In the beginning, EOS had only one national manager covering the entire world, we are now fully staffed and ready for your call. Please feel free to call me anytime, Gordon Shell 616-293-6170, you can also email me direct gordon@eos-surfaces.com.

I have a video of a vanity top with a bump-out being fabricated on a Northwood machine in less than 9 minutes, including an edge treatment and polished bowl cut-out. The folks @ Northwood have been terrific in developing tools and techniques for running EOS on their machines. If you buy a Blick adapter you can run standard carbide, double up-spiral bits on your machine and fly thru 3cm material.

The following was written by Robert Aslup:

Here is the scoop on machining EOS 3cm on a stone machine. We have always been able to machine solid surface material on a stone machine with the same diamond wheels and water that we use for granite. The problem has been that the 1/2" thick material was not rigid enough to machine with a typical pod set-up. The new EOS 3cm material is very rigid and that allows us to use the same pod set-ups that we use for stone.

The same tooling is also used with exception of the polishers (which are not used at all). Feed rates, except for the finger bit, are approximately twice those for granite (based on the tool manufacturer's recommended feed rates). For instance, the tooling manufacturer recommends 59.1 ipm for both the medium and fine diamond wheels. I would run both at 120 ipm in EOS 3cm. On finger bits you will only be able to run about 25% faster than stone. You can, however, substitute a collet style tool holder and use traditional routerbits. Feedrates of 200 ipm should be reasonable, but it will produce "chips" rather than fine dust that gets removed with the water.

Overall, EOS 3cm requires about 1/4 of the machine time that the same parts in granite require, assuming you take the granite all of the way through polish. The edges produced by the last diamond wheel (fine) very closely match the surface of the material. Also, unlike granite, the solid surface material can be sanded on the top surface.

Robert Alsup
Northwood Stoneworks

[QUOTE]vijayson wrote
Has any one used the Hanex 3cm solid surface?  i was wondering if it really saves time or not.  is it harder to fabricate?  i have a Northwood Stone cnc that we cut 75% of our jobs on.   About a year ago the 3cm ss EOS was on my radar but i had sooo much trouble getting my regional rep to even call me back i never gave it a try.   [/QUOTE]

Hi Vijay,

I would assume the Hanex 3CM solid surface is acrylic. CAn you please confirm that?. There are slso some companies in China that market 3 CM solid surface in acrylic although I have never worked with it or tested it. .ANd there are some that offer polyester also. There are some advantages of 3 CM in acrylic. (Chemical bond seaming-no need to abrade for maximum seam strength, less dusting when routing,, ability  to do some crude T forming- although dont expect as tight a radius as 1/2 inch acrylic). From personal knowledge of the situation I would expect to see more and more companies offerring 3 CM solid surface, expanding the options for fabricators.

And also GShell is quite corrrect IMO in some of the positive attributes of 3CM he pointed out in his post.

B Rgds,

Lenny

Thanks Wags. I havent been to Korea since consulting there in 2002. But I hope to go there again some day. Tomorrow I exit CHina, to go to Macau, and then onto one of the many Stans (there are so very many Stans..Pakistan,  Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenestan, Karrrakastan etc etc. (spelled wrong ..sounds like Crack a  Stan to me..although very little coke there , but a big opium crop).

BTW speaking of opium crops, since the US occupation of Afghanistan, that country now produces more herion than the world can consume. Expect an upsurge in cheap herion in the US. Apparently the crop growers are allied wth the Afghan govt, and the US and the Afgahn govt and US govt dont want to cheese them off. Its bad news for families with chemically dependant members. Expect purity and overdoses to increase....and price to go down and addiction to increase. . Maybe this post  is one for the swamp! Feel free to move it there. Other bad news is the taliban, and Al  (as in Queida)...like the mafia, charge the growers a protection tax, so those drug dollars in part help support the killers of our troops and innocent civilains.

Lennys solution..use that left over paraquat from Nam ...on those fileds.....and folllow it by a nuke if needed. Use a series of suitcase bombs, (many floating around from the downfall of the USSR) and blame it on the terrorists  as a retribution for non payment of Heroin  tax.

