Samuel Warman
University of Tasmania
There are a few ways to bend wood, laminating thin layers of wood and steam bending.
The laminating process involves combining multiple sheets of veneer, chips or solid timber. The veneers are bonded together by strong adhesives into a mould to create the desired form.
Steam Bending involves solid timber being steamed in a steam box to soften the wood and then is placed into a form until the wood has completely dried. Steaming softens the lignin in the wood, hardening when the wood cools.
Image source:
http://www.hydrowood.com.au/
https://www.popularwoodworking.com/projects/aw-extra-11713-bent-wood-lamination-basics/
https://hazeguitars.com/blog/what-you-should-know-about-high-pressure-laminate-hpl-guitars