Nida core

Honey comb materials for composites proyects

2. F O R E W O R D

We have continuously challenged the traditional thought in core materials, and,
succeeded, judging by the number of industry awards bestowed upon products
incorporating our patented technology. It is possible to obtain high strength, low-weight,
cost-effective core materials; it is also possible to obtain simultaneously high impact
resistance, virtually zero water absorption, high dimensional thermal stability, sound and
thermal insulation ... not surprisingly the competition never wanted you to know it.
It gives us the greatest pleasure to present NIDA-CORE Structural honeycomb,
Nida-Core exclusive RIGID-ELASTIC technology and other associated products and
services offered by Nida-Core Corporation.

It has taken plastic honeycomb technology over 25 years to become a reality - from
initial and isolated laboratory prototypes to a reality of mass produced parts & structures,
serving customers globally. NIDA-CORE Structural honeycomb is in more areas
everywhere, at the core; from the hulls of mega-yachts in the Mediterranean Sea and
passenger ferries in China, to snowboards on the slopes of the French Alps; from
Commercial housing projects in British Columbia and Telecommunication Shelters in
Florida, to Public Transit Buses in California and Brazil … we are proud to say, we have
made it all possible.

Our accomplishments are as of yet unrealized by 50 year old competitors in the industry.
No other core material technology in the world can offer similar versatility. Nida-Core
plastic honeycomb technology (RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY), while being light, tough,
quiet, resilient and at a fraction of the cost of PVC and SAN foams, has made sandwich
composites a reality in applications even when the competing alternative remains
wood.

It is for this reason that Nida-Core Corporation has remained a leader in the supply of
solutions. We are confident that our extensive experience will lend itself to any
application under consideration.
Unlike other catalogues that list the full range of products available from a company
beyond which nothing more can be had, ours is a starting point. Our complete product
list is limited only by available materials and current technology. With your imagination,
your product requirements, and our experience, we can create new products with
benefits answering your needs.

Thank you again. We are looking forward to working with you very soon.

Sincerely,

Damien J.Jacquinet
President

3. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM
C O N T E N T S
2 Foreword
4 What is RIGID-ELASTIC TECNOLOGY?
7 Why sandwich construction?
9 Design Guidelines
11 Overview of core materials
16 Comparison Table
17 Marine Industry Applications
21 Marine Interiors Applications
22 Architectural Industry Applications
25 Civil Engineering Industry Applications
26 Transportation Industry Applications
28 Decorative Panels
29 Industrial Applications
30 CNC Kit Cutting
31 Wind Energy Industry Applications
32 Tub and Shower Industry Applications
33 Solid Surface Industry Applications
38 NidaCore Structural Honeycombs
40 Balsalite
41 Matline
42 NidaFusion STO and STF
46 NidaBond products
47 Foamline
48 NidaFlow
49 NidaCore FC
50 Nord Composites Tooling Resin
51 NidaFoam Structural Foam Products
56 How to use NidaBond Transom Compound
59 Working with NidaBond
60 Working with Nida-Core
76 Working with Nord Composites Tooling esinR
79 Working with Balsalite
81 Design Details
85 Packaging and Shipping Info
86 Mechanical Data Pages
103 Product options
105 Terms and Conditions
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What is Nida-Core Rigid-Elastic T echnology?
Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer with 
Visco-elastic properties. Bee-developed honey-
comb in hexagonal form is one of the most effi-
cient structures found in nature. Using complex 
processing techniques, a proprietary co-polymer 
compound of polypropylene can be formed into 
honeycomb panel stock, resulting in a structure 
with exceptional specific rigidity (stiffness to weight) 
and energy absorption, while incorporating the 
material benefits of visco-elasticity. 
Composite sandwich panel constructions using 
Nida-Core Honeycomb are the realization of this 
RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY. 
Honeycombs can be constructed with many dif-
ferent materials. The most common method of 
fabrication is adhesive bonding flat sheets of ma-
terial with offset lines
 of adhesive, and subse-
quently expanding them to open the cells. This 
technique is commonly used to used fabricate 
honeycomb from paper or aluminum products. By 
contrast, honeycombs may be constructed from 
thermoplastic materials by extruding profiles 
through a die and then joining them by thermal 
fusion to form large blocks, which eliminates the 
need for adhesives. Regardless of the method 
used, sheet stock can be cut from the large blocks 
of honeycomb in the same fashion as foam or 
end-grain balsa. However, the sheet stock cut 
from the extruded profiles will possess mechanical 
properties in the longitudinal and transverse direc-
tions of the core that differ from the properties of 
adhesively bonded and expanded honeycombs. 
Extruded honeycombs, such as
 Nida-Core H8 PP, 
have equal properties in either axis.  Although the use of sandwich construction in ma-
rine applications often has been the subject of 
debate, the problems that stimulate the debates 
are typically traceable to early boat designs 
that employed inadequate building methods or 
specified the wrong core material for the engi-
neered load. These isolated incidents, however, 
are not the norm. The great majority of sandwich 
constructed boats have performed well over the 
years. Why is honeycomb sandwich panel con-
struction used? The primary reason is to maximize 
the mechanical efficiency of structures to save 
weight and raw materials. Sandwich panels mimic 
the characteristics of an I-beam, using flanges to 
support tensile and compression loads, with a 
shear
 web joining the flanges. Composite skins 
constitute the flange portions of the I-beam. In-
stead of using narrow webs, as is done on the   
centerline of an I-beam, low-density core materi-
als are used throughout the space between two 
skins. The following schematic demonstrates the 
effectiveness of a honeycomb panel (Al) com-
pared to a solid aluminum sheet in 1/4-inch thick-
ness. By using a core material to double the thick-
ness, the flexural stiffness is increased seven (7)
times at almost the same weight! The mechanical  

Note: Skin thickness is the same for all examples and
overall thickness doubles.

 

efficiency of this cored sandwich can be dramati-
cally increased by increasing core THICKNESS. 
Core materials have one or more intrinsic proper-
ties that are advantageous for specific applica-
tions, and these properties must be carefully con-
sidered when designing composite structures. Just 
as composite laminates have specific properties 
determined by the selected reinforcements 
and matrix resins, sandwich panels take on many 
additional characteristics that are uniquely deter-
mined by the selected core material. Distinguish-
ing materials by their respective limitations, includ-
ing strain-to-failure, is as important for core as it is 
for fibers and resins. Elasticity has been an essen-
tial issue in the debate concerning the risks of intro-
ducing brittle fibers like carbon, or opting for the 
damage tolerance provided by aramid fibers, 
such as Kevlar. When it comes to core material, it 
is also helpful to compare characteristics in rela-
tion to elasticity and
 damage tolerance. Of the 
commonly used core materials, balsa and alumi-
num honeycomb are among the least elastic. 
Polymeric foams demonstrate a wide range of 
properties, depending on their specific formula-
tions and densities. In general, thermoset polymers 
are less elastic than thermoplastics. Urethane-
based foams are thermoset, and are the least 
elastic of the polymeric foams. PVC foams dem-
onstrate a wide range of elasticity, from blended   
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“cross-linked” foams to “linear” foams. Of the foam 
types commonly used, SAN (Styrene-AcryloNitrile) 
Foams are the most forgiving, but cost is at a pre-
mium. It also is common in foams for the  tem-
perature resistance to decrease when their elastic-
ity is increased. This is  RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOL-
OGY. This is Nida-Core. By comparison, Nida-Core 
thermoplastic honeycombs (or  RIGID-ELASTIC
TECHNOLOGY) have elasticity in the 200 percent 
range! In real-life terms, the better the elasticity, 
the greater the IMPACT STRENGTH and derived 
TOUGHNESS. Or, in reverse comparison, the stiffer 
the core material, the better it transfers impact 
and vibration energy from the side of the impact 
(or outside skin) to the inside skin, thus subjecting 
the inside skin to
 face buckling, delamination or 
catastrophic failure. The basic design criterion for  RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY is damage tolerance 
— a measure of the panel’s retention of its struc- tural properties after damage compared with its  undamaged properties. It is considered desirable  for core to deform elastically yet remain intact with  the facings. This enables a panel to support a  considerable percentage of its designed dynamic  loads, despite the damage. In theory, this property  can be advantageous when parts are designed to  be “under-built,” that is, they have the damage 
tolerance calculated into the part itself, thus sav-
ing weight and cost. Another important design as-
pect of  RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY is its ability to 
dampen sound and aid in quieting the structure.
 
One must not confuse the two acoustical phe- nomena: sound transmission loss and sound ab- sorption. Sound transmission loss relates to the use  of sandwich panel as a sound barrier, in which 
case elastic honeycomb core is not very effective 
in higher frequencies, although it is extremely ef-
fective in lower frequencies. (In the 125 to 150 Hz 
range of structure-borne vibrations.) Another great 
plus for all honeycomb sandwiches is great fatigue 
resistance and toughness. By nature of its design, 
a honeycomb’s cells form thousands of small 
webs inside the panel, which means that failure 
of a web (or even a series of webs) does not inevi-
tably lead to catastrophic failure of the whole 
panel. 
The criteria for sound transmission
 loss is high 
weight and low flexural stiffness (just the opposite  of RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY), which is why lead  is an effective sound barrier. The visco-elastic na- ture of the plastic honeycomb technology  effectively cancels out the sound and vibratio
nn of
energy in a given frequency range. It also is aided  by the shape of the honeycomb cell, where sound  waves bounce from cell wall to cell wall and get  further absorbed by the visco-elastic nature of the  plastic. It should be understood that not all ther- moplastics are viscoelastic. Polypropylene, which  is used in Nida-Core H8PP, is visco-elastic and  gives H8PP its unique properties of impact resis- tance, resilience and sound damping. The hex-
agonal cell form provides the compressive 
strength that separates the two skins to maintain 
panel stiffness. Impact loads are dissipated by the 
elastic and damped response of the core under 
the skin — a controlled deflection with recovery. 
This equates to the spring-and-shock-absorber sys-
tem used in
 automotive suspension. Without the 
damping component, the structure would respond  like a spring and have resonance. Damping indi-
cates an energy conversion, or hysteresis. The “Law 
of the Conservation of Energy” states that energy 
cannot be created or destroyed; however, you 
can convert the energy to another form. In this 
case the kinetic energy of the impact is converted 
into small amounts of heat as the viscous nature of 
the polypropylene provides resistance to deflec-
tion, as well as to recovery. The damped resilience 
permits the use of lower safety factors in designing 
structures because they are less prone to catastro-
phic failure. Other core materials, such as balsa 
and rigid foams, will be initially stiffer, stiff enough 
to tempt a designer
 to use thinner laminates. While 
they may be more rigid, that very rigidity makes  them prone to catastrophic failure under impact  because there is no damping or shock absorption.  Failure modes in balsa-cored panels include con-
tra-coup de-lamination where a plug of end-grain 
balsa is dislodged under the impact point, which 
pushes the opposite skin from the core. Rigid 
foams will demonstrate different failure modes, 
such as diagonal core ruptures or delaminations 
starting in the zone under the point of impact, 
where the core is crushed but the skin recovers. 
These are all forms of brittle failure. Since balsa- 
and rigid foam-cored sandwiches are very reso-
nant, they have, in some cases, demonstrated 
catastrophic failure when subjected to operating 
conditions
 at their natural harmonic. 
Sandwich core structures made with thin, high- strength skins and H8PP polypropylene honey- comb core also demonstrate the desirable  
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acoustic property of “constrained layer damp-
ing.” All materials have a “natural harmonic” or a 
frequency at which they will sympathetically 
vibrate. Polypropylene’s “natural harmonic” is at 
a very low frequency of 125 to 150 Hz. The nor-
mal “problem hearing range” is 1000 to 3000 Hz. 
Therefore, the material’s natural harmonic is far 
below the “problem hearing range.” The nature 
of sound is that the lower the frequency, the 
greater amount of energy is required for the 
sound to be heard. To quantify the difference, 
the amount of energy required for a 50-Hz noise 
to be noticed is 1 million times that required for 
a 3000-Hz noise. This constrained layer damping 
serves to limit the conduction of structure-borne 
sound in applications such as bulkheads, decks  and stringer systems in boats, automobile load  floors, sound enclosures and speaker cabinets, 
etc. To prevent conduction of sound from one 
side to the other in most single-wall applications, 
either the wall has to have a lot of mass or sub-
stantial absorbers need to be added on the sur-
face. (Sound transmission straight through a wall 
is referred to as “airborne” sound, even when a 
wall separates, for example, two rooms other-
wise completely sealed off from one another.) 
Bulkheads designed with H8PP successfully re-
duce the sound transmission through damping, 
where other, heavier construction materials may 
resonate sympathetically and pass the sound on 
to the other side. By thermo-fusing polyester 
based scrim cloth
 with polypropylene-based 
barrier film under-layment, Nida-Core provides a  100 percent bonding surface compatible with  most resin systems. The dead air space inside 
the cells provides insulation (an R factor of 3.3 
per inch of thickness) not unlike the double-pane 
windows in a modern dwelling. While most cores 
excel in providing one or two desirable proper-
ties, only Nida-Core RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOL-
OGY is designed to provide all of them — insu-
lation, stiffness, chemical resistance, tough-
ness and light weight —with the added bonus
of sound absorption.
NOT ALL PLASTIC HONEYCOMBS ARE EQUAL! 
Only Nida-Core Structural Honeycombs have the 
proper hexagonal cell structure. Only Nida-Core 
Structural Honeycombs use a proprietary copoly-
mer composition to achieve a superior tem-
perature tolerance/elasticity combination.
 Only 
Nida-Core is extruded in large blocks fused to- gether without using low-melt polymers.  
Imitations using parallel fusion of small diameter  tubes can not match the performance of Nida- Core, utilize inferior grade plastic compounding  that is brittle in  cold temperatures and fail unpre- dictably as compared to perfect hexagonal  shaped  cell  cores  like Nida-Core Corp ‘s Struc- tural Honeycomb(H8PP and 8HP).  
HONEYCOMB SUMMARY In short, many claims and counter-claims may be  made about which product has the best proper- ties for a given application. The structural proper- ties that you actually achieve are very dependent  on the manufacturing process. You must design  structures with physical properties based on real 
values that the shop can consistently produce. 
With
 elongation exceeding that of any other 
type of core material, Nida-Core Structural Honey- comb is the toughest, most resilient core avail- able. Under stresses beyond its design loads it de- forms and stretches; however, it remains intact  and, unlike with foams, stress cracks do not travel,  but remain localized for easy repair. Polypropylene  honeycombs remain a viable core of choice for 
superstructures, floors, bulkheads, stringers and 
hull sides as well as numerous small composite 
parts and structures. It is difficult to compare core 
materials using only he mechanical data. As 
noted previously, many other properties must be 
considered to properly evaluate the overall situa-
tion. While some core materials have certain prop-
erties that are exemplary, one shouldn’t look at 
these isolated properties
 without taking into ac-
count other aspects, including cost. While most  cores provide one or two desirable properties,  only Nida-Core  RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY is 
designed to provide them all — insulation, stiff- ness, chemical resistance, toughness and light  weight and sound absorption Fully considered,  nothing available provides the cost/performance  benefits of  RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY from 
Nida-Core. 
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W HY SANDWICH CONSTRUCTI ON?
Sandwich construction has been well established 
in the composites industry for well over 40 years. 
Naval  designers  specify   sandwich construc-
tion for much the same reason architects use I-
BEAMS  and trusses: to  increase  stiffness  and  
strength  while  at the same  time  decrease  
weight. The  honeycomb  core  in  a  sandwich 
laminate  acts  much  the  same  as  the  web  
in  the  I-BEAM  by  connecting  the  load  bear-
ing 
 skins. The  increase  in  stiffness  is  directly  
related  to  the  height  of  the  web (or  thickness 
of the core). 
Due to the fact that some earlier boats used either  inadequate building methods or  the  wrong  core   material  for  the  engineered  load ,  sandwich    construction  is  often  debated. However  these   isolated  incidents   are  not  the  rule  and  most   sandwich  constructed  boats  have  performed   well  over  the years.  Famed Composites Pioneer Mr.Brandl writes:   
“The main function of the core material is to distrib-
ute local loads and stresses over large areas. Lo-
cal stresses applied to one side of the sandwich 
have only a reduced local effect because the 
exposed skin and
 the core will distribute the loads 
to a larger area of sandwich. Because of this fact,  a sandwich   structure generally exhibits superior  behavior under bending, torsion, impact and  compression, parallel or perpendicular to the skins. 
Beside its function of a spacer and connecting unit 
between the skins, a core material for boat build-
ing must therefore exhibit enough resilience to ab-
sorb impact stresses. Its  ability to cushion and ab-
sorb shocks in alternating stresses  and torsion 
loads, passing from skin into the core, as they oc-
cur in a boat under practical conditions, is a nec-
essary requirement of the core. Such dynamic 
stresses as well as impacts, should the core not be 
resilient, can result in severe damage and
 even-
tual destruction of the entire structure. 
 A boat or ship should, with all required stability and 
homogenous stiffness, not be an inflexible struc-
ture. It should be a mechanically stabilized  
structure, which still allows movements within the 
elastic range of its materials. It should further ex-
hibit the characteristic to withstand short term over-
loading without destruction and lasting damage. 
Generally, one can encounter unexpected loads 
and stresses by two alternatives. One is to design 
to such a limit that  the structure will in every case 
be many times stronger than the unexpected 
loads, i.e., the structure would have to be over-
engineered and be overweight. 
A more advanced engineering concept is to 
counter the unexpected loads by a structure,
 
which, having sufficient mechanical strength and  stiffness, is still in a position to withstand peak loads  without damage of serious consequences to the  structure.  In order to realize this concept, a rigid elastic struc- ture is a prerequisite design criterion.” 
The  following  advantages  of  sandwich  con-
struction  are  discussed  in  this  chapter: 
 
IMPACT STREN GTH
 
A  sandwich  construction  using  honeycomb  
core  with  its  high  degree  of  resiliency  is  more  
impact  resistant  than  a  single  skin  laminate  
with  equal  or  higher weight.
 
  A customer of Nida-Core Corp. in the  Caribbean   islands  had  a  65 foot commercial  charter  boat,   cored  entirely  with  Nida-Core  Corp. polypropyl- ene  honeycomb (less hull bottom),  including  hull  sides, deck  and  superstructure, scratched  and   water  damaged  during  a  major  hurricane  on a  coral reef (damage to the uncored hull bottom 
only). Insurance  company  agreed  to  write  off  
the  boat    on  condition  that  customer  takes  
boat  out  of  service  and  does  not  attempt  to  
repair  it. The  charter  boat  operator    agreed  to   dismantle  the  boat  and  discard  of  it. Using one  of the marina’s cranes, they hoisted the 50,000 #  boat 50  feet  in  the  air  and  dropped  it onto   concrete  parking  lot,  hoping  that  they  would   so  be  able  to  collect  the  pieces  and  discard  
of  them  in the  dumpster. To  much  of  their  as-
tonishment  the  boat  remained  completely  in-
tact,  with  no  visible  structural
  damage. They 
repeated the procedure continuously for 3 days to  no avail. To  accomplish  their  mission  they  had   no  other  alternative  than  to rent  a chainsaw  to   cut  the  boat  into  pieces. Although,  somewhat   extreme  of  an  example,  it  clearly  indicates   the  superior  nature  of  Nida-Core  cored   
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sandwich  construction   in   boats. 
 The  increase in  impact  strength,  as  compared  
to  single  skin  laminates  is  better  demonstrated   
if  one  sees  the  core  as  a  shock  absorber  that  
evenly  supports  the  outside  skin  from impacts   
and  protects  the  inside  skin,  while  still  having  
enough  elasticity  to  maintain  the  bond  line  
between  the  core  and  the  skins. 
Experience  shows  that although  sandwich  con-
struction 
 is  not  completely  puncture  proof  it  
significantly  increases  skin  penetrating  puncture  
resistance. 
 
The  more  brittle    cross-linked  PVC  and  SAN  
foams  would  simply  crumble  and  shear  under  
a  severe  impact,  whereas  polypropylene  hon-
eycomb  cored  structures  would  be  locally  
damaged,  however  the  core  structure  would  
be  intact  and  cells, although  elongated  would  
still keep  their  structure  and  shape,  ready  to  
absorb  or  withstand  more 
 impacts  and  com-
pression. 

COST & WEIGHT
 
Weight affects different modes of transportation in 
a different way. For  instance, sailboats,  extra  
weight  does  not  automatically  translate  into  
higher  operating  cost, but affects  performance. 
In  full displacement  type  sailboats  cored  hulls  
can  aid  in insulation,  lower  cooling/heating  
costs. In  power  boats  up  to  20’ in  length,  the  
effects  of  sandwich  construction  can  be  mar-
ginal, as  weight  advantages  can  be  achieved  
by  alternate 
 means. But  as  the  boats  get  big-
ger  the, weight  becomes  increasingly  more   important, as  the  weight  translates  directly  into   extra  cost  of  pushing  the  extra  mass  and  the   initial  extra  cost  of  sandwich  construction  is  
quickly  overcome. As  the  weight  get  lighter,  
boats  will  get  improved  range,  need  less  
power,  can  carry  more  cargo  or  people  and  
need  less  tankage, thus  improving  interior  
space. Therefore  the
  cost  of  the  sandwiched  
boat,  when  compared  to  the  single  skin  solid   laminate  boat, becomes  a  very  cost-effective   approach  at  over  long  term  operating  ex- penses. 

 
 
 
VIBRATION DAMPING/ SOUND
ATTENUATION

With  is  natural  harmonic  of  125-150 Hz  polypro- 
pylene  is  known  for  its  excellent  vibration  
damping /noise absorption  properties. Almost  all  
of  our  customers,  after  switching  from  a  differ-
ent  core  material, 
 have  notified  us  that   
they  have  noticed  a  significant  change  in   boats  being  quieter. Noise and vibration travel  well through a single skin laminate. Boats with  cored hulls are simply quieter. Balsawood  and  
brittle  foams  transfer  noise  energy  directly  
through  the  laminate. Polypropylene  and some  
more  elastic  foams   dampen the  noise  energy  
due  to  their  elastic  nature. 
 
THERM AL INSULATION
 
Thermal  insulation  in  vessels  must  be  consid-
ered: as  most  often 
 the  boat  sits  in  water  
much  colder  than  the  ambient  temperature,  
condensation  forms, leaving  the  vessel  stained  
and  allows  the  mildew  to  form. Sandwich  con-
struction  significantly  aids  in  eliminating  the  
condensation  and   associated  bilge  water. The  
cored  insulating  layer  coincidentally  eliminates  
the  need  for  highly  flammable  spray-in polyure-
thane . 
 
DISPLACEMENT BOATS

There  seems  to  be  a general  misconception    
that  displacement   and
  commercial  boats  
must  be  solid ,  since  weight  is  not  the  primary   concern. One should not confuse solid with tough  and strong. Since   properly  designed  sandwich   construction  significantly  aids  in   impact   strength  when  compared  to the  single  skin (solid)  laminates  we  believe  that  sandwich   construction  would  significantly  aid  in   general  
safety  of  displacement  vessels. The arguments 
for using composite sandwich construction are 
overwhelming. There  are  no good  reasons  for  
using  single  skin 
 fiberglass  construction that  can 
not  be  countered  with  better  reasons  for  using   a  tough  resilient  core  material.     
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THE CLUB SANDWICH
 
In yachts  over  60  feet  club  sandwich  ap-
proach,  where  a  single  extra  layer  of  fiberglass  
is  added  between  the  two  layers  of  core,  is  
often utilized. This   is  one  of  the  most  effective  
ways  to  utilize  the  properties  of  polypropylene  
honeycombs  since  due  to  its  nature, honey-
comb  shear  properties  are  reduced     when  
thickness  of  the  core  is  increased  beyond
  a  
certain  limit. By  utilizing  two  thinner  layers  of   honeycomb  versus  one  thick  layer  of  honey- comb,  one  will  significantly    increase  the  over-
all  performance  of  the  laminate. Additionally,  
even  when the  outside  skin is  punctured  or  
ripped, the  middle  and  inside  skins  will  remain  
intact,  and  the  vessel  will most  certainly   main-
tain  its  watertight  ability.  
DESIGN GUIDELINES
 SHEAR PRO PERTIES  
  Shear  strength  is  used  as  one  of  the  input   factors to determine  the   sandwich  laminate   thickness. Although  important,  it  should  be   noted  that  laboratory  tests  regarding  shear   properties  do  not  do  justice  so  some  of  the   materials,  primarily  honeycomb. Since  ASTM  test  
standards   for  testing  for  SHEAR  Ultimate    spec-
ify  a  core  sample  size,  essentially  a  thin  strip
  
of  material  that  is  then  loaded  and  measure- ment  taken. If  composite  structures  and  primar- ily  boats  were  thin  strips  of  sandwich  laminate,   this  test  results  would  directly  translate  into  real   world. Fortunately,  what  one  should  look  at,  when  considering  honeycomb  laminates,  is   large  panel  performance  and    shear  elonga-
tion. Honeycombs  in general  do  not  work well  in  
thin  strips,  since  the  panel  is  crimped  from  the 
 
edges  and  honeycomb  cells  do  not  work   properly  at  edges  when  structure  is  broken. A   structure  should  be  evaluated  as  a  
whole,  not  just  a  section  of  it, as  many  of our  competitors  are  trying  to  convince  you.  In  early  1960s  and  1970s,  a  lot   of  boats   were  built  with  an  early  version  of  PVC  linear   foam,  with  ultimate  shear strength  of  around   94  psi. Several
  of  these  boats  are  still in  service  
and   have  been  obviously  very  successful  de- signs.   The  faulty  presumption  that  shear  strength  is  
the  key  design  parameter  is  simply  not  true  
and  mostly  elaborated  by  core  manufacturers  
that  lack  in  other  areas  of  performance. When  
designing  structures  using  polypropylene  honey- 
combs, one  must  remember  that  there  is  a 
significant  difference  in  the  value  of  the  stress  
and  strain  at yield  than there  is  at  shear ulti- mate. Polypropylene  honeycomb  can stretch   and  carry loads  without  failure  after  the yield  
point,  so  that  the  value  at ultimate  shear  is  still 
higher than at  yield. Most  PVC  cross-linked  
foams  have  shear  elongation  only 15-20%  and  
PVC  linear  foams  have  shear  elongation  be-
tween  40-80%. Polypropylene honeycombs ex-
ceed even that figure by a large margin. It  is  best  
demonstrated   by  holding  a small  piece  of  
 
core    and attempting  to  bend  it  over  a  small   radius  pipe. 
Cross-linked  PVC  foams  will  simply  snap  in half  
whilst  you  can  repeatedly  do  the  bending  for  
hours  without  any  effect  on  polypropylene  hon-
eycomb. 
ABS and other classification society rules base one 
of the criteria for design on the ultimate shear 
strength. 
  A  thorough  designer  must  therefore  consider   
the  most  important test  for  core  materials – 
Shear strain  in %, or  shear  elongation 
 after  the  
yield  point (ISO 1922) which  most  accurately   determines  the degree  of  toughness  for  a  spe- cific  core. It is  not  important whether  one  uses   the  shear yield  or shear  ultimate value in design,  what is important that  based on these  figures,  appropriate  safety   factors  are  built in.   For  polypropylene  honeycomb  one  can design  
much  higher up  the  elastic  curve  because  the  
factor of  safety is in the balance of the elastic 
range of the  curve, and then in shear elongation 
after yield. We  are  not  saying  here   that  suc- cessful designs  can  not  be  made  with  cross- linked  PVC  or  Balsawood,  with  inherently  low   shear  elongation  factors,  simply the  shear stress   must  be  in the lower  portion of the  curve  and   
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not  too  close  to the  yield. However, even the 
balance of the elastic range of the curve is sel-
dom sufficient under severe impacts. 
Primary  focus  should  be  stiffness,  while  at  the  
same  time   ensuring  there  is  an  adequate  
safety  margin  to  fall back  on. If the structure is 
stiff enough, the stresses are usually low. However, 
stiffness  without  damage  tolerance  is  not  a  
desirable  criteria. 
 
