Light - Tough - Quiet

Light

Nature provides the geometry, we provide the honeycomb composite material. Nida-Core is extruded from tough, versatile polypropylene plastic. (Other materials are available). Thermo fused to the honeycomb cells are non-woven polyester bonding scrims with a polypropylene barrier film to limit resin consumption. When encapsulated in a laminate it is recognized by the US Coast Guard as a primary flotation material in small boats.

Tough

The important question is: "How do these plastic honeycomb sheets hold up in the real world?" Although no lightweight sheet is the answer to every possible application, Nida-Core boasts the broadest list of positive features. Some honeycomb cores are either stiff, light, quiet or economical. Nida-Core is all of the above...and more!

Engineering

The mechanical properties of Nida-Core Honeycomb sheet core material are controlled by the following specifications: 1) physical properties of the thermoplastic; 2) cell diameter; 3) wall gauge (thickness of the cell wall); 4) core thickness; and 5) facings applied to the core. Altering one or more of these specifications will produce different performance characteristics. Nida-Core plastic honeycomb sheets can be engineered to be a specific weight, absorb a specific load, rebound at a specified rate and possess the flexibility or stiffness required by the end application.

Rot Proof

PVC and SAN Foams are attacked by styrene and absorb water when exposed, plywood and balsa wood rot or lose strength when wet. Nida-Core plastic honeycomb does NOT rot and is unaffected by most solvents and chemical agents. Additionally, when encapsulated in a laminate using a non-aqueous resin, the scrim forms a seal limiting water migration through the structure, even if skin is punctured.

Excellent Bond As A Structural Material

The honeycomb cell walls are fused into the non-woven polyester scrim. That coupled with the scrim's affinity for virtually any resin or adhesive system provides exceptional bond and peel strength.

Impact Resistance Core Material

There are many cores that can make a light, stiff structure. Nida-Core, however, combines the light weight and stiffness of honeycomb with tough polypropylene plus superior bonding properties due to the thermo fused scrim. The combination allows Nida-Core plastic honeycomb sheets to absorb and dissipate impacts and shocks repeatedly that would cause ultimate catastrophic failure in other core materials.

Thermal Insulation Of Core Material

Nida-Core plastic honeycomb sheets have the ability to dissipate heat from the bondline, which prevents heat from accumulating either in the cells of the plastic honeycomb core or in the critical skin laminate so heat deflection temperatures are not exceeded. While the combination of polypropylene cell walls and dead air space provides insulation properties, there is some radiational transfer through the plastic honeycomb cell that prevents heat banking at the bondline. If greater thermal insulation is required we can provide foam filled honeycomb sheets.

Nida-Core Structural Polypropylene honeycomb is used extensively in this Club Med Resorts catamaran dive boat in the Caribbean Islands, from the hull to superstructure. Again, the vessel benefits from Nida-Core's exceptional sound dampening, architectural material properties, making the day trips enjoyable in this quiet boat. Additionally, the weight savings resulting from the use of lightweight plastic sheet sandwich construction, enable the craft to utilize smaller motors and bigger fuel tankage, giving the vessel extended range.

Increased Payload Capacity

This rental truck body in the UK is cored with Nida-Core H8PP Plastic Honeycomb to make the composite bodies more damage tolerant and resilient, so they can withstand the rigors of everyday abuse. Sandwich architectural panel truck bodies reduce weight, therefore increasing payload capacity and saving fuel .

Torsional Rigidity

French auto manufacturer Renault uses polypropylene honeycomb sheets fused to GE AZDEL skin and PP carpet in its sandwich constructed floors, aiding this Spyder to achieve exceptional torsional rigidity and rendering the floor recyclable.

Body Armor Applications

Nida-Core resilient, lightweight, plastic honeycomb sheets are ideally suited for many types of body armor applications. The resilient nature of Nida-Core Structural Polypropylene honeycomb benefits vehicle body armor by absorbing and dissipating impact stresses. Nida-Core FC Honeycomb can be tailored for almost unlimited applications, engineered to suit the end-users requirements, from several different types of thermoplastics.

Heavy Trucking Applications

Leading heavy truck manufacturer WESTERN STAR trucks rely on
Nida-Core for sandwich architectural sheet construction for sleeper cabs.

Necessary Toughness

This American icon, made famous in the 1990's protecting our troops during Gulf War, relies heavily on the inherent toughness of Nida-Core polypropylene honeycomb sheets which provides the necessary characteristics to construct the roof for this ultimate troop mobility vehicle. Nida-Core's plastic honeycomb composite material is ideally suited for transportation application as it is easily thermoformed in large sheets and contours easily to the required curvature, at the same time providing necessary toughness for this intensive use application and cost effectiveness demanded by large automotive OEMs.

Perfect for Intricate Shapes

The intricate shape of these retro travel trailers shows the unlimited potential of using versatile Nida-Core polypropylene honeycomb for structural applications such as the body and floor. As the process requires, foam is often troublesome to laminate under vacuum pressure, where score kerfs often create negative pressure areas, where styrene fumes collect, thus softening the foam around or leaving un or undercured resin pockets within the laminate. Due to its elastic nature, Nida-Core plastic sheets do not have to be scored for vacuum bag applications, and polypropylene backer to reduce resin consumption, under the polyester scrim is sufficient to avoid resin to fill the hollow honeycomb cells.

Transportation

The versatility and high strength-to-weight ratio of Nida Core Structural honeycomb plastic sheets offers great advantages to the transportation industry. The ability of Nida-Core architectural panels to act as a sound dampening material make it the choice material for the construction of cabs, floors, walls, doors, panels and roofs for vans , trucks , trailers and trains. Lightweight Panel Sandwich construction helps vehicles reduce tare weight. Lower weight means greater cargo capacity for truckers, thus greater profits.

Less Fuel and Maintenance

Lightweight fiberglass composites busses and public transport vehicles require less fuel and maintenance, are more damage tolerant than architectural metal paneling like: aluminum and steel, and cause less damage to city streets.

Recyclable

Nida-Core's plastic honeycomb architectural panels are 100% recyclable, making it the choice material for automotive application. Available with a wide variety of facings, from polypropylene carpet to patterned skins, entire sections can be recycled as a whole. Nida-Core honeycomb sheets are thermo-formable, thus cutting production cost to level acceptable to large OEM manufacturers.

Yachts

Here is a fine example of a 120' Mega-yacht hull tooling, built by master mold makers Vectorworks in Titusville, FL, fully covered with Nida-Core Structural polypropylene honeycomb sheets (38 mm thickness). Result is increased stiffness, reduced resin and fiberglass consumption, excellent long term structural stability. Using Nida-Core Structural Honeycomb sheets to build composite tooling is advantageous due to the reduced bond line temperature and better exotherm heat transfer through the tool.

Corrosion Resistance

Always a concern for automotive industry, Nida-Core, with its corrosion resistance, low water absorption, and high strength advantages, is also a suitable choice for oil drilling platform construction, double containment vessels, tank bottoms and lids, duct work and wherever corrosion is a problem and chemical resistance is a must.

No catastrophique failure mode.