While I dont do think tank anymore, I am confident some think-tank dweeb has already proposed this to the short guy in boots. ........G dubya

B Rgds,

Lenny

[QUOTE]Tom M wrote
Wags, Lenny, why are we now seeing 3cm acrylic in so many places? Luxton (sp?), Han, and Meganite all have acrylic 3cm.

I remember Lenny going over how it was much harder to manufacture, with cure problems and all, so why the burst? I assume each company is putting out their own?[/QUOTE]

You are corrrect. Mr Tom Mather, While acrylic 3 CM is harder to make it can be done with a few tricks. I made a lot of poly 3 CM in CHina and outlined the production of 3CM acrylic for another company. My advice is check the samples..easy test called the Zippo test,ight it on fire and sniff, to ascertain if its realy acrylic.

Since the denial of the EOS patent (if my info is correct), I feel u will see an upsurge in this type of material from various vendors.

B Rgds,

Lenny

EOS patent has not been denied, it is now a "Published Patent Pending".  The rest is confidential.

The upsurge in this type of material just supports what EOS has been saying all along "thicker material leads to less labor costs and a stronger countertop"

Also, take a look at the particulate distribution in 100% acrylic, not even from front to back. If Dupont cant get the particulate to distribute evenly from front to back in 1/2" thick material then imagine trying to get it to go thru 3cm. EOS has some of the best particulate distribution in the business.

Just my thoughts, but keep in mind I'm a sales manager for EOS so I am quite bias.

Thanks Gshell for the update,

I kinda think youre going to have some problems with that patent. Patenting 3 CM is like trying to patent a 1/4 pound hamburger. People have been making thick solid surface for decades, its not novel  or new.  But just my opinion based on 8 previous solid surface patents.

As for homogeneous acrylic particle distribution, thats easily accomplished if one knows how to do. Apparently they are need of a Lenny, but alas, Lenny is kinda busy for the immediate forseeable future.

Good luck on your patent and all your business endeavors. I do agree whole heartedly in the time savings in fabrication  with respect to your product. It is stronger due to thickness and also the seams are stonger due to the increased surface area the joint adhesive has to adhere to. I visited one of your factorys in China, and they seem to be OK.

B Rgds,

Lenny

Thanks for letting the cat out of the bag Lenny.  I am still working of the 1/4# burger thing. 

Yes 3CM material fabricate much faster but you have to rethink some of the jobs you are used to doing for a few reasons.  Those are really not that big of an issue though.  However, try to sell UM stainless steel sinks.  Routing an integral bowl in 3CM sucks.  We even use the CNC to cut opening down to 1/8 of the bowl and it is stil tough on the routers and bits. 

Hi J Cristina,

I must give credit where credit is due, that 1/4 pounder EOS quote came from the immaculate J CHristina..

Jon,

While seam strength is certainly not an issue in most 1/2 inch reputable products, (Corian, Wilsonart, Formica, Avonite, Hi Macs, Staron etc etc.) the 3CM has some advantages. I personally seamed 2 pieces together in a butt seam 90 degree angle with 3 CM, the seam in the corner or stress riser, which would be warranty death to a 1/2 inch product, and furthermore I  jumped on it with my fat carcass, repeatedly, and I couldnt break it. Will try sledge hammer later and get back to you.

Just my few thoughts,

Lenny

Thanks Lenny.

The seam strength protects against those carcasses that indulge in to many 1/4 pounders then sit on the 1/2" seam.

Charlie,

How does the larger particulate material look?  It always seemed that when the manufacturers made large particulate, it was difficult to get the even distribution throughout the thickness.

Just got back from coaching summer hoops...

I think the large particulate distribution is as good as the small, but I'm biased so have a look for yourself.  Keep in mind the process being used is a batch mix and pour process where the particulate distribution can be controlled more easily then with an automated belt process.  I am not an expert on the process, as Lenny seems to be, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night. 

Charlie,

We have 2cm Meganite in Florida, but not 3cm.  Do you know anything about release dates here?

Fred, 

The Meganite distributor in your area is Maxstone and I have an email into Wayne to see what their plans are. 

http://www.maxstoneusa.com/

Charlie

Tom Wrote: "Coach basketball? A short guy like you?"

Hey Tom, 

Yea, us guys who can't play anymore now coach!  Knees, back, you name it, it's all shot.