Several  different  sources  have  been  used  to  
obtain criteria  for  composites   boat 
 construc-
tion. Some  are  adaptations  of  wood  designs   with  interchangeable  single  skin  fiberglass   equivalent. Several  criteria  is  derived  from   equivalent  designs  using  metallic  materials ,  primarily  aluminum. This  criteria  seems  to  work  well  with  some  older  types  of  core  materials  
but  are lacking  when it  comes  to  NEW  core  
materials  such as  polypropylene  honeycomb,  
especially  when  thinner  skins  are  used. 
  Most  design  criteria  lacks  in  areas  where  
stresses  beyond  normal  loads  are  applied.  The  primary  goal  of  most  Naval  Architects  is   to  design  a  structure  with  adequate  stiffness,   resistance  to buckling  and  impact  tolerance. All  of these criteria are achievable with Nida-Core 
Structural Honeycomb. 
 
It  must  be  also  reminded  that  the  basis  of  
most  design  criteria  nowadays  when it  comes  
to  core  thickness  is  from  era   before  multi-axial  
stitched  reinforcements,  which  are  generally  
higher  in STRENGTH
  and  STRONGER  but  not  as 
THICK  and  therefore  not  quite  as  STIFF. Multi-
axial    stitched  reinforcements  are  ideally  suited  
for  sandwich  construction,  since  skins  provide  
the  strength  and  the  core  material  provides  
the  thickness, and  therefore  also  STIFFNESS. 
  
 
SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES
 
In  the  early  1990’s  Sandia  National  Laborato-
ries  in  Albuquerque , NM conducted  a  series  of  
tests  to  determine  the  best  suited  material  for  
the
 construction  of  their  planned  blast  cham-
ber  for  laboratory  test  purposes. Existing     chambers  were  made  of  steel,  were  expensive   to  maintain,  and  most  importantly  were  hard   and  time consuming  to  reload. 
  Sandia  engineered  a  blast  chamber  with    
  
lightweight  sectional  construction,  using  pins  to  
hold  adjoining  sections  together. 
  A  series  of  tests  were  conducted  to  deter-
mine  the  laminate   suitability  for  such   a
 blast  
chamber. The  test  fixture  consisted  of  24”  di- ameter open  end  steel  blast chamber    with (3)   ½”    holes  for  chamber  venting  and  detona- tion  charge  wiring   installations.   A laminated  Nida-Core  polypropylene honey-
comb  panel  with  Kevlar(KB125X2)  and  DOW 
Derakane  vinyl ester resin  on  both  sides  circular  
28”  panel  was mechanically  attached  to  the  
open  end  of  the  cylinder  by  the  5/8” thick  
aluminum   ring  and  (4)  ¾” 
 thick  bolts  at  21”  
centers. 
 1. An   5 gram explosive  charge   of  C-4  was   set  off  inside  that  cylinder.  A sample was removed and cut into 4 quarters.  NO   VISIBLE DAMAGE WAS DETECTED  2.  An  10 gram   explosive  charge  of  C-4(plastic)   was  set  off  inside  that  cylinder, the  test  speci- men  was  removed  and  cut  into  4  quarters   and  inspected for damage. Again, NO VISBLE  DAMAGE OR DELAMINATION OCCURRED. 
3.  An 15 gram  explosive  charge  of C-4  was  set  
off  inside  that 
 test  cylinder. The  test specimen  
was  removed  and  cut  into  4  quarters  and   inspected 15 grams of explosive C-4 is equivalent  to   19.2 grams of TNT  Specimen shows no de- lamination, 5/8” thick aluminum ring is deformed    between  2.5  and  3.5  inches,  ¾  “  bolts  are   deformed  and  must  be  sawed off. Preliminary  data analysis indicated the following:  
1. Incident shock: 112 psi 
2.  Reflective shock load (multiple):220 psi 
It was concluded that acoustic transmission 
showed no delamination  damage to the speci-
men. Same tests with alternative    core
 materials  
(like balsawood)   showed catastrophic damage  to the specimen. It  was  concluded,  based  on   this  test  that  Nida-Core  was  most suited    core  material for   construction of lightweight   modular  
 blast chamber   for  Sandia National Laboratories. 
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OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS CORE MATERIALS
A  general  overview  of  various  core  materials  
used  within  the  boat building industry is pre-
sented in this  chapter. Although no core material   
is the answer to every  possible application, this  
chapter  will  highlight  the   various  aspects  of  
different  core  materials  widely  used  in  the  
composites  industry. A  table  In  the  end  of  this 
chapter (page 16) lists  the various  comparative  
properties. 
 
End grain Balsawood

End grain  Balsawood ,(such
  as  Nida-Core  Bal-
salite) started to become a widely used core ma- terial in the  early 1960’s  when  the  end grain   configuration  was  introduced.   Balsawood is exceptional in static laboratory tests.  The  perpendicular  end grains  form  a  structure   not  unlike  a  miniature  honeycomb, achieving a 
maximum  compression  strength  of  any  core  
material  available. The  high  compression  values  
contribute  significantly  to  the  stiff  nature  of  
sandwich  panels  built  with  balsa. 
Balsawood also    exhibits exceptional Shear val-
ues. Unfortunately  these 
 values  presented  are  
based  on  laboratory  tests  featuring  a  ½”  thick   panel,  where  balsa  is  at  its  peak  in  shear  val- ues. Shear values    are reduced SIGNIFICANTLY 
where thickness is increased. 
Another  weakness  of  balsa  is  the  impact  toler-
ance,  since  being  a  stiff  material,  impacts  are  
readily  transmitted  from  the  outside  to  the  in-
side  skin,  the  end grain  splitting  easily,  thus  
delaminating  the  inside  skin  without  detection  
of  damage  on  the gel coat  side  of  the  sand- wich. The void between the inner skin and the core    will collect condensation which will eventually result 
in severe water damage to the core itself. Even  
when  the  damage  stays  localized  as  opposed  
to  foams, where  damage  travels  parallel  to the 
skins, reaped  impact  in  the  same  area  can  
result  in  a  catastrophic  failure  of  the  sandwich  
structure. Since  balsa  is  a light  weight wood  with  
low  resistance  to  water
  vapor  and  humidity it is 
always dependent on proper manufacturing or  repair techniques. Generally, a  balsa  cored  boat  
will  require    more  maintenance  and  care  as  
compared  to  some  alternative  materials. Balsa  
behaves  well  in  a  fire  since  it  retains  its  struc-
tural  load  carrying  ability  in  a fire  for  much  
longer  period  than  foams. Balsa  is  best  suited  
for  non-dynamic, high  compression   
requirements   structures  or  localized parts  of  
structures. 
 
Urethane Foam-Filled Honeycomb
 
Poly Urethane   foam-filled honeycombs, such  as 
(Nida-Core Corp’s Tecnocore brand) combine the 
best of both technologies:  foam and honey-
comb. By  itself,  each of  these  core   materials  
have  some  significant  drawbacks: Paper  honey-
comb  is  difficult  to  process,  since  it  lacks  
bonding  surface (unlike  Nida-Core PP  honey-
comb)  and  foams  are  generally  brittle  and  
friable  with  low  compression and  chemical  re-
sistance  values  and  their  failure  mode  is  often  
catastrophic. By  combining  these 
 technologies, 
foam-filled honeycomb  has  optimized  the  rela- tionship between  honeycomb  and  polyurethane   foam. The drawbacks  of  foam-filled  honeycomb   are  often  inconsistent  density    and  cost  due   to  complicated  manufacturing process.   
SAN Foams
 
SAN (styrene-acrylonitrile) ,  a thermoplastic  resin,  
based  linear  foams (like Corecell) have  been  
successfully  used  in  composite  sandwich  con-
struction. Typically,  SAN  foams  exhibit  higher  
mechanical  properties  than  equivalent  PVC    
and  urethane  foams.  
Albeit at a much  higher cost,
 SAN foams exhibit  
good  toughness  characteristics, however,  as   with  all  foams, the  failure  mode , when  reach- ing  its  ultimate    stress  is  catastrophic , resulting   in  45 degree crack   propagating  easily  as   sandwich  panel  continues  to  flex. Once  the   failure  occurs,  the  foam  does  not  return  to  its  
original  state  of  mechanical  properties. 
  
Urethane Foams
 
Urethane  foams  are  often  mistakenly  com-
pared  to  polyisocyanurate  foams,  which  are  
widely
  used  in  marine  construction, even  if they  
were  developed  for   mobile  home  insulation     applications  due  to  their  higher  fire  resistance   properties  and  higher  heat  tolerances. Com- pared  to  straight  polyurethanes (like  Nida-Core   Corp’s  Foamline brand),  polyisocyanurate (like  Nida-Core  Foamline 2# density foam)  foams  are   much  more  friable  and  can  degrade  over  
time. 
   
Additional
references:

Page 40;43;
88;101
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Polyurethane  foams  have  been widely  used  in  
boat building  and  composite  structures  since  
mid  1960’s  and  next  to  plywood,  probably  
more  boat transoms  have  been  successfully  
built  with  polyurethane  foams  than  with  any  
other  core  material. 
Contrary  to  some  misguided  marketing  efforts  
polyurethane  high  density  foam  remains  as  
one  of  the  most  suitable  applications  for  boat  
transoms. Polyurethane  foams  exhibit  excep-
tional  chemical  (styrene)  resistance
  and  heat  
tolerance (up to 250F)  and  actually  improves  its   mechanical  properties  with  age. Its  weaknesses   include   catastrophic  failure  under  ultimate   shear stress,  therefore  it  is  not  suitable  for  dy- namically  loaded  structures  such  as  boat  hull  sides  and  decks.  
  Plastics are divided into  twogroups:”thermoplasti- cs” and “thermosets”. Ther- moplastics  are  linear,   whose  long, string  like   molecular  chains  are   arranged  in a  random   amorphous  fashion  
and  can  move  relative  to  each  other  when   heated  and  stay  in  their  new  position  when   cooled. Thermoplastics can be repeatedly ther- moformed. Cross-linked PVC foam is thermoset.  Cross-lined  foams  have  anchor  points  between   molecular  chains,  which  result  in  higher  stiff- ness  but  less  toughness. Thermosets, because of   the  cross-linked
  structure,  normally  have  a  
higher  heat  distortion  temperature  than  thermo-
plastics. 
 
CROSS-LINKED PVC FOAMS
 
Thermoplastics and thermosets can  be  blended,  
and  the  molecular  strings  can  therefore  be   
anchored too a certain  degree. When  thermoset  
resins (usually  di-isocyanate)  is blended into PVC  
resins, a  foam  with  increased  mechanical  
properties, higher  heat  distortion properties and  
better solvent resistance  is  created. However the  
created foam (like Klegecell, Airlite) have its short-
comings: elongation  of  these  foams is often only 
10-20%  versus 
 50-80% for the linear foams. Also-
resulting brittleness lowers the impact resistance  
and  shear  easily  under  impact,  whereas     delamination  also  occurs  parallel  to  the   bond  line. Cross-linked  PVC foams  are  also   critically  close  to  temperature  tolerance  gen- erally   produced  by  polyester  resins. The  au- thor  of  this  manual  has  often  witnessed  PVC   foams  damaged  and  softened  by  combina- tion  of  styrene  vapors  and  heat  from  exo- therm  of  polyester  resins. 
 
Several 
 cross-linked  PVC  manufacturers  are  
adding  plasticizers  to  the  resin  blend  which   can  cause  problems  in  the  future  since   plasticizers  tend  to  migrate  out  of  the  foam   over  time,  leaving  behind   a  different  foam   than  the  structure  was  originally  engineered   around. Outgassing is another problem with    cross-linked PVC foams. Since  PVC  foams  are  
noted  for  their  low  heat  tolerance, outgassing  
can  become  a  significant  problem  where  
dark
  colored  laminates  are  used. The  unpre-
dictable  phenomenon, outgassing,  occurs   when  foam  is  heated  and  CO2  is  formed   within  the  foam, which  in  turn  tries  to  force   itself out  and  tends  to  push the  outside  skin   away. 

Cross-linked   PVC foams are   manufactured by 
expanding   in a water steam   chamber. 
Since  the  di-isocyanate  component  in  the  
PVC  foams  needs    a  water  molecule  for  the  
chemical  reaction (generally  described
  as  
water-blown)  as  opposed  to  CFC  blown. 
Lower  density  foams  are  stored  for  short  pe-
riod  in   a  temperature  and  humidity  con-
trolled  environment  for  aging,  higher  density  
foams  require  more  time  for  cure/
polymerization. Fully cured PVC foam does not 
normally outgas. 
 
LINEAR PVC FOAM
 
Linear  PVC  foams (like  Airex) have  been  suc-
cessfully  used  in  various  forms  since  mid  
1950’s. Even  when   linear  PVC   foams  exhibit  
lower  mechanical 
 properties  than  cross  linked  
PVC’s,  in  real  life  situations  linear  PVC  foams    
offer  one  of  the  best  damage  tolerance   
and  toughness  in  foams,  making  it  ideally  
suitable  for  boat hull    construction  where    
repeated  impacts  are  a  way  of  life . In  gen-
eral  terms   it  makes  the  hull  go  over  the   
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waves  like  a rubber  band  as  opposed  to  stiff   
cored  structure  where  it  cuts  through  the  
waves. Its  ultimate  failure  modes  are  much  
more  suitable  for  dynamically  loaded  structures  
as   it  boasts  50-80%  elongation  factors. 
The  resistance  to  chemicals (styrene)  is  limited  
and  one  must  be  very  careful  with  implement-
ing  proper  shop  procedures  and  using  proper   
resins/adhesives. 
  A  major  drawback  for  linear  PVC 
 foams  is  its  
inherent  lack  of  temperature  tolerance,  making  
it  virtually  unsuitable  for  marine  superstructure  
construction  where  mechanical  properties  can 
suffer  from  repeated  heat  cycles  endured  in  
marine  environments .  
At around 7am local time on Tuesday November  19, 2000 a fire broke out by the lifting-fans near  the engine-room of the Norwegian Alta-class air- cushion catamaran minesweeper KNM Orkla. The  vessel was off the west coast of More og Romsdal  when it sent out an emergency signal and civilian  vessels were soon on the spot, immediately  evacuating 26 of the 33 strong crew. The fire took  only seven minutes to engulf the bridge; appar-
ently the flames spread through the funnel. The 
CO and six others remained onboard to fight the 
fire. As the minesweeper took part of the Norwe-
gian naval exercise Flotex 02, which involved the 
majority of the Norwegian navy, it was possible to 
dispatch a number of naval
 vessels to the area, 
including three MTBs keeping the area clear of  civilian traffic and establishing a safe-zone, the  MTB-force tender KNM Valkyrien, the frigate KNM 
Bergen, acting as command-ship for the rescue- 
and firefighting-operation, and the large  coast-
guard-vessel KV Svalbard. 
At around 8am it was believed that the fire was 
under control, but sometime around 10am, the 
fire flared up again, much more intensive than 
before, and it became necessary to evacuate the 
remaining seven crewmembers and continue fire-
fighting from the other ships. The safe-zone around 
the hulk was extended to one nautical mile, as the 
ship carried 1500 20mm rounds and 4000 
12.7mm MG-rounds, which apparently were cook-
ing off - numerous small explosions being re-
ported. The ship's fuel tanks, reportedly holding 
around 60 tons of Marine Diesel Oil, were also on 
fire, and the navy decided to let this burn - there 
are several fish-farms in the area, which would be 
hit hard if the fuel-oil leaks, so it was considered 
better to just let it burn out. The fire proved impossi-
ble to put out, as it had spread to the composite 
hull itself, and in time, to the entire ship. It was the 
burning composite materials in the hull which 
caused the main problems, but additional prob-
lems were caused by part of the vessel's construc-
tion also being aluminum. At around 3 pm the 
navy had given up hope of saving the ship, and 
the
 burning hulk was moved to a location with 
shallow water (roughly 25 metres/82 feet). The hulk  was still reported as burning at midnight, Norwe- gian time. The minesweeper had been burning 
steadfastly for 24 hours when she capsized early in 
the morning of November 20. By dawn, the wreck 
was still floating, but was slowly slipping under the 
sea, with only part of the bow sticking up above 
the surface. By noon on the 20th it had sunk com-
pletely. The Navy hopes to be able to salvage the 
wreck, so they can examine her to determine the 
cause of the explosive spread of the fire. It is be-
lieved that there is little left to salvage in the vessel, 
which had a price
 tag of US$50 million when new 
in the early 1990s. The reason the vessel stayed  afloat for so long, is believed to be the construc- tion with double hull and flotation-elements. The  fires are now out, but there has been observed a  film of oil on the water surrounding the wreck; vari- ous vessels from the coast-guard and lifeboat- service are present with equipment for cleaning 
oil-spills. It is at present believed that there will be 
little oil left in the wreck, and that all the heavier oils 
are gone. The crew of 33 was kept for observation 
for 24 hours at a hospital, as it was believed the 
smoke from the fire may have contained both 
chlorine-gas and cyanide-gas. One person 
needed
 minor treatment for injuries to back and 
neck, but it is believed that none will have  
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problems related to the smoke. It should be 
stressed that the extremely rapid - almost explosive 
- spread of the fire is not directly related to the use 
of GRP as a hull construction material. While ex-
perience with shipboard fires in solid GRP ships is 
limited, that which is available to date shows that 
solid GRP actually acts as a fire-retardant, limiting 
the spread of fire and insulating surrounding com-
partments from transmitted heat. The culprit in the 
case of the Orkla is the use of a sandwich material 
which appears to act as a fire accelerant, as well 
as giving off large clouds of choking smoke and 
toxic gas. The fire on the Orkla vindicates the deci-
sion of the
 Royal Navy and other designers to use 
solid GRP (precisely because of its much greater  fire resistance) and ignore the siren calls of those  promoting the "more advanced" composite con- struction. While the loss of Orkla is tragic, it does 
come at a timely moment. The same composites 
used in her construction that have burned so dis-
astrously are being extensively promoted for future 
construction on the grounds that they allow the 
construction of ships with a very low radar cross 
section. The Swedish Visby class and the new Nor-
wegian FAC Skjold both use these materials as 
their primary hull construction materials and it can 
be assumed that they are every bit as vulnerable 
to fire as the poor Orkla. The same
 materials have 
been promoted for use in future US Navy construc-
tion, particularly with regard to the DD(X) destroyer 
and the newly-emerging Littoral Combat Ship. This 
raises a question; these are all ships that are in-
tended to go in harm's way. If a simple engine 
room fire can cause a disastrous conflagration 
resulting in the loss of the ship, what will happen 
when surface combatants using these materials 
get hit by things that are designed to explode and 
cause fires? Explosive weapons cause fires in the 
ships they hit; that is a given. Even for steel ships 
fire is perhaps the deadliest danger they face - 
how much more so for a ship whose very hull can 
be burned to the
 waterline? Perhaps the loss of the 
Orkla is a salutary lesson that will come in time to  save other navies from exposing themselves to the 
risk of such losses.  

PAPER and ALUMINUM HONEYCOMBS

 Even  though  paper  honeycombs  are  widely  
used  in  composites  industry,  mainly  due  to its  
cost,  the  author  of  this  manual  does  not  be-
lieve  it is  practical  to  use  material  so  easy  to   
degrade  with  coincidental  damages  in  marine  
or  outdoor  environment. Paper  honeycombs  
are 
 better  left  to  the  packaging  industry,  espe-
cially  in  untreated  form.  Aluminum  honeycombs  are  unsuitable  in  most   marine  related  industries  due  to  its  processing   costs  and  materials  used. Another problem is  that aluminum honeycomb bond line is limited to  a small area-the thin cell wall. A small resin ring 
has to form around each cell to “grab” the core, 
so creating the bond. This is achieved with adhe-
sive films in aerospace industry. In the aircraft in-
dustry, aluminum honeycombs are used  exten-
sively, mainly  due  to  the  reason that  there  are  
no
  foams  that  can  withstand  the  extreme  
process  temperatures  required  to  produce   parts  for  the  aerospace  industry.   
POLYPROPYLENE STRUCTURAL HONEYCOMB (RIGID-
ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY)
 
Polypropylene  material  is  noted  for  its  inherent  
toughness, extreme  chemical  resistance  and  
elongation. Polypropylene honeycomb (like Nida 
Core PP)   is based on the design principle that, in 
bending, the largest part of the load is carried 
near the extreme fibers of the beam, and very 
small bending stresses are developed near the 
neutral axis. This principle is best illustrated by an 
analogy with the I-BEAM theory: The facing or
 skin 
material of a sandwich panel acts as the flanges  of an I-BEAM and the core is equivalent to the  web. Therefore, extremely strong lightweight panels  can be made by using high strength materials as  facings (like fiberglass) and lightweight low cost  HONEYCOMB as the core. As with I-BEAMS, the  thicker the core (web), the greater the resistance 
to bending and the longer the distance that the 
beam or panel can span Some  honeycombs  
have  different  mechanical properties values  for  
length  and  width  direction  due  to  the  fact  
that  core  is  weaker  against  or  parallel  to  the  
glue
  line. Extruded (like Nida-Core PP) honey-
combs  are  equal  in  both  direction  since  they   are  not  glued  like  traditional  honeycombs.  Manufacturers of core  materials  make  many  
claims  and  counterclaims  about  which  product  
has  the  better  properties. The  structural  proper-
ties  that  you  actually  achieve  are  also  very  
dependant on the  manufacturing process. You  
must  design  structures with physical  properties  
based  on  real  values  that  the  shop  can  pro- 
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duce  consistently. With  elongation  exceeding  
that  of  any  other  type of core  material, poly-
propylene  honeycomb  is  the  most  resilient, 
toughest  core   available. Not  affected  by  
water,  chemical  agents  used  in  composites  
industry, and  due  to  its  thermo fused (not 
glued)  scrim  with  its  but  remains  intact  and  
unlike  foams  stress  cracks  do  not  travel, but  
remain  localized  for  easy  repair. Polypropyl-
ene  honeycombs  can  easily  be  thermo-
formed  or  vacuum-bagged
  in  place  without  
the  need  for  scoring  in many instances,  unlike   foams. Polypropylene  honeycombs  remain   a   viable    core  of  choice  for  superstructures,  floors,  bulkheads, stringers  and  hull  sides  as   well as  numerous  small  composite  parts  and   structures.  It  is  difficult  to  compare  core  materials  using  
the  mechanical  data  only. Many  other  prop-
erties  are    necessary  to  properly  evaluate  
the  overall  situation. The  following table  was 
 
created  to  show  that  a  core  material  for   use  in  composites  construction  must  be   evaluated  using  a  multitude  of  properties.  While  some  core  materials  have  certain   properties  that  are  exemplary,  one  shouldn’t   look  at  these  properties  alone  without  taking  
the  other  aspects  into  account. 
Kraft paper honeycomb+18 oz WR at same point 
load shows catastrophic failure at bond line.   
Nida-Core H8PP 20 mm +18 oz WR panel shows
almost no deflection with 200 lb point load at 48” span.
Nida-Core H8PP with lauan veneer skins subjected to bending
past ultimate tensile failure point of lauan skin. Top skin failure
only, bottom skin intact and no failure within core.
Additional
references:

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100
15

PET Foam (Polyethylene terephthalate)
PET foam (like NidaFoam) has high elongation and 
superior adhesion resulting in good impact and fa-
tigue strength. The foam can be formed at room 
temperature to simple shapes and be thermo-
formed to more complex 3-dimensional parts. A 
high temperature resistance allows short processing 
cycles with fast curing resin systems, including ther-
moplastic fiber reinforced skins  making it very suit-
able for mass-produced light-weight sandwich 
structures subjected to both static and dynamic 
loads in service. Good resistance against weak 
bases, weak  acids as well as against most current 
solvents: alcohol – acetone – perchlorethylene. Lim-
ited resistance – check in each case – against  strong mineral acids . NidaFoam does not emit any 
corrosive gases, even when burned, unlike PVC  foams, NidaFoam does not emit gases that contain  halogen such as hydrochloric acid. Excellent   closed  cell ratio, water and resin absorption  comparable to  PVC, PU  and  SAN  foams. 
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  Balsawood Linear
PVC
Cross-
linked
PVC
SAN
foams
Nida
Fusion
STO-PU 35
Plywood PET Foams
(NidaFoam)
Closed cell 
structure 
3 10  10  10  9 3  8 
Resistance to 
fresh/salt water 
3 8  8  8  9 1  9 
Resistance to 
water vapor 
transmission 
2 9  9  8  8 2  8 
Resistance to 
gasoline /
diesel fuel 
7 6  6  6  9 1  9 
Resistance to 
styrene 
10 4  6  6  9  10  9 
Out gassing 
tendency 
10 10
  1  9  6  10  9 
Compression  Strength 
10 4  8  6  8  10  6 
Flexural  Modulus 
6 4  6  8  6 8  4 
Shear Strength  9  8  7  7  7  10  4 
Impact  Strength 
5 10  3  8  8 9  5 
Fatigue  Strength 
3 3  7  9  8 9  3 
Resistance to  crack propa- gation 
8 10  2  6  9 9  6 
Heat distortion  temperature 
10 3  6  4  6  10  7 
Thermal Insula- tion 
5 7  8  6  8 5  7 
Damping  Characteristics 
4 5  4  5  5 2  4 
Burning Char- acteristics 
8 5  5  4  4 1  7 
Smoke/Toxic  Emissions 
8 3  3  3  3 4  9 
Versatility in  boat building 
5 2  5  5  3 5  5 
Weight 5  8  7  8  8 1  6 
Price 9  5  6  3  10  5  5 
TOTALS  130  124 117 123 135  114 130
Honeycomb
Polypropylene
8 
10 
5 
10 
10
 
