PP Honeycomb has good machinability, but due to its unique structure, care must be taken to avoid damage:
- Cutting:
- Tools: Sharp-toothed blades are recommended, such as band saws, jigsaws, circular saws, or oscillating multi-tools. For thin sheets, utility knives can score and snap.
- Key Points: Cutting should be performed as perpendicularly as possible to the cell axis direction (i.e., cutting across the plane of the sheet) for the cleanest edge. Cutting parallel to the cells can cause cell wall tearing. For high-speed cutting (e.g., CNC), use compressed air to remove chips and proper clamps to prevent vibration.
- Drilling and Milling:
- Use hole saws, drill bits, or end mills. Tools should be sharp, and feed rates should not be too fast to avoid pulling out or crushing the core.
- For high-precision or complex shapes, CNC milling is recommended for clean edges.
- Edge and Surface Finishing:
- Rough edges after cutting can be smoothed with sandpaper or files.
- Very Important: If cutting exposes the honeycomb cells and the edge needs to be sealed from the environment or requires higher edge strength, edge sealing is usually necessary. This involves filling the exposed cells with compatible resin (e.g., epoxy) or special edge sealant, then curing and sanding smooth. This prevents moisture/dust ingress and improves edge load-bearing capacity.
- Thermoforming (Bending):
- PP honeycomb core can be bent after heating (typically 140-160°C) to adapt to curved shapes. Heating must be uniform, using a heat gun or heating blanket. During bending, apply pressure on the convex side, allowing slight compression of cells on the concave side. For complex curves, it’s best to thermoform in a mold together with the skins.
- Safety: Processing generates plastic dust. Wear a dust mask and safety glasses and work in a well-ventilated area.
