How to Quality-Check Laminate Sheets

Like most materials that are used in the construction of buildings, Laminate Sheets are items of finishing that are graded for quality by governing bodies. Grading is important for Laminate Manufacturers for assortment of laminate sheets and differentiation of one type from the other. Grading also adds credibility to the product. In some cases, Laminate Manufacturers have plenty of heritage and credibility to their brand name. The top most Laminate Companies in India conform to Indian Standards are laid down by BIS (The Bureau of Indian Standards) 2046 – 1995.

Many Indian Laminate Companies in India that conform to the BIS standards are allowed to export their products to different countries. When exportingto foreign countries, Indian companies also have to conform to international standards too. For instance, if Laminate Companies in India want to export laminate Sheets to the UK, theyhave to conform to the British Standard Specifications for Laminates too.

Quality Check conducted on Laminate Sheets:

 Quality Checks are carried out on Laminate Sheets and the results have to conform to globally acceptable values. In the Indian context, they have to be conform in accordance with IS 2046 for High Pressure Decorative Laminates (also called HPDL). The guidelines check the hardiness, resistance to scratches and dust, adverse climatic conditions and related environmental factors, and also to determine their quality in regard with appearance and stability.

List of Quality Checks:

• Testing Laminate Resistance to –
  1. Physical scratches
  2. Surface wear and tear
  3. Immersion in boiling water (Laminates swell up on immersion into water. The increase in thickness &weight, and also the change in appearance, discolouration etc. are noted)
  4. Fire and heat burns
  5. Steam and moisture
  6. Staining by chemical agents
  7. Heavy duty Scratching
  8. Determine the limit of pressure that can be borne
  9. Bleaching and discolouration (on exposure to Xenon arc lights and Carbon arc lights)
  10. Sudden impact (the laminate sheet is shot at with a small diameter ball)
  11. High temperature (The laminate sheets are dry heated to 180 degree centigrade)

Stylish andornamental Laminate sheets are installed as overlay over wooden furniture bases like plywood, Medium Density Fibre-board (MDF) and Particle Boards. The Laminate Sheets are hardened and made sturdy to protect wooden substrates. All the quality check tests are solely designed to check the hardiness of laminate sheets and their resistance to environmental stress, thereby giving an indication of their long life. The function of laminate sheets is to protect and the quality checks certify that.

After the regular quality checks come some other tests like –

• Dimensional stability checks–

The best laminate sheets manufactured by Laminate Companies in India do not change too much in size on change with changes in temperature. It is desirable for laminate sheets to be resistant to high temperature and should not change dimensions (like expand unevenly or crumple) when exposed to heat. The dimensional stability checks are carried out at 20 degrees (room temperature) followed by deviated temperature (both high and low).

Laminates without proper certification are also sold in local hardware markets, but it is not advisable to install them in your house. When it comes to long-term use of buildings material, it is always desirable to use products that you trust!