The furniture industry does not stand still; engineers are constantly developing new ideas to improve the characteristics of manufactured products. The relatively recently invented technology of producing sandwich panels for construction work quickly gained popularity. Sandwich furniture is made from panels made according to the sandwich principle. They are very durable and yet weigh very little. Such panels can be made in any color and allow owners to get very interesting furniture sets at a low price.
What is
Previously, sandwich panels were used to insulate walls of various structures. In the 2000s, the material, called “tamburat”, found use among manufacturers of cabinet furniture. With its help, the cost of production has decreased, the weight of the product has become smaller, but at the same time the strength and resistance to negative external factors have increased. Tamburat is a frameless three-layer slab. The panels consist of the following parts:
- Facing sheets.
- Frames made of bars located vertically and horizontally.
- Mortgage elements installed in the places where the fittings are attached (they ensure the strength of the entire structure).
- Internal filler.
The filling layer of the panel is made of thick cardboard, laid in the shape of a honeycomb and stuffed with crushed compressed paper mixture. This structure ensures high strength of the slabs. The filler is covered on both sides with sheets of chipboard, MDF, and plywood. More expensive models are finished with natural veneer. All these materials perform a decorative function. The thickness of the outer layer varies from 3 to 8 mm. This value depends on the type of panel and its technical characteristics.
Sandwich furniture can be lined with sheets of plywood or chipboard with an imitation of wood pattern, marble, or natural stone. In this case, its strength and stability are further increased. The furniture edge serves as a stabilizer for the side surfaces.
This versatile material is perfect for making products of any complexity. This could be furniture for the kitchen, children's rooms or living rooms. Tamburat is used in the production of reception desks, shelving and shop windows. This is a stylish and affordable furnishing option for an office or apartment.
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Manufacturing and filling materials
All vestibule panels consist of several elements:
- Facing parts;
- A frame consisting of a pair of horizontal and vertical bars;
- Embedded elements located in the places where the fittings are attached. They are designed to provide strength;
- Aggregate.
The inner part is made of cardboard, made in the shape of a honeycomb. This design ensures the greatest strength of the panels. Honeycombs made of thick cardboard are enclosed on the sides with sheets of chipboard or MDF; the thickness of the facing part may vary depending on the type of vestibule panel. Thanks to this technology, owners and guests of houses with such furniture, not only in photos, but also in real life, will mistake furniture made from sandwich panels for real wooden products.
When making furniture from sandwich panels, it is necessary to choose the right fittings correctly. If the products have embedded strips and facing panels with a thickness of at least 8 mm, then the use of any fittings is allowed. It can be suitable for mounting solid parts. It is more difficult to select fittings for elements without embedded strips or with thin facing parts; it must meet a number of requirements:
- The fittings must connect the outer parts of the slabs with the internal filler;
- The inner layer should not be deformed during operation;
- Fixation on thin cladding panels must be ensured.
The cost of special fittings is expected to be higher than the price of standard accessories, but using them together with thin slabs is unacceptable and will lead to damage to the new furniture. Honeycomb core is the most important part of the panels; the strength of the structure depends on its quality. It is placed inside the frame by hand and secured there. In places where fasteners for fittings are installed, it is bent. After assembly, the structure is pressed and then laid horizontally for at least a day.
Advantages and disadvantages
The technical characteristics of sandwich furniture largely depend on the quality of the filler and the glue with which it is impregnated. Tamburat is good for cutting out elements that must be bent. Resistance to deformation during the bending process allows panels to be rounded and a concave plane to be made.
Some manufacturers offer layers without external finishing. But visually they are significantly inferior to sheets covered with veneer or PVC film with texture embossing. The main advantages of tamburat include a number of properties:
- light weight;
- strength (due to multiple stiffening ribs of the internal filler);
- durability;
- resistance to temperature changes;
- good sound and heat insulation;
- environmental friendliness of production;
- low cost.
