The process of sealing the raw, exposed edges of wood panels with lipping is called edge banding. Edge banding or edging has wide use in furniture making process; thus, making lipping is one of the critical sorts for materials for the furniture sector. Edge banding is also commonly used in carpentry as an end process to tidy up rough edges and ensure that the finished product is durable and constructed to a high standard.
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If you have observed furniture being made, you might have noticed that the wood panels have a raw, exposed edge when cut to size. If left unprotected, this natural edge can pose severe problems for the furniture. The exposed edges of the wood panel allow moisture to seep in, making them warp and become uneven or swell, significantly reducing the furniture’s life span. It is also very damaging to appearance.
So, edge banding was created to address the problem. Edge banding protects the wooden panels in your furniture from moisture, thus reducing the effects of atmospheric humidity and liquid spills.
Typically, a lipping or edge band is a thin tape of impermeable PVC, acrylic, or ABS material cut to fit the size of wood-based panel materials such as plywood, particleboard, or MDF. The lipping is then applied to the exposed edge using a strong adhesive. Commercially, edge banding is completed using industry-grade machines called edge banders and a hot-melt adhesive. For flatpack and modular furniture, the material used is mostly PVC, which is easy to fix and has a long life.
Lipping can be sourced in 200 metres rolls, and the thickness of the tape may vary. The width will also be quite different, depending upon the requirement of the customer. At Meru Timber, edge banding is available in various thickness ranges ranging from 0.45mm, 1mm, and even beyond that.
Thicker lipping is used in high-traffic and commercial settings because it provides greater resilience and impact resistance. For example, doors and drawer fronts may require a thicker 1mm PVC lipping for maximum impact resistance. Typically, a lipping or edge band is a thin tape of impermeable PVC, acrylic, or ABS material cut to fit the size of a wood panel. The lipping is then applied to the exposed edge using a strong adhesive.
Modular furniture is made using wood-based panels. As such, the wood is handled and made resistant to moisture by treatments. Nevertheless, wood has a natural inclination to absorb moisture. This trend cannot be eradicated – it can only be reduced. The lipping protects the wooden panels in your furniture from moisture, therefore reducing the effects of atmospheric humidity and liquid spills. That means that the strength and durability of the wood increase. So, the next time you spill the tea on your table and it drips down the edge, thank the edge banding for protecting the wood.
Notably, edge banding serves both functional and aesthetic purposes. Functionally, lipping performs some essential duties for your furniture. First, it holds moisture out, serving as a de facto seal on the edge of the core material. Second, edge banding increases strength and resilience by providing shock protection. Aesthetically, edge banding covers unsightly rough edges and creates a glossy finish to match your tops and sides. You can also develop radial edges to soften sharp angles.
There are various edge banding materials available on the market. Edge band tape can be made from PVC, ABS acrylic, PP, PMMA, PET, Laser, wood or wood veneer. But, we will focus on two common materials: PVC and ABS. PVC is the most popular material for edge banding.
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) lipping materials are made from thermoplastic gum and are soft and long-lasting. PVC lipping is most popular in the construction of Laminated And Melamine cabinets and furniture. PVC Lipping is noted for its wide variety of colour matches to Laminate and Melamine board manufacturers. With Europe-style modular cabinets on the rise, it is not uncommon to see cabinets with glossy or colourful finishes. Pigments and other materials are added to produce ostensibly endless edge banding colours, textures and natural wood grains. You are assured of finding a match once you choose your Board laminate!
PVC edge banding is very popular for modular furniture. It is incredibly durable, simple to fix, and has an extremely long life. Therefore, the PVC edge band is the most preferred edge band model. The material is impermeable, which means that it significantly reduces water absorption.
Furthermore, modular furniture comes in a much wider variety of colours and shades than the possibilities available with real natural wood. PVC lipping can be produced to resemble your modular panel’s exact shade and finish, thus creating a seamless look. Also, PVC is easier to use on curved surfaces than natural wood bands.
So, in essence, the main reasons that PVC is such a popular choice for edge banding are:
Cons for the use of PVC:
ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) shares most PVC characteristics, but ABS is lower in density and does not include chlorine in its composition. Edge bands made of ABS are eco-friendly, recyclable and thermally resilient, meaning they are safe to incinerate. Lipping made of these materials are available in various colours, finishes and textures, offering you the versatility to pick a colour that best resembles your interior.
Whether you are a Fundi or DIY hobbyist looking for a quality edge, banding can require extra effort to achieve the look and value of your furniture. That is why you should seek professionals for their expertise and guidance in selecting the correct width, thickness, and colour shed.
There are a variety of lipping tapes available in the market, from pre-glued ones to 3D acrylic tapes:
We at Meru Timber can assist you with making those critical selections! We use top-quality, commercially available lipping with 90 different colours currently in stock. Additionally, we offer a diverse range of finishes and patterns to choose from – You name it; we have got you covered. And, if it’s pre-finished you’re looking for, we’ve got that too! The consistency of our products speaks for itself, and we are eager for you to notice our quality. Our PVC lipping materials are designed to match current popular melamine boards such as Timsales, Comply, PG Bison and Rai plywood. We aim to offer a one-stop shop and make your life easy…
Generally speaking, we recommend PVC lipping for projects where budget is the primary factor. That is not to say there is anything wrong with this material—far from it. There are just fewer levels in the production process, and the raw material is less costly. We consider this a premium solution with more steps required in the production process.