10 
6 
4 
3 
10 
9 
9 
4 
5 
10 
3 
7 
5 
8 
10 
146 
CORE MATERIAL EVALUATION COMPARISON TABLE
     (Scale 1-10, 10 being the best, 1 the worst) 
16

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MARINE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Nida-Core H8PP used in the construction of this USCG
approved commercial joyride speedboat ”THRILLER”
This Army Corps of Engineers Research vessel benefited from
Nida-Core Polypropylene honeycomb that was exclusively used
in the construction of superstructure. Switching from aluminum
construction, the builder noticed a significant reduction of noise
levels inside the vessel (from 75db to 45db) . Nida-Core was used extensively for this 120’ plus motor yacht, including con-
struction of stringers and floors. Benefits included improved headroom due to
the stiff nature of sandwich panels cored with Nida-Core polypropylene
honeycomb and superior noise and vibration dampening qualities
That aided the manufacturer to meet the stringent demands of her owner .
80 x 30 ft excursion catamaran "Excellence" in Antigua,
designed by Howard Apollonio, and built by Atlantis
Yachts. Nida-Core was used in all decks, bulkheads,
stringers, cabin ,hullsides and flying bridge components.
Nida-Core 8HP is ABS
and Det Norske Veritas (DNV)
Approved, as well as US Coast Guard approved for
use as a primary flotation device.
Sailing catamaran constructed using NidaFusion STO
Triangulated pin infusion core.
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Nida-Core Structural Polypropylene honeycomb is used ex-
tensively in this Club Med Resorts catamaran dive boat in the
Caribbean Islands, from the hull to superstructure. Again, the
vessel benefits from Nida-Core exceptional sound dampen-
ing properties, making the day trips enjoyable in this quiet
boat. Additionally, the weight savings resulting from the
use of sandwich construction, enable the craft to utilize
smaller motors and bigger fuel tankage, giving the vessel
extended range.
Every offshore salt water fisherman’s dream –Marlago 35 by Jefferson’s Yachts,
is cored with resilient Nida-Core Structural Polypropylene honeycomb, enabling the
vessel to withstand the extreme stresses experienced by the structure ,while
pounding waves at more than 50 miles per hour. Honeycomb sandwich structure
encompasses hull, deck, and stringers. Marlago has a reputation for building
semi-custom world class fishing boats second to none.
MARINE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Here is a fine example of a 120’ Mega-yacht hull tooling, built by
master mold makers Vectorworks in Titusville, FL, fully vacuum bag
cored with Nida-Core Structural polypropylene honeycomb
(38 mm or 1.5” thickness). Result is increased stiffness, reduced
resin and fiberglass consumption, excellent long term structural
stability.
High speed passenger ferry constructed in China utilizing
Nida-Core H8PP construction throughout.
Hovercraft club of Michigan sent us this gorgeous picture of
their newest hovercraft, constructed with Nida-Core H8PP
Nida-Core Structural Honeycomb’s impact resistance and
sound and vibration dampening qualities are especially

useful in these applications.
18
Patrick Haworth of Montreal, Canada, a 2003 hydroplane
class champion found it necessary to use Nida-Core H8PP
Structural Honeycomb in the hull (including bottom), deck,
bulkheads, stringers for a good reason; few other core
materials would be able to withstand the stresses result-
ing from racing the 5’ offshore waves at more than
100 miles per hour. None would give the crew a piece of
mind. Special thanks go out to Mr. Duff Daly, on his multiple
wins on
the GP circuit with his Nida-Core cored Hydroplane
boat (Not shown).
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J.D.Power and Associates, a prestigious market survey company,
awarded Cobalt Boats an “Excellence in Customer Satisfaction”
Award in 2001. Cobalt Boats used Nida-Core H8PP honeycomb
in the decks and small parts production as well as hull sides
on certain models. Cobalt Boats is considered a leading man-
ufacturer of runabouts, surely aided by its innovative designs.
This fabulous Jefferson Yachts 82’ is cored with Nida-Core H8PP
in the hull, deck, superstructure, bulkheads and interior cabi-
netry. Its flawless navy hull exhibits high gloss, print-through free
finish. Jefferson’s customers compliment the builder on the
exceptionally quiet and vibration free characteristics of this
yacht as compared to her competition.
Lambada Yachts, hull and deck cored with Nida-Core h8PP
since 1989 exhibits exceptional time tested structural integ-
rity, ensuring high resale value and continued demand for
its successors.
Matrix Catamarans of South Africa relies heavily on Nida-
Core H8PP cored construction throughout this expedition
grade yacht. Her owners will appreciate the subdued,
muffled generator and motor vibrations, even the serenity of
muffled footsteps while walking on the main deck, all
courtesy of Nida-Core viscoelastic rigid-elastic technology.
MARINE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Nida-Core H8PP being installed in the hull side of a large motor yacht. Large sheetsize(48”X84”) availability in scored or
plain greatly reduces gaps and seams normally associated
with small sheet installations.
Nida-Core H8PP Scored, being installed in a marine part.
Typically, scored side is placed down into the NidaBond Core
Bonding Compound. Only a light wet out is needed on the
topside as barrier film under the thermo fused scrim cloth limits
resin seepage into the structural honeycomb cells.
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Premier yachts cored this luxury yacht with Nida-Core H8PP: all
interior cabin soles, salon floor (2 layers), and hull sides all exte-
rior decks, all of superstructure, fore & aft engine room bulk-
heads. Behind the classic, timeless design Nida-Core rigid-
elastic technology ensures unparalleled comfort and longevity
for her discriminating owners.
Legendary Bertram Yachts, considered by many a benchmark
in sports fisherman design and construction, uses Nida-Core
H8PP panels to construct her immaculate engine room as well
as soles. The viscoelastic nature of Nida-Core RIGID-ELASTIC
TECHNOLOGY helps make Bertram one of the quietest and
best handling yachts of its type on the market today.
Clean, high gloss appearance of Nida-Core cored panels
make this one the most attractive engine room installations
available in its class. Reduced vibration levels and excellent
sound dampening are just few of the benefits of Nida-Core
exclusive RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY.
MARINE INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
NidaFusion STO Triangulated Pin Infusion Cores were used in
the construction of the interior bulkheads and hull-deck of
this South-African expedition grade catamaran. NidaFusion
STO is especially suitable and economical for large flat
panel infusion and provides a mechanical linkage between
the inner and outer skins.
Mirage Manufacturing of Gainesville FL, with its Lou Godega
designed trawler, constructed entirely with Nida-Core H8PP
sandwich construction, make Mirage trawlers virtually unsink-
able and suitable for long distance live aboard cruising with
excellent fuel economy.
High speed US Coast Guard approved commercial ferry
serving route between Miami
and Key West Florida, utilizing
Nida-Core H8PP Construction in hull, superstructure, bulkheads.
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High quality yacht interiors can benefit from
quiet Nida-Core Corp laminated panels with
skins from teak and holly to marble.
MARINE INTERIORS APPLICATIONS
Whiticar Custom Boats of Stuart Floirda con- structed this interior cabinetry section with H8PP veneered panels. Note radiused inner corner.
Bullnose panel veneered lauan sandwich panel detail shown,as one of many ways to edge finish a lightweight panel.
Thin Marble and Granite sandwich panels and veneered NidaCore panels shown in bath-
room project in a recent mega yacht built by Trinity Yachts.
70% specific weight reduction is possible utiliz- ing Nida-Core veneered panels as compared to traditional plywood constructed cabinetry.
Significant weight reduction can be achieved by backing up thin cut natural quarry products with Nida-Core Structural Honeycomb .
Corian Solid Surface Countertop detail shown with Nida-Core Honeycomb backer.
Thin
veneer faced honeycomb panels reduce
the possibility of warpage as compared to solid wood construction.
Okoume, Lauan, Birch, Maple, Teak and Holly are just a few examples of veneered panels
available from Nida-Core Corp.
Additional
references:

Page 33;99
21
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ARCHITECTURAL INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Typical applications include structural columns, portable buildings, office parti-
tions, countertops and building facades.

Nida-Core panels rigidity enables large dimensioned sections to be used
Easy handling
Easy shaping enables modern designs
Increasingly demanded sound and heat insulation requirements are
met by Nida-Core honeycomb materials.
Large roof structures
Outer or technical doors
Concrete casing
Suspended platforms and ceilings
Removable floors
Nida-Core is a great insulator, with R factor ranging up to 5.5 per inch
of thickness.
The unique properties of extruded polypropylene honeycomb allows
superior conformability.
Nida-Core enables several manufacturing operations to be simulta
neously achieved, resulting in optimized production.
Nida-Core Honeycomb is recyclable.
Polypropylene’s natural harmonic of 125Hz to 150 Hz dampens sound
and vibrations.
Nida-Core fiberglass panels with outdoor grade rubber lamina-
tion on top side transform this New York City Penthouse balcony
into great weather resistant, lightweight flooring system that
serves a perfect underlayment for multitude of uses.
Custom length Nida-Core panels with fiberglass lamination pro-
vide a flat, precise grid system that serves as vibration damp-
ening, load supporting and weather resistant underlayment for
outdoor landscape designs. Photo courtesy Ethan Ames Inc. New
York, NY.
When properly mounted, Nida-Core Fiberglass Panels can be covered on one side with exotic woods (like teak shown), rub-
ber, aluminum, marble, carpet. Visit our website or call our
technical experts with your specific idea and advice with
adhesive selection. Photo courtesy Ethan Ames Inc. New York, NY.
Curved and overhanging architectural features are ideally suited for
Nida-Core Composite Panels.
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ARCHITECTURAL INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Fiberglass skinned composite panel build-
ing constructed with steel framing.
NidaCore Structural Honeycombs exhibit R
value of up to 3.3 per inch of thickness.
Composite pools are built with Nida-Core
H8PP sandwich and localized reinforce-
ments, as it is ideally suited for under
ground service due to its rot proof quality.
Splash pools and spas benefit from Nida-
Core rot and decay proof qualities for
high moisture environment installations.
Photo Courtesy MP Concepts, QC, Can-
ada.
This water tower, built with Nida-Core Struc-
tural Honeycomb, clearly illustrates the
benefit of lightweight architectural
panels
and its design flexibility it provides.
Nida-Core Corp. is a supplier to composite
door manufacturers, where Structural hon-
eycombs, Foamline, NidaFusion STO and
NidaFoam are used as coring .
Radar tower with composite construction
utilizing Nida-Core H8PP, noted for its excel-
lent microwave penetrability.
23
Cell phone towers disguised as flagpoles,
church steeples, chimneys are ideally
suited for plastic honeycomb technology
for its great radio and microwave pene-
trability.
Composite tables manufactured with
NidaFusion STO or NidaFlow R closed
molding reinforcements are widely utilized
throughout the industry.
This historic newspaper stand is renovated
by constructing a modern composites struc-
ture using Nida-Core Matline laminate
bullker that adds toughness to the laminate
as well as stiffness without adding extra
weight.
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Nida-Core H8PP is widely used by performing arts industry for
construction of stages, dance floors, Stage props. Here,
Cirque du Soleil reconstructed a floating barge stage using
Nida-Core H8PP for its production "O" in Las Vegas.
When it came time to renovate the famous New York City
landmark department store Barneys of New York, Nida-Core
H8PP panels were chosen for lightweight vibration dampen-
ing load floors for the equipment rooms. Typical of historic
buildings not designed for its present use, Nida-Core provides a
modern solution for engineering challenges.
Another New York City landmark, Lincoln Center, and Met-
ropolitan Opera of New York uses Nida-Core H8PP panels for
stage props. The lightweight panels, weighing less than a 1/3
of the weight of plywood, allows the props to be moved
with less manpower, faster during recess , and using smaller
winches and motors. Additionally, performers benefit from
the shock absorbing nature of Nida-Core exclusive rigid -elastic
technology.
Canopies and extended roof systems utilizing composites and Nida-
Core Structural Honeycombs are enhancing the architect’s ability to
design shapes unattainable with traditional construction materials
and methods. Light weight provides for reduced handling equip-
ment and fast installation. The minor increase in cost of the part is
quickly offset by cost savings in installation and maintenance.
ARCHITECTURAL INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
24
Splash pool made with H8PP Photo Courtesy of MP Concepts, QC, Canada.
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Nida-Core H20PP 18” thick blocks are used for this highway construction project. Placing
honeycomb blocks under the surface ensures that top surface remains unaffected
by frequent freeze and thaw cycles plus provides faster irrigation and storm water
evacuation .

Honeycomb blocks can also be used as
ground water storage units , and then
benefit from differences in ambient tem-
perature to heat or cool buildings
around the “cored” parking lot.
18” Blocks of Nida-Core H20 PP used to
stabilize cobble
stone parking lot and
maintain levelness through freeze and thaw cycles.
Nida-Core honeycomb materials are cur-
rently used to transform flows which are ini-
tially turbulent into laminar flows. In many
applications for which the product adds its
qualities or resistance to corrosion of chemi-
cal products.
Industry, in general, call widely upon polyes-
ter for the flexibility of use it procures. Nida-
Core honeycomb materials are widely com-
bined with this process for production of
spray booths, platforms, and storage build-
ings.
Shock Absorption:the widespread use of aerospace honeycomb in structures of commercial and military jet aircraft attest to its excellent
shock absorbing capabilities. Energy from impact is absorbed and dispersed evenly throughout the honeycomb matrix. Because the cells
are interconnected, when one
cell buckles from impact, the walls of the adjacent cells also buckle to absorb the force, similar to a ripple
effect increased load-bearing capability as a result of its elastomeric composition. Also affecting behavior is cell diameter and skin prop-
erties. Honeycombs made of different materials have different properties.
CIVIL ENGINEERING INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Additional
references:

Page 49;90
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This American icon, made famous in the 1990’s
protecting our troops during Gulf Wars, relies
heavily on The inherent toughness of Nida-Core
polypropylene honeycomb which provides the
necessary characteristics to construct the roof for
this ultimate troop mobility vehicle.
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 process requires, foam is often troublesome to laminate un-
der vacuum pressure, where score kerfs often create negative pressure areas,
where styrene fumes collect, thus softening the foam around or leaving un or under
cured resin pockets within the laminate. Due to its elastic nature, Nida-Core does
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.
As horse trailers and race car haulers in- crease in size, so does the need for more
power in tow vehicles. This Nida-Core H8PP
cored motor home provides a lightweight
solution to the speed to weight ratio.
This rental truck body in the UK is cored with Nida-Core H8PP core to make the
composite bodies more damage toler-
ant and resilient, so they can withstand
the rigors of everyday abuse.
Renault (MACK) truck sleeper cab constructed
using NidaFusion STF closed molding core with
triangulated pins. Sandwich composite truck
bodies reduce weight, therefore increasing
payload capacity and saving fuel .
Public Transit Bus in New York City, NY,
floor made of Nida-Core H8PP compos-
ite panels.
TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Southern California Timing Association and Bonneville
Nationals Inc. World speed record car built with
Nida-Core H8PP.During recent high speed testing at
over 250mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats the vehi-
cle hit an abandoned automotive battery head on at
full speed. No doubt thanks to
the extreme resil-
ient nature of the Structural Plastic Honeycomb the body of the vehicle nor the driver experienced no
damage whatsoever less some scratches to the painted surface finish. Another testament to the superiority of the plastic structural honeycomb tech- nology which does not transfer impacts from outer skin to inner skin with out providing initial crumple zone
with memory.
26
European Travel trailer, made by LRTM
molding, utilizing NidaFusion STO and STF
cores.
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French auto manufacturer Renault uses
polypropylene honeycomb 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 .
Leading heavy truck manufacturer WESTERN STAR
trucks relied on Nida-Core for sandwich const-
ruction for sleeper cabs. Nida-Core is ideally
suited for this application as it is easily thermo-
formed in large sheets and contours easily to
the required curvature, at the same time pro-
viding necessary toughness for this intensive
use application and cost effectiveness
demanded by large automotive OEMs.
TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
South American Heavy Truck manufacturers
are relying on NidaFusion STF cores for their
closed molding of hood assemblies.
Worlds largest bus manufacturer, Marco-
Polo uses NidaFusion STF cores in the
manufacture of engine room doors
and
other exterior body parts in their state of
the art closed molding facility.
Prototype courier vehicle from Canada
features composite constructed corrosion
free body cored with NidaCore H8PP Struc-
tural Honeycombs.
27
Patrick Nguyen of Atlanta, Georgia sent us these images of his fantastic 2000 Porsche 996 Twin turbo developing over 550 hp Patrick’s Porsche is heavily modified with a full
wide-body kit constructed primarily of 6 oz carbon cloth and AME 5000 vinyl ester
resin sandwiching 5mm and 13 mm Nida-Core H8PP. It features 19” Rial wheels and
Patrick estimates significant weight savings on his body panels as compared to the
original. A notable feature is
a custom 3000 W XTANT stereo system featuring Nida-
Core 13 mm H8PP +18oz WR panels for its subwoofer enclosure. Proud owner reports almost no vibrations from elevated decibel levels.
Nida-Core Matline was  used  to 
stiffen the body  panels of this   
exotic  car. 
Nida-Core Corp .is a proud sponsor of this
world record speed attempt, where Nida-
Core H8PP was used to construct the
body of the vehicle. Nida-Core was chosen
due to the extreme stresses experienced
by this composite body.
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INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
Nida-Core is proud to supply motorcycle garments manufacturer Vanson Leathers of
Massachusetts with a unique energy absorption material based on its resilient plastic
honeycomb technology to be used in the shoulder, back and elbow pads. An inter-
esting combination of true old-world craftsmanship on behalf of Vanson Leathers and
combined with the high technology of Nida-Core Structural Honeycomb products will
surely distance Vanson Leathers even further form its competition.
Nida-Core H8PP is especially suitable for manufacture of all types of doors. Stiffness,
toughness, light weight, sound absorption ,
availability of fire retardancy and compatibil-
ity with just about any type of skin are all
features specified by door manufacturers:
Nida-Core provides a solution for all these
requirements, and more. Nida-Core is ideally suited for construction of
chemical storage tanks and double wall con-
tainment tanks. The inherent nature of sandwich
construction makes it virtually impossible to
have liquid leaks travel crosswise through the
tank wall, plus the leaks, if present, are
easier
to locate than with alternate core materials. Polypropylene remains one of the most
chemical resistant materials known to man.
29
Nida-Core and carbon fiber panels have
increased the torsional stiffness of their SAE
formula racer from Saginaw Valley State
University by approximately 85-90% over the
bare space frame construction.
Impact absorbing hockey back protec-
tor with H8PP honeycomb core.
Nida-Core H8PP is used in construc-
tion of this Canadian jet ramp sys-
tem . Highly conformable, no toxicity
when burned, inexpensive, light weight,
vibration dampening .
Nida-Core H8PP is ideally suited for
compound curved parts manufac-
ture with vacuum bag core installa-
tion.
Matline used in the construction of the Aqua massage table.
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Nida-Core, Foamline, Balsalite and NidaFoam can be supplied in CNC precut 
Kits. Nida-Core’s kit department uses state–of–the–art manufacturing technology 
to provide the most accurate, best fitting core kits for your application. Nida-
Core kits reduce labor costs, reduce inventory space, eliminate waste and 
speed up production. All  kits  are  manufactured  in-house  to  your  specifica-
tions, packaged in sequential  order  and  numbered  for  ease  of  installation 
and  include  an  easy  to  understand   schematic  for  reduced  employee  
training costs. Kits ensure product consistency and quality and save you money.   
Nida-Core  Corp. uses  state  of  the  art  equipment  to
  digitize  customer’s core  kits  at  customers  location  
or  our  facility. Our Coordinate Measuring Machine capability assures   0.0017” accuracy in all measure- ments. CMM  can  also  be  utilized  to  reverse  engineer  CNC  cut  kits  and  compare  the  measurements   to  original  drawings  to  ensure  highest  quality. 
Foamline lightweight  transoms blend  our  polyurethane   high  density  technology  with  our  kit  cutting  depart- ment. Foamline  transoms  are  made  from  High  den- sity  Foamline  Polyurethane  Foam,  are  available  with  
predrilled  inserts,  beveled  edges  and  bleeder  holes   for  optimum  laminate  bond  strength. Our  Foamline   transoms  offer  one  of  the  lowest  water  absorption   rates  in  the  industry  with  over  98%  closed  cell  con- tent. Nida-Bond ceramic  pourable  transom compound  available for repairs and OEM construction.   
Quality Control System  
Nida-Core’s unwavering commitment to quality  begins at the design phase. Core products are  carefully engineered to ensure the highest qual- ity product   all raw materials are carefully se- lected from qualified suppliers. Before any mate- rials are   released to the manufacturing floor,  they are thoroughly inspected and tested to en- sure product quality and integrity. Ongoing qual-
ity checks continue throughout production. Each 
line operator has the authority and possibility to 
halt machinery should a problem be detected.   
CNC KIT CUTTING
One of several CNC multihead mills at Nida-
Core Technology Center, manufacturing
Balsalite floorboard kits for General Motors
Corvette program.
Waterjet and reciprocating saw blade cutters can be used for
optimal cutting quality
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WIND ENERGY
rows of towers, sometimes 90 meters high,
equipped with giant wind turbines for produc-
ing electricity. Commercial wind farms have
also been established in Germany, Denmark,
the United States, Spain and India. Denmark
and Germany have pioneered the develop-
ment of commercial wind power, one of their
fastest-growing industries. Wind energy is Den-
marks fastest-growing new energy source..
Nida-Core Corp has several materials and
processes available for composite windmill
blade and turbine housing manufacture.
From NidaCore-Plastech LRTM equipment,
Balsalite, Nida-Core Structural Honeycomb,
NidaFusion closed molding cores to Nord
ZERO Shrink tooling resins for highly accurate
mold making.
Commercial wind energy is one of the most
economical sources of new electricity avail-
able today. Wind turbines can be set up
quickly and cheaply compared with building
new coal-fired generating stations or hydroe-
lectric facilities. Modern wind generating
equipment is efficient, highly reliable, and be-
coming cheaper to purchase. The environ-
mental impact of large wind turbines is negli-
gible compared with an open pit coal mine
or a reservoir, and during their operation pro-
duce no air pollution. Because of these fac-
tors, wind energy is recognized as the world's
fastest growing new energy source. Small,
highly efficient wind turbines are becoming
popular as a source of electricity for rural
homes. The cost of installing one comes close
to that of putting
up poles, overhead power
lines and other equipment necessary to con- nect to the electrical grid. The advantage is that the homeowner owns the generating equipment and is freed from paying monthly
electrical bills! Electricity is now being gener-
ated on a commercial scale at large installa-
tions called "wind farms" in several places
around the world. Wind farms consist of
31
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TUB and SHOWER
Nida-Core Corporation supplies an extensive
range of core materials for the tub and
shower industry around the world. We con-
tinue to develop specialty structural honey-
comb cores that include CNC machined re-
inforcements for soaker tubs, shower walls,
tub bottoms etc. Nida-Core Structural Honey-
combs, Balsalite, Balsalite PITH, Matline,
NidaBond Products are supplied to Tub and
Shower Industry.
Nida-Core HC is especially suitable for tub bottom coring.
CNC cut kits from Balsalite or Honeycomb speed up pro-
duction and eliminate waste disposal issues associated with
lightweight materials. Shower stall walls benefit from the specially scored
large sheet(48X84) conforming ability.
NidaBond Radius Filleting Compound
are used
to get uncured laminate stick to tight radii.
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Natural Marble and Granite backed with Nida-Core Structural Honeycomb or panels.
Solid Surface
Solid surface products can be  enhanced for transportation and special use applications by adhering a ¼" solid 
surface to Nida-Core Structural honeycomb backer, with or without outside composite laminate skin. 
The benefits to choosing Solid Surface backed by Nida-Core Structural
Honeycomb's are: 
• Lower cost due to thinner solid surface material needed  
• Lighter weight for transportation applications (motor homes, yachts)  
•    Lighter weight for easier installation by smaller crew  
•    Added dimensional stability in dynamically loaded applications  
What is Solid Surface? 
Solid surface is an extraordinarily versatile surfacing 
material which offers a host of
 benefits in perform-
ance and aesthetics with incredible application  and design flexibility. It is solid, renewable, and  when applicable, may feature inconspicuous 
seams. Applications for solid surface are extremely 
far reaching. Traditionally, the largest market for 
solid surface is kitchen countertops. The design flexibility, color and texture options and 
performance attributes of solid surface are driving more and more builders, architects, 
designers and homeowners to choose solid surface. 
 
