location and we will come back with a written quote — usually within one business day. We supply in full truckloads pan-India and export from Kochi to the Gulf, Sri Lanka and Israel.