Secrets of producing kitchen facades: is postforming necessary? Production of furniture facades "postforming Plastic postforming what

Modern home filled with various household items made from MDF or similar materials. Such items should not only be as useful as possible, but also quite aesthetic. In order to give such things the necessary properties, they use modern technologies- postforming and softforming.

Postforming (“post-forming”) is a seamless technology that allows decorative finishing materials shape the base on which they are applied. This technology is most clearly presented as the process of heating the sheet decorative plastic before desired temperature and bending it around the required surface with preliminary preparation and giving this surface certain properties. Postforming technology truly opens up limitless possibilities to select a color palette and surface texture. Front side Postforming slabs, in any chosen color, can be glossy or porous, and the back is made of white plastic.

The use of postforming slabs is becoming increasingly widespread, these could be: countertops in the kitchen or, door (kitchen) facades, window sills, and counters, elements interior decoration premises.

Qualities that make postforming popular

The main advantages of postforming boards are water resistance, mechanical strength, resistance to ultraviolet radiation and aggressive environments, and heat resistance. Postforming products have the following structure:

MDF or chipboard;
melamine edge;
kraft paper;
decorative plastic;
lasting protective layer.

For the production of high-quality household and office furniture postforming with rounded edges (on both sides) is used. Although postforming is much more expensive than laminated chipboard, it is a very popular material that has received well-deserved high marks consumers in many countries.

Postforming production technology

The postforming production process is quite complex and consists of several sequential operations performed using special equipment.

For cladding, a contact gluing method with secondary activation is used. The glue is applied to both surfaces and dried, and then acquires secondary adhesion when heated to certain temperature. Then both layers are connected, and pressing the adhesive seam instantly gives it final strength. Postforming machines are relatively simple and affordable. Depending on the desired performance, they are of positional or pass-through type.

Softforming is a technology for processing the end of a furniture piece, in which the edge is rounded towards the front surface with simultaneous gluing of film. This is how you can make different kinds profiles with smooth edges that do not have sharp corners. The equipment connects the chipboard and the film with extreme precision without a visible or perceptible seam, which makes the product attractive, convenient and safe.

Thanks to softforming, more ample opportunities combinations of colors on the front surface (the edge “enters” the main surface within a given limit) and combinations of profile types. Thanks to such opportunities, softforming production turns into a creative workshop.

Softforming facades

Softforming (SF) is based on the use chipboards for the manufacture of furniture facades, as well as postforming. The essence of softforming is milled edges covered with a protective layer of plastic. But if MDF is sold as separate parts, then SF has the form of blanks with standard length and width parameters. In fact, sales are carried out by linear meters.

Qualities that make softforming popular

Unlike postforming technology, where the facade has only a radial edge shape, softforming has internal milling of the edges of parts and has a significant variety of forms. The milled part of the part can be coated with plastic different color, making such facades even more attractive.

Another plus is the ability to get softforming with grooves for installing glass. A cut is made in the profile for the inner part for sheet glass. For the production of inexpensive, but unusual and beautiful furniture softforming is the ideal choice.

The molding for glazing is equipped with an internal groove for 4 mm glass, so there is no need to buy glass of a different thickness.
It is more profitable to buy softforming as a façade sheet (2440 mm long) at the selected width, followed by cutting to size and gluing the PVC ends.
When exporting finished parts, be sure to check the quality of the edges of the ends. There should be no glue residue, the joints should be neat, and the edge should be glued tightly and evenly.
Pack the facades during transportation, protecting them from possible damage.

Both technologies are also used in the manufacture of sliding wardrobes. The “Sunny Boat” furniture factory, which specializes in the production of these particular pieces of furniture, is no exception here. Often a pleasant event takes place at the factory - a sale of sliding wardrobes. To make the sale process as pleasant as possible for the client, you should consult with the factory specialists in advance. In this case, you will get the maximum discount with maximum quality.

Postforming (postforming from the Latin post - “after”, English forming - “formation”) is a heavy-duty modern material for production .

Postforming furniture facades are made on the basis of chipboard. The postforming machine features the most optimal combination temperature regime, moderate feed speed and correct bend radius. Plastic high pressure American, Finnish or Italian production with a thickness of 0.6 and 0.8 mm is folded under high temperature onto a pre-treated and prepared surface. Four types of heat- and moisture-resistant adhesives can be used to make workboards.