SOLID SURFACE and LIGHT WEIGHT MARBLE APPLICATIONS 33
Nida-Core H8PP cored natural stone panel in
commercial elevator installation.
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Nida-Core  structural honeycombs  are  often used to back thin  natural stone veneers  for  yacht  and  RV, ele-
vator   construction. In addition to significant weight savings, one will  also  benefit  from  the  added  insulation  
properties  as  well as  substantial  noise and vibration canceling  properties, du e  to the visco elastic nature of 
the     . size       from  
-Core  Corp.    from    r     in       . 
plastic  Unlimted color and  combinations  and adhesive systems are available 
Nida and ourpartnerquarriesSouthAmericadirectly
honeycomb

34. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM

How is Solid Surface Made?
Thermoset-based solid surface is produced or cast by combining unsaturated polyester resin with a combina-
tion of fillers, pigments and catalysts This combined mix is  then poured or "cast" into molds which form the matrix 
into either flat panels or customized shapes. Designers appreciate the flexibility of solid surface because the 
material can be machined like wood, using special equipment and fabrication procedures. Solid surface can 
be precisely cut and bonded to fit nearly any surface shape. It can also be routed for decorative edging which 
can be applied with specially formulated adhesives. Since the material color is consistent throughout the prod-
uct, scratches, chips and stains can be sanded out "refreshed" when they occur. 
Cultured Marble Industry  
By blending a premium
 resin with the finest engineered particulate systems available, cultured marble products 
manufacturers are able to create products of uncompromising quality. By choosing from a full product line of 
basins, countertops, shower pans, tubs, wall panels, accessories and moldings, you will be able to create the 
bath of your dreams, that is also a dream to maintain! Cultured marble, cultured onyx and cast granite are du-
rable cousins that lend themselves naturally to the bath environment. These cast polymer products offer clean 
lines, harmonious styling and a nonporous surface that resists mildew and staining and wipes clean with minimal 
effort. Cultured marble replicates the luster of it natural namesake, while the translucent appearance of cultured 
onyx imparts depth and sheen. The softly speckled texture of cast granite adds a
 definite element of luxury to 
any bath. Versatile enough to complement an ever widening range of architectural and decorating styles, from 
traditional designs to the most contemporary, all three materials are available in an ever changing palette of 
colors. Due to the escalating cost of resins, manufacturers now have a choice to displace some of the solid 
castings with lightweight inexpensive NidaCore Structural honeycomb, with or without the composite outside 
backing. Contact your area sales representative for methods of installing  the core into the casting.                  
The benefits to choosing Nida-Core Structural Honeycomb's for Cultured Marble Applications are:  
•  Lower cost due to thinner material needed
• 
 Lighter weight for transportation applications (motorhomes, yachts)  
•  Lighter weight for easier installation by smaller crew  
•  Added dimensional stability in dynamically loaded applications  
Why Choose Solid Surface?
Attributes of Solid Surface:
• Non porous - resists bacterial and fungal growth
• Non porous - Easy to clean and "refresh"
• Strong & tough to resist heat, stain and impact
• Easily cleaned and maintained
• Class I fire rating
• NSF approvable for Food Contact (must specify)
• FDA approvable for Food Contact (must specify)
• Easily shaped by woodworking tools
• Inlays and thermoforming are possible
• Unlimited Design Potential
34
Elevator wall cladding with thin natural
marble and granite with H8PP honey-
comb backer.
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Nida-Core FC  is an innovative 3-dimensional structure based on Polypropylene (Typar) for multiple use in the 
horticulture, landscape gardening and infrastructure construction and soil stabilization areas. 
Nida-Core Corp. uses proprietary new technology in order to convert the well-known Typar geo textile and other 
non-woven materials from the sheet stock form into three dimensional honeycomb-like structures. Possible uses 
include soil drainage, soil stabilization , soil protection, erosion control and foundations’ stabilization. 
Features and benefits of  Nida-Core FC  
• Flexibility  • Easy handling and implementation  • Light weight  • Water permeability of cell walls  • Conformity to terrain and subsoil requirements  • Nonwoven basis for proven durability in sandy soil  • Minimizes requirement for expensive base materials  • Thermal bonds for maximum stability and strength 
• Shipment of compressed cells for simple, compact 
and inexpensive transport 
Without the foundation of this system the same trucks become bogged down in deep ruts after only 10 passes                     (source:Robert Koerner, Geosynthetics, 4th edition) The following chart illustrates just how effective the use of  Nida-Core FC  with a sandy soil can be compared to conventional, thicker and more expensive load bearing fill: 
Use of conventional ,
heavy and expensive load
bearing fill:
Comparable results of Nida-Core FC 55 mm
honeycombs filled with sandy soil (SC=.35)
Comparable results of Nida-Core FC 110 mm
honeycombs filled with sandy soil (SC=.35)
Sandy Soil (SC=.07) 10 inces/25.4 cm sandy soil 20 inches/50,8 cm sandy soil
Sandy
Gravel (SC=.11) 6.4 inches/16.26 cm sandy gravel 12.75 inches/32,39 cm sandy gravel
Small Stones (SC=.41) 5 inches/12,70 cm of small stones 10 inches/25,40 cm of small stones
Concrete (SC=.41) 1.70 inches/4,32 cm of concrete 3.5 inches/8,89 cm of concrete
GEO-TEXTILE and CIVIL ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS
Examples for the use of  Nida-Core FC  
•  Soil drainage and soil stabilization 
•  Reinforcement of slopes, embankments and                       
channel liners 
•  Foundations for private parking areas and   
access roads, for  temporary roads and for the 
stabilization of road sides.  
• Drainage of basement walls 
  
• Foundations for sports fields applications, land-
fills, playgrounds etc. 
Nida-Core FC Typar and Nida-Core FC filled
with sand and gravel.

Heavy subsidence without ground stabilization and reinforcement
of subsoil. Light subsidence with ground stabilization and reinforce-
ment
of subsoil. Tests have been conducted that have supported
tandem axle trucks of 23 tons/230kN weight for 10 000 passes over
honeycombs filled with sandy soil or gravel with only slight rutting.
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36
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY
Nida-Core H8PP used in the frontal cap
construction of this SIEMENS train car.
Lightweight fiberglass composites busses
and public transport vehicles require less
fuel and maintenance, are more damage
tolerant than aluminum and steel, cause
less damage to city streets.
Train component panels constructed with NidaFusion ST0 triangulated pin cores that
allow rapid infusion of resin. Photo cour-
tesy of Bahrain Fiberglass.
NidaFusion STF cores are ideally suited for
complex closed molding applications .
Typically, STF cores need to be cut to net
shape and no machining is necessary for
edge beveling or localized inserts place-
ment.
Nida-Fusion STF and STO cores can be
engineered to fit particular applications:
distance between pins and the pin an-
gle can be adjusted, depending on
mechanical properties
requirements.
Complex profiles, that would normally re- quire extensive machining are ideally
suited for NidaFusion cores that take the
shape of the matched mold by virtue of
localized compression of the core.
Fire retardancy aan be achieved by
selecting the phenolic foam option and
using fire retardant resins in the process.
Finished train floor assemblies shown. Finished train part assemblies made with
NidaFusion STF and STO closed molding
cores.
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Modular panelized building system that is
hurricane proof and cost effective, is ideally
suited for low cost housing developments
in the hurricane prone geographical ar-
eas.
Modular housing panel construction utilizing
Nida-Core H22 honeycombs. Nida-Core
composite panels are available up to sizes
10X50 in over 40 different color combina-
tions.
37
PORTABLE HOUSING INDUSTRY
Window and door cutouts do not require routing out core and insertion of spline, as
plastic honeycomb core forms a virtually
impenetrable passage for water migration
in the event of leakage.
Unlimited size potential and various
proven panel attachment methods.
Structural Plastic Honeycomb Core can
be supplied in CNC cut form to reduce
waste.
Inserts and perimeter frames can be
added by Nida-Core Corp. prior to final
skin lamination for localized attachment
points and high density areas.
Skins of fiberglass, thermoplastic, alumi-
num, thin veneers, natural stone and gran-
ite can be adhered in-house to variety of
core materials by Nida-Core Corp.
Finished product ready for delivery. The portable panelized house can be
effectively cleaned by pressure washing on
the outside and the inside of the structure.
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Nida-Core H8PP-H11PP-H22PP Structural Honeycombs
Nida-Core doesn’t just look good on the lab charts… it stands up to the tests of the real world. The wonderful
thing about laboratories is that the results can be controlled, by highly skilled lab technicians but out on the wa-
ter, bumps and grinds are accidental. Building with Nida-Core assures you that your boat is built with mate-
rial ready to handle all kinds of stresses. A core material with unique properties, Nida-Core Structural Honey-
comb combines strength and resilience as well as excellent structure born sound damping.
The mechanical properties of Nida-Core Honeycomb 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 perform-
ance characteristics. Nida-Core honeycombs 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. Many
cores show exceptional qualities on technical charts and graphs but lack in areas that they fail to reveal. Inter-
preting cold data from a lab chart is just that, subject to interpretation. The important question is: ”How does it
hold up in the real world?”
Polypropylene honeycomb provides a very low natural harmonic due to the polypropylenes viscoelacity and
cell structure, effectively dampening sound and vibrations. Boats manufactured with Nida-Core demonstrate a
dramatic improvement in vibrational dampening compared to traditional construction methods.
Nature provides the geometry, we provide the material. Nida-Core is extruded from tough, versatile polypropyl- ene 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.
PVC and SAN Foams are attacked by styrene and absorb water when exposed; plywood and balsa rot or lose strength when wet. Nida-Core does NOT rot and is unaffected by most solvents and chemical agents. Addition- ally, when encapsulated in a laminate using a non-aqueous resin the scrim forms a seal limiting water migra-
tion through the structure, even if skin is punctured.
The 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.
Nida-Core’s ability to dissipate heat from the bond line prevents heat from accumulating either in the core or in the skin laminate so critical, so heat deflection temperatures are not exceeded.
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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 to absorb and dissipate impacts and shocks repeatedly that would
cause ultimate failure in other cores.
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39. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM

The benefits of RIGID-ELASTIC TECHNOLOGY is best illustrated by the story
recently sent to us by a customer.
Mr. Phineas Sprague of Portland Yacht Services sent us this photograph of
this gorgeous 65’ schooner under construction and to be completed later
this year.

Schooner is constructed of fiberglass and 3” Nida-Core H8PP core. Lacking a
proper scientific laboratory, Mr.Spraque came up with an ingenious idea to
perform its own test to back up manufacturers claims. A 250 lb piece of
railroad track, ca 60” in length was hoisted to the top of Portland Yacht Ser-
vices shop. Landing end first as witnessed by the accompanying picture on
the Balsa/plywood laminated piece first, a
complete destruction was evi-
denced. Following drop was made onto Nida-Core H8PP 3” thick cored
panel. To everyone’s amazement the piece of track bounced back up in
the air to about 3 feet.
The procedure was repeated, track landing mere inches from first impact.
Again, track bounced into air, undoubtedly amusing the test crew. As seen
from the accompanying pictures no apparent damage occurred on the
Nida-Core panels, even after multiple impacts. Again, it is the ultimate
compliment to any material, especially when it comes from
a  happy  
customer.  
CASE STUDY: Nida-Core H8PP I mpact Stre ngth vs. p lywood
Testing aide being hoisted to 
the  drop height of 25 feet. 
275 Lb section of rail 
road track. 
Railroad track mid air from
bouncing off test speci-
men 3 feet into the air.
Test specimen #1: 2 layers of
3/4” plywood, composite lami-
nate , showing catastrophic fail-
ure of the panel after 1 drop.
Test specimen #2: “club sandwich”
of Nida-Core Structural Honey-
comb with composite laminate
and plywood skin. Showing minor
damage to plywood skin.
Resu
lt: Nida-Core
H8PP core d
panel exhibited
better impact
absorption char-
acteristics than
compara ble ply-
wood cored
sandwic h panel.
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End Grain Balsa, a highly processed ultra light wood product, imparts impressive strength and stiffness to the 
sandwich panel. The end grain configuration of balsa provides high resistance to crushing, and is very difficult 
to tear apart. End grain balsa cored panels also have the ability to handle excessive dynamic loads with high 
resistance to fatigue.  
Until recently, end grain balsa was excluded from some weight sensitive applications, as there were lower den-
sity foam cores available. Now, through controlled growing and careful selection, BalsaLite balsa is competitive 
in weight, as well as offering superior performance in stiffness and strength, particularly where local crushing or 
bruising is a concern.

BalsaLite is select quality, kiln-dried, end-grain balsa wood suitable as a structural core
 material in composite 
sandwich construction. BalsaLite is a naturally renewable resource.     The balsa plant   (Ocroma lagopus) grows from seedling to mature tree in 4-6 years and reaches heights up to  25 m (90 ft) before dying in 8-10 years. Tropical winds spread balsa seeds throughout the equatorial highlands  of Ecuador where mature trees are harvested. The trees are then milled, kiln-dried, and converted to BalsaLite.    BalsaLite's end-grain orientation gives it exceptional compression and shear properties. As an added benefit,  BalsaLite provides good thermal and acoustic insulation. BalsaLite  is available in two different densities.(6.5lb/
ft3 and 9.5 lb/ft3) 
 
BalsaLite is available as a surface primed version of BalsaLite, which improves installation quality, shortens appli-
cation time and reduces resin absorption as
 well as super lightweight version 
Balsalite LT  and  PITH  commercial grade  for select applications.    BalsaLite is available  either  scrimmed  and  scored(1”X1.5” blocks) up to 24”X48” size or  rigid sheets  up to  48”X96”  size  as  well  as  solid  blocks.

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Most laminate bulkers available in the marketplace today are made of
polyester fiber and glass microspheres. Only Nida-Core Matline has MULTI-DIRECTIONAL fiber orientation. Unlike the unidirectional fiber
orientation used in bulker products manufactured by most of our competitors, our multi-directional fiber orientation provides equal
strength characteristics in both length and width directions. It also helps in wetting out the laminate equally in both directions, as op-
posed to easier wet out in one direction in linear fiber products. New in the Matline product portfolio is MATLINE MAX, with much im-
proved three-dimensional compounding capabilities that are the equal of any competitor’s offerings.
MATLINE PERFORMANCE
CHARACTERISTICS INCLUDE:
Print blocking: Thinner-grade Matline is a very effective
print-through barrier when placed behind a skin coat.
Screw retention: Matline adds
excellent screw retention
capability to a laminate, and can be placed, for ex- ample, around the perimeter of swim platforms for rub rail installation. Microcracking prevention: Matline re-
duces demolding cracks and stress cracks in gel
coated parts. Matline performs at a level well above
that of competitive products. Its shock resistance is 35
to 50 percent higher, one reason why products made
with Matline obtain longer useful life cycles. Water ab-
sorption is equivalent to that of the competition. Its
even, multi-directional fiber distribution offers reinforcement
characteristics not available in competitive products. The re-
sults of tests performed by certified labs in Europe and North
America on products made by our principal competitors dem-
onstrate that Matline exhibits superior impact and shear
strength, thanks to stronger links between the different layers within the mat as well as excellent resin distribution throughout
the product. Matline’s excellent impact values underscore the
ability of the Matline-reinforced laminate to meet toughness
requirements and withstand severe-duty fatigue.
Nida-Core Matline is easily
recognized by its more fre-
quent perforations, which
help in the wetout of the
material and create more
vertical links as well as
easing the evacuation of
trapped air bubbles
throughout the laminate.
WEIGHT SAVINGS
Fabricators who use Matline can realize as much as a 60per-
cent weight savings compared to bulking laminate with fiber-
glass. One layer of Matline 301 replaces three layers of 1.5-
oz chopped strand mat.
Matline MAX 301
436,450 422,095
Coremat P2430 379,030 355,250
U-Pica Mat I3000 344,665 372,940
COMPRESSION
STRENGTH
MODULUS MD MODULUS XD
Matline 301 9,802 9,729.5
Coremat P2430 7,264.5 6,452.5
U-Pica Mat
I3000
6,902 6,786
Impact Strength MD XD
Matline MAX 301 1,406.5
Coremat P2430 696
U-Pica MatI3000 971.5
SHEAR STRENGTH
Matline MAX 301 0.24
Coremat P2430 0.25
U-Pica Mat I3000 0.22
Resin absorption
Superior Impact and Shear Strength’s as compared to main competitors results from stronger links between the different layers within
the mat as well as excellent resin distribution throughout the product. The excellent impact values illustrate the ability of the laminate
to bear external mechanical aggression.The performance of Matline is well above competition with 35-50% higher shock resistance. This
is another reason products using Matline obtain longer useful life cycles. Even cross-laid fiber distribution of the product brings additional
reinforcement characteristics versus competitive products. Water absorption is equivalent to competition.
Matline non-woven polyester laminate bulker mate-
rial features outstanding properties at an amazingly
competitive price.

Ease of use
Constant thickness
Deformability

Anti-shrinkage
Low resin consumption
Permanent bulk
Print-through
Blocking. Excellent
fatigue resistance
Cost and labor effectiveness
Matline is available in the following thicknesses:
Matline 101 (1.4mm)
Matline 201 (2mm)
Matline 301 (3mm)
Matline 401(4 mm)
Matline 501 (5mm)

Additional
references:

Page 90
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3-dimensional fiberglass reinforcements,  Nida-Fusion STO  complexes  are  com-
posed of a sheet of closed-cells foam covered with a reinforcing fiber layer on each side. These three ele-
ments are linked together by fiberglass bridging strands, which go through them obliquely, forming triangula-
For a very competitive price,  Nida-Fusion STO  complexes allow you to build sandwich constructions offering : 
• Very good flexural strength, 
• Excellent fatigue and delaminating resistance 
• Good high temperature and fire resistance 
• Shaped structures with thickness variations 
• Excellent thermal insulation 
 
Nida-Fusion STO  is patented and is offered in 2 variations : 
Nida-Fusion STO  complexes
 made of rigid foam and used for the production of planar structures without thick-
ness variation, 
Nida-Fusion STF  complexes made of flexible foam and used for shaped structures with thickness variation.. 
Nida-Fusion STO  complexes can be tailored exactly to your needs (Foam, choice and weight of reinforce-
ments,
 orientation and spacing of the triangulations), and are made to order. 
Nida-Fusion STO Complex  
Used for production of planar sandwich structures, Nida-Fusion STO complex is made of : 
• Rigid foam core with closed cells to prevent resin absorption, 
• Fibers reinforcement on each side of the foam, 
• Fiberglass roving, which goes through them obliquely, forming triangulations Truss Network. 

AVAILABLE CONFIGURATIONS
 
Rigid foams:
 
These foams have an excellent insulation factor: between 0.018 and 0.023 
W/m°K 
Polyurethane foams (PU)  
These are the most commonly used on the market.. 
Size : 
• Length : from 1.5 to 3.2 meters, according to customers needs 
• Width : 1.25 meter 
• Thickness : 10 to 65 mm, according to customers needs 
Polyisocyanurate foams (PI)  
With the same dimensions as the polyurethane foam, they have a good fire resistance : 
• Standard NF 92501 : M1 
• Standard DIN 4102 : B2 
Standard ISO 3582 ou BS 4735 : max. mm 10 
Brankkennziffer : 5.3  
STO and STF 42
Additional
references:

Page 92;93
Manufactured in Malaysia by Pipeco
with NidaFusion STF cores with closed
molding process.
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Phenolic foams (PH)  
This kind of foam has a very high fire resistance without any toxic fumes. 
• Standard NF 92501 : M1, (F : under approval)
•
Standard DIN 4102 : B2
•
Standard ISO 3582 or BS 4735 : max mm 10
This type of foam is easily damaged and must be handled with care before impregnation. 
Size :
 
• Length : 1.00 meter
•
Width : 1.25 meter
•
Thickness : from 20 to 65 mm, according to customers needs
Reinforcements :
 
All the reinforcements available on the market can be used (fiberglass, aramid, carbon) : 
• Woven fabrics,
•
Non woven fabrics,
•
Complexes.
The Nida-Fusion STO complex is produced with only  one layer of reinforcement on each side. 
Triangulations :
 
The triangulations of the sandwich material are characterized by : 
The Spacing 
The spacing corresponds to the distance between two stitches that have the same orientation. It can vary from 
10 to 60 mm. The closer the spacing between triangulations, the better the the mechanical properties. How-
ever, closer  spacing will increase weight of the core. 
The Orientation 
Two possibilities : 
Parallel Orientation
 
All the stitching lines are parallel to the length of the sheet.  Flexural strength is good in the length side of the sheet. 
Off Axis orientation
 
All the stitching lines are oriented with a 30 degrees angle to the length of the sheet. 
This configuration gives good bending resistance across the width of the core as well as along the length. 

Nida-Fusion STF complex
Aimed at producing shaped structures with thickness variations, the Nida-Fusion STF complex is made of : 
• Flexible foam core with closed cells to prevent resin absorption.
•
Fiberglass reinforcement on each side of the foam.
•
Fiberglass roving, which goes through them obliquely, forming triangulations Truss Network.
AVAILABLE CONFIGURATIONS  
Flexible foams, for the Nida-Fusion STF complex  
Used for shaped structures with thickness variations, they are made of Polyethylene (PE) or of Polypropylene (PP). 
Various qualities are available and the choice
 will depend on the impregnation method and on the thickness 
variations to be absorbed.. 
Foams that can be easily compressed (PE 35kg/m3)  
They are used for structures with a high thickness variation. 
In that case, the injection pressure will be low, less than 1 kg/cm² and the moulds won't have a high deforma-
tion under vacuum effect. 
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Size :
• Length : 1.38 or 2.75 meters
•
Width : 1.20 meter
•
Thickness : from 10 to 50 mm, according to customers needs
Harder foams (PP 30 kg/m3)
When the shaped parts to be produced have a low thickness variation, this kind of foam allows the manufac-
turing of large parts; higher pressures can be used without deformation of the foam.
Before impregnation, it is always possible to have the foam more elastic locally by compressing it mechanically
where it is necessary. This complex, which can be bent at room temperature, can have its shape memorized
when heated at 90/100° C during forming.
Size :

• Length : 1.83 meter
•
Width : 1.22 meter
•
Thickness : 5 and 10 mm only
Reinforcements

All the reinforcements available on the market can be used (fiberglass, aramid, carbon) :
• Woven fabrics,
•
Non woven fabrics,
•
Complexes
The Nida-Fusion STF complex is produced with only one layer of reinforcement on each side.
Triangulations

The triangulations of the sandwich material are characterized by : The Spacing
The spacing corresponds to the distance between two stitches that have the same orientation. It can vary from
10 to 60 mm. The closer the spacing between triangulations, the better the the mechanical properties. How-
ever, closer spacing will increase weight of the core.

 
  
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South Ameri-
can bus
manufacturer
MarcoPolo
won a pres-
tigious award
at the Feiplar
Composites
Show in San Paolo, Brazil for this rear door assembly,
that was successfully converted from metallic materi-
als to fully composites construction, utlilizing NidaFu-
sion STF core.
NidaFusion STF used in the LRTM manu-
facture of these windmill nacelles.

45. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM

Parallel Orientation  
All the stitching lines are parallel to the length of the sheet. 
Flexural strength is good in the length side of the sheet. 
Off Axis orientation
 
All the stitching lines are oriented with a 30 degrees angle to the length of the sheet.  This configuration gives good bending resistance across the width of the core as well as along the length  Both Nida-Fusion STO and Nida-Fusion STF complexes have been studied for impregnation in closed mould.   Hand lay-up or projection processes are not suitable for a perfect impregnation.  Usually a layer of extra reinforcement is added on each side of the complex. 
Nida-Fusion STO Complex
 
Can be impregnated using : 
• Low pressure press with or without vacuum.
•
RTM process or RTM Light.
•
Infusion.
Sheets of this complex material can be cut with a circular saw equipped with an abrasive disc and can be 
notched with a sharp blade to install inserts. 
Nida-Fusion STF Complex
 
Can be impregnated using: 
• RTM Light.
•
Filament winding.
•
Infusion (with Polypropylene foams only)
With the RTM light process, it is always better to start injection without vacuum. Vacuum shall be progressively 
applied, at the latest stage. 
Thanks to the foam flexibility it is very easy to place the complex in the mould before closing. 

45
Soup-box  derby  car  body  made  with NidaFu-
sion STF  materials 
NidaFusion STO  shown  infused  with solid  glass  
perimeter detail.  
Automobile
body made
wth closed
molding
process us-
ing NidaFu-
sion cores. LRTM proc-
ess  bus  
fender  us-
ing NidaFu-
sion STF  
core. 
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Nida-Bond is a specially formulated, polyester based core bedding compound developed by Nida-Core Cor-
poration for hand lay-up and vacuum bagging core installation. Use of premium resins results in high tensile 
and flexural strength. Its high adhesive strength provides an excellent bond between the core and the lami-
nate. Its is suitable for most coring applications and is compatible with our Foamline, BalsaLite and Nida-Core, 
TecnoCore, PVC and SAN foam core materials. Characteristics include: lightweight, non-sagging, and long 
working time for coverage of large areas. Consult MSDS  for additional handling, storing and safety information. 
NidaBond is available either Pumpable or Trowelable
Normal application of Nida-Bond CBC on a flat, smooth 
surface would require about 1/16" per square foot although in certain gap filling applications can be used
 up 
to 1/4" thick. Below are coverage rates per gallon and weight per square foot at different thicknesses.

46
Additional
references:

Page 56;94,

95;96;97
CORE BONDING COMPOUND (CBC)
ALL-PURPOSE BONDING COM-
POUND ( APC)
RADIUS F ILLETING COMPOUND (RFC)
TRANSOM POURABLE CERAMIC COMPOUND (TPC)
NidaBond RFC is formulated especially for filling behind the gel coat of 
tight radii. In addition, NidaBond Brushable Radius Filleting Compound
has excellent crack resistance for superior durability. An extended gel 
time version of this product is also available. Use of premium resins results 
in high tensile and flexural strength. Consult MSDS for additional handling, 
storing and safety information. 
Nida-Bond APC is a specially formulated, polyester based all purpose  bonding compound developed by Nida-Core Corporation for general  purpose filling and bonding. Use of premium resins results in high tensile  and flexural strength. Its high adhesive strength provides an excellent bond between the bonded substrates.  Consult MSDS for additional handling, storing and safety information. NidaBond APC is available either Pump- able or Trowelable. Catalyze with MEKP. Semi-flexible for exceptional crack resistance.  

• Formulated with premium resins
• Low shrinkage and exotherm
• Low styrene content
• General purpose bonding
• General purpose filler, filleting radii, excellent durability, filling small voids,
bonding composites


Description: NIDA-CORE formulates its Ceramic Pourable Compound with premium polyester resins and high 
strength ceramic spheres resulting in high tensile and flexural strength. This lightweight compound is ideal for 
filling large volumes where strength and rigidity are major concerns. The NidaBond  Ceramic Pourable Com-
pound mixes and pours easily from the 5-gallon pail. 
 
