Prefer to work with a more flexible edgebanding product? Have an inside cutout with a tight radius? In this month’s blog feature we take a closer look at Teknaform’s flex edgebanding lines and how we ensure they handle the tightest inside and outside radiuses on all your projects.
What is TekFlex?
As an alternative to our rigid offering, TekFlex is our durable and semi-rigid flex formulation that handles outside radius minimums of 25mm (1″) and inside radius minimums of 50mm (2″) without the need of additional pressure or excess adhesive. We offer two types of products with this softer durometer option – Semi Rigid and Flex 55. Our Semi Rigid product offers a durometer of 65. For even tighter applications we recommend our Flex 55 line. This product offers a softer durometer of 55 and can bond to the tightest of possible radii.
What is a durometer?
Durometer or Shore durometer is a standardized way to measure the hardness of materials like rubber (elastomers) and plastics. For most rubber materials, Shore durometer numbers are usually provided as either Shore A or Shore D, two different but related Shore durometer scales. Shore A durometers are for softer materials and range widely enough to cover flexible rubbers all the way up to semi-rigid plastics with almost no flexibility. Shore D durometers are for harder materials and compare hard rubbers, semi-rigid plastics and hard plastics. Teknaform uses Shore D. The resistance that the product gives is the hardness, rated from 0-100.
Tensile Strength
Another key difference between our Rigid and Flex edgebanding product comes down to tensile strength. Tensile strength is the material’s resistance to breaking under tension. Our rigid PVC has a tensile strength of around 5900 PSI while our flexible PVCs are as low as 3300 PSI. This can be seen in how quickly the tape regains its original shape when bent or moved. Rigid tape will snap back to its original form much faster, while Semi Rigid is slower and Flex 55 being the slowest to return, if at all. This in combination with a specific durometer, you can gauge which of our different product lines are more suitable to specific applications.
What quality control measure are in place for Flex Products?
Although our TekFlex production process is similar to our rigid edgebanding offering, the post- production processes for our flexible material are critical. Flexible edgebanding must be cooled properly prior to packaging and packaged in such a way that the softer material is not compromised from strapping or uneven pallets. As a result, our quality control teams vigorously measure for hardness and curvature more diligently with our Flex product than with the more forgiving Rigid PVC. In addition, we recommend that our customers also store flexible product in a cool flat area to maintain the products’ profile and straightness.
Talk to a customer service rep today about ordering your custom flex product today. Our flexible products range in thicknesses of 2mm-3mm thick and is available in thousands of colours and patterns.