A glossary of terms for materials used in decorative laminating.A GLOSSARY OF TERMS DECORATIVE OVERLAYS Vinyl Films Vinyl film made of polyvinyl chloride polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic that is a polymer of vinyl chloride. Resins of polyvinyl chloride are hard, but with the addition of plasticizers a flexible, elastic plastic can be made. (PVC PVC: see polyvinyl chloride. PVC in full polyvinyl chloride Synthetic resin, an organic polymer made by treating vinyl chloride monomers with a peroxide. ) is used for decorative surfacing and may be either clear or solid color an even color; one not shaded or variegated. See also: Solid . If is clear, it is printed on the reverse side to protect the print. If is a solid color, the printing is on top. Vinyl films are divided into four categories: 2mm Reverse Printed Rigid Film: Unembossed, extruded or calendered cal·en·der n. A machine in which paper or cloth is made smooth and glossy by being pressed through rollers. tr.v. cal·en·dered, cal·en·der·ing, cal·en·ders rigid PVC. The print design and ground coat are printed on the back of the film in reverse order. The film is used for wall paneling (mostly in recreational vehicles), kitchen cabinets, furniture and mobile homes. Semirigid sem·i·rig·id adj. Partly or moderately rigid. semirigid Adjective (of an airship) maintaining shape by means of a main supporting keel and internal gas pressure Adj. 1. Clear Film: Calendered semirigid PVC. The film is reverse printed. That is, the ground coat and design are printed on the back of the film in reverse order. The film is frequently embossed em·boss tr.v. em·bossed, em·boss·ing, em·boss·es 1. To mold or carve in relief: emboss a design on a coin. 2. and can be coated with scuff-resistant coatings. These films range from 4mm to 8mm in thickness. Some can be mitre folded. Sandwich Film: Calendered semirigid two-ply laminate laminate, n a thin slice of porcelain or plastic fabricated in a dental lab, which is cemented to the front of the teeth to cover gaps, whiten stained teeth, or reshape chipped or broken teeth. . The opaque base is top printed and a clear overlay is laminated on top. This film is designed for mitre folding and flat sheet lamination lamination a laminar structure or arrangement. . These films range from 5.5 to 8 mils in thickness. Some are available with scuff-resistant top coating. Solid Color Film: Calendered semirigid film that is custom color matched in a variety of hues. The film is integrally colored and can be top printed and/or embossed. Top printed film is used extensively in mobile homes, recreational vehicles, commercial paneling and movable walls. Plain solids are used in furniture, kitchen cabinets, fixtures and displays, and office furniture applications. Thicknesses range from 3.5mm to 8mm. Some films are available with scuff-resistant top coating. Low Basis Weight Papers Low basis weight papers have sometimes been referred to as "micro-papers" or "rice papers." Low basis weight papers range in weight from 23 to 30 grams and are sometimes preimpregnated with resin. Acrylic, polyester and other resins are added during the paper making process to improve the internal bond strength of the paper. The paper is then printed and generally coated with polyurethane, urea, polyester, acrylic or melamine resins, or a combination thereof. Low basis weight papers are usually divided into two categories, standard or industrial. Standard grade papers contain a lower amount of resin in the base paper, and offer an economical laminate for use on low wear surfaces, such as wall paneling. Industrial grade papers have a higher resin content and have greater internal bond strength. Foils Cellulose papers weighing between 40 and 140 grams per square meter Noun 1. square meter - a centare is 1/100th of an are centare, square metre area unit, square measure - a system of units used to measure areas untreated. The papers may be impregnated im·preg·nate tr.v. im·preg·nat·ed, im·preg·nat·ing, im·preg·nates 1. To make pregnant; inseminate. 2. To fertilize (an ovum, for example). 3. with melamine melamine (mĕl`əmēn'), common name for 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine. Melamine is a trimer (see polymer) of cyanamide, H2NC≡N, and is synthesized from calcium carbide. thermosetting resins or left untreated. Treating may add 20 to 40 grams of weight or more, depending on the basis weight of the paper. Foils require an adhesive for lamination. These papers are generally referred to as "finished foils" in Europe. In the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. they have been called melamine papers, intermediate weight foils and impregnated foils. They are all of intermediate weight, but so are most of the saturated papers. Not all "foils" are finished, nor are they all impregnated. Impregnation impregnation /im·preg·na·tion/ (im?preg-na´shun) 1. fertilization. 