Excellent rigidity and strength. Formulated with premium resins Low shrinkage and exotherm Low styrene con-
tent Structural applications where high compressive strength is required 
7 times better compression
strength than plywood!
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Nida-Core Corp. foam  production facilities  include  the   best  fully  automated computer  numerically  
controlled equipment  available  with  up  to  150 lb/min  capacity   Cannon dispenser  machine,  several  
Femco  and Edge-Sweets    foam  block  machining  units,  62”  wide  belt  sander  and  associated  support  
equipment  for  ultimate  consistency  and  high  quality  foam  product. Coupled  with  our  heated  
11’X21.5’ multi-stage   250 ton press  and  3-axis  CNC  milling capability, Nida-Core   Corp. is  your  source  
for  all 
   custom  foam  machining  needs.  
• Foamline  polyurethane foam  is  available  in  sheets  from  3/16”  to  8” (5mm-203 mm)  thick  
blocks  in  densities  from  2 lb/ft3  to  50 lb/ft3.   
 
• Standard   sheet  size  is  48” X96” or 1219mmX2438 mm 
 
• All  Foamline  products  can  be  supplied  in  customer  specified  CNC  cut  kit  form. 
 
• Closed  cell content up to 99% 
 
• Freeze and thaw cycle tested. 
 
• Anti-static additives available for specific applications. 
 
• Low-abrasion additives available for machining applications. 
 
• Fire - retardant additives available. 
 
• Custom pigmentation and customer branding availab le. 
Additional
references:

Page 102
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NidaFLow is the next generation of composite reinforcements designed for use in various closed molding techniques in-
cluding resin transfer (RTM), vacuum-assist (VARTM) and press molding. NidaFLow is comprised of a non-woven synthetic
core, stitch-bonded between two layers of binder free chopped fiberglass. The highly conformable needled polypropylene
synthetic core provides for superior resin flow, while the fiberglass provides strong mechanical properties. This new product
reduces lamination time by minimizing cutting and handling during tool loading. NidaFLow offers fast part injection times
and significantly improved cosmetic surface finish due to the products unique combination of core materials and
chopped glass outer layers. NidaFLow is compatible with Polyester, Vinyl Ester, Epoxy, and Polyurethane resin systems.
NIDAFLOW APPLICATIONS FOR DIFERENT PART THICKNESS
MOLD CAV-
ITY (mm) P300C300 P300D300 P450C450 P450D450 P600C600 P600D600

1.5
2.0 24
2.5 19 20 27
3.0 17 17 23 24 30
3.5 14 15 20 21 26 26
4.0 13 13 18 18 23 23
4.5 12 16 17 20 21
5.0 15 19 19
5.5 18
6.0
48
Additional
references:

Page 85
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NidaCore FC
Nida-Core FC (for Flexible Core)  is  a flexible   ex-
tra resilient continuous honeycomb  product,  able 
to be  configured  and  engineered  to  suit  the  
end  user’s  requirements. Nida-Core FC can be 
made from virtually any thermoplastic material-
from polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate 
to many others in nonwoven or film form. The FC  is  
manufactured,  using  a patented  3D  stacking  
system by  means  of  thermal bonding, up to 
100mm thick and  up to 1250 mm  in width, and  
as  long  as  necessary. 
 Thermal bonding means there are no glues
 or 
other additives in the process, making the product  100% recyclable and environmentally friendly. 
Applications.    In general, applications for this product fall into at least one or more of the following areas: structural, separa- tion, fluid transport and energy absorption.  It is possible for an application to require or use all of these functional areas while some may require only one.  Since the nature of the nonwoven is drastically altered, i.e., it is in a third dimension, its intellectual  property po- tential is also  drastically altered as well, and many new defensible areas become available from the  same   starting material. 
1.       11mm Nominal Cell 
             200 gsm Typar spun bonded Polypropylene   
      
       (nonwoven) 
             40 kg/cubic meter (calculated)               58 psi average – compressive strength (ASTM                  C365)                45 psi – shear strength (ASTM C365) 
2.   11mm Nominal Cell 
             10 mil thick PP film               45 kg/cubic meter (calculated)           
    68 psi average- compressive strength    
             (ASTM C365)               48 psi – shear strength (ASTM C365)
 
APPLICATION  Key Property 
Fluid Movement  
 
Separation, Fluid transport, Laminar flow  
Panel  Structural, Separation, Light weight  
Gravel Replacement   Ease of Use, Structural, Separation, Fluid transport  
Flooring  Nonabsorbent underlay, Energy absorption, Separa- tion 
Erosion control   Structural,  Separation , Fluid transport  
Protection (sports, industrial)  Separation, Energy absorption  
Seating  Engineered resilience, Structural, Separation  
Additional
references:

Page 25;35;
91
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For over 16 years, customers have relied on Nord Composites ZERO shrink one component tooling resin for manufacture of
highest quality close tolerance molds for open and closed molding.
Noted for its long shelf life (6 months) and one component premixed ease of use, Nord Composites RM 2000/50 is consid-
ered by many elite manufacturers to be the benchmark in tooling resins performance. RM 2000/50 is an unsaturated poly-
ester resin, especially formulated for mold making. Filled and pre-accelerated, it is a ready to use product, obtaining
molds with superior surface profile and no shrinkage.
• Performs like a normal laminating resin.
• Rapid cure gives rapid mould making.
• Complete dimensional stability.
• Perfect surface replication on the cured lami-
nate.
Additional
references:

Page 76;98;
99
•
Fiber print through eliminated.  
• Color shift indicates when the laminate is cured.  
• Normal resin storage life without filler settlement.  
• Pre accelerated resin with fillers added.
50
ZERO SHRINK TOOLING RESIN SYSTEM RM 2000/50
ZERO SHRIN K VINYL ESTER HIGH HDT TOOLING RESIN RM 3000
RM 3000/50 is an unsaturated polyester resin based on vinyl ester, especially formulated for produc-
ing composite molds for applications where high thermal and chemical resistance or a degree of
translucency are required. Molds made with RM 3000/50 give perfect plug replication due to the ZERO SHRINK properties of the resin. RM 3000/50 has been designed to polymerize at room tempera- ture following addition of MEKP (Peroxide) Rapid cure and rapid manufacture of the mold ((in one
day) An easy to use product , pre-filled and pre-accelerated, with no further mixing required. Fillers
reduce the cost and improve rigidity of the mold.
• Rapid cure and rapid making of molds
• No shrink
• Low profile surfaces
• Semi translucent when cured
• Complete dimensional stability
• Uses standard MEKP catalyst with 9% active oxygen content
• High HDT
Rating
• Low VOC (HAP)
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51
Additional
references:

Page 31;86
AVAILABLE WELDED and NON-
WELDED QUA LITY PET FO AM

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Thermoformable
Great fatigue resistance
Good chemical resistance
No toxic or corrosive emissions
when burned
NON WELDED Quality: Albeit at lower mechanical properties than welded quality, avail-
able as special order for special applications, like x-ray penetrability.

Schematic on the welding
process:
Closed cell content > 95%
0
50
100
150
200
250
PS
PU
Polyvinyl Chloride foam
Divinycell
ROHACELL
Corecell
PET s hort term
Balsa
Thermal resistance of NidaFoam
200 PET short
98
Corecell
150
Balsa
204 Rohacell
90
Divinycell
135 Polyvinyl
177
PU
74 PS
(°C) Material
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52
Thermoformability: NidaFoam sheets can
be thermoformed.
The white color of the NidaFoam is easy
to recognize and distinguish from other
available foams. The white color transfers
less to the composite part surface, result-
ing in less gelcoat usage.
Chemical resistance and corrosive gases:
Good resistance against weak bases,
weak acids as well as against most cur-
rent solvents : alcohol – acetone – per-
chlorethylene. Limited resistance – check
in each case – against strong mineral ac-
ids
. NidaFoam does not emit any corro-
sive gases, even when burned, unlike PVC
foams. NidaFoam does not emit gases
that contain halogen such as hydrochloric
acid.
Water and resin absorption:
Excellent closed
cell ratio, comparable
to PVC, PU and SAN foams. Certifications:
NidaFoam has been awarded FST M1
spec burn certificate. Other industry
specific certifications are pending and
available upon request. Independent
laboratory structural testing results
available. Check www.nida-core.com
for periodic updates.
Each NidaFoam board  is marked  with DOM and  
specifications particular to  batch.
Scrimming and  scoring, including  grid pattern  for  
infusion laminar resin transfer  is  available  with 
NidaFoam. Please note the consistency of perfora-
tions and alignment with grid pattern. 
Composite wind blade industry is especially suit-
able for NidaFoam due
 to its high process  tem-
perature, excellent fatigue  resistance  and   avail- ability. 
Infusion grid score  pattern  schematic. 
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Additional
references:

Page 87
Description:
• Excellent mechanical properties – high shear and compression
strength
• Especially recommended for application with high temperatures
• Excellent chemical resistance against dissolvent, benzene, light ac-
ids under regular environmental circumstances
• Closed cell structure indicated a low resin uptake
• No water absorption
• Good thermal insulation
• Thermo formable
• Available 5-24 mm ( 3/16”-1”) thicknesses, cell diameter 26mm(about 1”)
• Sheet size 11”X47” (depending on precursor material)
• Multiple
layers can be stacked for greater thicknesses
• Designed for infusion, can be
hand laid with NidaBond
Core Bedding compound
(CBC) with vacuum bagging
the core or rolling the core
into NidaBond.
• 10 mm cell side wall length
0.35 mm kerf width
• Available precursors include
NidaFoam PET, Polyurethane
and Polyisocyanurate foams
 
 
3D
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Hypaject Mark III
Using the pressure pot principle pre-mixed resin systems are drawn into the machine 
under vacuum, actively degassed, then dispensed under pressure into the mold cav-
ity. Processing requirements of single part epoxy materials such as Hexcel's RTM6 and 
Cytec Engineered Materials have led to heated systems complete with higher levels 
of control and monitoring. The Hypaject RTM system is highly versatile Standard 6 liter 
capacity homogenizers are complimented by 'special order' sizes, ranging from 0.3 
to 30 liter. 

Megaject RTM-PRO
By incorporating programmable logic controls in the fully automatic production system, the
Megaject RTM RTM-Pro offers many standard features unavailable on other models. Automatic
functions are stored and easily accessed through the touch-sensitive display, which provides
full control of the injection and flushing cycles. All of the machines operational features are
pre-programmable and monitored. The Megaject RTM RTM-Pro ensures accurate repeatability
of the molding process and the capability to interface with other production equipment such
as an automatic press or manipulator.
Megaject MkV
The unit can be configured to suit Polyester/Vinylester, Phenolic or Epoxy filled or unfilled resin systems. Vari-
able ratio, infinite adjustment between 1:1 to 200:1, enabling the user to accurately match the resin
manufacturer's specified ratio. This is achieved using one of the 4 Standard pump sizes, 100cc, 50cc,
20cc and 4.5cc.20cc pump available in 316 S/S for use with phenolic resin systems, giving catalyst ratio
range of 3% to 20.8%Heavy duty ratio arms with precision roller bearing fulcrums
in place of bushes. Preci-
sion designed fluid pumps guarantee accurate metering over the full output range. All pumps now fitted
with new unique internal valve seals. Ratios manually adjusted using low friction Teflon coated lead screws.
See www.nida-core.com for full specifications and features.
Megaject Sprinter SSB Basic/Automatic
The precision fluid pumps achieve a mix output from as low as 150g/min up to 4kg/min. Catalyst pump
ratios are adjustable from 0.5% to 3.0%.Instrumentation and control panel and pump guard housed in a
stainless steel cabinet. Precision fluid pumps guarantee accurate metering across the full output range.
Mould Pressure Guard (MPG). This constantly regulates the injection pressure to ensure a fast and safe
mould-fill. Catalyst over-pressurisation, provides an automatic machine safety­stop. Single pin Catalyst

ratio adjustment. Stainless steel ratio arms. Manual resin and catalyst recirculation valves at the mixing
head. Resin inlet hose with filter suitable for 200kg drum. 8 litre catalyst bottle with filtered line. Digital stroke
counter, counting every 100cc. Complete 2 stream mixing head with static mixer element and air/solvent/
air cleaning system. Frame mounted 20 liter non-pressurised solvent tank with submerged solvent pump
system, SP3. Compact, low shipping cost. See www.nida-core.com for full specifications and features.
Megaject RTM Sprint PDC
A pneumatically powered medium output machine, designed for the accurate mix-
ing and injection of resin. The precision fluid pumps achieve a mix output from as low 
as 150g/min up to 6kg/min. Standard features include: variable catalyst ratio, unique 
solvent/air flush, and the benefit
 of resin and catalyst recirculation at the mix-head. 
Catalyst pump ratios are adjustable from 0.5% to 4.5% in increments of 0.25%. See   www.nida-core.com for full specifications and features. 
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Reusable Red Dynamic Seal channel profile . Provides
rapid calibration profile when making mould Dynamic seal
channel. We recommend using "super glue" adhesive to fix to
1mm flange wax. Supplied in 25m coils
Mold Vacuum Seal Wing Profile. A well proven secondary
neoprene seal (Outer) for all LRTM molds. Easy to apply, join
and seal. Fits 26 x 13mm groove for optimum performance.
Supplied in 25m coils
Mold Vacuum Seal Wing Profile. As above but silicone
material. Supplied in 25m coils
Reusable Wing Seal channel profile . Provides rapid calibra-
tion 26 x 13mm groove when making mold Wing seal chan-
nel. We recommend using "super glue" adhesive to fix to
1mm flange wax. Designed to take the mould
vacuum seal
wing profile. Supplied in 25m coils
Mushroom LRTM Seal Green Silicone . The first choice for a
Primary resin seal (Inner), this highly resilient silicone gives a
long molding cycle life. Fits 10 x 5mm groove. Designed for
1mm seal compression. Supplied in 25m coils
Reusable Mushroom Seal Channel Profile 10mm x 5mm.
Ideal profile for rapid and accurate forming of the groove
profile during mold build to take the Mushroom seal # 3202
above. Supplied in 25m coils
Reusable Resin Flow Channel Profile . Designed for rapid
calibration of the resin flow channel during the mold manufac-
ture. Supplied in 25m coils
Dynamic Silicone Seal . For a professional LRTM mould the
Dynamic
seal offers many advantages over Static Mushroom
seal above. Features: adjustable sealing pressure, safer
mould opening, seals on vertical draft face and self-adjusting
around difficult flange profiles. Supplied in 25m coils .
Direct Resin Vacuum Catchpot Steel vacuum
lid as standard. Additional/ alternative view lids available (as shown). Provides secure LRTM
mould final resin fill reservoir. Stainless steel
body with locked and sealed tapered fittings
allows instant disconnection after fill.
55
SEALS FOR LRTM MOLDS
MACHINE and MOLDACCESSORIES
Dynamic Seal Installation Kit . Primarily used in
conjunction with new installations of Dynamic
seal #1114 above. The kit includes: seal mold
insert, nylon connection tube, nylon connection
tube former and silicone jointing tube. Complete
with instructions for use.
Turbo Autosprue - Turbo Autosprue
Automatic Injection valve to connect to
injection machine. Used in place of the
10mm injection pipe insert for a cleaner
more efficient means of resin feed.
Vacuminder - Standard Model - Sup-
plies 2 regulated mould vacuum sources,
peripheral vacuum to hold the Light RTM
mould together and central vacuum to
evacuate the cavity and assist resin flow.
The vacuum sources can also be isolated
once desired vacuum is reached. This
unit also
has a dynamic seal controller to
pressurize and vacuum the dynamic seal.
Latch Clamp . To assist initial closure of
peripheral vacuum seal. Can be screwed to
mould edge wooden frame or welded to
steel frame. Complete with drawing show-
ing set up.
10mm Mold Vacuum Connection. Secure flange
vacuum connection point. Easy to bond into
LRTM mould flange face either upper or lower
half. Has self sealing screw type 10mm pipe at-
tachment fitting for reliable vacuum clamping.
CALIBRATION
Sheet wax—0.5mm-4mm 10 sheets per box, call for current pricing or
order online at www.nida-core.com
Calibrated self adhesive cork 1.5-3 mm
Mastercore 6mm flange detail construction core.
Fillite filler
Tooling surface tissue
Modeling wax
H20 based cleanser
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HOW TO USE NIDABOND POURABLE TRANSOM COMPOU ND
NIDA-BOND POURABLE TRANSOM COM-
POUND is ceramic filled polyester exhibit-
ing exceptional physical properties. In par-
ticular, the compressive strength has been
documented by an independent testing
laboratory to be 3,895 psi (ASTM 695). This
is several times that of plywood and 8 to
10 times that of PVC foam. In addition,
the failure mode shows elastic yielding
before failure. This makes the NIDA-BOND
POURABLE TRANSOM COMPOUND mate-
rial an excellent choice for critical appli-
cations such as coring transoms on power
boat hulls. There are three methods of
employing the NIDA-BOND POURABLE

TRANSOM COMPOUND material as a tran-
som core
A. Specially Designed Hull Liner
By appropriately designing the hull liner at
the transom, a gap can be created into
which the Nida-Bond Pourable Transom
Compound can be poured or pumped.
Special consideration needs to be given
to the details of bonding the liner to the
hull so that a minimum of added time
and material is required to seal the cavity.
The advantages are:
The laminate to core bonds are ex-
ceptional
The cycle time and labor are greatly
reduced
The absence of wood is a marketing
advantage
B. Use of transom jigs
An alternative method that does not re-
quire retooling before being able to utilize
the Nida-Bond Pourable Transom Com-
pound material involves the use of reuse-
able transom jigs, although other material
will work also. After the hull is laminated,
the jig is set in place and taped all
around. The Nida-Bond Pourable Tran-
som Compound material is poured into
the gap. After it has gelled, the jigs can
be removed. Depending on the choice
of material and release system em-
ployed, some surface preparation may
be required in order to ensure adequate
bonding of the subsequent laminate. An
alternative to the above method involves
skinning out the backside of the hull jig
with 1 1/2 ounce mat prior to setting it in
the boat. This provides a superior core to
laminate bond. Next, a suitable laminate is added to the backside of the core or the 1 1/2 once mat. Because of the physi-
cal properties of the Nida-Bond Pourable
Transom Compound , it may be possible
to reduce the laminate compared to that
which is required for other cores. This
should only be done after appropriate
testing is conducted.
C. Filling the Cavity
Introducing the material into the cavity
can be done either manually or by using
dispensing equipment. It is critically impor-
tant to insure that sufficient catalyst levels
are employed and that thorough mixing
takes place. Hand mixing can be an ef-
fective way to guarantee consistently
takes place.

The NIDA-BOND POURABLE TRANSOM COMPOUND material is truly an exciting
new product, being successfully em-
ployed by quality conscious, efficiency
minded boat manufacturers.
Additional
references:

Page 46;96
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Additional
references:

Page 46;96
57
Alternative metho d to filling the cav-
ity and installation tips :
Installing Nida-Bond Pourable Transom Compound
with transom jig-dam involves the use of reusable
transom jigs made of fiberglass, plywood, plastic or
metallic materials.
1. Template the inside of the boat transom to be
filled with NidaBond PTC to accuracy of 1/ 8”.
2. Transfer the template to jig material and fabri-
cate the jig-dam by cutting to 1/8” tolerances

or better.
3. Apply seal or sealant (prior to pour) around the
outside lower edge of the jig-dam to avoid
compound seepage.
4. Inside the boat hull mark the final location of the
jig-dam with visible marker.
5. Prepare the fabricated jig-dam for lamination,
by cleaning and applying wax to the surface.
6. Gel-coat the jig-dam in horizontal position out-
side of the boat hull.
7. Apply laminate to the gel-coated jig-dam to the
desired laminate schedule, that will form the in-
side laminate of the finished transom.
8. Green
trim edges of the jig-dam and transfer
the gel-coated, laminated jig-dam inside the boat hull, line up with marker lines.
9. Use mechanical fasteners or clams to secure the
jig-dam in place for pour.
10. Pour or pump NidaBond TPC into cavity .
11. Remove jig-dam and tape transom to hull
seam with fiberglass tape.
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Product Data
Wt/Gal.: 7.25 lbs/Gal
MEKP: 8 lbs/Gal
Avg. lbs/pail: 36 lbs/pail
The chart shows the recommended catalyst addition for a working time of approximately 18 to 20 minutes
Formulated for average material temperatures greater than 75° F

Material Tempera-
ture

% by weight gm/gal gm/5 gal cc/gal cc/5 gal
60-65° F 2.00 66 323 63 310
65-70° F 1.80 59 290 57 279
70-75° F 1.60 53
258 51 248
75-80° F 1.50 49 242 47 232
80-85° F 1.20 39 194 38 186
85-90° F 1.00 33 161 32 155
90-95° F 0.80 26 129 25 124
A winter version is also available.





rpm mMIN cps mMAX cps


Gel Properties:
Sample mass is 150 g initiated with 1.5% with DDM-9 MEKP @ 77 deg F
Gel Time: 18 - 24 min
Interval: 20 - 28 min
Total: 38 - 52 min

Peak Exotherm: 150 - 180 º F

Product Specifications:
Color and odor: Gray with styrene odor
Physical appearance: thick liquid
Weight per gallon: 7.1 - 7.3 lbs/gal
Uncured stability: up to 6 months (depending on storage)

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is solely for informational purposes. Suitability to task should be determined
by user prior to specific application. Nothing herein constitutes a warranty, express or implied, including any warranty of
merchantability or fitness. Before use and handling of this
product, consult its MSDS for important safety information.
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Description: NIDA-CORE formulates its Ceramic Pourable Compound with premium polyester resins
and high strength ceramic spheres resulting in high tensile and flexural strength. This lightweight com-
pound is ideal for filling large volumes where strength and rigidity are major concerns. The Ceramic
Pourable Compound mixes and pours easily from the 5-gallon pail.
Features:
• Excellent rigidity and strength , Formulated with premium resins
• Low exotherm
• Mixes easily, pumpable or pourable
• Excellent stability
Uses:
• Filling large volumes
• General purpose filler
• Radius compound
• Structural applications where high compressive strength is required
Viscosity Ranges: Viscosity (m) tests performed on Brookfield RVT (#7 spindle)
at 77 deg F.

59. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM
WORKING WITH NIDABOND CBC (core bonding compound)
 Material Tem-
perature
 % by weight  gm/gal gm/5gal  cc/gal  cc/5gal 30ml/shots
 50-60° F  2.50   73   349   70   335   11
 60-65º  2.25   65   314   63   301   10
 65-70°  2.00   58   279   56   268    9
 70-75º  1.75   51   244   49   234    8
 75-80º  1.50   44   209   42   201    7
 80-85°  1.25   36   174   35   167    6
 85-90°  1.00   29   139   28   134    4
 90-95°  0.75   22   105   21   100    3
 Normal application of Nida-Bond CBC on a flat, smooth surface would require about 1/16" per square foot  although in certain gap filling applications can be used up to 1/4" thick. Below are coverage rates per gallon  and weight per square foot at different thicknesses.


Thickness Square feet per gallon Weight per square foot


1/16"

25 2 oz

1/8" 12.5 4 oz

3/16" 9.38 6 oz



1/4" 6.25 8 oz
Additional
references:

Page 46;94
Clockwise from the top:

1. Wet out or prime core prior to placing it into the
NidaBond CBC to eliminate wicking of resin from the
compound.
2. NidaBond CBC must be spread with notched trowel
Gauge the evenness of the surface and remove ob-
vious high spots from laminate.
Smooth out surface by spreading evenly over area
that you can finish within the gel time window.

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WORKING WITH NIDA- CORE H8PP
NIDA-CORE is a polypropylene honeycomb covered on both faces with a soft polyester non-woven fabric. It is 
available in 2134 x1219 (4’ x 7’) ready for direct use: lamination or gluing. Other sizes are available. Please in-
quire.  
 
The flexible and light sheets enable an easy use in sandwich panels where most usual techniques of cutting, 
laminating and gluing can be applied. Since it is a thermoplastic product, other additional specific properties 
1 – CUTTING and MACHINING  
1.1.- CUTTING


NIDA-CORE is conventionally cut by usual means: saws, knives or a hot wire as it is thermoplastic. 
 
● Saws –
In order not to burst or melt NIDA-CORE when cutting, the best tooth spacing is close to: 
                                          10 teeth per inch


Circular saws are particularly suitable for straight parts. 
½ to 1” wide band saws are suitable for straight cuts, 3/8” for curved cuts.  
 
 
● Knives –
Cutting with a knife is possible. A “hawk bill” or “Linoleum” knife is quite   suitable. 
●Hot wire –
Cutting can be carried out with an approx. 2mm tensioned wire heated at about 350˚Cs 
(662°F).
Deck hatch being manufactured using vacuum bag.  Note the PVC foam perimeter to ease post machining of  the hatch. Photo courtesy of Dixon Marine, NY  .

1.2– Machining


● At cold temperature –
 
Classical tools for wood (ripper, grinder…) can be used by adapting the number of cutting blades and possi-
bly the speed (too few blades can burst NIDA-CORE; too many can melt it).  
 
● At hot temperature –
Another way is to use the thermoplastic property: softening under heat. NIDA-CORE polypropylene cells melt 
at 160˚C (320.0°F) whereas the non-woven polyester, which covers the facings, melts at 240˚C (464°F). 
 
Hence if NIDA-CORE is heated at about 200˚C (392°F), (it melts locally to the shape required (hot stamping) 
without damaging the non-woven facing. 

 
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Second way is to cut the required shape and then to re-weld the non-woven polyester. For example, the fol-
lowing edges can be achieved:
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2.1 – COLD FORMING

The soft polyester non-woven scrim, which covers the  large faces of NIDA-CORE, makes it formable by: 
 
In the  case of standard panels ( 3 psi to 12 psi) should be applied during curing time of polyester or 
glue. This can be done on a mold with vacuum or a matched die mold and a press. 
In the case of  marine panels (scored 2” x 2” = 50mm x 50mm one   side), a simple mold is   sufficient 
 
 
2.2 - HOT FORMING and PREFORMING


Again a thermoplastic product is easily thermoformed: 
 
In an oven, in a mold, at less than 100°C (212°F), NIDA-CORE softens and under a very light pressure it very 
easily takes the required shape. 
 
NIDA-CORE can also be hot preformed. Two possible processes: 
 
 
• Pre-heating in an oven between 140°C (284°F) and 150°C (302°F), then forming in a cold mold.
• Forming in a mold heated at 130°C (266°F) -140°C (284°F).
 