Using the right lipping for a particular material is essential to ensuring strength, durability, and precision. We recommend 1mm lipping for PVC because it runs cleaner, faster, and with superior adhesion. Thus, an added benefit is a smooth radius and nice, soft-looking furniture.
Pro Tip In general, we avoid 0.45 mm edging because the corners tend to be too sharp. Thin 0.45mm lipping is suitable for drawer boxes and light use edges. 1mm and 2mm are ideal for door edges and countertop edges or anywhere you will get heavy use. Countertop edges are well suited to a 3mm product as it is very resistant to abuse. For cabinets and wardrobes in low-use areas, such as a home office, 0.45mm edging tape is adopted to be cost-effective while being long-lasting. For frequently used rooms, like kitchens and bathrooms, 1mm thick edging tape is recommended to better protect your cabinets from frequent use. Finally, 3mm edge banding is used for commercial jobs, where strength and longevity are a must.Edging adhesive, also known as hot-melt glue, is a thermoplastic adhesive. A suitable adhesive is essential to ensure that your edge banding goes on and stays on and that you don’t make a mess of your project. However, using the wrong glue in the wrong way could spell disaster!
We choose to use a hot melt glue for our adhesive solution because it’s user-friendly and provides an excellent seal. We apply the glue to the edge while still hot and then use the banding, pressing it to the side.
The company is the world’s best Adhesive Edge Banding supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
The two main hot-melt glue choices are EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) and PUR (Polyurethane). Each has advantages and disadvantages, depending on your project and the material you are working with.
The machine that is used for this process is called an edge bander. The Edge bander machine applies the lipping to the raw edges of the wood panels with hot-melt glue. Edge banding machines can process lipping up to 3 mm thick and up to 50 mm wide. The ends are trimmed flush and bent to cover the wood and do not have any sharp corners at the edges. Any excess adhesive is scraped off, and the finished edge is buffed to give a perfect, seamless finish.
At Meru Timber, we use State-of-the-art machinery that improves the glue edge and squares it up perfectly. One of them is Casadei Edge banding machines – Italian technology and another Industrial edge banding machine from Europe, Capable of grooving and corner rounding.
Additionally, we’ve invested in top-of-the-line Cutting Optimization software to calculate and determine the linear Metres of lipping required for your entire Project.
When generating your cutting list, there is no need to subtract edge banding thickness; our software will automatically provide you with the finished size.
The size of the part is automatically adjusted to accommodate the thickness of the lipping.
Learn how to manage your cutting list successfully on Meru Timber’s online cutting list platform. Then, with a single click of a button, you can get the quantity of edge banding material required for your entire Kitchen or wardrobe project!
A Quick start video on how to us Meru Timber cutting list platform is as below. Remember, its absolute Free to use our online cutting list platform!
A local carpenter/in-house fundus may not have the capacity and know-how within their reach. That’s why there is a distinction between commercial modular and carpentry edge banding.
Here is a video to help you visualize the process on an industrial scale. Using a fully automated machine for excellent flexibility and easy adjustment reduces production time and gives the best output.
Read this article to know more about the innovations taking place in product architecture.
The process of covering the raw edges of wood panels with a thin strip of wood, PVC, or resinous material is called edge banding. The narrow strips themselves are known as edge bands. Commercially, edge banding is done using industry-grade heat applicators and a hot-melt adhesive. For modular furniture, this is a popular and widely used process and the material used is mostly PVC which is easy to fix and has a long life.
Why is Edge Banding required?
It is known to us that wooden boards have a raw edge when cut. This raw edge, if left uncovered, can pose serious threats to the furniture as wood has a natural tendency to absorb water. This tendency cannot be removed completely however it can only be reduced. Above all, these raw edges can also injure the consumer if he / she is not alert. With a slight careless movement these raw edges can cause a serious injury. That is the reason edge banding is essential for furniture like workstations, office tables, executive tables, reception tables and all those furniture that has sharp edges.
Edge banding protects the wooden panels in your furniture from moisture, thus reducing the effects of atmospheric humidity and liquid spills. This means, the strength and durability of the wood increases. So, next time you spill coffee on your table, and it drips down the edge, thank the edge banding for protecting the wood. In few of the home & living furniture one can also find edge banding like the doors of cabinets, wardrobes and side units. This home & living furniture require more than office furniture because there will be kids at home and they will require a danger free zone always.
How is Edge Banding applied?
Essentially, an edge band is a thin strip of impermeable PVC that is cut to fit the size of a wooden panel. It is then applied to the raw edge using a strong adhesive. A heat roller is then used to melt the adhesive and glue the edge band over the wood. The ends are trimmed flush and bent so that they cover the wood and do not have any sharp ends.
At Ergoflex, we strive hard to provide consistent solutions to our customers through innovative product design and concepts. Not only edge banding but our advanced technology and research drive us to produce quality furniture and gain customers’ confidence over the years. To know more, please connect with us.
Time has changed and so has the definition of furniture production. Quality time is dedicated to extensive research work to enhance customers’ convenience and experience. It is important for furniture manufacturers to constantly invent and produce furniture of the highest quality and durability. That’s the reason edge bands are used in order to protect furniture from moisture.
Our Value Addition
At Ergoflex, we make extra efforts to create furniture that are not only well designed but also functional in terms of usage and benefits. We have latest international production machines that facilitates edge banding in a way that it adds value to our furniture products. Edge banding is majorly used in workstations, executive tables and office tables that offers smooth edges and smart finish. The edge bands are only implemented by leading furniture manufacturer like Ergoflex due to the production strength and hold in technology.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Edge Strips.