MODERN MATERIALS

MODERN MATERIALS:

- Materials that have only been available in their present form since the 1960s or 1970s. They cannot be considered smart since they do not react with any way to the environment in which they are used in.
- Fibre Optics: work by transmitting light as a series of pulses

- COATED METALS:
                                - Coatings for both protection and decoration are now applied to sheet  metals. These include polymer coated mild steel sheets and aluminium's. The polymer (PET or PP) can be applied as a transparent material or in a range of colours. The top layer is usually printable.

- WOOD BASED:
                            - Flexible MDF is now available and is used to form cured shapes. This is achieved by grooves in the material which allow the material to bend slightly at each cut due to the thinner section at that point. The grooved surface is usually applied to the inside of the product so not to be seen while the width of the grooves determines the amount of curve achieved.
                             - Flexi-Ply is produced in a similar way to standard plywood but there are subtle differences that make this product bendable. As with ordinary plywood's there are an odd number of layers. In this case there are only three layers since any more would restrict the movement of the material. The two outer layers are of an open grained timber and are much thicker than the inner core. The direction of the grain on the outer layer determines the direction of curvature.
                             - Hexaboard is an exterior quality birch plywood with a hard phenolic resin laminated surface. The hard, durable phenolic surface has been embossed with a hexagonal pattern to make it safer to walk on; this makes it particularly suited to flooring applications. Applications include flooring for commercial vehicles and aircrafts.