In both cases NIDA-CORE will keep its shape at cold temperature. 
 
In all cases, temperatures, pressures and timings should be set up according to the shape of the part and to 
the thickness of NIDA-CORE. 
 
 

 
Sandwich panels with a NIDA-CORE core
 can be achieved either by direct laminations or by gluing a rigid skin. 
 
3.1 - LAMINATION  
 
The non-woven polyester applied on NIDA-CORE is an ideal surface for direct lamination of thermo hardening 
resins of polyester type (or other). However, considering their huge variety, resin formulations and lay up tech-
niques should be checked against their compatibility with NIDA-CORE. 
 
Most traditional techniques (hand lay up, spraying, vacuum, pressing, low pressure injection), which are func-
tion of existing tooling and depend upon the parts to be achieved, can be applied and need only slight ad-
justments to NIDA-CORE specificities. 
 
 
Within the NIDA-CORE range, NIDA-CORE HC8 is especially suitable for lamination. Indeed, NIDA-CORE  
HC 8 has, as an under face of the non-woven polyester, a plastic film which restricts resin passing trough into 
cells.  
 

3 - WORKING UP  
2 - FORMING
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The operating principle of sandwich panels is to have a perfect adherence between the core and the rigid 
skins. Therefore when working up a panel, it is necessary to check: 
- The good impregnation by resin to the core and skins. 
- The good contact, e.g. through pressure, between the core and the skins. 
 
• Manufacturing process of a laminated sandwich panel with a NIDA-CORE core:
 
a) Traditionally make the first skin of sandwich panel (gel coat on the mold, then required layers of glass-
resin). 
 
b) Before the first skin has hardened, apply NIDA-CORE, interposing an extra ca 400-g/m² quantity of resin, 
either applied on the skin or on NIDA-CORE when hand lay up laminating.  
 
If necessary, in the manufacturing
 process or in case of a thin laminate and if a very high quality surface 
finishing is required, it is possible to let the gel coat and one of several layers of glass-resin polymerize. As  soon as polymerization is over, a last of glass-resin is spread in order to glue NIDA-CORE as explained ear- lier. It is also possible to glue with low shrink polyester glue.    c) On NIDA-CORE, traditionally apply the required layers of glass-resin of the second skin, providing for and  extra ca 400- g/m2(11/2 fl. oz. /ft²) quantity of resin to impregnate NIDA-CORE and to ensure gluing with the  laminate.     If necessary or if a gel coat finishing is planned on both faces of the sandwich, either a mould or counter 
mold are used, or the first layers of the laminate are made first and they are glued to NIDA-CORE as ex- plained before.     Pouring resin in heaps on NIDA-CORE without spreading it immediately should be avoided in order to pre- vent it from going through into the cells by gravity.     As NIDA-CORE is a heater insulator, using a resin with too much exothermic should be avoided since it  could damage the laminate or cause air bubbles.    
A glass mat should be preferred to a fabric for direct contact with NIDA-CORE. 
 
d) Once the part is achieved, it is advised to apply the most evenly distributed pressure on the whole 
(vacuum, press, and weight…). 
Hand lay up working is possible but
 a good NIDA-CORE laminate bonding (on the mould side) should be 
ensure by a former impregnation of NIDA-CORE then by a hand pressure on NIDA-CORE when fitting it. It is  the same on lamination by simultaneous glass-resin spraying. Bonding of the other side is easier to check,  as it is visible: additionally it is naturally made on the pressure un bubbling of the glass-resin layers. 
 
• RTM
RTM techniques are possible with some products of the NIDA-CORE range. It depends on
the technique used, injection pressure, temperature, and fluidity; therefore it is preferable
to consult us in order to decide together upon a suitable product.

 
3.2- GLUING


There again, non-woven polyester is used as a gluing surface to a lot of rigid skins such as
wood, melamine laminates, marble, fibrocement or metal.

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The glue to be used essentially depends upon the skin to be glued and on the physical
and mechanical strains applied to the finished sandwich panel. Numerous glues were
already satisfactory tested on NIDA-CORE: polyurethane, epoxy, neoprene, vinyl, polyes-
ter, and urea formaldehyde.

However, in all cases using glue, tests should ensure compatibility of the different materi-
als and the mechanical properties of the sandwich panel made. Polyurethane or epoxy
bi-component glues are the most often used thanks to their good mechanical charac-
teristics and their adherence on most materials.

Gluing process of sandwich panel with a NIDA-CORE core:

According to the manufacture’s directions, evenly apply the required quantity of glue on
the rigid skin or on NIDA-CORE or both at
the same time, if so required by the glue. For
polyurethane glue the quantity should be around 400 g/m2(11/2 fl. oz/ft.2)

In the same way apply glue on the second skin or on the face of NIDA-CORE.

On the panel made apply the pressure specified for the glue, minimum of 0.2 bars and
maximum of 1 (15 psi 29 in Hg.) bar is enough with regard to NIDA-CORE. Let the glue set
under the indicated conditions before handling or applying efforts on the panel.

Characteristics of the sandwich panels are mainly due to the good adherence between
the core and the skins, therefore a special care should be brought to gluing and the re-
sults obtained should be well checked.

Note:
Cells may show through the glued skin if the latter is too thin or not rigid enough.
Print through is made worse by an excessive gluing pressure and/or the glue shrinkage
when drying.

3.3- WORKING UP PREPREGS

The high melting temperature of polypropylene makes it possible to use pre-pregs, which
polymerize at temperatures up to 125ºC (at 100ºC [212°F] NIDA-CORE still resist to 1 daN/
cm compression).

Position the pre-preg on NIDA-CORE, apply pressure at the required temperature and let
the whole polymerize. According to the temperature and to the polymerization time,
check that there is no risk of collapse of NIDA-CORE due to the flow. Under a press, a pos-
sible solution consists in positioning shims very slightly less thick than NIDA-CORE in order to
avoid this flow.

De-molding should not be carried out too hot to avoid any risk of distorting the panel or
of delaminating NIDA-CORE.
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4 - FINISHING of the SANDWICH PANEL
4.1.1 – Laminated panels –

Several types of finishes are possible in case of laminated panels. Molding of polyester
skins makes it easier to work out edges as shown in the following examples:
Most frequently, edge finishing is carried out through a frame or a finishing profile. Its
material will be chosen according to the physical-chemical strains of manufacture and
use. Wood is interesting by its very wide flexibility of use but it may require trimming and
is sensitive to moisture. Plastic or metal enable a direct finishing but need a very exact
size.

Setting the frames or profiles can be carried out, as shown by the following examples, ei-
ther before or after the panel is made:
NidaBond Putty
NidaBond Putty
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4.1.3 – Glued panels

Several types of finishes are possible according to the skins, the panel use and the me-
chanical strains applied.

Unstrained decorative edges can be merely glued on both rigid skins. In case of a metal
sheet, a mere fold can hide the edge.
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4.2 – LOCAL STRENGTHENING PARTS, FIXING INSERTS for ELEMENTS OR OBJECTS

Fastening elements on a sandwich panel may require local strengthening parts or in-
serts. Choosing the adequate solution essentially depends on the strains transmitted by
fixing to the skins or to the core. Fixings can be traversing or not.

4.2.1 – NON-TRANVERSING FASTENING
4.2.1.1 – Light loads –

Considering the good cohesion of NIDA-CORE and the good adherence of skins if they
were bonded up properly, fastening can be carried out in a normal way: rivets, bolts
and, self tapping screws, on only one skin (Fig. 1).

If the load makes it necessary or if the skin is insufficiently strong, a glued metallic strength-
ening part can be added and will distribute the stress (Fig. 2).
4.2.1.2 – Heavy concentrated loads-
● In case of non-though fastenings, the most frequent solution consists of, before gluing
the skins of the sandwich panel, in placing inserts which locally build up a solid panel
into which fastening is carried out in a classical way.

The most frequently used insert is wood, but metal or resin inserts are also suitable.

The insert can occupy the full or only part of the thickness of the panel.

● For a greater flexibility of use, it is also possible to make resin inserts on finished
panels.

Considering the fixings to be made, inserts
can be large or small:
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A) Large inserts

The upper skin is removed from the surface concerned by the insert. A mastic resin is
applied with a spatula into the cells of NIDA-CORE. Once the resin is dry, its sandpaper
leaves a clean and surface on which solid fixing is possible.

b) Small inserts

The upper skin is perforated at the spot planned for the insert. Using a cutting tool, a few
cells are sheared around the hole then filled up with resin. Fasteners can be inserted
into the resin.

4.2.2. THROUGH FASTENINGS


Through fastening can be carried out: with inserts as described above, with a metal or
pultruded plastic compression sleeve, with to specially adapted fasteners.
Cabin sole laminated with Nida-Core H8PP with 
PVC foam inserts. Photo courtesy of Dixon Ma-
rine, NY.  Engine room constructed using Nida-Core H8PP  +18 oz WR panel system for sound and vibration  absorption. Photo courtesy of Dixon Marine, NY. 
4.3 – THERMOWELDED INSERTS

Because of its polypropylene composition, NIDA-CORE can very easily receive polypro-
pylene inserts by friction welding. The 15mm thick insert, whose diameter can vary ac-
cording to the resistance wished, is positioned on NIDA-CORE at required spot.
Using to a rotating tool at 1500 revolutions a minute, a light pressure is applied on the
insert.
Rotation and pressure create the heating, which enables a perfect welding between
the insert and NIDA-CORE.

The panel thus prepared can received the final skins. On the insert, solid fixing is carried
out with specially adapted screws.
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Professional, clean installation utilizing Nida-
Core H8PP panel system for low weight,
chemical resistance, sound absorption
and gel coat finish.
Large hatch being constructed with Nida-Core H8PP and PVC foam inserts.
Core installed by vacuum bag method.
Photo courtesy of Dixon Marine, NY.
The indicated direction can serve as a guide to use the product but cannot be considered
as a guarantee of a good working up. Additionally application, utilization and/or transfor-
mation of the products escape our control possibilities. As a consequence, they exclusively
remain the responsibility of the applicator and/or the user and/or the transformer.

VACUUM CORE BEDDING


NIDA-CORE H8PP


Vacuum core bedding is probably the best single means of controlling quality in sandwich core
construction. The process is simple and easily mastered. Expendable materials are minimal, con-
sisting of bagging film, sealant tape and perhaps some distribution media such as bubble pack,
spiral wrap. The objective is to apply a bonding medium such as saturated ¾ to 1 ½ oz CSM or
more preferably Nida-Bond CBC core bedding compound and use the vacuum bag to apply an
even pressure over the entire bedding area to effect the best possible bond with no voids.

1. The first step is to insure that the laminate where the core will be bedded is relatively smooth
without lumps and free of dust.
2.
Next, the core is pre-cut to fit the area to be bedded.
3. Place the sealing or “tacky” tape around the perimeter of the area to be bedded leaving re-
lease paper on top. The release paper will help keep resin, chopped strand glass or CBC bonding media from contaminating the sealant tape.
4. Pre- cut the bagging film slightly larger than the area surrounded by the sealant tape. This is to
prevent the vacuum bag from fitting so tight that it “bridges” from the top edge of the core rather
that may cause excessive pressure which may squeeze resin or CBC from the under the core edge
and creating a poor bond.
5. The core bedding media (catalyzed Nida-Bond CBC or CSM wet
out with catalyzed resin) is ap-
plied to the laminate. If the CBC is used it should be troweled on to a thickness of ¾ to 1 millimeter.
Chopped strand mat should be evenly wet out and the air bubbles rolled out.

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HOW TO WORK WITH NIDA-CORE VENEER SKINNED PANELS

Nida-Core Okoume and Lauan panels are an ideal way to save weight for your yacht cabi-
nets. The heart of the panel is the same Nida-Core polypropylene honey comb, that yacht
builders have trusted for years to give them years of tough, rot proof service, that they have
learned to expect, from the industries premier core manufacturer.
The panels come in thicknesses that mock the
plywood that you are used to using, so the ge-
ometry of the cabinets, need not change.
Cabinet joints can be accomplished by several
methods.
Cut a dado through the core, but not through

the back veneer, the full thickness of the finished Nida-Core panel. Brush in thickened epoxy, and
insert panel into groove. See figure 2.
Figure 1:
1. The bedding face of the core should have a light wetting with catalyzed resin immediately prior
to bedding regardless of whether Nida-Bond CBC or CSM is used. This is to prevent leaching from the
media which might cause a dry area and result in a poor bond or worse, no bond. The core is then
placed into the bedding material.
2. If an air “frog” is used for evacuating the bag, it should have been already installed where it will
be in close proximity to the “distribution media”.
3. Place the “distribution media” on top of the core.
4. Lay the pre-cut bag on top of the “distribution media” and seal the edge down as the release
paper is pulled off
the sealant tape. As the film is somewhat oversized there will be some folds or
puckers at the edge of the bag that will require some sealant tape to fill and seal the fold.
5. When the bag is completely sealed, the vacuum hose is attached to the “frog”. If a “frog” is not
used, a small hole must be cut in the bag and the hose inserted and sealed to the bag. Provision
must be made to insure the vacuum bag cannot be drawn to and close off the end of the hose. If
spiral wrap is used for the distribution media, the end of the hose may be actually be inserted into
the end of the wrap. PVC pipe, cross-drilled with 3/16” holes every six
inches can also be configured
to draw from a very large area.
6. Start the vacuum and check for leaks. Maintain a vacuum of no more than 14 in/Hg
(approximately 7 psi) with the CSM bedding. The Nida-Bond CBC may be used up to 25 in/Hg (about 12.5 psi).
Do not release the vacuum until the bonding media has cured hard and dropped back to ambient
temperature. General Observations

1. Start small and work your way to larger areas as you become familiar with the process.
2. Have your materials pre-cut and ready to use.
Do a dry run or two to get the feel of the process before actually applying the bedding media.
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Figure 2
Another method of fixing shelves or
bulkheads is by attaching a spline
with epoxy then dado the core from
the adjoining panel the depth of
the spline, brush in thickened epoxy
and slip the panel over the spline.
(See figure 3 & 4)
Figure 3:
Figure 4:
An out side corner, can be accomplished much the same way, only you will rabbit the
edge of one panel (Figure 5) and apply thickened epoxy into the rabbit, and clamp in ad-
joining piece, (Figure 6)
Figure 5:
Figure 6:
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Figure 7:
To join two panels edge to edge,
dado both panels the thickness of
the core, brush in thickened epoxy
and inserts a spline. (See figure 7)

If a radius is required, kerf the panel at the starting point of the radius. Clamp
the panel to a flat surface and raise the loose end until the kerf is closed.
Measure the distance between the raised portion and the surface of the
bench, at the desired radius. If the radius is to be 3 inches then measure 3
inches from the kerf then measure the distance the raised portion is off the
bench. This is the distance between saw kerfs. Spread thickened epoxy into the
kerfs and bend to the radius desired. Squeegee off the
excess epoxy from the
back of the panel. See figures 8, 9 & 10.
Figure 8: Figure
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Figure 10:

Figure 11:
Cutting a dado into a solid frame, and gluing the Nida-Core panel into the dado
can accomplish door frames. There is no special treatment to the panel. (See fig-
A door can be hung in the frame by one of two methods. Dado the core out of
the edge of the panel, brush in thickened epoxy and insert the spline.
(See figure 12 & 13) Then attach the hinge as normal and hang the door. (See
figure 14)

Figure 13:
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Figure 14:
You can also make a frame for the
door as in figure 14 and hang as
normal.

Counter tops and table tops, or shelf edges can be accomplished by cutting
your edge molding to the desired shape and brushing in epoxy then bonding
it to the panel. (See figure 16)

Figure 15:
When using a cored panel, careful planning will eliminate problems encoun- tered once the cabinet is assembled. There is very little extra time involved but the end result will be a very strong and lightweight cabinet. If you have specific questions or concerns about changing your process to Nida-Core panels, call 1-800-998-8796 and consult our technical staff.
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7 6
Additional
references:

Page 50;98;
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WORKING WITH NORD COMPOSITES ZERO SHRINK TOOLING RESIN
APPLICATION OF THE GEL COAT
A quality gel coat such as:
GC 206 or 207 ( Vinyl ester )
Catalyzation:
1.5% to 2% of MEKP (Butanox M50 or Hi-Point 90)
with an active oxygen index of 9%
Gel coat thickness between 600 μ and 800 μ
Workshop temperature to be between
18° C and 25° C for optimum gel coat properties
Gel coat applied either by spray or brush
Do NOT apply laminate to the gel coat until it is
fully cured SKIN COAT LAYER BETWEEN THE GEL-
COAT AND THE RM 2000 LAMINATE

IMPORTANT
Ensure that the gel coat is fully cured before the
adding the first laminate layer. First skin layer can
be 1 x 150, 225 or 300gm/M2, chopped strand
mat or a surfacing tissue.
NORD recommends RM 680 (vinyl ester) for the first
layer Ensure that all the air is removed from the first
layer and that the reinforcement conforms into all
the sharp angles on the mold When using RM 680
(vinyl ester) ensure this is catalyzed with MEKP and
is fully cured before backing up with RM 2000

• Stir the RM2000 resin before use
• Ensure that the workshop temperature is
between 18° C and 25° C
• Catalyze with 0.75-1.25% of CATA 2000 (AAP)
(depending on temperature)
• Put down by spray or chopped strand
mat,1,800 gm/M² of glass fiber (4x 450 gm/M²
CSM). Too little will result in insufficient
exotherm to activate the RM 2000, too much
will be difficult to work
• Resin glass ratio is typically 4:1
• When the laminate starts to cure and exo-
therm the temperature will rise to 50° C to 60°
C and the laminate color will shift from mid to
light brown

Lay down the first layer on the gel Spraying with RM
2000/50 coat as in the previous instruction
2000 LGT (90 min gel time).

Spray up with RM 2000 allows large molds to be
produced much faster than with conventional
tooling resins. The filters of the spray gun should be
removed to prevent clogging with filler. A single
chopping roving is best to obtain a good glass to
resin ratio (4:1) Make several thin passes to build
up the required thickness of 5-6mm Check regu-
larly to ensure that the laminate conforms to these
instructions. Stiffening and reinforcing ribs can be
added to the back of the mold. Ribs can be
added as soon as the mold is fully cured and at
room temperature. Ribs added will not cause sink
marks or deformation to the mold surface.

LARGE MOLDS FROM RM 2000/50

•Large molds are nearly always too big to be able
to complete the lamination of the minimum 4 lay-
ers of CSM (or 1,800gm/M² spray) within the gel
time of the resin
•The mold, therefore needs to be produced in
parts by continuous lamination
CALCULATION OF MOULD THICKNESS
•Gel Coat thickness should be 800μ or 0.8mm
•First layer of RM 680 (300gm/M² CSM, 2:1 resin /
glass ratio) will be 0.5mm
•4 layers RM 2000 (450gm/M² CSM, 4:1 resin /
glass ratio) will be 5.7mm
•Total Thickness of RM 2000 laminate
Using 4 layers 450gm CSM = 7.0mm
Using 8 layers 450gm CSM = 12.7mm
Using 12 layers 450gm CSM = 18.4mm
TECHNIQUE-Continuous Laminating
For a large mold using 4 or more layers of CSM,
or with balsa core, foam or Nida-Core honey-
comb it may be better to use RM 2000LGT (90
mins gel time) Start at one end of the plug and
work progressively along the plug, always putting
down 4 layers wet mat on wet mat.
Do NOT let the laminate cure with less than 4 lay-
ers of mat or the fillers may not be activated.
Mix the resin in small quantities (5kg-10kg) other-
wise it will gel before you have time to put it down.

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Start at one end of the plug and work progressively 
along the plug, always putting down 4 layers wet 
mat on wet mat. Do NOT let the laminate cure with 
less than 4 layers of mat or the fillers may not be 
activated. Mix the resin in small quantities (5kg-
10kg) otherwise it will gel before you have time to 
put it down. 
 
Key Molding Techniques
1. ALWAYS ENSURE THAT THE WORKSHOP TEMPERA-
TURE, THE MOLD TEMPERATURE & THE RESIN IS AT A 
MINIMUM 18°C. 
2. PREPARE THE MOLD BY USING A QUALITY TOOLING 
GEL COAT SUCH AS NORD GC 200/201 OR GC 
206/207 
3. USE A CHEMICAL RESITANT SKIN COAT BEHIND THE 
GEL COAT WITH 150-300 gm/M²  GLASS
 FIBER, OR A 
‘C’ GLASS TISSUE, AND A CHEMICALLY RESISTANT 
RESIN SUCH AS R568 OR R680. 
4. STIR THE RM 2000 BEFORE USE TO THOROUGHLY 
MIX IN THE FILLERS. 
5. CATALYZE THE RESIN WITH THE SPECIAL CATALYST 
CATA 2000 (TYPICAL CATALYST LEVEL IS 1%) or AP-
PROVED MEKP (for RM2000/50). 
6. TO ACTIVATE THE ZERO SHRINK ADDITIVES, THE RM 
2000 LAMINATE MUST ACHIEVE AN OPTIMUM EXO-
THERM. 
7. STRONG EXOTHERM IS ONLY REALISED IF 1,800 
gm/M2 OF GLASS FIBER IS PUT DOWN AT ONE TIME 
(4 X 450 gm/M2). THIS MUST BE PUT DOWN WET 
RESIN ON WET RESIN 
8. RM 2000 HAS A NATURAL RESIN TO GLASS RATIO 
OF 4:1. 
9. ALLOW THE LAMINATE TO CURE AND COOL
 
DOWN BEFORE ADDING FURTHER LAYERS  .
10. FULL BARCOL HARDNESS WILL BE REACHED IN 
24hrs PROVIDED THE MOLD IS KEPT AT OVER 18°C  .
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78
Area of mold
50 ft2 100 ft2 150 ft2 300 ft2
Gel Coat
800 microns
(0.8 mm)
10 lbs 20 lbs 30 lbs 61 lbs
Skin Coat
300 gm CSM
2;1 resin/glass
6 lbs 12.2 lbs 19 lbs 37 lbs
RM 2000/50
4X 1.5 oz CSM
4:1 resin/glass
74 lbs 148 lbs 222 lbs 444 lbs
RM 2000/50
8X1.5 oz CSM
4:1 resin /glass
148 lbs 296 lbs 444 lbs 881 lbs
RM 2000/50
12X1.5oz CSM
4:1 resin/glass
220 lbs
441 lbs 661 lbs 1323 lbs
Calculating res in usage (not including waste)
Calculating m old laminate thickness
• Gel coat thickness should be 80 µ or 0.8 mm
• First layer of vinyl ester skincoat(1 oz CSM,2:1 resin/glass ratio) will be 0.5mm
• 4 layers of RM 2000/50(1.5 oz CSM, 4:1 resin/glass ratio) will be 5.7 mm
• Total thickness of RM 2000 /50 laminate

Using 4 layers of 1.5 oz CSM =7.0 mm

Using 8 layers of 1.5 oz CSM =12.7mm
Using 12 layers of 1.5 oz CSM=18.4 mm
Industrial  tanks  made  in Malaysia with mate- rials  supplied  by  Nida-Core Corp.’s  Nord Composites RM  3000  vinyl ester is   especially suitable for  high  HDT  requirement  tooling  to maintain 
dimensional stability. 
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Open or Contact Molding  
Balsalite may be applied by either bedding into sufficient wet
laminate or into a bedding compound such as Nida-Bond
CBC. Whether bedding into CSM (Chopped Strand Mat) or into
Nida-Bond CBC certain procedures must be followed for suc-
cessful application. For many years, end-grain balsa has been
used in sandwich core composites. It’s high compressive and
shear strength and relative low cost have made it the core of
choice for many applications. Recently, much discussion has
been made over moisture intrusion after the structure is built
and what affect that moisture may have. What had not been
addressed is the effect moisture has on the lamination process.
There has been a steady increase in incidents of de-lamination
and
inhibited bond line resin cure over the last several years
and always appeared couple to increased relative humidity.
What we will examine here is: “What changed and how do we
cope with it?” More than forty years ago, the National Forest
Products Laboratory and others, determined that end-grain
balsa could be successfully used with polyester resin at mois-
ture contents as high as 16% and this standard is still offered by
them. Through testing conducted over the last couple of years
we have determined that the threshold where moisture content
affects the cure and bonding characteristics is much lower
than that and problems can be observed as low as 9.5 or 10%.
The balsa hasn’t changed. In a natural product, as the humidity
increases so does the moisture content of the balsa, just as it always has. During our course of testing we used sample lami- nating resins from 5 sources and balsa from three manufactur-
ers. Tests were made with all combinations of resin and balsa at
specific moisture contents.8 to 9% - With all sample combina-
tions complete cures and excellent core to laminate bond was
observed. The resins we use have changed considerably, in
most cases, to meet mandated lower styrene monomer levels.
Some polyester resins in the past had styrene contents of 45 to
49%. They are now at 32 –35%. We believe the higher styrene
content made the resins more tolerant of moisture content,
either absorbing or displacing it. 9.5 to 10 % -
scrimmed and
scored varieties displayed inhibited cures, particularly on the
scrim side. Some milky appearance in the scrim grids indicated
that the scrim itself had retained moisture.10.5 to 12% - As
much as 100% bond line inhibition was observed with outer
skins being completely cured and the skin/core interface with a
thin layer of sticky, uncured resin. There are sometimes air pock-
ets observed (never bonds) as well as de-laminations. Changes
in the resins have affected how resins respond to changes in
moisture content of the balsa. The moisture content threshold
for successful bonding is far lower than available literature and
standards would indicate as these have not been updated in
more than 40 years. With the observation that relative humidity
directly
affects the moisture content and therefore the perform-
ance when laminated, correct storage is extremely important.
Nida-Core Corp. recommends the storage of all Balsalite prod-
ucts in the original packaging in a climate controlled environ-
ment (essentially an air conditioned room). Fluctuations in mois-
ture content will be significantly reduced by observing this prac-
tice.
1. Balsalite R and FPS are not sealed. Therefore, the "down"
side must be "hot coated" with catalyzed laminating resin
and allowed to cure at least two hours before the core is
installed. This procedure seals the end grain and brings it
to the same state as the S2S variety.
2. If Nida-Bond CBC is used, the Bond Line Gel Time
should be determined by catalyzing a small amount of
the Core Bedding Compound and spreading it on a flat
surface approximately 1 mm thick. CBC should be cata-
lyzed at he ratio prescribed for the expected ambient
shop temperature. Prime six 2" x 2" blocks of sealed balsa
with catalyzed laminating resin and lightly press them into
the CBC. Close to the projected gel time (say 30 minutes)
twist one of the blocks slightly, then a subsequent block
every 5 minutes until it one doesn't move and note the gel
time.
3. The core material should be precut and pre-fit before
bonding in place. This is particularly important when vac-
uum bedding the core. The sheets should fit together with
minimal gaps and all
edges that don't butt into another
surface should be beveled with a slope length 3 times the core thickness. Bevel strips may be used if the core cannot be beveled so as to eliminate voids and fiber crimp that occur when laminating around sharp corners.
4. Check the cured laminate surface that the core will be
bedded to for smoothness. There should be no ridges or protrusions that may hold the core off the surface. It may
be necessary to sand the surface with 80 grit paper for
good adhesion depending on the resin system and length
of time it had cured. Remove any sanding dust prior to
core installation. If there is any uncertainty, follow the resin
supplier's guidelines
and test the bond to a sample of the
laminate before installing the core.
5. Nida-Bond CBC should be brought to the ambient shop
temperature of 65 to 85 deg F (18 - 29 deg C) and me- chanically mixed to a uniform consistency in the original pail and working from the bottom up. Storing the pails
upside down will result in faster re-mixing.
6. Refer to the Nida-bond CBC Catalyzation Guide in the
Nida-Core Handbook and allow for the empty weight of
the 5 gallon pail. Blend the required amount of catalyst
and Nida-Bond CBC with a mechanical mixer until an
even pinkish color is obtained with no streaks. A clean
blade or stick should be used to
scrape the sides and
bottom of the mixing pail.
7. When vacuum bagging or with larger applications, prim-
ing of the core and troweling of the Nida-Bond CBC
should occur concurrently to best use the available work-
ing time.
8. A flat trowel, held at 80 degrees to the surface, should be
used to apply the Nida-Bond to a thickness of .04" (1 mm)
on flat surfaces. On highly curved surfaces or where the
balsa is more than one inch thick, more Nida-Bond may
be required to fill the kerfs. After resin priming, drape the
balsa, scrim down, over a drum (covered with plastic film)
and trowel the Nida-Bond into the kerfs. This will improve
the integrity of the core layer
and prevent moisture collec-
tion should the skins be damaged.
9. The side of the core to be bedded (down side) must be
prime coated with catalyzed laminating resin just prior to
putting the core in place. The appropriate amount of resin
to coat S2S Balsalite is 0.7 oz/ft^2 (215 gm/m^2). As
stated before, the FPS and R must be "hot coated" with
catalyzed laminating resin and allowed to cure at least 2
hours prior to installation. Lay the core flat and spray or roll
(with a short napped roller) approximately 1.5 oz/ft^2 (430
gm/m^2) Be careful not to apply too much resin so as
not to glue the core blocks together. Re-coat with cata-
lyzed resin just before installation as you would
for the
WORKING WITH BALSALITE 79
Additional
references:

