- Paper honeycomb
Paper Honeycomb is a metal substitute, that is used in construction. The
honeycomb is composed ofpaper andfiberglass . Pound for pound, this material is stronger thansteel and costs substantially less to manufacture. A layer of fiberglass then paper folded in to the shape of a honeycomb then another layer of fiberglass make up paper honeycombs.History
1950
After the Second World War, paper honeycomb was introduced for the airplane industry (fuel tanks for Dakotas) as a cost and material saving product for the reconstruction of Europe. Because at that time there was a shortage of building material (wood, bricks, etc.) paper honeycomb was an excellent alternative for solid materials like wood.
1960
In the sixties paper honeycomb was mainly used in inner doors, separation walls and furniture (kitchen cabinets). At the end of the sixties more and more companies changed to produce honeycomb doors on a large scale.
1970
Because chipboard was less expensive in the 1970s, paper honeycomb was pushed out of many applications. In that era it was mainly used in inner doors. Several door companies invested in high speed production lines where they used continuous paper honeycomb to produce up to 10,000 doors a week. Paper honeycomb was also used as a packaging material. Glued with paper on both sides, it made an excellent protecting material for all kinds of items.
1980
In the eighties some big knock down manufacturers were producing some of their products more and more with paper honeycomb. By using the paper honeycomb as a constructive filling, the products were more than 70% lighter than when using, for example, chipboard. This was convenient for their clients to take away the articles to their homes, where they built the cabinets or bookshelves by themselves.
1990
In the nineties paper honeycomb was also introduced in the automotive industry. For example, it is often used as a substitute for a wooden plate with a steel frame for the trunk plate. Also the use of paper honeycomb in furniture was greatly increased.
2000
Until 2000, paper honeycomb was seen as a cheap and unstable product. But as the material was more commonly used and proved to be stronger than its reputation, the product's negative image was reversed and it became accepted as a good building material. Even big chipboard manufacturers now produce big sandwich elements (up to 2200 x 6000 mm) for reselling to their clients (furniture and door manufacturers).
Future
Due to the increase of the population of the planet and the need for cost strong, effective materials. The paper honeycomb will be used continuously as a constructive infill.
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