2. saturation (1). impregnation 1. the act of fertilizing or rendering pregnant. 2. saturation. , or lack thereof, and the percent of resin used, have a direct effect on the internal bond strength of the paper, as well as the porosity, cutting qualities and machinability. Unimpregnated: These are essentially untreated papers, although a small amount of resin (2 to 3 percent) is generally added during manufacturing. The papers may be delivered with a varnish top coat or may be top coated after lamination. Preimpregnated: Papers that are treated during the paper making process with a resin system such as malmine or urea formaldehyde formaldehyde (fôrmăl`dəhīd'), HCHO, the simplest aldehyde. It melts at −92°C;, boils at −21°C;, and is soluble in water, alcohol, and ether; at STP, it is a flammable, poisonous, colorless gas with a suffocating , usually with acrylic, which allows the sheet to remain flexible after the resins are fully cured. The resin is applied through a size press and calendered, either on the paper machine or later. The calendering calendering, a finishing process by which paper, plastics, rubber, or textiles are pressed into sheets and smoothed, glazed, polished, or given a moiré or embossed surface. provides a good printable surface and one that takes coating easily. These papers can be chemically embossed and may be available with preapplied hot melt adhesives. Postimpregnated: Papers that are treated after they have been manufactured with a resin system such as melamine or urea formaldehyde, usually with acrylic, which allows the sheet to remain flexible even after the resins are fully cured. In postimpregnated papers, the paper fibers are encapsulated with resin, and the voids and air spaces in the paper are filled with resin. The papers may be top coated and have hot melt adhesives applied at the point of manufacture. Saturated Papers Decorative surface papers generally weighing between 60 and 130 grams per square meter. These papers are saturated with reactive resins and are partially cured at the point of manufacture. Final curing is done at the time of hot press lamination when the resins form a hard crosslinked thermoset A polymer-based liquid or powder that becomes solid when heated, placed under pressure, treated with a chemical or via radiation. The curing process creates a chemical bond that, unlike a thermoplastic, prevents the material from being remelted. See thermoplastic. material. The paper formation is similar to the sheet used for high pressure laminates. These products are self-bonding; that is, the resin in the paper flows into the surface of the board during lamination, creating a permanent bond. Thus, no adhesives are required. Two different resin systems may be used to impregnate im·preg·nate v. 1. To make pregnant; to cause to conceive; inseminate. 2. To fertilize an ovum. 3. To fill throughout; saturate. saturated papers for lamination: Melamine: The resin is introduced into the paper during an impregnating operation. After the paper is impregnated, it is partially cured ("B" stage) using curing ovens. The melamine resin is fully cured at 300-400 psi and 300-400 degrees F during hot press lamination. The "B" staged paper has a definite shelf life that varies with temperature and humidity. Polyester: The resin is introduced into the paper during an impregnating operation. After the paper is impregnated it is dried in a drying oven. Polyester resin Polyester Resin - Unsaturated Polyester Resin. The term generally used for unsaturated (means containing chemical double bonds) resins formed by the reaction of dibasic organic acids and polyhydric alcohols, basic component of SMC/BMC. is fully cured at 175-200 psi and 275-350 degrees F during hot press lamination. The dried paper has a definite shelf life that varies with temperature and humidity. The melamine sheet is widely used in Europe and is generally referred to as "low pressure laminate." In North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , the more common term for both melamine and polyester laminated panels is Permalam. "Permalam" is the registered trademark of the American Laminators Association (ALA). It is the term that may be used by ALA members to describe a decorative thermoset panel produced by hot press laminating lam·i·nate v. lam·i·nat·ed, lam·i·nat·ing, lam·i·nates v.tr. 1. To beat or compress into a thin plate or sheet. 