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     Balsalite S2S. Coating the kerfs of FPS and
S2S will help the Nida-Bond CBC flow into
and fill open kerfs. To allow easy clean-up,
cover a drum with plastic film and lay
down the core to open the kerfs in one
direction. Apply the catalyzed resin with a
brush and turn the sheet 90 degrees to
open the kerfs in
the other direction. It is
recommended, whenever possible, to in
stall scored balsa scrim side up.
If the scrim must be placed down, it is re
commended that the scrim side be pre-
coated to displace air from the scrim
weave within one minute of bedding the
core to prevent blocks of balsa from de
taching from the scrim. It is not recom

mended to prime coat ahead of time.
10. Place the primed surface of the Balsalite
onto the Nida-Bond coated laminate. Use
moderate pressure to bed the core sheet
evenly into the Nida-Bond CBC with metal
laminating rollers which forces the Nida-
Bond CBC into any open kerfs filling them
as much as possible. Avoid walking on or
applying excess pressure to prevent
squeezing Nida-Bond out of the bond-line
resulting in possible starved or dry bond
locally. Prime and place any fillet strips at
this time.
11. The vacuum bag must be sealed and a
vacuum drawn before the Nida-Bond CBC
and resin start to gel. The initial core com-
paction should be at
10 in-Hg (checked at
the bag) and then reduced to 5 in-Hg after
a few minutes until the resin/bonding com-
pound has cured.
12. After curing, check the bond. Tapping the
scored blocks will reveal any voids in the
bond-line. Voids must be repaired before
adding subsequent laminates.
Balsalite Stored for shipping at the Ecuador manufacturing facility
Balsalite block prior to cutting and trimming
Balsalite manufacturing in Ecuador
Balsawood plantation prior to harvesting Balsawood seed prior to planting
80
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PACKAGING & SHIPP ING INFORMA TION
Product Thickness Quantity/Roll Roll Length Roll Width
      mm     inches  sq.mtrs  sq.ft   meters     feet    meters     feet 
Matline101 1.4  0.055 100  1076.39 100  328.08  1 39.4 
Matline201 2  0.079 80  861.11 80  262.47  1  39.4 
Matline301 3 0.118  50 538.2  50  164.04  1  39.4 
Matline401 4  0.157 40  430.56 40  131.23  1  39.4 
Matline501 5  0.197 30  322.92 30  98.43  1  39.4 
84
MATLINE PACKAGING INFORMATION
NIDACORE HONEYCOMBS, FOAMLINE, BALSALITE PACKAGING INFORMATION
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FOAMLINE Balsa
Core
Thick-
ness
Sheets/
Box
Sq.ft/
box
6#FT3/16#FT3     inches     
PU25/65R/S BL 3/16 R/S 3/16 45 360
PU27/67R/S BL¼ R/S ¼ 40 320
PU210/610R/S BL 3/8 R/S 3/8 28 224
PU213/613R/S BL½ R/S ½ 22 176
PU216/616R/S BL 5/8 R/S 5/8 18 144
PU219/619R/S BL ¾ R/S ¾ 14 112
PU225/625R/S BL 1 R/S 1 11 88
PU230/630R/S BL 1 1/8 R/S 1 1/8 8 80
PU238/638R/S BL 1 ½ R/S 1 ½ 7 56
PU245/645R/S BL 1 ¾ R/S 1 ¾ 7 56
PU250/650R/S BL 2 R/S 2 5 40
PU276/676R/S BL 3 R/S 3 3 27
PU2102/6102R/S
H8PP Core
Thickness
Sheets/
box
Sq.ft/
box
Sheets/
skid
Sq.ft/
skid Part # H8PP-SS
mm   inches                
5 
     
0.20" 50 1400 470 13160  5MM(.2)P
7 
     
0.28" 45 1260 330 9240  7MM(.28")P
10 
     
0.39" 30 840 235 6580  10MM(.39")P
13 
     
0.51" 24 672 180 5040  13MM(.51")P
16 
     
0.63" 20 560 147 4116  16MM(.63")P
20 
     
0.79" 16 448 117 3276  19MM(.75")P
25 
     
0.98" 12 338 94 2632  25MM(.98")P
30 
     
1.18" 10 280 78 2184  30MM(1.13")P
38 
      
1.5" 8 224 62 1736  38MM(1.5")P
45 
     
1.77" 7 196 52 1456  45MM(1.77")P
50 
     
1.97" 6 168 47 1316  50MM(1.97")P
76 
     
2.99" 4 112 31 868  76MM(2.99")P
102 
     
4.00" 3 84 22 616  102MM(4.00")P

85. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM
Scored Core:
Available up to 38mm (1.5”) thick on H8PP/Foamline/Balsa  Foamline and Balsa 24”X48” Size only on Scored 
Options 
Standard size for H8PP 4’X7’ and 4’X8’ /4’X10’  Foamline  and  Balsa available in 24”X48” or 48’X96’ 
Special Orders:

Thicknesses not listed above (up to 18” thick) are available by special order. 
Foam-filling H8PP and Nida-Core FC available by special order. 

Surcharges:

Less than one full box based on the table above: add 10% 
Cutting charge: add 10% 
UPS Shipping charge: US$30.00 
Expedited, rush, oversized UPS, or freight shipping: call for quote 
FOB Origin or otherwise specified. Subject to change without notice.

Nida-Core Corp. Terms and Conditions  Apply.
85
PRODUCT REFERENCE Sq.FT /roll Lb/roll Sq.ft/ pallet Lb/pallet
200/C/200 355.209 61 3196.881 550
300/C/300 792.869 61 3196.881 550
300/D/300 792.869 61 3196.881 550
450/C/450 642.498 61 3196.881 550
450/D/450 355.209 61 3196.881 550
600/C/600 546.806 61 3196.881 550
600/D/600 355.209 61 3196.881 550
200/C 355.209 61 3196.881 550
300/C 355.209 61 3196.881 550
300/D 355.209 61 3196.881 550
450/C 355.209 61 3196.881 550
450/D 355.209 61 3196.881 550
600/C 355.209 61 3196.881 550
600/D 355.209 61 3196.881 550
900/C 355.209 61 3196.881 550
NIDAFLOW R Packaging Information (roll weight varies by batch. Check with Nida-Core Corp. before ordering)
NIDA-BOND PACKAGING INFORMATION
PRODUCT 5 Gallon
Container
Core Boding Compound (CBC) 35 lbs
All-Purpose Bonding Compound
(APC)
35 lbs
Radius Filleting Compound (RFC) 36 lbs
Ceramic Pourable Transom Compound
(TPC)
36 lbs
NORD COMPOSITES PACKAGING INFORMATION
PRODUCT 5 Gal NET 55 Gal NET
NORD RM 2000/50
55 lbs 550 lbs
NORD RM 3000/50
55 lbs 650 lbs
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All tests carried out by independent laboratory. This information is provided
in good faith and is subject to modifications without prior notification. It does
not constitute a commitment, neither a contractual document. Nida-Core
Corp will not assume any liability form use or misuse of data presented
herein. Assessment of suitability is the responsibility of end user only.
 
86
Shear test done at the KTH Stockholm   
Other values tested at Owens Corning Battice under supervision of DNV
Additional
references:

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TEST
METHOD
METRIC IMPERIAL METRIC IMPERIAL
DENSITY 100kg/m³ 6.8 lb/ft³ 150 kg/m³ 7.7 lb/ft³
COMPRESSION STRENGTH ISO 844 1.86MPa 270 PSI 2.68 MPa 389 Psi
COMPRESSION MODULUS ISO 844 84 MPa 12209 PSI 99.38 MPa 14410 PSI
SHEAR STRENGTH ASTM C273 1.19MPa 173 PSI 1.36 MPa 197 PSI
SHEAR MODULUS ASTM C273 27.9 MPa 4046 PSI 38.1 MPa 5525 PSI
TENSILE STRENGTH ASTM D1623 2.1 MPa 305 PSI 2.52 MPa 365 PSI
TENSILE MODULUS ASTM D1623 107.1 MPa 15530 PSI 122 MPa 17719 PSI
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY ISO 12667 0.026 0.015 0.028 0.017
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY 175º C 347º F 175º C 347º F
CLOSED CELL RATE ISO 4590 < 90% < 90% < 90% < 90%
FIRE RESISTANCE DIN 4102
M1F1
Self extinguishing burn rate FMVSS 302
M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S

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3D
M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S
All tests carried out by independent laboratory. This information is provided in good faith and is
subject to modifications without prior notification. It does not constitute a commitment, neither a
contractual document. Nida-Core Corp will not assume any liability form use or misuse of data
presented herein. Assessment of suitability is the responsibility of end user only.

Excellent mechanical properties – high shear and compression
strength
Especially recommended for application with high temperatures
Excellent chemical resistance against dissolvent, benzene, light ac-
ids under regular environmental circumstances
Closed cell structure indicated a low resin uptake
No water absorption
Good thermal insulation
Thermo formable
Available 5-24 mm (3/16”-1”)thicknesses, cell diameter 26mm(about 1”)
Sheet size 11”X47” (depending on precursor material)
Additional
references:

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Nominal Density after
infusion

ISO 844
kg/m³
lb/ft³ 186.6
11.4
236
14.4

9.4
Compression Strength ISO 844 MPa
PSI
6-8
870-1160
23.1
3451
6
870
Compressive Modulus ISO 1922 MPa
PSI
250
36250
640
92800
220
31900
Shear Strength ISO 1922 MPa
PSI .94
136.4

1.7
255
.91
132.60
Shear Modulus ISO 1922 MPa
PSI
18.36
2662.7
54.4
7888
11.1
1621.8
Shear Elongation at
Break

ISO 1922 %
4-5.5 4.2 NA
Structural Stability
7h+

ESC PT 206 C 175 175 130
Thermal Conductivity ISO 12667 W/mK 0,026 0,035 0,028
Fire Resistance DIN 4102 B2 B2 M1
Flammability FMVSS 302 Mm/min Self extinguish-
ing
Self extin-
guishing
Self extinguish-
ing
Recyclability TASI % 100 100 NA
TEST METHOD UNIT 3D PET 100 3D PET 150 PUIR

88. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM
H8PP H11PP 8HP
The mechanical properties of Nida-Core Honeycomb 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 honeycombs 
can be engineered to be a specific weight, absorb a specific load, re-
bound at a specified rate and possess the flexibility or stiffness required by 
the end application.. 

NIDA-CORE
H8PP
NIDA-CORE 8HP NIDA-CORE
H11PP-60
English Unit Metric Unit
English
Unit
English
Unit
Metric
Unit
Met-
ric
Unit
Compressive Strength
ISO 844 188 psi
1.3 Mpa
348 psi 2.4 
Mpa
158 psi 0.4 
Mpa
Compressive Modulus
ISO 844 2175 psi 15 Mpa
7250 
psi
50 
Mpa
1820 
psi
9 
Mpa
Tensile Strength
NFT56-130 72.5 psi 0.5 Mpa
87 psi 0.6 
Mpa
37 psi 0.3 
Mpa
Shear Strength ISO
1922
72.5 psi 0.5 Mpa
87 psi 0.6 
Mpa
78 psi 0.54 
Mpa
Shear Modulus ISO
19222
1160 psi 8 Mpa
1305 
psi
9 Mpa 1108 
psi
5 
Mpa
Thermal Conductivity
y
Fourier Law
k=.03
K=.03 K=.03
Water Absorption in 24
hours
0.10%
0.10%
Dimensional Thermal
Stability

(-40)ºF    to  
(230)ºF
(-40)ºF 
to (230)
ºF
(-40)ºF 
to (230)
ºF

Flammability
ASTM D776

Inflammable, 
Not toxic smoke
Inflam-
mable, 
Not 
toxic 
smoke
Inflam-
mable, 
Not 
toxic 
smoke

Density 5.0 Lbs/ft3
80 kg/m³
6.9Lbs/
ft³
110 kg/
m³
4.0Lbs/
ft³
58 kg/
m³
Peel Strength Excellent
Excel-
lent
Excel-
lent

Fatigue Resistance Excellent
Excel-
lent
Excel-
lent

Impact Resistance Excellent
Excel-
lent
Excel-
lent

Sound Attenuation
Greater than 
22Db
Greater 
than 
22Db
Greater 
than 
22Db

M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S
88
Additional
references:

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End Grain Balsa, a highly processed ultra light wood
product, imparts impressive strength and stiffness to the
sandwich panel. The end grain configuration of balsa
provides high resistance to crushing, and is very difficult
to tear apart. End grain balsa cored panels also have
the ability to handle excessive dynamic loads with high
resistance to fatigue.
BalsaLite's end-grain orientation gives it exceptional com-
pression and shear properties. As an added benefit, Bal-
saLite provides good thermal and acoustic insulation.
BalsaLite is available in two different densities.
BalsaLite is select quality, kiln-dried, end-grain balsa
wood suitable as a structural core material in composite
sandwich construction. BalsaLite is a naturally renewable
resource.
BL 6.5 R
BL 9.5 R
Compressive Strength ASTM C365
(psi) 980 1895
Compressive Modulus ASTM C365
(psi) 325000 590000
Tensile Strength ASTM C297(psi) 1000 1900
Density                    6.0-7.5 lbs/ft ³                 9.0-10.0 lbs/ft ³
Shear Strength ASTM C273(psi) 268 432
Shear Modulus ASTM C273(psi) 15600 23100
Average moisture content 9.66% 9.66%
Balsolite panels are available in 24”X48” in all scored applications up to 1.5” thick Rigid Bal-
salite is available in 24”X49”or 48”X96” up to 20” thick by special order. Various facings
available as per Product Options Section Scoring available 1”X2” in Length Direction (L)
Width direction( W) , Double Scored (DS) or scored both ways(S) All Balsalite panels available
coated to reduce resin consumption.(S2S) Infusion grade grooved and (or) perforated Bal-
salite available. In Balsalite LT and Balsalite. Fillet strips available in 3/8”;1/2”;3/4”;1” in rigid
and scored versions. PITH Grade Balsalite available for select applications.
M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S
89
Additional
references:

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Matline non-woven polyester laminate bulker material features
outstanding properties at an amazingly competitive price.

Ease of use
Constant thickness
Deformability
Anti-shrinkage
Low resin consumption
Permanent bulk
Print-through blocking
Excellent fatigue resistance
Cost and labor effectiveness
Matline is available in the following
thickness:

Matline 101 (1.4mm)

Matline 201 (2mm)


Matline 301 (3mm)
Matline 401 (4mm)
Matline 501 (5mm)



Mat-
line101
Matline
201
Matline
301
Matline
401
Matline
501
Dry Weight
g/m²    
oz/sqy
55                                        
1.61
70                        
2.06
110                     
3.24
140                     
4.13
185      
                
5.44
Dry Thicknes
mm         mils
1.4                        55
2                           79
3                           118
4                  
             
158
5                              197
Resin Impreg-
nated Thickness
mm       
mils
1.3                        
55
1.9                       
75
2.9                  
      
114
3.9                          154
4.9                          193
Roll length
m             ft
100                    328.08
80                           262.47
50
                      
164.04
40                           131.23
30                              98.43
Roll Width
Cm            Inch
100                    39.4
100         
               
39.4
100                     39.4
100                           39.4
100                            39.4
Impregnated
Specific Weight
(Density)
g/cm³    
lb/in³
0.81                    
   
0.029
0.67                         
0.024
0.66                    
0.024
0.65                          
0.024
0.65                        
0.023
Resin Consump-
tion
kg/m²   
lb/sgy
1           
               
1.83
1.2                            2.2
1.8                      3.3
2.4                         4.5
3.0                            5.5
Compression Strength Impact Strength
Matline 301 Max 436,450 422,095
Coremat P2430 379,030 355,250
U-Pica Mat I3000 344,665 372,940
COMPRESSION MODULUS
MD
MODULUS
XD
Matline 301 Max 9,802 9,729.5
Coremat P2430 7,264.5 6,452.5
U-Pica Mat I3000 6,902 6,786
Impact MD XD
Shear Strength
Water Absorption
Matline 301 Max 1,406.5
Coremat P2430
696
U-Pica MatI3000 971.5
Matline 301 Max 0.24
Coremat P2430 0.25
U-Pica Mat I3000 0.22
M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S
90
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FC
Nida-Core FC( for Flexible Core) is a flexible extra resilient continuous
honeycomb product, able to be configured and engineered to suit
the end user’s requirements. Nida-Core FC can be made from virtually
any thermoplastic material- from polypropylene, polyethylene, polycar-
bonate to many others in nonwoven or film form. The FC is manufac-
tured, using a patented 3D stacking system by means of thermal
bonding, up to 100mm thick and up to 1250 mm in width, and as long
as necessary. Thermal bonding means there are no glues or other
additives in the process, making the product 100% recyclable and envi-
ronmentally friendly.
In general, applications for this product fall into at least one or more
of the following areas: structural, separation, fluid transport and energy
absorption. It is possible for an application to require or use all of these
functional areas while some may require only one.
  
•Affordable price , economical to ship (in compressed form)
•Can be engineered to suit your application
•Low moisture absorption available
•Able to integrate into existing vehicle parts design and manufacturing process
•Can be engineered to meet FMVSS 302 flammability requirements
•Can be designed to meet specific impact requirements from virtually any thermoplastic film or nonwoven material in
variable cell size and thicknesses in unlimited length.
•Foam-filled available with polyurethane, polyisocyanurate or phenolic foams.
•Ideal for large volume automotive applications (headliners, ventilated seats etc.)

SAMPLE TEST DATA

Compression ASTM C365 (4”x4”x0.5”)
Shear ASTM C365 (8”x2”x0.5”)
Tensile ASTM C297 (4”x4”x0.5”)

Construction and Preliminary Data
1. 11mm Nominal Cell 200 gsm Typar Spunbonded
Polypropylene (nonwoven)
40 kg/cubic mtr (calculated)
58 psi average – compressive strength (ASTM C365)
45 psi – shear strength (ASTM
C365)
2. 11mm Nominal Cell 10 mil thick PP film
45 kg/cubic mtr (calculated)
68 psi average- compressive strength (ASTM C365)
48 psi – shear strength (ASTM C365)
APPLICATION Key Property
Fluid Movement

Separation, Fluid trans-
port, Laminar flow
Panel Structural, Separation,
Light weight
Gravel Replacement Ease of Use, Structural,
Separation, Fluid trans-
port
Flooring Nonabsorbent underlay,
Energy absorption,
Separation
Erosion control Structural, Separation ,
Fluid
transport
Protection (sports, indus- trial)
Separation, Energy ab- sorption
Seating Engineered resilience, Structural, Separation
  
  
 
M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S
91
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STO
  C L O  S E D   M O L D I N G   C O R E   
Composed of a layer of polyurethane (PU), phenolic or flexible polyethylene/
polypropylene foam covered with a reinforcing fiber layer on each side, the core’s
three elements are “stitched” together by glass fiber bridging strands, which pass
through them obliquely, and form triangulations in the mechanical sense. Typical
reinforcing materials used arewoven or nonwoven glass, carbon or aramid fiber fab-
rics, although additional reinforcements are available in the marketplace. NidaFu-
sion STO cores allow for rapid infusion of resin without the use of resin transfer media
at a very affordable cost. Designed for infusion, RTM and closed-matched die mold-
ing, this new product is set to revolutionize the closed molding process. Compared
to unstitched sandwich panels, stitched panels exhibit
significantly increased stiffness and ultimate stress under bending,
as well as much
greater resistance to core shear and flat-wise compression. The percentage of gain
depends on the structural parameters (angle and step stitches) of the stitched sand- wiches. Thus, for the high stitch density (step of 12.5 mm), performance improve- ments can reach 250 percent for bending rigidity and 1,000 percent for shear fail-
ure stress. It is obvious that the increase in stitch density considerably improves
(continued below)
Mechani-
cal Proper-
ties
PU
Foam
3 PCF
Nida-
Core
H8PP
Inter-
fusion
45/15
o/axis
Nida-
Fusion
45/15
aligned
Nida-
Fusio
n
45/30
o/axis
Nida-
Fusio
n
45/60
o/axis

Nida- Fusio
n
60/15
o/axis
Nida-
Fusion
60/15
aligned
Nida-
Fuion
60/30
o/axis
Nida-
Fusio
n
60/60
o/axis
Balsa
11
PCF
Shear
Strength
17.4
psi
72.5
psi
100.5
psi
56.55
psi
47.85
psi
104.4
psi
60.9
psi
40.6
psi
232
psi
Shear
Modulus
870
psi
1160
psi
2146
psi
696
psi
580
psi
913.5
psi
652.5
psi
333.5
psi
37265
psi

Compres- sive
Strength
43.5
psi
188
psi
232
psi
275.5
psi
130.5
psi
72.5
psi
275.5
psi
362.5
psi
246.5
psi
217.5
psi
1725.5
psi
Compres-
sive
Modulus
5727.5
psi
7801
psi
4422.5
psi
2363.5
psi
9309
psi
12296
psi
7032.5
psi
6670
psi
35090
psi
20 mm thick complexes, 2400 Tex triangulations Impregnated with polylite 31530 polyester resin ( REICHOLD )
the mechanical properties. On the other hand, this increase leads to increased mass and, conse-
quently, a loss of specific properties. A compromise must be found. A similar compromise also
should be found in relation to the effect of the stitch angle on the mechanical properties. For exam-
ple, 45° angles offer the best performance in terms of bending and shear behavior, but the 60° an-
gle presents the best properties with respect to compression behavior. Concern-
ing the impact and the compression after impact,
it appears that step stitching is the principal factor providing the best
overall performance. The choice of structural parameters will
depend on the specification
of the
structure. 
M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S
92
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93. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM
STF
  C L O  S E D   M O L D I N G   C O R E  
Principle :

3-dimensional fibreglass reinforcement on a closed cell 
flexible foam backing. 
 
Advantages and properties  :
•    Instantaneous cold forming 
•    Can be bent in several directions 
•    Allows for variable sandwich thickness 
•    Reduces labour time 
Thickness of panels  :
from 5 to 40 mm. 
NidaFusion STF can be cut with a pair of scissors or 
a knife. Impregnation takes place in a closed mould. It is 
particularly suitable for the RTM light and vacuum proc-
esses. 
Applications :   
•    Automotive industry 
•    Marine small parts 
•    Industrial cowling  
* 
Shear strength  ( ASTM 273-61 ) 
Compression strength  ( ASTM C 365 ) 
* Foam 
Triangulation 
angle 
Reinforce-
ments on 
each side 
Step of 
triangulations 
Max strain 
( Mpa ) 
GXZ modulus 
( Mpa ) 
Max strain 
( Mpa ) 
 
EZ 
modulus 
Nida-
Fusion
STF

PE 35 
Kg 
45° Taffeta  880g  25  0,82  18,7  1,36  59,9 
PE 35 
Kg 
60° Taffeta  880g  25  0,64  15,2  1,53  113,9 
M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S
All tests carried out by independent laboratory. This information is provided in good faith and is
subject to modifications without prior notification. It does not constitute a commitment, neither a
contractual document. Nida-Core Corp will not assume any liability form use or misuse of data
presented herein. Assessment of suitability is the responsibility of end user only.
93
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94. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM
CORE BONDING
COMPOU ND
Normal application
of Nida-Bond CBC
on a flat, smooth
surface would re-
quire about 1/16"
per square foot
although in certain
gap filling applica-
tions can be used
up to 1/4" thick.
Below are cover-
age rates per gal-
lon and weight per
square foot at dif-
ferent thicknesses.

