What is HPL?
HPL is the abbreviation for High Pressure Laminate. HPL is made up of several layers that are compressed (laminated) under very high pressure. This creates a very dense, hard and form-retaining sheet (HPL).
The structure of the sheet
An HPL sheet consists of a wood fibre or paper core and two top layers. The core of the sheet consists of several layers of wood fibre and paper that are soaked with phenolic resin. During production, these layers are compressed under high pressure and at a high temperature. The resin that is used is a so-called thermoset. This means that the resin becomes hard under the influence of heat. By compressing, the layers are compacted and create a very dense and hard sheet. The top layers are so hard and dense that sunlight and moisture cannot penetrate into the sheet. In the first instance, HPL sheets were therefore developed as cladding material for outdoor use in residential and non-residential buildings, for example, maintenance-free exterior panels and plastic fascia boards.
Not just for outside
Naturally, HPL plates are not only suitable for outdoor use. Thanks to the very hard and dense top layers, HPL is also often used in hygienic environments, such as laboratories and operating theatres. HPL is also widely used in the food industry and in the machine building industry because the material does not hold dirt and is easy to clean. Various HPL manufacturers sheets supply sheets with special finish layers and in different colours. These sheets have been specially developed for interior applications. We also carry these sheets in our HPL range, where you will find a wide choice of colours and textures.
Can be processed and painted with the right tools
Due to the hardness of the top layer and the core, HPL cannot be processed like softwood but must be processed with tools that can be used for processing hardwood. HPL is easy to cut with these tools and in our blogs, you will find various tips and tricks for machining it. You can read everything you need to know about sawing, bonding, maintaining and even painting HPL sheets. The right products for maintaining, fixing and glueing HPL can be found in our webshop. For attaching HPL, we recommend HPL screws and Bostik primers and mounting kits. As with all our other plastic sheets, we will also cut HPL sheets for you, free of charge.
