TECHNICAL DATA

Advantages A1

A1 has many unique properties. These contribute to its strength, durability, weight to strength ratio, nontoxic, easy to manufacture and its ability to comply with many of the necessary test requirements of the construction industry, specifically those in regard to performance to fire and performance under impact.

A1 has a low toxicity both in its component parts and in its manufacturing process. Its potential use is wide-ranging and could effectively replace much GRG, GRC and GRP in many of the situations where those materials are now used, both in- and outdoor. In comparison with GRC, A1 offers much greater versatility as a panelized cladding system in that the manufacturing tolerance can be much tighter.

A1 possesses a high resistance to ultraviolet degradation. It can, therefore, be used in the situation where other materials would suffer.

One off’s

Special or ‘one-off’ units can be easily produced alongside standard run and if site tolerances have not been strictly observed  the  panels  can  be  ‘humou-red’  to  fit  and  made  good  on  site.  Of  great  significance  is  the  material’s  high  strength  to  weight  ratio,  which  allows much lighter fixing systems and sub-grids.

All these attributes contribute towards further potential savings having started with a material, which has already cost advantages over alternatives.

Surface finishes

A1 should be  viewed  as  a  matrix  in  which  a  variety  of  filler  materials  can  be  incorporated,  either  to  enhance  mechanical   performance   or   for   the   sake  of  appearance.  It  is  possible  for  A1  to  include  any  non-reactive  filler  up  to,  and  in  some  cases  exceeding  200%. This allows a great deal of free-dom  when  deciding  upon  encast  and  ex-mould finishes.

An extensive and impressive range of finishes has been produced. These include a variety of metals (bronze,  brass,   copper   and   stainless   steel),   pigmented  materials  imitating  terra-cotta,  brick  and  pottery  and  encast  stone   finishes   from   white   marble   through  to  dark  granite,  Portland  and  Bath stone. It is thus possible to create a  finish  to  meet  the  designer’s  speci-fication  rather  than,  as  is  usual,  the  designer having only two or three establishedfinishes from which to make a choice.

The standard finishes that can be produced are extremely; high, both in their resemblance to the materials that they are imitating and in the quality of the surface finish.

A wide variety of finishes can either be incorporated into the material as a facing in the mould, where this is going to  be  backed  up  by  a  lamination  or  other composite foam material, or they can be included in the mix if the material is being used as solid cast. The method of  manufacture  obviously  varies  from  situation  to  situation  depending  upon  the design.

A range of fine textures and colours can be further produced. These inclu-de leather and cloth through this speci-alised process.

Design

A1’s excellent weight-to-strength ratio means that when used as a lamination the designer is allowed greater  free-dom  to  produce  large  panels  incor-porating,   if   required,   complex   and   fine details. When this is considered in combination with the ease of fixing and calculation of load, A1 can be seen as a  major  step  forward  in  pushing  back  the boundaries of design limitation..

Maintenance

The surface finish of A1 is extremely durable and will withstand aggressive use. For  public  areas,  the  material  can  be  treated  post-mould  with  an  anti-graffiti  coating  which  allows  for  the  removal  of  paint,  crayons,  pens,  etc. In normal maintenance conditions, the  material  can  be  simply  washed  with detergents and water or, if requi-red,   with   stronger   substances   such   as  solvents,  with  no  detriment  to  the  surface finish.

Technical data

Peak temperature
The peak temperatue of A1 during curing is about 40oC – 45oC. Even for larger volumes of A1 this temperature will be in the same range.

Not food approved
We do not have a food approval certificate for A1.

Expansion
During curing A1 will expanded between 0,1% ad 0,6%. The biggest advantage of this expansion is that A1 will make a perfect copy of the mould you are using by copying every (tiny) detail. This is the reason why A1 will feel and look like the original.

When using a polyester, metal or another stiffmaterial mould be aware that this needs to be self-releasing.

For A1 objects that need to be dimensionally stable use high shore silicone moulds or stiff material moulds.

Wax system
We recommend to use a high temperature wax system as a release agent for your moulds as we have discovered that these give the best results. Silicone moulds normally do not need a release agent.

Non-transparent
A1 has a creamy white colour after curing and is non-transparent.