Panel Systems – UK panel manufacturer

Panel Systems in Sheffield deploys Solfre 2 to increase productivity

Panel Systems Ltd of Sheffield has been a major UK manufacturer of insulated building products, CNC machined panels, Ravatherm XPS, architectural panels and external cladding since 1974. Their key markets include construction, automotive, packaging, lightweight staging, caravans and marine.

Panel Systems manufactures an extensive range of panels, comprising as little as two layers or as many as six layers. The layers can be a multitude of materials including metals, particle boards, foam plastics and honeycombs.

When thin plastic sheet became more widely used in manufacturing, the company found that a single-part moisture curing polyurethane adhesive was not effective for bonding these new materials and the preparation of plastic substrates prior to bonding resulted in lower production rates.

Panel Systems approached Chemique Adhesives to assist in improving production rates and they recommended their two-part polyurethane adhesive, Solfre 2.

The main advantage of Solfre 2 was its ability to handle a wider range of materials and the elimination of solvents in the bonding process. Solfre 2 offers an alternative to epoxies, one-part polyurethanes, solvented adhesives and hot melts, providing improved bond quality. The company uses Solfre 2 for structural bonding with foam plastics, as well as aluminium and polypropylene honeycomb cores.

Solfre 2 Honeycomb is an extension of the Solfre 2 family of products that have been specially formulated for manufacturing honeycomb panels and composite panels.. The Solfre 2 Honeycomb range combines the properties associated with Solfre 2 giving superior bond strength, while still maintaining low coat weights and flexibility, according to Chemique.

Chris Ibbotson, Managing Director at Panel Systems, said, “Reliability and consistency matter to our business. Solfre 2 allows us to bond a wide range of materials to different cores with confidence which is a big advantage. We have long-term customers that rely on us to provide top-quality products and we’re able to do so thanks to Chemique’s Solfre 2 adhesive,” Ibbotson said.

For further details on our Solfre range or any of our adhesive application equipment then please get in touch.