Understanding The Pros And Cons Of Panel Specifications

GRP faced plywood has been the default panel type in the UK for decades. Despite being fairly durable, it's heavy, it deteriorates and is virtually impossible to recycle. Today, Don-Bur offers many options, but which should you choose and why? Do you specify the lightest, the stiffest, the most resilient to damage or even a recyclable option?

Understanding the merits of each panel type will help to evaluate suitability and value over the vehicle's life.

Below is a guide to commont panel types:

	Standard GRP	Omnia	Carbofont	D-B Technolite	D-B Blade	Tata Coretinium
Page Link	GRP Details	Omnia Details	Carbofont Details	Technolite Details	Blade	Coretinium
Appearance
Material	Plywood/GRP	Polypropylene (PP)	GRPR/PC	Aluminium	Polyethylene (HDPE)/Steel	Polymer Plastic/ Steel
Construction	Soft, plywood core, faced with glass reinforced plastic	Polypropylene honeycomb core faced with fibreglass reinforced polypropylene sheets	Glass Re-enforced Polyester Resin skin with Polycarbonate delta core. Gelcoat RAL 9010 finish	Aluminium honeycomb core faced with aluminium sheets	High density polyethylene (HDPE) foam core. Hot dipped galvanisation steel skin (80,000 yield hard steel). Polyester baked paint.	Rigid polymer honeycomb core faced with steel skin
Weight (kgs/m²)	16	4.8	8.35	7.4	11.8	7.65
Thickness (mm)	20	30	20	20	7.5	10
Surface Finish (Graphic decals have superior adhesion to smooth surfaces.)	Smooth	Dimpled	Textured	Gloss Smooth	Gloss Smooth	Smooth
Skin Sheet Thickness (mm)	1	0.7	1	1	0.5	0.4
Skin Fixation Strength	70%	30%	50%	60%	90%	40%
Rigidity Scale	80%	30%	70%	90%	60%	60%
Resistance to Crushing	80%	30%	40%	20%	100%	30%
Acute Impact Resistance Grade	80%	70%	70%	50%	90%	50%
Environmental Effect	Moisture ingress into plywood leading to eventual delamination and core deterioration.	Rigidity is affected by variances in heat. Material also affected by UV light.	Material affected by long-term UV light	NIL	NIL	NIL
Damage Degradation	Water ingress into plywood leading to delamination, surface deterioration and rot.	As above	As above	Subject to surface oxidisation if paint surface is broken.	Self-healing zinc skin. Subject to oxidisation if galvanised surface is broken.	Self-healing "Galvalloy" skin. Subject to oxidisation if galvanised surface is broken.
Flammability	Self fuelling active flame.	Self fuelling active flame. Includes glass retardant.	High heat resistance. Rated as slow burning.	Melting point 660°C	Auto-extinguishes	Classification unknown
Recyclability	Not recyclable	Due to the mixture of compounds these plastic types are hard to recycle and not generally recycled in the UK	De-Lamination required. Due to the mixture of compounds these plastic types are hard to recycle and not generally recycled in the UK	Smelts to pure recyclable product. Low cost process.	Steel skin can be smelted. Polyethylene core is commonly downcycled in the UK	Steel skin can be smelted. Polymer honeycomb core material is not classified.
Absorbency	Moisture content fluctuates between 8/12% at time of milling to 30%. Trailer can fluctuate in weight by +/-240kgs	0.03%	0.1%	NIL	< 0.01%	NIL

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