Preheating and vacuum forming Solid Surface materials

Solid Surface is a unique, high-quality, versatile material which has a wide range of uses in bathrooms, kitchens and furniture, as well as for designs in restaurants, hotels, airports, shop-fittings and facades, among others.
Acrylic materials can be thermoformed into 2D curved shapes or spectacular 3D designs and can be machined with the standard hard metal wood tools. There are two steps in the thermoforming process: preheating and pressing.

Want to see how our thermoforming stations form Acrylic materials? Click the button below to see the full process with our Global Duo Professional.

Solid Surface Desk

Applications

Preheating

Solid Surface material should be preheated to an optimal forming temperature of between 155 and 165 °C. The preheating time of Solid Surface depends on the material thickness and can vary between 5 and 30 minutes.

Hydraulic pressing

For deep and complicated 3D shapes with tight radiuses, such as sinks or wash basins, Global recommend using hydraulic presses with male/female moulds, to guarantee perfect results.

Vacuum pressing

Preheated material is placed onto a mould inside the vacuum membrane press. Vacuum is created and the atmospheric pressure presses the membrane and material strongly against the mould.

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