BPI Home Page other KYDEX info Boedeker Plastics, Inc.       1-800-444-3485 KYDEX ® SHEET PRODUCTION METHODS Grades & Datasheets | Dimensions | Colors | Patterns & Textures | Applications | Production Methods KYDEX ® sheet products are extremely durable thermoplastic alloys extruded in a range of colors, patterns, textures, thicknesses and grades. Specialized grades of KYDEX ® sheet meet specific UL, FAR, MVSS, ASTM and/or BS fire ratings, and exhibit exceptional mechanical properties and chemical resistance required to produce components intended for demanding applications. Production methods possible with KYDEX ® sheet include thermoforming, membrane pressing, miter-folding, laminating, and fabricating. THERMOFORMING For fast set-up and production of plastic parts, especially large parts in quantities from 500 to several thousand, thermoforming is commonly selected over injection molding; tooling costs can be 90 percent lower and parts can be completed two- to three-times more quickly. Vacuum forming and pressure forming both evacuate the sealed air space between the heated plastic and mold; pressure forming adds air pressure above the heated sheet to achieve a higher quality finish (sharp edges, undercuts, and other close tolerance details). KYDEX ® sheet is well established as a premier thermoforming sheet offering numerous processing advantages such as extreme formability, hot tear strength, and the ability to maintain uniform wall thickness. Typical applications include: • Equipment housings, shrouds, enclosures • Medical devices • Vents and grilles • Interior components of aircraft, mass transit vehicles, trucks and marine vessels • Commercial and institutional furniture and seating components • Hidden and exposed parts such as chutes, braces, equipment guards All conventional thermoforming methods can be used to form parts from KYDEX ® sheet products: positive-air pressure, drape, plug assist, vacuum snap-back, twin sheet, and billow forming. Because KYDEX ® sheet is an especially "forgiving" material, simple molds of wood, epoxy, urethane, and aluminum are adequate, allowing for quick part turn-around time. Typically, no pre-drying is required. KYDEX ® sheet can be thermoformed at temperatures between 325°F and 390°F (162°C - 198°C), realizing significant savings from shorter cycle times. It also forms to deep draws with low forces when heated to the upper range of 365°F to 390°F (185°C - 198°C), and unlike many thermoformable sheets, has unusually high resistance to hot tearing. Crisp detail is achieved and rejects are minimized, while maintaining uniform wall thicknesses. KYDEX ® sheet can be formed on all standard presses, and can be joined to itself or to other materials by hot gas welding, hot blade welding, solvent cementing, and mechanical fastening. MEMBRANE PRESSING Whereas thermoforming uses air pressure to draw heated plastic sheet into a mold, membrane pressing uses an inflated bladder or "membrane" to physically press heated plastic sheet onto a wood or composite substrate or "core" eliminating the need for molds. Core surfaces can be flat or machined to create three-dimensional contours and seamless edges with compound curves since the flexible membrane presses the plastic into recesses and onto all sides, encapsulating all but the bottom core surface (which can be laminated and heat welded at bottom edges for total encapsulation). The outstanding formability of KYDEX ® sheet enables it to conform fully to the core, preserving sharp edges and surface detail of three dimensional surfaces, while maintaining uniform wall thickness on high spots, low spots, and sharp corners where other sheet products may "thin out." Typical applications include: • Raised panel cabinet doors • Raised panel full size doors • Corporate logo panels • Hospital bed headboards, foot boards • Commercial and institutional furniture and seating components • Seamless table tops and workstation surfaces MITER-FOLDING Miter-folding is an innovative method of mitering the edges of two or more sections of pre-laminated wood sheet at any angle, with no visible outside seam, giving a solid, "of-one-piece" appearance to the finished component. This is accomplished by laminating the wood (normally MDF board) with KYDEX ® sheet (normally .028" [0.7mm] thickness), then routing a V-groove (miter) across the backside of the wood -- deep enough to penetrate the wood but without touching the KYDEX ® sheet. Both mitered wood edges are then be sprayed with adhesive and hinged on the KYDEX ® sheet to close the groove, forming an outside corner that is hidden by seamless KYDEX ® sheet. In addition to eliminating outside seams, miter-folding can significantly improve part alignment and structural integrity, while reducing labor cost and protecting the fabricated component from damage. Typical applications include: • Cabinets and boxed components of store fixtures and commercial furniture • Shelving and table tops with drop-front edges and/or sides • Straight or tapered legs of fixtures, furniture and displays • Any flat-sided, wood core component having mitered outside corners intended to resist damage and maintain an attractive appearance. LAMINATING KYDEX ® sheet can be laminated to wood, metal, gypsum, rigid foam, and other flat or curved substrates using commercially available adhesives, and by hot pressing or cold pressing methods. The result is a protective surface, which resists impact, gouging, and general abuse unlike any other thermoplastic or thermoset sheet material. KYDEX ® sheet does not chip, crack, break, or snap like high pressure laminates, and is available in a range of thicknesses to meet anticipated levels of abuse. Color is integral, eliminating dark edge lines which can be unsightly, especially in heavier gauges and against lighter colors. In addition, specialized grades of KYDEX ® sheet carry Class I/A fire ratings required at federal, state, and local levels for commercial, institutional, and public building interiors. Typical applications include: • Store fixtures and case goods • Exhibits and displays • Partitions, doors, and panels • Wood and steel furniture • Virtually any laminated product or surface in high-traffic commercial, institutional, and public building interiors FABRICATING KYDEX ® sheet is easy to saw, die cut, shear, rout, drill, sand, file, mill, and otherwise machine using conventional power tools. It can also be post-formed and brake-formed (with or without wire heating), as well as heat welded to create seamless, sanitary corners. Joining can be accomplished using commercially available adhesives, or screws, rivets and other common fasteners-without the cracking, chipping, or snapping associated with many thermoplastic and thermoset sheet products. The diversity of methods to effectively form, fabricate, machine, and join KYDEX ® sheet opens limitless application possibilities, both functional and decorative. Typical applications include: • Braces, brackets and supports • Perforated panels • Equipment shrouds and guards • Corner guards, crash rails, kick plates, and push plates • Freight container linings • Thermoformed, membrane pressed, and/or laminated products requiring simple or complex secondary operations KYDEX is a registered trademark of Kleerdex Company, LLC. Graphics & photographs provided by Kleerdex Company, LLC. Copyright 2006, all rights reserved. http://www.boedeker.com/kydex-methods.htm Boedeker Plastics, Inc. 904 West 6th Street, Shiner, Texas 77984 USA USA TOLLFREE : 1-800-444-3485 Phone: 1-361-594-2941     Fax: 1-361-594-2349     E-Mail: bpi@boedeker.com ©     Copyright Boedeker Plastics, Inc.     2008