AM: Omnipanel material analysis

Omnipanel is manufactured in house at Action Manufacturing. Polyurethane foam sheets are cut on a CNC machine. Cavities for plywood inserts and plastic conduit can be machined in if required. Once the foam interior is to spec, fibreglass panels are formed, before being coated in a polyurethane adhesive. The polyurethane ‘blue foam’ is then stuck to the fibreglass panel with the top side being coated in further adhesive, before the second layer of fibreglass is laid down. A vacuum bench then sucks the 3 layers together, ensuring an even and strong bond. Following curing, the panels can then be CNC’d to include door and window frames or slots for joins.

Omnipanel is a composite material comprising of the following materials:

- Woven fibreglass sheeting - Epoxy resin - Polyurethane adhesive (polyol resin component and isocyanate hardner) - Polyurethane foam

Pros: Cons:

- strong - component materials petrochemical heavy - lightweight - imported component materials - water resistant - completely unbiodegradable - thermally insulating - sound insulating - UV resistant - easily cleaned