Thermally Fused Laminate Vs High Pressure Laminate

This designation refers to the process of attaching the laminate to the substrate core.

Thermally fused laminate vs high pressure laminate.

Tfl is a melamine saturated paper that is thermally fused directly to the substrate. Also just like laminate the melamine surfaces have lower quality and higher quality products. Each is produced differently. An additional protective overlay as well as the decor paper are placed on top of the kraft paper before pressing.

And while both materials are moisture resistant if you left a sweating glass on the surface of each overnight the results would be different. With hpl products the laminate is adhered using 1 000 to 1 500 pounds of pressure per. Thermally fused laminate tfl and high pressure laminate hpl. These papers have been glued together and finally a melamine plastic is pressed at the top.

It s great for vertical applications or low impact. The low quality melamine will not last as long as most laminate surfacing. When its time to have the look of high pressure laminate hpl with similar performance thermally fused laminate tfl also referred to as thermally fused melamine tfm is often used. There are two types of laminate that we use pretty often for furniture.

However the thicker textured thermal fused melamine has the same kind of life expectancy of high pressure laminate. Arauco prism tfl is ideal for on trend designs. You may have noticed that laminate products are classified as a high pressure laminate hpl and low pressure laminate lpl. The thermal fused melamine surface is thinner than high pressure laminate so it is more vulnerable to scratches and chips.

High pressure laminate hpl panels are produced by saturating multiple layers of kraft paper layers with phenolic resin. Should you choose a thermofused laminate tfl or a high pressure laminate hpl fo. To make this laminate a very high pressure of 1400psi is used over 6 8 layers of kraft paper. Thermally fused laminate tfl is created by soaking decor paper with resin and allowing it to partially dry.

The partially cured sheet is then stuck to a rigid backing material. Also called high pressure laminate this is popular among common people by the name of formica. Tfl is sufficiently durable and hard wearing for cabinets countertops and shelving. Choosing the wrong finish can be one of the biggest mistakes buyers make.