Stand Construction Suppliers: Hygiene barriers out of thermoplastics

Exolon conquers the new market for partitions and hygiene solutions. Its plastic sheets are transparent, robust, easy to process and to clean.

Coronavirus - a never-ending story: Orders from the stand construction industry have dried up - even for the Exolon Group. But hygiene barriers now offer completely new market potential. Many stand construction firms and suppliers are entering this line of business. Keeping a minimum distance is not always possible in places where people come together. For this purpose, the Exolon Group produces thermoplastic sheets for barriers and partitions. They can be used in a wide range of settings - from protecting staff behind cash registers at supermarkets or petrol stations through open-plan offices to reception areas in doctors’ surgeries.

Exolon recommends the solid polycarbonate and polyester sheets from its Makrolon, Vivak and Axpet ranges. All of them offer a high transparency and have a ten-year warranty for their breakage resistance. In addition, they feature a good fire safety classification. This makes them suitable for indoor use. As a rule, the Exolon Group's solid polycarbonate sheets have a high impact resistance, and a thickness of up to six millimetres is recommended for the above-mentioned applications. The GP series is even suitable for cold bending. The AR Series, which is primarily designed for flat installation, has a particularly scratch-resistant surface.

Vivak copolyester sheets combine superior thermoforming properties with excellent mechanical characteristics. They offer designers virtually unlimited creative options and a high degree of freedom for realising intricate transparent designs. Axpet polyester sheets have a high rigidity and are suitable for flat applications. Their maximum thickness is four millimetres. Due to their composition, both materials are foodstuff-safe. They are recommended in a thickness of up to four millimetres for Axpet and up to six millimetres for Vivak.

Transparent visors are equally helpful in situations where a minimum distance cannot be maintained and face shields are required. They protect the wearer against coughing and sneezing. The high impact resistance of the thermoplastic sheets protects them against breakage and makes them safe to use in the facial area. Depending on product type, Exolon recommends a thickness of 0.6 to three millimetres. “Our sheets are suitable for many different applications and can produce attractive-looking solutions,” says Nicole Meyer-Kurczyk, Exolon’s Marketing Communications Manager. “They are not just functional but also aesthetically pleasing.” Another benefit is that they are easy to clean. All you need is a normal sponge, lukewarm water, mild soap, neutral or slightly alkaline cleaning agents. “For disinfection we recommend using products based on ethanol or 2-propanol or hydrogen peroxide. Our products are resistant to these chemicals,” explains Nicole Meyer-Kurczyk.

Easy to process, they are very popular for construction. Be it thermoforming, bevelling or, for certain materials, cold bending: These are fast and efficient processing methods. Drilling, milling, sawing, cutting, punching or laser cutting can be performed with standard tools (www.exolongroup.com).

New name, new presence: At the beginning of 2020, Covestro sold its European polycarbonate sheet business to the Munich-based Serafin Group. Under Serafin’s umbrella, the Exolon Group now operates as an independent, mid-sized enterprise. The Exolon Group took over Covestro’s central sales and management functions as well as its production sites in Belgium and Italy. Covestro’s sale of its European business completed a process of several years, during which it had divested itself of its global sheet business. Exolon focuses on its core business: the production and distribution of high-quality solid and multiwall sheets made of high-tech polymer materials. As one of the leading companies in this sector, the company wants to fully exploit the market’s growth potential. Customers include the manufacturing and construction industries, lighting system producers, the healthcare sector and trade fair construction.