Cabinet Doors Archives - Simply Cabinet Doors

High gloss seems to be a favourite in kitchen finishes in the past year or so. The demand for a quality high gloss finish is still high and we are frequently producing these components. Reason why the high gloss seems to be a finish that people prefer, as it offers a look that is adaptable to a multitude of designs, styles and create an atmosphere.

There are a host of different options when it comes to a high gloss finish. These all are produced making use of various materials as well as manufacturing processes. Some have benefits over others as well as cost implications.

The main options are:

Duco Doors
PVC Wrapped Doors
Melamine high gloss

Duco Doors

Duco is a painting process where layers and layers are painted in order to create a even finish with a high gloss. Advantage of this method is that you can have a door with a profile in it and have the high gloss finish. Disadvantages is that the finish might chip as general wear and tear sets in. If you were to do add on’s at a later stage it is very hard to match the color with previous finish.

Wrapped Doors

PVC wrapped doors is a MDF board wrapped by means of pressure and heat in order to create a door enclosed in a PVC foil. The advantage of this method is that with means of a high pressure press you can achieve a high definition finish. More resistant to moisture and quite hard wearing. Disadvantages are that you can’t achieve high pressure wrapped profile doors and only flat panels.

Melamine Doors

Melamine high gloss is a normal melamine board with a high gloss finish. These boards come from the manufacturer in various colors to choose from. They offer a great high gloss finish with good reflective qualities. However, one disadvantage that they seem to have is when it is edged it has a glue line. This might affect the clean look that is being strived for.

Overall all the production methods will provide you with a high gloss finish, it simply comes down to the person on how glossy he or she wants the end product to be. Some finishes lend themselves to providing higher definition high gloss finish than others. If you have any questions to the different types of finishes and how they might suit your needs please feel free to contact me.

(High Pressure Press In Operation)

Author: Stephanus Claughton

Why High Pressure?

Let’s start off with what a PVC wrapped door is. A PVC wrapped door is a MDF board that is coated with a specified color of PVC. This is done by a machine that bonds the foil to the MDF by means of positive pressure vacuum and heat and forms a permanent bond thus “wrapping” MDF board in a PVC skin.

Normally this is done by the means of a vacuum press, however this is where things start to get interesting. If one has access to a high pressure press it opens a world of quality and finishes that cannot be achieved by means of a normal vacuum press. A high-pressure press is more expensive as it makes use of newer technology as well as a different method of operation. Currently the standard PVC wrap finish that customers receive will be from a standard vacuum press.

What makes High Pressure Wrapping Better?

Without getting into the technicalities, the use of pressures exceeding 6 bar allows the foils to tuck or squeeze into corners and grooves that would normally not be possible. This ensures that the entire surface of the door is bonded to the foil and gives sharper detail with a cleaner high-quality look.

A longer product lifespan can be expected as a result of a better adhesion process. A silicone membrane heated to optimal adhesion temperature forces the foil and MDF together for an extended period ensuring consistent heat and pressure on every square millimeter of the bonding surface leading to the strongest possible bond.If the four corners of a high-pressure Wrap door is examined you will notice there are no tears,creases and/or blemishes.

Exceptional High Gloss finish

If you are looking for high gloss it not negotiable, you need to look at high pressure manufactured components. This is easily demonstrated by the example. If you look at the featured image you will see light reflection of two high gloss panels. One is manufactured on a standard vacuum press the other is done on a high pressure press. The reflections clearly show the different in quality finish. That is what you want, a higher sheen level, for that finish that will really make your kitchen stand out from the rest.

Having a high pressure wrap machine really allows you to be more precise, have a more consistent product as well as being able to provide a customer with a product that they can be sure is of a higher quality.

If you are looking to have PVC wrap doors made and you visit a manufacturer make sure to ask them if they are making use of a vacuum press or a high-pressure press.

If it is a quality finish that you are striving for demand high pressure wrapped components.If you have questions regarding high pressure PVC wrapping and the advantages as well as what to look for in quality don’t hesitate to contact me. All PVC wrap manufacturing is done at Simply Cabinet Doors.