2. To divide into thin layers. 3. polyester or melamine resin impregnated, self-bonding (minimum 50 percent resin content) paper to any cellulosic substrate. Continuous Laminates The typical construction of a continuous laminate is a melamine-impregnated, alpha cellulose overlay plus a decorative surface paper, superimposed su·per·im·pose tr.v. su·per·im·posed, su·per·im·pos·ing, su·per·im·pos·es 1. To lay or place (something) on or over something else. 2. over one or more phenolic phe·no·lic adj. Of, relating to, containing, or derived from phenol. n. Any of various synthetic thermosetting resins, obtained by the reaction of phenols with simple aldehydes and used as adhesives. or melamine resin impregnated papers. The laminate is formed on a continuous, double belt press at pressures of 125-750 psi and at temperatures between 275 and 300 degrees F. The thickness which is determined by the number of layers of Kraft papers and the resulting amount of resin absorbed, is normally in the 1/32-inch range. When the sheet is pressed, a steel caul caul (kawl) a piece of amnion sometimes enveloping a child's head at birth. caul n. 1. A portion of the amnion, especially when it covers the head of a fetus at birth. plate or a paper release sheet is used to create a surface finish ranging from a high gloss smooth to fully textured. Continuous laminates can be rolled, but only into large diameter rolls. High Pressure Laminates Decorative laminated plastic sheets which consist of papers, fabrics or other core materials that have been laminated at pressures normally between 1,000 and 1,400 psi, using thermosetting thermosetting, adj having the property of becoming irreversibly rigid or hardened with the application of heat. In dentistry the term is used in connection with resins. condensation resins as binders. A typical sheet of general purpose HPL HPL - Language used in HP9825A/S/T "Desktop Calculators", 1978(?) and ported to the early Series 200 family (9826 and 9836, 68000). Fairly simple and standard, but with extensive I/O support for data acquisition and control (BCD, Serial, 16 bit custom and IEEE 488 interfaces), is made from a sandwich of melamine-impregnated alpha cellulose overlay and decorative surface papers, superimposed over phenolic resin-impregnated Kraft papers. The sandwich is pressed at temperatures exceeding 265 degrees F at pressures as high as 1,200 psi. The thickness, which is determined by the number of layers of Kraft papers and the resulting amount of resin absorbed, can range up to 3/8 inch. When the sheet is pressed, a steel caul plate or a paper release sheet is used to create a surface finish ranging from high gloss smooth to fully textured or embossed. HPL is made in a multitude of solid colors and printed patterns. Heat Transfer Foils Heat transfer foils involve the transfer of a complete coating system from a carrier film to a substrate by means of heat and pressure. When transferred, the coating system is complete, providing both a decorative effect and a protective layer to provide specified end use properties. The foils are gravure printed in reverse sequence on a mylar film. That is, the release coat is printed first, followed by the pattern or a wood grain print, the ground coat and finally, the adhesive. EDGEBANDING MATERIALS Laminated Vinyl A lamination of two materials, generally vinyl to vinyl, although ABS and paper backers may be used. The lamination produces edgebanding rigid enough for automatic edgebanders. The carrier is generally a rigid PVC 0.01 to 0.03 inch thick, and may be clear or in color. The surface is a printed or solid color lamination grade vinyl, usually reverse printed, and 0.002 inch to 0.008 inch thick. End users often supply their own vinyl for exact color match. The sandwich construction is then slit and is suitable for straightline or softform applications, depending on the backer that is used. PVC An extruded or calendered thermoplastic A polymer material that turns to liquid when heated and becomes solid when cooled. There are more than 40 types of thermoplastics, including acrylic, polypropylene, polycarbonate and polyethylene. made of polyvinyl chloride, used to match vinyl, paper, paint or high pressure laminates. Calendered PVC is manufactured