These technologies make it possible to produce high-quality products that are distinguished by a wide variety of dimensions (thickness, width, length), profiles and colors.

Most often, postforming slabs are used for the production of countertops for Belarusian kitchens in Moscow. Since plastic is absolutely environmentally friendly and pure material, meeting the standards, the popularity of this type of material for the production of kitchens is increasing every day.
Postforming furniture facades have a wide range of applications. They can be produced as kitchen countertops, tables and bar counters in cafes, as well as pieces of office furniture.
Postforming is particularly resistant to aggressive environments, chemicals and temperatures. These properties protect the plastic furniture surface from moisture, abrasion and chipping.

Kitchens made from postforming are able to satisfy the requirements of the most demanding buyer, because their bold and unexpected design is suitable for embodying the brightest ideas.
Diversity color range will amaze buyers with the depth and richness of shades. Adherents of the high-tech style will like kitchens made on the basis aluminum profile. Metal carcass will contribute increased stability body, which will extend the life of the furniture by several years.

It is also worth noting that postformed kitchens are very easy to clean. The dirty surface of the façade can be easily cleaned using gel or paste cleaning agents.
Postforming kitchen furniture will make your interior bright and memorable!

Postforming technology was invented by IMA engineers. They developed a method of facing slab materials thin layer a polymer that not only protects the slabs, but also decorates them beautifully. Therefore, postforming of countertops is a special finishing of chipboard, MDF and other boards with plastic. Of course, there are certain technological nuances in the manufacturing process, but in general outline This is a simple cladding.

For finishing countertops with postforming it is used laminate, which includes paper, resins and plastic. Essentially, a laminated surface is created on the surface of the base. Lamination thickness is 0.7-0.8 millimeters. In this case, the word “postforming” means that the base plate of the countertops is treated with plastic on all sides or partially, covering several ends of the plate. Therefore, when the conversation turns to postforming, it often means not technological process, but a finished product.

The material is applied in three layers:

The bottom layer is kraft paper impregnated with synthetic resins. It is laid in several layers, treating each layer with resin, in the end a fairly strong base is obtained.
The middle layer is the design, that is, the lamination itself. For this, the same paper on which the drawing is applied is used.
The top layer is a protection that increases the performance of countertops such as strength and wear resistance. For this, either a transparent polymer or transparent resins are used.

Acrylate or melamine resins are most often used as a protective topcoat. Once hardened, these substances easily cope with stress such as the negative effects of cleaning agents, scratches from knives and forks, exposure to coffee, juices and other dyes.

Attention! If hair dye, glue, potassium permanganate and other similar materials are spilled on the postforming finish, they are removed with a rag or sponge within 10-15 minutes. After this time, traces of spilled substances will remain on the surface of the countertops. Acetic acid must be removed immediately.

Types of postforming

Today, manufacturers offer two technological positions for laminating chipboard or MDF boards under countertops:

postforming at an angle of 90°;
postforming at an angle of 180°.

In the first case, this involves gluing plastic to the front surface of the slab and to the side. That is, two adjacent planes located at right angles relative to each other are processed. In the second case, the reverse side of the panel in the form of a longitudinal strip is also partially captured. This strip is called a drip tray. If spilled water gets on the side (end), which is not covered from below, then it negatively affects the open plane of the slab, being absorbed into it. The consequences are warping and delamination of the material.

The drip tray collects water on its surface, which falls in drops onto the floor in the kitchen. Manufacturers often make a groove on the lamination edge of the back side of the panel into which a polymer cord is inserted onto the glue. Half of it comes out of the groove, and this is a kind of limiter, with the help of which a barrier is created that prevents the movement of water deeper towards the open slab material.

Basically, countertops come in two sizes:

Width 620 millimeters, length 3050 millimeters.
Width 600 millimeters, length 2240 millimeters.

But manufacturers also offer custom-made countertops up to 4 meters long. All panels have a front edge covered with plastic, the two sides and the back remain open. In this case, the material is cut to any length, the main thing is high-quality processing of the open ends silicone sealant which will protect the product from moisture.

