Piedmont Marine Grade® Aqua-Steel®

Machining Fabrication AQUASTEEL PRODUCT DESCRIPTION AquaSteel is a phenolic material that easily BEST PRACTICE CUTTING GUIDELINES replaces structural aluminum backing plates in fiberglass lamination applications. This product Recommended saw cutting method uses a Festool also does not present a reaction with stainless 55 REQ Plunge Cut or similar track saw or equivalent steel fasteners which eliminates galvanic corrosion. on appropriate cutting surface with a support panel AquaSteel offers outstanding screw retention and compression strength which makes it ideal for either through bolted or drilled and taped fastening methods. This Technical Guide does not address requirements for structural engineering and application testing. Due to the vast array of FRP systems it is recommended that testing Blade recommendation 48-60 Tooth 15 Hooked Tooth Triple Chip Grind TCG Carbide Tipped Square panels before cutting sheet into blocks or strips Make required cut Inspect edge for smooth finish. Chipping or burring may indicate a new blade is required. Cutting with jigsaw circular saw or table saw may also result in chipped or frayed edge of this product be conducted in a manner consistent with that of the application. CNC MACHINING COMPOSITION Stonewood is manufactured with a core of specially AquaSteel can be fabricated with computerized numeric control CNC machines. formulated phenolic resin impregnated paper. These The below recommendations must be monitored throughout the layers are compressed under high pressure and high fabrication process to ensure optimal cuttingefficiency as well temperature. as the quality of cut. Cutter and feed speed vary by thickness and suitable finish results. BEAM SAW CUTTING RECOMMENDATIONS CNC CUTTING RECOMMENDATIONS Boom Pressure 8 Bar Material Thickness 8mm 10mm and 13mm Feed Rate 29 mm Spindle Speed 14000 - 18000 rpm Speed 3600 rpm Feed Rate 100-150 inmin 2.54-3.81mm Blade Hook Tooth Type 15 72 teeth Triple Chip Grind TCG Carbide Ti

pped Bit Onsurd Phenolic Cutter 67-200 series CONTACT US 800.277.7898 Toll Free 704.597.8200 5010 W. W.T. Harris Blvd Charlotte NC 28269 www.piedmontplastics.com Machining Fabrication AQUASTEEL DRILLING AquaSteel is generally drilled using High Speed Steel bits CNC DRILLING RECOMMENDATIONS Bit Diameter 14 - 38 degrees. Bits designed for perforating fiberglass or metal Spindle Speed 4000 - 5000 rpm may also be used. It is recommended that all holes have an Feed Rate 50 inmin with diamond or carbide tips with a cutting angle of 60 inset of 1 from the outer perimeter. Most applications encapsulate AquaSteel blocks between layers of fiberglass laminates. If drilling without it being captured in laminates a supporting sheet such as plywood must be used under the panel to ensure a clean hole and to eliminate breakout. When properly drilled there should not be any chipping around the hole. Chipping may be a sign of a worn or dull bit or excessive feed rate into the material. FIBERGLASS LAMINATION AquaSteel is engineered for easy no prep lamination. It requires no sandinggrinding or solvent wipe down. Simply bed AquaSteel into wetted fiberglass for open molded parts or replace current aluminum backing plates for close molded or infused parts. AquaSteel can be drilled and taped in the same manner as aluminum. CONTACT US 800.277.7898 Toll Free 704.597.8200 5010 W. W.T. Harris Blvd Charlotte NC 28269 www.piedmontplastics.com