- 16 November 2006 -
Sandwich panel can be thermoformed

A SANDWICH panel which can be thermally formed into shapes is being introduced by High Impact Technology LLC (HIT), Tigard, Oregon, USA. It is expected to find applications in the boat building, rail and automotive industries.

The Poly-Kore™ panel combines a HIT proprietary thermally formable foam core with facings of ThermoPro™ reinforced thermoplastic tapes from Polystrand Inc, Montrose, Colorado.

“The combination has a strength-to-weight ratio that is very good and we can thermal form the result into all kinds of shapes," says Russ Monk, director of operations at HIT. “It takes very little pressure to mould the panels and we actually shape parts with a cold tool. We heat the panels outside the mould and then use the mould to shape and cool the parts. We found we can also embed fasteners or other hardware into the moulded panels."

Monk explains that panel fabrication can often be done in a one-step process that cuts manufacturing costs dramatically.

"Poly-Kore material has the potential to replace open-mould spraying with fibreglass and thermosetting resin," he claims. "If it goes the way we expect, the panels should revolutionise parts of that industry – such as the production of spas and shower stalls – with a user-friendly, green technology."

HIT; www.hit-usa.com

Polystrand Inc; www.polystrand.com

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