Advantages and disadvantages of postforming

The advantages of kitchen countertops made using postforming technology include the following:

Low cost of products. The price is formed due to simple and inexpensive technology, plus the use of cheap materials.
Variety of designs. Since laminate for countertops is “ layered cake", then any design of the decorative layer is included in it. Therefore, there are no restrictions on design types. Standard countertops are imitation wood, stone, sand, leather and others. natural materials, plus all color palette. Postforming tabletop designs are also made to order.
Resistance to external influences. If the manufacturer used plastic High Quality, then such countertops will not be afraid of water, mechanical loads and ultraviolet rays. During the entire operation, the products do not change their appearance.
Postforming is continuous protection without joints or connectors.
High temperature resistance. You can install such surfaces even next to the hob.
Easy to care for. For this purpose, use ordinary detergents liquid or gel type.

Unfortunately, such countertops also have significant disadvantages:

If the kitchen countertop is damaged, it cannot be repaired. You will have to immediately replace the product with a new one.
If low-quality plastic was used in production, then there is a fairly high probability that it will peel off from the base after some time. Bubbles, wrinkles and other defects will appear on the surface.
Postforming technology is not intended for the manufacture of shaped countertops: corner or U-shaped.

Considering all of the above, we can conclude that the advantages of countertops made using postforming technology are greater when compared with the disadvantages. Therefore, postforming is in demand among both consumers and manufacturers. Today this technology is used not only for finishing countertops, but also for decorating facades kitchen sets, window sills and other additional elements.

Conclusion on the topic

The main advantage of countertops made using postforming technology is good protective properties plastic surface and the variety of designs offered. The last criterion is the ability to choose a countertop design that matches the unified style concept of the kitchen space.

Today I will tell you about another idea, by implementing which you can significantly improve the competitiveness of the furniture you make. However, the idea of a business for the production of furniture facades postforming It may well be implemented as a separate independent business, which, by the way, can be started with very little starting capital.

What is a furniture façade?

The furniture facade is the “face” of the furniture; these are all the doors used in cabinet furniture, and it’s no secret that good facade- this is the main component of the price of furniture. It is clear that the more expensive and better quality it looks furniture facade, the higher the price the buyer is willing to pay and the greater the likelihood of buying your furniture.

The consumer’s impression of furniture is based on the totality of all consumer qualities: appearance, practicality, quality of materials used, reliability of design and, of course, price. And no expensive fittings, no high-quality furniture frames will help you build successful business when using low-quality and uncompetitive facades.

IN Lately became increasingly popular postforming facades having rounded edges and a curved, bent surface. Look at expensive imported furniture - you won’t see sad chopped right angles. Rounded, smooth outlines are what distinguishes expensive, prestigious furniture today.

So, let me tell you briefly - what is postforming?

Postforming is the name given to furniture semi-finished products that have a rounded shape along two edges. This can be clearly seen in the photo section:

Plastic is glued along these rounded edges. Everyone is familiar with countertops that have a rounded front edge. Approximately the same principle is used to produce radius facades, but with one exception. The facades are made of MDF, not laminated chipboard. This is much more environmentally friendly and the buyer, by the way, appreciates this.

Persistent, impact resistant plastic protects the furniture surface from moisture, high temperatures, abrasion and chips. Plastics are used in the production of facades various types and colors, it all depends on your wishes. The color range of plastics used for postforming facade cladding includes more than 200 colors. This is enough to satisfy the most demanding customer.

In addition to the fact that plastic can be used on facades, it can be used on wall panels, visors, decorative corner shelves etc., thereby creating an interesting, unique design, which cannot be repeated using standard chipboard colors or standard countertops.

Postforming furniture facades have the widest range of applications - from kitchen and office furniture to bar counters in cafes and restaurants. All this does postforming facades ideal solution, both for furniture manufacturers and consumers.

Why is it profitable to make postforming furniture facades?

Let's say you are the owner of a small furniture production. By purchasing facades on the side, you overpay to a number of intermediaries, leaving yourself no chance to make money. Moreover, by purchasing facades externally it is impossible to ensure competitive prices. By producing facades using your own production, you eliminate all intermediaries and can not only maintain reasonable prices for products, but also receive additional profit by selling furniture facades to smaller manufacturers.