in wide logs and slit to size, while extruded PVC is manufactured to exact width. PVC offers unlimited color and pattern availability, a wide range of widths (to 3.5 inches), thichnesses (0.016 to 0.187 inch), surface textures and gloss levels. The printed surfaces, as well as the solid colors, are generally top coated with a UV cured resin for protection. PVC is mainly used for straightline and contour automatic edgebanding applications. Thicker versions are available pregluded for hot air applications. PVC is not recommended for softform applications. Polyester laminates Decorative papers, often matching popular high pressure laminates, are impregnated with polyester resin and laminated to a variety of backers. Thypically produced in light and heavy weight versions, either can be preglued for heat bar or hot air application. The heavyweight version is excellent for straight line, contour and softform automatic edgebanding applications. Produced in logs, polyester edgebanding can be slit to any width. Surface finish options include textured, satin, wood grain, ticked and stainable, oversprayable versions. Melamine The term melamine edgebanding covers a broad range of paper edgebanding materials, including single layer printed products, laminated foils and continuous melamine laminates. Largely produced in Europe, melamine is an economical preglued and automatic edgebanding product, suitable for straightline, contour and softform edging applications. It is produced in masterlogs and slit to virtually any width. When coated with hot melt adhesives, it is used on table top edgebanders. For automatic edgebanders, the material can be coated with hot melt, PVA PVA polyvinyl alcohol. or no adhesive. Metallic Edgebanding Polished or brushed metals, or metallic transfer foils laminated to a backer in a master log. The material can be slit to virtually any width. This decorative edgebanding may also be used as an inlay inlay /in·lay/ (-la) material laid into a defect in tissue; in dentistry, a filling made outside the tooth to correspond with the cavity form and then cemented into the tooth. in·lay n. 1. . The material may come with a pressure sensitive adhesive Pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA, self adhesive, self stick adhesive) is adhesive that forms a bond when pressure is applied to marry the adhesive with the adherend. No solvent, water, or heat is needed to activate the adhesive. backing, or may be applied with a contact cement. A protective surface coating Surface coating A substance applied to other materials to change the surface properties, such as color, gloss, resistance to wear or chemical attack, or permeability, without changing the bulk properties. is removed after application. Wood Veneers Real wood veneers that are flat cut, rift cut, quarter cut, et., from a variety of hardwood species, domestic and imported. The veneers are sliced from 1/25-inch to 1/50-inch thin and are available plain, paper or fleece backed in varying degrees of flexibility. The backers provide stability and strength to the veneer and minimize splintering, cracking and checking. The veneers may be finger or butt jointed to produce a continuous coil edgebanding. Veneer edging products are suitable for straightline, contour and softform automatic applications, as well as preglued for hot air or heat bar machines. Reconstituted Wood Strips A man-made veneer generally manufactured in Europe. Light colored woods are cut, dyed and reformed into flitches before being resliced into sheets that approximate flat cut or quartered veneer. This produces a consistent, custom colored and grained wood veneer. These veneers can be processed into fleece or paper backed strips or coils for straightline, contour or softform automatic edgebanding applications. The back can also be coated with hot melt adhesive or PVA. PHOTO : The selection of decorative overlays available today provides many design options. PHOTO : Decorative overlays can be embossed to provide a wood grain effect, left. A popular look is the combination of a solid color overlay with a natural wood tone edge, top. PHOTO : A variety of visual effects can be achieved by using decorative overlays. PHOTO : Real wood veneer edging products can be preglued for hot air or heat bar machines. PHOTO : The LMA LMA left mentoanterior (position of fetus). Glossary covers seven decorative overlays, including low basis weight papers, saturated papers, vinyl films and foils. |
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