High Pressure Laminate
High Pressure Laminate (HPL) is the most durable laminate available. It has higher impact, moisture and scratch resistance than all other plastic laminates.
HPL is available in 800 colors and three thicknesses; standard grade, post-form grade and vertical grade and is made of multiple layers of paper saturated with phenolic resin and bonded to a phenolic backer sheet under heat and pressure. Vertical grade is commonly used for doors, drawer fronts, finished and applied ends of cabinets.
For doors, drawer fronts and applied ends, the laminate sheet is glued to a substrate of particle board, MDF, plywood or any no added urea formaldehyde core material typically using a PVA glue. A backer sheet of the same thickness as the face is used to balance the panel and helps prevent warping. The backer sheet is available in many colors to match the melamine interior of the cabinet, or reversed for matching the interior of a cabinet without doors to the door and drawer front color of the surrounding cabinets.
Melamines
Thermally fused melamine (TFM) is a decorative overlay of paper, saturated with melamine resin and fused under heat and pressure to the surface of particleboard, MDF, or any other core resulting in a very durable product that requires no additional finishing or protection making it an ideal surface for the interior of cabinets and less expensive than either high pressure laminates or wood veneer alternatives.
Melamine is available in over 100 colors including solids, patterns and wood-grains at an additional cost from white which is the commodity color.
All colors except white will be optimized for waste, and the waste billed at the material cost per sheet.
Wood Veneers
Wood veneer is either a composite made from wood pulp, or a very thin layer of high-quality wood and glued to any substrate such as particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF), or any no added urea formaldehyde core. Wood veneer is peeled, sliced, or sawn from the log in different directions and angles, resulting in many different grain patterns such as; rotary cut (peeled), rift cut, plain sliced or quarter sawn. The flitches are then arranged in different matches, producing additional grain patterns from the same specie. Slip match, whole piece, pleasing match, book match and random match are available in most hardwood species and many exotics as well. Additionally, hardwoods are graded for quality, producing even more choices and cost options for the same wood specie. All wood veneers are unfinished unless you specify otherwise. Please be specific as to the Specie, Grade, Cut and Match of the wood veneer that you require for your job. They vary substantially in price! We will not be responsible for the color, grain pattern or appearance of any wood veneer provided for our customers.
Veneer Grades:
A-Grade:
There should not be any abrupt changes in color or grain between the splices. An “A” face will not permit sound knots, repaired knots or rough-cut veneer. An A face may allow slight mineral streak and/or vine marks. The number of defects such as pin knots or small burls varies according to the specie of veneer. This is the best face grade normally stocked and is often used for upper-end cabinetry, architectural millwork, and quality furniture.
B-Grade:
Veneer should be matched for a pleasing color, but not necessarily for grain. “B” grade faces are generally very similar to “A” faces, but do allow some sound or repaired knots and some slight rough cut veneer. “B” grade faces will also allow slight mineral streak and vine marks. “B” grade faces are, often used by customers wishing to save a little money on plywood. Many suppliers offer the “B” grade faces in lieu of “A” grade faces in an effort to be more price competitive. Comparing the price of “A” grade faces and “B” grade faces is not comparing apples to apples. Always be sure to specify the face grade of plywood you are wishing to receive.
C-Grade:
Allows for unlimited pin knots and small burls. A “C” face can also contain repaired knots and sound knots. The “C” grade will also allow unlimited mineral and vine marks. A “C” face should be a sound smooth face. A “C” face is used primarily on paint grade type panels, in lower-end case work, and for cabinet interiors in upper-end cabinetry.
D-Grade:
It is similar to the “C” face, but will allow some rough cut veneer and a few more repaired and sound knots.
Cores
Particle Board:
Industrial Grade Particle Board (IPB) is made of wood chips that are compressed and bonded together using urea formaldehyde resin. The standard density is 45 lbs., which is used in virtually all applications. High density (ie. 55 lbs.) is also available for some applications where more strength or screw holding is needed.
MDF or Medium Density Fiberboard:
Similar to particle board, MDF is made of small particles of wood fiber bonded together with synthetic resin and compressed under extreme heat and pressure. It is about 20% higher in price compared to IPB. The benefits of MDF over particle board are that it is stiffer, stronger and smoother which makes it perfect for painting or powder coating. However, it does not have the screw holding capacity of particle board. MDF is usually of higher density than particle board (48 to 55 psi.). There are no added Urea Formaldehyde brands of MDF such as Medite II where tighter emission standards are required and can contribute to achieving LEED credits.
Plywood:
An engineered wood product made from thin sheets of wood, called plies or wood veneers. The layers are glued together so that adjacent plies have their grain at right angles to each other for greater strength (crossbanding). There are usually an odd number of plies, as the symmetry makes the board less prone to warping.
Performance Core:
An an engineered plywood panel made from 100% White Aspen with no added Urea Formaldehyde, low emission, calibrated core which is perfect for doors and drawer fronts or anywhere that requires superior void free smoothness and flat, uniform thickness panels.
SkyBlend:
An SCS certified 100% post consumer recycled wood fiber particle board with no added Urea Formaldehyde. It combines low emission standards, certified recycled content, sustainable raw materials manufactured by Roseburg Forest Products. Skyblend can contribute to achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED) credits. SkyBlend is commonly used in medical, educational and other institutional facilities where tighter emission standards are required.
Edge-banding
Edge-banding is used to cover the machine cut edges of any core material that your boxes are manufactured from, giving the appearance of a solid material. There are many different available materials such as PVC, ABS, acrylic, melamine, or wood veneers, and and with over 1000 colors of PVC and all major wood species, matching any stain color is possible. The thickness vary from .5 mm (.018″), 1 mm (.039″), 2 mm (.070″) and 3 mm (.125″) for PVC’s and .5 mm (.018″) and 1.5 mm (.0625″) for wood veneers, and be run square or with a radius edge profile on the 1.5 mm and greater thicknesses. There are color matches to most plastic laminates in .5 mm PVC’s, however in 1, 2 and 3 mm the color choices are limited to commodity colors. Over 350 stain colors in various wood species with many different grain patterns are available in .5 mm PVC’s as well as patterns and solid colors. The adjustable shelf edge can either be the box edge color, or the color match to your cabinet interior. Please indicate which you prefer on your order form under box edge and adjustable shelf edge.