Laminate flooring inlays are basically decorative patterns set into the laminate flooring. The laminate is a combination of wood and stones textures, which can be used as a great alternative for real wood and stone.
There are four basic layers that give laminate flooring its strength and stability:
Backing Layer: This is the bottom layer of the flooring, which provides moisture resistance and prevents board warping.
Inner Core Layer: Within this layer, one will find high density fiberboards reinforced by a high resin. The board and resin provide stability and resistance against water.
Image Design Layer: This is where a high resolution image is placed to resemble a particular material.
Wear Layer: This is the topmost layer, which is designed to prevent any scratching or fading of the laminate.
To create the right design within the laminate, it is important that the cutting process does not degrade the laminate inlay in any manner. Water jet cutting technology is perhaps the best option to use when creating laminate flooring inlays. There are various reasons for this:
Water jet cutting is fast, flexible, and accurate.
It is an inexpensive method without any tooling costs.
As cold water is used in the cutting process, there is no concern for heat affected zones or warped materials.
It is very suitable for cutting various materials including wood, stone, marble, laminates, vinyl, and rubber.
Laminate Flooring Inlay Design Process
The design process usually starts off with a drawing or a simple design provided by the client. The inlay designers take the design and create a model based on it. Normally, CAD software is used to create the model and then final design. The software allows the designer to experiment with colors, sizes and even materials to be used for the design. Once the final layout, color scheme, and size of the inlay are finalized, the design is then sent for water jet cutting.
Water Jet Cutting Process
The process for creating laminate flooring inlays using water jet cutting technology is similar but with a few minor changes. The pressure intensity is changed based on the type of material being cut. The procedure involves the final design being fed into the computer connected to the water jet cutting machine. Once the design has been inputted, the water jet machine begins the cutting process.
A cold stream of water is passed through a nozzle at high pressures usually ranging between 0.08 to 0.4 mm. With acceleration; the cutting jet reaches 900 m/sec. Thus, this results in the cutting of the laminate into the required design. Using various types of wood laminates, various contrasting colors and patterns can be put together to create the desired inlay.
Benefits of Flooring Inlays produced with Water Jet Cutting
It is clear to see that water jet cutting can be very useful when creating flooring inlays. There are many benefits that can be received from the water jet cutting process.
Waterjet cutting is a completely eco-friendly procedure. It does not produce any kind of hazardous gases or smoke.
For innovative inlay designs, waterjet cutting is an excellent alterative instead of plasma, laser, or flame cutting processes.
Advanced technology can be used to create the most innovative designs for laminate flooring inlays.
The computer controlled waterjet and automatic operations make the entire cutting process simple and easy.
Besides laminates, waterjet cutting has the ability to create inlay designs out of wood, marble, stone, and even glass.
Flooring inlays of any size, shape, or quantity can be cut using water jet technology.
As one can see, laminate flooring inlays can be created to one's personal requirements and standards with the quick and efficient process of waterjet cutting.
