Compact Grade Panels — The Next New Thing? By Russ Lee Imagine a super-thick laminate that requires no substrate, uses no contact adhesives, can be joined and machined using standard woodworking tools, is available in hundreds of colors and patterns (plus custom patterns), is suitable for wet environments, is not harmful to the environment and offers stain and chemical resistance. While you are imagining, why not conjure up a material that is structurally self-supporting, will accept screws and fasteners, and comes in a variety of textural finishes? Welcome to the world of Compact Grade Panels.
Compact Grade Panels are perfectly suited as a surfacing material in Euro-style kitchens that feature sleek, simple lines. For most of us the term “Compact Grade Panel” means next to nothing. To ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) it means, “selfsupporting, double-faced (laminate), usually thicker than 5 mm, the thickness of which will be selected according to application and panel dimensions.” In plain English that means a solid core panel comprised of many layers of phenolic-saturated kraft paper sandwiched between top and bottom layers of decorative paper, all protected with a melamine coating. “Compact Grade Panels are about great design, color and performance,” said Tony Damiano, president of ABET, Inc., the American arm of ABET Laminati, which produces Stratificato Print HPL compact grade panels. “To be more specific, it is about great European design.” The range of color options with Compact Grade Panels makes them attractive, durable and easy to maintain. 34 • Vol. 5 / Issue 2 • International Surface Fabricators Association
Produced in Bra, Italy, Stratificato is one of a handful of compact grade panel brands available in the United States and Europe. Other brands include Trespa, Formica, Polyrey, Resopal, Arpa
Although Compact Grade Panels are made with a thermoset resin, which makes them difficult to thermoform, ABET has developed a process for creating shapes with Stratificato. and Fundermax. Compact grade panels are typically used in furniture, residential/commercial tables, vanities, locker rooms, commercial work surfaces, column wraps, wall cladding, medical, school and laboratory applications. They are also great for kitchen countertops. “But not the typical American-style countertop,” explained Damiano. “The 1 1/2-in. drop edge so common in the United States doesn’t lend itself well to the Stratificato concept. Our material is more for high-end kitchens featuring simple, sleek design with European cabinetry. The reality is that even though you can seam Stratificato with good results, drop edges are probably not the best application.” ABET, Inc. and ISFA According to Damiano, where Compact Grade