This material also has its drawbacks. It is quite fragile and does not tolerate strong point loads. Impacts or mechanical stress may cause dents or scratches to appear on it. Tamburat is also afraid of moisture.
The main restriction on the use of vestibule furniture is the ban on placement in damp rooms: bathrooms, unheated storage rooms, outdoor gazebos.
When placed in a humid environment, the internal filler of a cardboard-paper mixture begins to absorb water, and the external embossing of the panels prevents its rapid evaporation. This can cause the furniture to become deformed and the facades to become distorted.
The strength of a tambourate panel largely depends on the material of the outer cladding. When installing, it is necessary to take into account the fragility of the finishing edges - they are easily pryed and peeled off. It is also important to use special compensating fasteners, since conventional furniture fittings are not able to hold firmly in the voids between the honeycomb filling of the panels. But there is an advantage to this feature - the fasteners can be installed using a hidden method.
Types of panels
Tamburat is used for the production of furniture and its individual parts that do not bear heavy loads. The material is easy to cut to the desired template and processed without special equipment. Panels can be divided into three types. The classification is based on the size of the slabs, their processing, and facial decoration:
- Products that do not have an external lining. They are covered with a thick paper layer for an aesthetic appearance.
- “Rough” slabs on which a finishing coating is applied, but there is no edge. In the future, furniture production uses PVC film, plywood, veneer, and plastic for this purpose.
- Cladding slabs. They are completely ready for cutting and do not require further processing.
Typically, veneered sandwich panels are used to make furniture, which completely imitate natural wood in appearance. They cost a little more than their artificial turf counterparts.
Depending on the outer layer, panels can have different technical properties. The main characteristic of tambourate is its thickness. It varies between 32–100 mm, but sheets of 50–60 mm are most often used. The shape of the slab can be any.
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Peculiarities
Sandwich panels are an incredibly popular material used for insulating building envelopes, making slopes and making furniture. The main feature of sandwich panels is their sandwich-like design. Between two flat sheets of solid material there is a lightweight filler. For the manufacture of furniture structures, one type of sandwich panels is used - tambourate. This material has a number of features that are taken into account when drawing up the project:
- The ease of processing the panels allows anyone to cut intricately shaped parts from the material without the use of special tools;
- Thanks to the loose filler, it becomes possible to carry out hidden installation of wiring in computer desks. Fastening elements can be easily hidden inside the furniture, without losing its beautiful appearance;
- Sandwich panels can be combined with other materials. This is facilitated by identical fasteners. But for very thin sheets you will have to use special built-in fasteners;
- Strength is ensured by the design features of the internal filler; it has many stiffeners, which allows the material to withstand heavy loads without deformation;
- Thin panels are able to bend under the influence of vertical loads, while they do not lose their strength and rigidity. This feature allows you to easily produce bent furniture elements;
- A wide selection of external decorative coatings allows you to realize the most interesting ideas of designers;
- With a large volume of parts, the products have very little weight. Thanks to this feature, impressive structures can be made from sandwich panels, and at the same time they will not cause difficulties during transportation;
- The low cost of the material makes it accessible to most people.
Types of furniture
Lightweight partitions for zoning living space, including sliding structures, are made from pressed material with filler. A wide palette of colors and textures allows them to fit into any interior; they are functional and beautiful.
A huge number of elements for furniture production can be made from tambourate; a good example is tabletops of various thicknesses. Thanks to the variety of decor, complex interior design options can be created. Shelves for filling cabinets or placing on walls are lightweight, but can withstand significant weight.
Wardrobe cabinets, despite their apparent fragility, are not inferior in technical characteristics to their counterparts made from traditional furniture materials. They are able to withstand heavy weight and not deform.
Sandwich furniture for a children's room is beautiful, environmentally friendly, and meets all established safety requirements for the health of children. In addition, the material can be easily given an unusual shape, which provides additional advantages: a car bed, a soft corner for a princess house - any idea can be realized.
Commercial tambourate furniture is in demand. These are display cases, shelving in sales areas, display tables, and reception desks. The abundance of colors allows you to create an interior in any style direction.