Having your own production of postforming facades, issues regarding alterations and additional orders of facades are easily and quickly resolved. Imagine a situation where workers damaged the façade during installation. When ordering furniture fronts from third-party manufacturers, not only will you have to wait a very long time for the order, but you will also have to pay a lot. In many companies, the order is less than 1 sq.m. is equal to 1 sq.m., and these are additional costs and minus your profit.

By the way, about profit. The profitability of postforming furniture facade production is, just think about it!, 300%.

The whole point is that starting investments into business, and the cost of produced furniture facades is actually very low. For the production of furniture facades using postforming technology, no large production area, nor expensive equipment. The producers will understand me.

Low cost and high final price of facades, use for their production minimum set tools and homemade devices- all this makes the Postforming technology very attractive to a wide range of furniture makers who want to increase their income and expand the range of products.

About where and how to find clients

Your main clients will be small firms and garage workers engaged in the manufacture of custom-made furniture. Almost all such manufacturers assemble furniture from sawn the right sizes HDF sheets and do not manufacture facades themselves, ordering them externally. They are all yours potential clients. By establishing contact with a couple of such companies, you will provide yourself with a job that provides a good income.

For example, a private owner who makes furniture in a garage can easily produce 2-3 kitchens per month, which will require about 12 sq.m. facades. The cost of the facades will be about 40,000 rubles. You will spend about 14,000 rubles on production. The volume of production that will provide you with 26,000 rubles. arrived, if all materials are available, it can be made in 3-4 days.

Over time, your productivity will increase and you will be able to increase production volumes of postformed bent furniture facades, establishing contacts with other furniture manufacturers.

Materials required for the production of facades postforming, sold in any region of Russia at small wholesale companies (if not in stock, delivery is always possible transport companies). There is no need to purchase them for future use; it is better to purchase them individually for each order. required quantity(you don’t have to invest heavily in materials). The technology for manufacturing postforming facades does not require the use of expensive equipment!

By purchasing new furniture in the kitchen, we are forced to solve the difficult task of choosing a countertop. In our opinion, it should meet all the necessary requirements: be durable, hygienic, and most importantly, fit organically into the interior.

The most common countertop option is this moment A countertop made of laminated chipboard, called postforming, is considered.

Postforming is a method of lining a base of a given shape made of chipboard or MDF with thin laminated paper under the influence of high temperature and pressure.

IN furniture production Postforming is considered one of the important technologies, as it provides the opportunity to manufacture furniture and interior elements of various shapes.

Postforming can be of two types: 90 and 180 degrees. As the name implies, 90 degree postforming involves processing two sides with plastic: the main surface and the end of the product. Wherein no drip tray, the bottom joint of the plastic is treated with silicone or sealant.

When postforming 180 degrees, the plastic completely goes around the end of the tabletop, and its edge is glued to the back side. Thus, a drip pan is formed, which protects the countertop from water getting inside it.

Plastic structure:

several layers of kraft paper impregnated with synthetic resins;
decorative layer(paper with a pattern printed on it);
protective layer (paper impregnated with melamine and acrylic resins).

Postforming technology was developed in the late 60s of the last century. The production and mass supply to the market of products and parts lined using this method was started by the German company Westag & Getalit AG.

Despite the fact that today is postforming widely used both in furniture production and in construction, it has its advantages and disadvantages.

Disadvantages of postforming

Basically, the disadvantages of postforming come down to the use of low-quality materials in its production and violation of production technology. Thus, the use of plastic of inadequate quality may cause it to peel off already in the first months of operation.

The use of a low-grade protective layer will significantly affect the preservation of the bright and rich colors of the product and will not be able to prevent the appearance of scratches and marks from mechanical impact on its surface.

Equipment that should ensure high-quality gluing of plastic also plays an important role. It should be noted that there is one more disadvantage when making countertops from postforming. With this technology impossible to manufacture one-piece corner tabletop.

In this case, you will have to connect two plates and use an edge (PVC or aluminum) to form joints. In this case, there is a danger of water getting under the joints, which can lead to swelling and deformation of the chipboard.

Benefits of postforming

This method has quite a lot of advantages:

Considering all the above characteristics, it is not surprising that postforming is very popular. Low price, practicality and variety design solutions allow it to be used not only in the manufacture of countertops.

Using postforming, window sills, furniture cabinets and other furnishings made from particle boards can be transformed into truly original and stylish interior items.