Assembling TriSound ‘Blanks’

The TriSound acoustic & fire door range is available to buy in readymade ‘blanks’ of 2040X926 stock sizes and non-stock sizes can be supplied to order in around 3 weeks, but how difficult is it really to make up a ‘blank’ to your custom size requirement from the ‘core’ that we also supply from stock?

In the first instance you will need to source materials for manufacture of the ‘blank’ in addition to the ‘core’. These are:

• Perimeter material (Poplar, Sitka spruce or Sapele depending on fire the requirement)
• Substrates (MDF at 4mm or HD MDF at 3mm depending on the fire requirement)
• 2mm Therm-A-Line material at 54mm wide for FD30 (you can cut wider material with a knife)
• Some glue and staples (the corrugated 12mmx20mm type fired from an air gun).

Assembly is straight forward and for smaller quantities of ‘blanks’ a bench, airgun (for the staples) and press is all that’s required. Substrate 1 is placed on the bench, glue roller applied to the face, the ‘core’ placed onto it, then the Therm-A-Line (FD30 only) and perimeter built around the ‘core’, held in place by the staples. Substrate 2 is then glued and applied to the top. Transfer to the press and you have your ‘blank’!

For larger batches a more organised batch building of perimeters and the use of automated glue rollers/presses can further enhance the efficiency of assembly.

It is important that the ‘blank’ is assembled in accordance with the tested samples that make up our evidence, so that you can be assured the finished and correctly installed Doorset performs in accordance with expectations. This is especially true with fire doors, which are a vital piece of building safety kit.

AFDS Ltd can offer technical support to ensure correct assembly of ‘blanks’. This is to ensure manufacturers are comfortable with the method. We can provide Method Statements and will also visit your factory to help you manufacture your first few ‘blanks’.

So is building the ‘blank’ yourself right for you? It probably comes down to what equipment and workspace you have and whether the cost saving of buying ‘cores’ rather than ‘blanks’ offsets the time and organisational requirements of self-assembly. At AFDS Ltd we’re happy to talk you through the options.