Since the material has cavities inside, electrical wiring can be laid unnoticed in it so as not to spoil the room with an abundance of cables. This feature makes tamburate an excellent raw material for the manufacture of office furniture. All wires will be hidden from the eyes of employees and visitors.
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Tabletop
Shelf
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Trade showcase
Varieties
Sandwich panels are divided into several types depending on the size of the slabs and the type of further processing, that is, the characteristics of the front surface:
- Products without cladding require additional coating with a layer of paper to give an aesthetic appearance. Covering the board with veneer allows you to create an element from a sandwich panel that is not indistinguishable from a solid wooden product. Veneered facades of cabinet furniture improve the design of the economy option;
- Slabs decorated with the final coating at the factory. The facing material in this case is PVC film, paper covering or natural wood veneer;
- Ready-to-use decorative boards. They are ready for installation work and do not require additional processing.
Depending on the outer coating, sandwich panels will have different properties. The outer parts of sandwich furniture are chipboard or MDF sheets, the thickness of the sheets is in most cases 3 mm. This is enough to ensure the required strength of the product.
Finishing the edges of sandwich panels is similar to the same operation carried out in the manufacture of solid wood boards or chipboards. In the case of making a vestibule, in addition to performing a decorative function, the edge will serve as an additional element that stabilizes the side surface. Thanks to the presence of a decorative edge, the joint between the surfaces becomes invisible.
Some slabs are produced without cladding; these products are much cheaper and owners can independently choose the paint color for their furniture. The outside of such boards is HDF or MDF; paint can be applied directly to the boards without any preparatory work.
Tamburat is used for the manufacture of large pieces of furniture that do not carry significant loads. This material perfectly imitates large wood parts, while significant savings in materials occur. Sandwich panels can replace wood or particle boards in visible areas of furniture. Another option for using panels is the production of one-piece sets of furniture made entirely of vestibule; such sandwich furniture will weigh little and at the same time look good.
Several types of products are made from tambourate:
- Countertops can be made of material of different thicknesses, due to this, various designs and design options are created;
- Shelves can be located inside cabinets made of the same material or complement solid wood furniture;
- Cabinets made of tambourate, contrary to the opinion about the fragility of this material, are in no way inferior to furniture made of MDF or chipboard;
- Sets for a children's bedroom will not only look good, but also meet all sanitary and hygienic requirements;
- The furniture, which is hollow inside, allows you to place wires inside it without cluttering the room with them; this feature has made sandwich panels popular in the manufacture of office furniture.
One of the restrictions on the use of sandwich furniture is the ban on its installation in rooms with high humidity.
Shelves
Tabletop
Closet
Children's
Selection rules
Sandwich furniture is an excellent solution for a modern interior. But when choosing, you should take into account several important criteria:
- Panels must be selected in accordance with the expected physical activity.
- It is worth carefully inspecting the surface for damage. There should be no scratches, chips, dents, or peeling of the outer trim or edges.
- To attach the vestibule, special fittings are required. It should be selected according to the thickness of the panel itself.
To maximize the life of furniture, it is necessary to comply with the conditions for its safe use. It is also important to pay special attention to quality fittings. Elements at the points of attachment to the slabs should not be loosened.
If the outer layer is 8 mm thick, a regular edge can be used. You can use any chrome tape except melamine. If the thickness is less than 8 mm, the installation of a supporting furniture edge is required. It is made of foamed ABS, with a thickness of 3 mm. Among other things, it is a decorative coating.
Fittings can be standard or specialized. The first is the usual one, used for MDF and chipboard. It can be used for panels with a top layer thickness of 8 mm. For other sizes, specialized fittings will be required. By following these simple rules, you can make a choice in favor of a quality product that will last a long time.
Panels should be selected based on the expected physical load
When choosing furniture, you should carefully inspect its surface for possible damage.
To fasten the vestibule, special fittings are used, which are selected according to the thickness of the panel itself