5 US gal per pail

or 18.9 Liters

Shelf life 6 months
from date printed
on pail.


Additional docu-
ments

available regarding
NidaBond:


*Mechanical Data
Sheet

*Application
Guide

* MSDS

General & Me-
chanical Proper-
ties Nida-Bond
Color White
Gel Time 38-45
min
Weight per Gallon/ Liter
6.4-6.6
lbs/.779 Kg
per liter
Working Time(1/32"
thick@88F shop
temp) 45 min
Tensile Strength 1032 psi
Tensile Elongation 1.46%
Tensile Modulus 147000 psi
Viscosity @ 2.5 rpm
380000minc
ps
460000maxc
ps
Viscosity @ 20 rpm
70000min
cps
92000max
cps
Thickness Square feet per gallo n Weight per square foot
1/16” 25 2 oz
1/8” 12.5 4 oz
3/16” 9.38 6 oz
1/4” 6.25 8 oz
 Material Tem-
perature
 % by weight  gm/gal gm/5gal  cc/gal  cc/5gal 30ml/shots
 50-60° F  2.50   73   349   70   335   11
 60-65º  2.25   65   314   63   301   10
 65-70°  2.00   58   279   56   268    9
 70-75º  1.75   51   244   49   234    8
 75-80º  1.50   44   209   42   201    7
 80-85°  1.25   36   174   35   167    6
 85-90°  1.00   29   139   28   134    4
 90-95°  0.75   22   105   21   100    3
Nida-Bond is a specially formulated, polyester based core bedding compound developed by Nida-Core Corporation for hand
lay-up and vacuum bagging core installation. Use of premium resins results in high tensile and flexural strength. Its high ad-
hesive strength provides an excellent bond between the core and the laminate. Its is suitable for most coring applications and
is compatible with our Foamline, BalsaLite and Nida-Core, TecnoCore, PVC and SAN foam core materials. Characteristics
include: lightweight, non-sagging, and long working time for coverage of large areas. Consult MSDS for additional handling,
storing and safety information. NidaBond is available either Pumpable or Trowelable
94
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ALL PURPOSE
BONDING COMPOU ND
Semi-flexible for
exceptional
crack resistance
Formulated with
premium resins
Low shrinkage
and exotherm
Low styrene con-
tent
General purpose
bonding
General purpose
filler

5 US gal per pail

or 18.9 Liters
Average pail weight
43 lbs


Shelf life 6 months
from date printed
on pail.

Catalyze with
MEKP


Additional docu-
ments

available regarding
NidaBond APC:


*MSDS

General & Mechani-
cal Properties Nida-Bond
Color White
Gel Time 40-50 min
Weight per Gallon/
Liter
8.5-8.7 lbs/
gallon
or
1.018 Kg
per liter
Working Time(1/32"
thick@88F shop temp) 35-40 min
Peak exotherm 170-210F
Tensile Elongation 1.46%
Tensile Modulus 147000 psi
Viscosity @ 2 rpm
900
000mincps
1 300
000maxcps
Viscosity @ 20 rpm
90000min
cps
180000max
cps
Thickness Square feet per gallo n Weight per square foot
1/16” 25 2 oz
1/8” 12.5 4 oz
3/16” 9.38 6 oz
1/4” 6.25 8 oz
Material Tem- perature
% by weight gm/gal gm/5gal cc/gal cc/5gal
60-65° 2.00 78 383 75 367
65-70° 1.80 70 344 67 331
70-75° 1.60 62 306 60 294
75-80° 1.50 59 287 56 275
80-85° 1.20 47 230 45 220
Nida-Bond APC is a specially formulated, polyester based all purpose bonding compound developed by Nida-Core Corpora-
tion for general purpose filling and bonding Use of premium resins results in high tensile and flexural strength. Its high ad-
hesive strength provides an excellent bond between the bonded substrates . Consult MSDS for additional handling, storing
and safety information. NidaBond APC is available either Pumpable or Trowelable
95
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96. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM
TRANSOM CERAMIC
POURABLE COMPOU ND
Description: NIDA-CORE formulates its Ceramic Pourable Compound with premium polyester resins
and high strength ceramic spheres resulting in high tensile and flexural strength. This lightweight com-
pound is ideal for filling large volumes where strength and rigidity are major concerns. The NidaBond
Ceramic Pourable Compound mixes and pours easily from the 5-gallon pail.
Material
Tempera-
ture

% by weight gm/gal gm/5 gal cc/gal cc/5 gal
60-65° F 2.00 66 323 63 310
65-70° F 1.80 59 290 57 279
70-75° F 1.60 53 258 51 248
75-80° F 1.50 49 242 47 232
80-85° F 1.20 39 194 38 186
85-90° F 1.00 33 161 32 155
90-95° F 0.80
26 129 25 124
Nida-Bond TPC is a specially formulated, polyester based ceramic filled pourable compound developed by Nida-Core Cor-
poration for manufacture of net shape transom coring in powerboat hulls and cavity filling where high compression values
are needed. Use of premium resins results in high tensile and flexural strength. Its high adhesive strength provides an excel-
lent bond between the bonded substrates . Consult MSDS for additional handling, storing and safety information. The ab-
sence of wood in powerboat transoms is a marketing advantage .
96
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• Excellent ri-
gidity and
strength .
• Formulated
with premium
resins
• Low shrinkage
and exotherm
• Low styrene
content
• Structural ap-
plications
where high
compressive
strength is
required
• 7 times better
compression
strength than
plywood

5 US gal per pail

or 18.9 Liters
Average pail
weight 36 lbs


Shelf life 6
months from date
printed on pail.

Catalyze with
MEKP


Additional docu-
ments

available regard-
ing NidaBond
Transom Ce-
ramic Pourable
Compound:


*MSDS

General & Mechani-
cal Properties Nida-Bond
Color Grey
Gel Time 18-24 min
Weight per Gallon/
Liter
7.1-7.3 lbs/
gallon or
0.85 kg/liter
Working Time(1"
thick @88F shop
temp) 38-52 min
Peak exotherm 150-180F
Tensile Elongation
(ASTM-638-82) 9.14
Tensile Strength 1594 psi
Viscosity @ 2.5
rpmVis-
cosity Ranges: Viscosity (m)
tests performed on Brookfield
RVT (#7 spindle) at 77 deg F
85
000mincps
105
000maxcps
Viscosity @ 20 rpm
25000min
cps
38000max
cps

97. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM

NidaBond BFC is formulated especially for filling behind the gel coat of tight radii. In addition, NidaBond Brushable Radius
Compound has excellent crack resistance for superior durability. An extended gel time version of this product is also available.
Use of premium resins results in high tensile and flexural strength.
Consult MSDS for additional handling, storing and safety information. NidaBond APC is available either Pumpable or Trow-
elable
BRUSHABLE RADIUS
FILLETIN G COMPOU ND
97
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• Formulated with
premium resins
• Low exotherm and
shrink
• Excellent durability
• Low styrene content
• Filleting radii
• Filling small voids
• Bonding composites


5 US gal per pail

or 18.9 Litres
Average pail 48 lbs


Shelf life 90 days from
date printed on pail.


Additional documents

available regarding
NidaBond BFC:

Catalyze with MEKP


*MSDS

General & Mechanical
Properties Nida-Bond
Color
Light Grey
Fibrous Gel
Gel Time 18-24 min
Weight per Gallon/
Liter
10.1-10.3 lbs/
gallon or 1.018
Kg per liter
Working Time(1/32"
thick@88F shop temp) 43-59 min
Peak exotherm 220-270F
Tensile Elongation 1.46%
Tensile Modulus 147000 psi
Viscosity @ 2 rpm
620 000mincps
860 000maxcps
Viscosity @ 20 rpm
60000min cps
90000max cps
Material Tem-
perature
% by weight gm/gal gm/5gal cc/gal cc/5gal 30ml shots
50-60° F 2.50 115 550 110 528 17.6
60-65° 2.25 103 495 99 475 15.8
65-70° 2.00 92 440 88 423 14.1
70-75° 1.75 80 385 77 370 12.3
75-80° 1.50 69 330 66 317 10.6
80-85° 1.25 57 275 55 264 8.8
85-90° 1.00 46 220 44 211 7.0
90-95° 0.75 34 165 33 158 5.3

98. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM
RM 2000/50
Tooling
resin

RM 2000/50 is an unsaturated polyester resin, especially formulated for mould
making. Filled and pre-accelerated, it is a ready to use product. Obtaining
moulds with superior surface profile and no shrinkage.

CHARACTERISTICS

¨ RM 2000/50 have been designed to polymerise at room temperature fol-
lowing addition of MEKP (Peroxide)
¨ Rapid cure and rapid manufacture of the mould (in one day).
¨ A easy to use product, pre-filled and pre-accelerated, with no further mixing
required.
TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF LIQUID RM 2000/50

¨ Maximum storage life 6 months
(mix before use)
¨ Flammability flammable
¨ Specific gravity 1.45
¨ Appearance beige liquid
¨ Gel time
35 – 45 minutes
(20°C – 1% MEKP on 100 g)
¨ Peak exotherm 100 – 125°C
(20°C – 1% MEKP on 100 g)
¨ Brookfield viscosity 100 rpm = 900
– 1150
mPa.s
(20°C – sp4)
¨ Non volatile content 72 – 74%

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CAST RM 2000/50


¨ Heat distortion of temperature 84°C

¨ Tensile strength* 84.4 MPa
¨ Elongation at break* 6.7%
¨ Flexural strength* 163 MPa

*Tests performed on resin reinforced with glass fibre.
STORAGE CONDITIONS AND HANDLING

The tooling resin RM 2000/50 is subject to the Highly Flammable
Liquid Regulations. The product should be stored under cool condi-
tions in closed opaque containers at a temperature not exceeding
25°C. Avoid exposure to heat sources such as direct sunlight. RM
2000/50 is a ready to use product, filled and pre-accelerated. Espe-
cially formulated for mould making, with a good surface profile and
dimensional stability even in thick sections.
ADVANTAGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Manufacture of a mould in one day instead of one week using stan-
dard resin system.
Gel coat thickness must be between 600 and 800 microns.
APPLICATION OF TOOLING RESIN
RM2000/50 Before use, mix the resin well to achieve a homogene-
ous product.
For optimum result of cure, don’t catalyst under 1% of MEKP
(Peroxide) (ask Nida-Core Corporation for gel time results with differ-
ent percentages of catalyst if required). To obtain optimum proper-
ties of the tooling resin, we advise to use RM 2000/50 at temperature
between 18 and 25°C. Low temperatures are not good for the low
shrink effect and high temperatures will give a short gel time.
HAND LAY-UP
When the gel coat becomes tacky, apply some catalysed resin to
wet the surface. This will aid the wetting out of the glass fibre. Apply a
layer of 100 g/m² (10 tex). Remove air voids with a roller. Apply then
6 layers of 300 g/m² or 4 layers of 450 g/m² (40 tex) to obtain a
thickness of 3 to 4 mm. Remove air voids with a roller between each
layer. The laminate will turn white when curing. Wait for the peak
exotherm to subside (about 1 hour) before starting the second lami-
nate. For the second laminate, use 4 layers of 450 g/m² (40 tex).
Remove air voids with a roller between each layer and wait for the
laminate to reach peak exotherm again
and turn white. Proceed like
this until you achieve the thickness you require.
SPRAY UP
Tests were made using equipment from GLAS-CRAFT LPAIIS/SP 85
EC. System pump = 11:1 Gun with Air Assist Containment. Like in the
hand lay-up, apply some catalysed resin on the polymerised gel
coat to wet the surface. Apply a layer of 100 g/m² (10 tex). Remove
air voids with a roller. Spray a layer of 3 to 4 mm of resin and
chopped fibres. After it has turned white and the exotherm has died
down (about 1 hour), continue until the required thickness is
achieved, with subsequent additions of 3 to 4 mm of resin and
chopped fibres.
All tests carried out by independent laboratory. This information is provided in good faith
and is subject to
modifications without prior notification. It does not constitute a commit-
ment, neither a contractual document. Nida-Core Corp will not assume any liability form
use or misuse of data presented herein. Assessment of suitability is the responsibility of
end user only.
98
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(castresin)

99. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM
RM3000/50
Vinyl Ester
Tooling Resin

RM 3000/50 is an unsaturated polyester resin based on vinyl ester,
especially formulated for producing composite moulds for applica-
tions where high thermal and chemical resistance or a degree of
translucency are required. Moulds made with RM 3000 give per-
fect plug replication due to the zero shrink properties of the resin
.

CHARACTERISTICS

¨ RM 3000/50 have been designed to polymerise at room tempera-
ture following addition of MEKP (Peroxide)
¨ Rapid cure and rapid manufacture of the mould (in one day).
¨ A easy to use product, pre-filled and pre-accelerated, with no
further mixing required.
¨ Fillers: reduce the cost and improve rigidity of the mould.
TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF LIQUID RM 3000/50

¨ Maximum storage life 6 months (mix
before use)
¨ Flammability flammable
¨ Specific gravity 1.48
¨ Appearance mid brown liquid
¨ Gel time 40 minutes

(20°C – 1% MEKP on 100 g)
¨ Peak exotherm 85 – 100°C
(20°C – 1% MEKP on 100 g)
¨ Brookfield viscosity 100rpm=1100-1200 mPa.s
(20°C – sp4) ¨ Non volatile content 76 – 80%

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CAST RM 3000/50


¨ Heat distortion of temperature 100°C (cast resin)
¨ Tensile strength* 100 MPa
¨ Elongation at break* 8 %
¨ Flexural strength* 184 MPa
¨ Flexural modulus* 6.09 GPa
Barcol hardness (934-1)
35 after 3 hrs,
50 after 24 hrs
STORAGE CONDITIONS AND HANDLING
The tooling resin RM 3000/50 is subject to the Highly Flammable
Liquid Regulations. The product should be stored under cool con-
ditions in closed opaque containers at a temperature not ex-
ceeding 25°C. Avoid exposure to heat sources such as direct
sunlight. RM 3000/50 is a ready to use product, filled and pre-
accelerated. Especially formulated for mould making, with a
good surface profile and dimensional stability even in thick sec-
tions.
ADVANTAGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Manufacture of a mould in one day instead of one week using
standard resin system.
Gel coat thickness must be between 600 and 800 microns. Vinyl
ester tooling gelcoat and 3oz skin coat required.
APPLICATION OF TOOLING RESIN
RM3000/50 Before use, mix the resin well to achieve a homoge-
neous product.
For optimum result of cure, don’t catalyst under 1% of MEKP
(Peroxide) (ask Nida-Core Corporation for gel time results with dif-
ferent percentages of catalyst if required). To obtain optimum
properties of the tooling resin, we advise to use RM 3000/50 at
temperature between 18 and 25°C. Low temperatures are not
good for the low shrink effect and high temperatures will give a
short gel time.
HAND LAY-UP

When the gel coat becomes tacky, apply some catalysed resin to
wet the surface. This will aid the wetting out of the glass fibre. Ap-
ply a layer of 100 g/m² (10 tex). Remove air voids with a roller.
Apply then 6 layers of 300 g/m² or 4 layers of 450 g/m² (40 tex) to
obtain a thickness of 3 to 4 mm. Remove air voids with a roller
between each layer. The laminate will turn white when curing. Wait
for the peak exotherm to subside (about 1 hour) before starting
the second laminate. For the second laminate, use 4 layers of
450 g/m² (40 tex). Remove air voids with a roller between each
layer and wait for the laminate to reach peak exotherm again

and turn white. Proceed like this until you achieve the thickness
you require.

ADVANTAGES
Rapid cure and rapid making of moulds.
NO shrink. Low profile surfaces. Reduction
of mold cost. Semi Translucent when
cured Complete dimensional stability.
Uses standard catalyst : MEKP (Peroxide)
with minimum 9% active oxygen content
LOW VOC (HAP) Content, High HDT Rating

SPRAY UP
Tests were made using equipment from GLAS-CRAFT LPAIIS/SP 85
EC.
System pump = 11:1 Gun with Air Assist Containment. Like in the
hand lay-up, apply some catalysed resin on the polymerised gel
coat to wet the surface. Apply a layer of 100 g/m² (10 tex). Re-
move air voids with a roller. Spray a layer of 3 to 4 mm of resin
and chopped fibres. After it has turned white and the exotherm
has died down (about 1 hour), continue until the required thick-
ness is achieved, with subsequent additions of 3 to 4 mm of resin
99
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references:

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Lauan Veneer
Skinned Panels
MATERIAL Total
Thickness
of sandwich
inches
Modulus
(MSI)
Max Ply
Stress
(PSI)
% of each
ply’s ultimate
strength

Bending Stiff-
ness

Lb/sq.inch
Total
weight

Lb/ft2
Flatwise
compression

Fmax/
Area
(PSI)
Nida-Core H8PP 10
mm + 2.7mm Lauan
both sides

0.602 1.6
0
1.6
1000
0
1000
100
0
100
21180 0.763 188
Nida-Core H8PP 13
mm + 2.7mm Lauan
both sides

0.722 1.6
0
1.6
1000
0

1000
100
0
100
32495 0.813 188
Nida-Core H8PP 20
mm + 2.7mm Lauan
both sides

1.002 1.6
0
1.6
1000
0
1000
100
0
100
68396 0.930 188
Nida-Core H8PP 25
mm +2.7mm Lauan
both sides

1.196
1.6
0
1.6

1000
0
1000

100
0
100
104048 1.017 188
Due to anisotropic properties of honeycombs, MIL hand-
book 17B does not recommend ASTM C393, or 3 point
bend test as a valid indicator of honeycomb cored panel
behavior. It is viewed as a possible quality control test but
not indicative of the real attributes of the structure. It is gen-
erally felt that a better indicator would be the ASTM D 6146-
99) (Standard Test Method for Two-dimensional Flexural
Properties of Simply Supported Sandwich Composite Plates
Subjected to a Distributed Load) or also known as “The Hy-
dramat test”. These tests have produced results that vali-
date the accompanying Strength of Materials Data. The
viscoelastic behavior of Nida-Core Polypropylene Honey-
comb will typically permit far greater deflections without
structural failures so the Deflection at Load is
supplied for
comparison but this does not imply a Load to
fail
.Deflection values based on 200lb point load centrally
with support on 4 edges. (test specimen 1”wide X6” long,)
DEFLECTION
VALUES for
lauan panels

SPAN SPAN SPAN
Core thick-
ness
MM
24” 36” 48”
10 0.073” 0.166” 0.295”
13 0.048” 0.108” 0.192”
20 0.022” 0.051” 0.091”
25 0.015” 0.034” 0.060”
38

0.007” 0.016” 0.028”
50 0.004” 0.010” 0.017”
Panel Weights per sq. foot and per 4X8 panel Core Thickness
Panel 5mm 7mm 10mm 13mm 16mm 20mm 25mm 30mm 38mm
.676 psf .713 psf .763 psf .813psf .863 psf .93 psf 1.017 psf 1.104psf 1.241psf
21.63 lb 22.82 lb 24.42 lb 26.02 lb 27.62 lb 29.76 lb 32.5 lb 35.33 lb 39.71 lb
H8PP + 2.7 mm luan
All tests carried out by independent laboratory. This information is provided in good faith and is
subject to modifications without prior notification. It does not constitute a commitment, neither a
contractual document. Nida-Core Corp will not assume any liability form use or misuse of
data presented herein. Assessment of suitability is the responsibility of end user only.
M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S
100
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101. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM
Nida-Core H8PP Com posite Panel Properties
(test specimen 1”wi de X 6” long, see note)

MATERIAL Total
Thickness
of sandwich
inches
Modulus
(MSI)
Max Ply
Stress
(PSI)
% of each
ply’s ultimate
strength

Bending Stiff-
ness

Lb/sq.inch
Total
weight

Lb/ft²
Flatwise com-
pression

Fmax/
Area
(PSI)
Nida-Core H8PP 10
mm + 18 oz WR
both sides

0.448 1.95
0
1.95
42000
0
42000
100
0

100
4972 0.662 188
Nida-Core H8PP 13
mm + 18 oz WR
both sides

0.568 2.25
0
2.0
26300
0
26142
100
0
88.27
8929 0.712 188
Nida-Core H8PP 20
mm + 18 oz WR
both sides

0.808 2.25
0
2.0
26300
0
26189
100
0
88.18
18642 0.812 188
Nida-Core H8PP 25
mm + 18 oz WR
both sides

1.058 2.25
2.3
2

26300
20727
26215

100
0
88.27
32521 0.917 188
Deflection values based on 200lb point load centrally with simple support. Due to anisotropic
properties of honeycombs, MIL handbook 17B does not recommend ASTM C393, or 3 point bend
test as a valid indicator of honeycomb cored panel behavior. It is viewed as a possible quality con-
trol test but not indicative of the real attributes of the structure. It is generally felt that a better indica-
tor would be the ASTM D 6146-99) (Standard Test Method for Two-dimensional Flexural Properties of
Simply Supported Sandwich Composite Plates Subjected to a Distributed Load) or also known as
“The Hydramat test”. These tests have produced results that validate the accompanying Strength of
Materials Data. The viscoelastic behavior of Nida-Core Polypropylene Honeycomb will typically per-
mit far greater deflections without structural
failures so the Deflection at Load is supplied for com-
parison but this does not imply a Load to fail.
All tests carried out by independent laboratory. This information is provided in good faith and is sub-
ject to modifications without prior notification. It does not constitute a commitment, neither a con-
tractual document. Nida-Core Corp will not assume any liability form use or misuse of data pre-
sented herein. Assessment of suitability is the responsibility of end user only.
DEFLECTION
VALUES


SPAN SPAN SPAN
Core thickness
MM
24” 36” 48”
10 0.12” 0.27” 0.48”
13 0.067” 0.15” 0.27”
20 0.032” 0.072” 0.13”
25 0.018” 0.04” 0.073”
38

0.008” 0.018” 0.033”
50 0.005” 0.011” 0.019”
M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S
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102. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM
M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S
Tests PU 2 R PU 6 R
Compressive Strength
ASTM D1621 (psi) 25 122
Compressive Modulus
ASTM D1621(psi) 4437
Tensile Strength ASTM
D1623(psi) 30 98
Tensile Modulus ASTM
D1623(psi) 1956
Flexural Strength ASTM
D790(psi) 45 150
Dialectric Constant 1.3 1.3
Shear
Strength ASTM
C273(psi) 28 71
Shear Modulus ASTM C273(psi) 614
Thermal Conductivity K- factor(Btu-in/ft2-h-F) 0.178 0.17
Water Absorption ASTM C272(lb/ft²) <1% 0.004
Buoyancy (lb/ft3) 60 54.4
Dimensional Thermal
Stability 149ºC/300ºF 120ºC/248ºF
Flammability ASTM D776
Closed Cell Content 94% 97%
R-Value 6 3.5
Self Extinguishing
All tests carried out by independent laboratory. This information is provided
in good faith and is subject to modifications without prior notification. It does
not constitute a commitment, neither a contractual document. Nida-Core
Corp will not assume any liability form use or misuse of data presented
herein. Assessment of suitability is the responsibility of end user only.

102
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The following designations and markings are used to make up codes that distinguish different Nida-Core Corp products.



NIDA-CORE HX8-PP-OS-PP50-SL1W2-25


Product
(Substitute for ,
Balsalite, Matline, NidaFoam

Foamline, NidaBond, NidaFusion Material (Polypropylene)

Cell size (mm))
Honeycomb cell shape
designation
(NS) -for spun bond scrim

HHPPSC10- Short cell (10 mm) elongated
open cell HC core with no scrim


(P) -Plain or Rigid

(S) Scored

(DS) Double Scored (both sides) alternat-
ing kerfs

(SW) Scored width direction only

(SL) Scored Length direction only

Leave out Scrim designation for open cell
(for instance H8PP-no scrim)

(PF) Perforated

(FR) Fire retardant
Hat Sections
:
Use: Style 100H (1” or 25mm)
Style 150H (1 ½” or 37 mm)
Style 200H (2” or 50 mm)
All Matline products use
1mm;2mm;3mm;4mm;5mm only as
only full rolls are provided. CNC cut kits
are available.
All Foamline and NidaFoam products

use the following designation: For Exam- ple: Style 650 R whereas 6 designates
density in lbs/ft3 and 50 designates
fraction of an inch for thickness (50 is
50/100 of an inch or ½”)
Refer to the table

All Nida-Core Corp products are avail-
able in precut CNC kits. Custom part #
is assigned to CNC kits. Inquire with your
sales representative for details .

Nida-Core
H8PP Scored
Scrim Type
PP Film Thickness
Scoring options
Thickness
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104. WWW.NIDA-CORE.COM
Variations of Nida-Core lightweight high-performance panels are virtually infi-
nite and may be made to order. The most common options and their
corresponding product codes are listed below. Please contact your Nida-
Core Corporation representative for assistance or a question on variations on
options not listed.
Specifications:
Standard tolerances are listed below. Please consult with your Nida-Core
representative if a situation requires alternative specifications.
Panel size: 48”X84” or 48’X96”
Thickness: Varies with laminate type and customer specifications, core thickness
up to 20” available by special order. Tolerances =+
.0025”
PRODUCT CODE DESCRIPTION COST ADJUSTMENT
050MCL White 050 Mica Please inquire
27LAULM 2,7 mm luan /meranti Please inquire
18PFGLAM 18 oz Pre-fab Adhesive bonded glass
Available white pigmented
Refer to panel price list
18WLGLAM 18 oz wet laminated glass W/R Available
white gel coat finish
Refer to panel price list
36WLGLAM 34 oz e-glass W/R laminated Refer to panel price list
To be advised Solid surfacing/Corian , Avonite, Wil-
sonArt, SAFAS
Please inquire
To be advised Aluminum(3032.5052.6061) Please inquire
To be advised Granite / Marble Please inquire
Upon request core and laminate can be produced flame retardant.

All Nida-Core laminated products can be supplied CNC cut to size as per
customer specifications.

Nida-Core limits its warranty to the free delivery of panels replacing panels
deemed defective by Nida-Core Corp. Nida-Core expressly disclaims any
liability for consequential damages.

Several products offered by Nida -Core Cor p are
ISO 9002 or ISO 9
001 quality certified.
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