Formica (plastic)
| Inventors | Daniel J. O'Conor, Herbert A. Faber |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Formica Corporation |
Formica is a brand of composite materials manufactured by the Formica Corporation now based in Newcastle, Tyne & Wear, a division of the New Zealand company Fletcher Building. In common use, the term refers to the company's classic product, a heat-resistant, wipe-clean, plastic laminate of paper or fabric with melamine resin.
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[edit] Invention
Formica was invented in 1912 by Daniel J. O'Conor and Herbert A. Faber, then working at Westinghouse which filed for a patent on it.[1] They originally conceived it as a substitute for mica used as electrical insulation, made of wrapped woven fabric coated with Bakelite thermosetting resin, then slit lengthwise, flattened, and cured in a press. They left Westinghouse immediately afterwards.
The name Formica now refers primarily to the decorative product composed of several layers of kraft paper impregnated with melamine thermosetting resin and topped with a decorative layer protected by melamine, then compressed and cured with heat to make a hard, durable surface.
[edit] Etymology of the name
The mineral mica was commonly used at that time for electrical insulation. Because the new product acted as a substitute “for mica”, Faber coined the name “Formica”[1] This was in fact a preexisting word, the Latin for a genus of ant insects, but that meaning did not dilute its use as a trademark.
[edit] History
O’Conor and Faber quit Westinghouse to start their own business, enlisting lawyer and banker John G. Tomlin as an investor. Tomlin put up $7,500 and became a silent partner in the fledgling business. The company began operations on 2 May 1913, and was immediately successful: by September, Formica Products Company had eighteen employees trying to keep up with the demand for electrical parts for Bell Electric Motor, Ideal Electric and Northwest Electric.
After the General Bakelite company chose to sell resin for sheet insulation only to Westinghouse (allowing the Formica company other shapes with smaller markets), they switched to a similar competitive phenolic resin, Redmanol. After patent litigation, that company was later merged with General Bakelite and a third firm to form Bakelite Corporation in 1922.
An important application devised in the 1920’s was the use of phenolic-laminated fabric for gears; cut on conventional hobbing machines, the gears were tough and quiet, which was important for automotive timing gears. By 1932, Formica Insulation Company was producing 6,000 gear blanks a day for Chevrolet and other car makers.
In 1927, Formica Insulation Company obtained a patent on an opaque barrier sheet that allowed the use of rotogravure printing to make wood-grained or marble-surfaced laminate, the first of many innovations that were to associate the name "Formica" with decorative interior products.
In 1938 melamine thermosetting resin was developed by American Cyanamid Company. It resisted heat, abrasion and moisture better than phenolic or urea resins and could be used to make more colors; soon after, the Formica Corporation was buying the entire output of melamine from American Cyanamid.
During World War II it manufactured "Pregwood" plastic-impregnated wooden aeroplane propellers and bomb parts. Post-war, engineering uses declined, ceasing in 1970 in favor of decorative laminates.
The company was headquartered in Cincinnati Ohio for many years. After WWII, it entered the European market through a license agreement.
In 1956 American Cyanamid acquired the Formica Company.[2] After a 1984 management buyout from American Cyanamid,[3] Formica diversified with products such as solid surfacing, metal laminates and flooring materials.
Since 2007, it has been a subsidiary of the Fletcher Building group[4] which purchased it from private equity investors Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. and Oaktree Capital Management, LLC.[5]
[edit] Relatives
- Arborite, a similar and also popular paper-melamine composite, was developed in Canada in the 1940s.
- A line of laminates similar to Formica is made by Wilsonart International.
- Laminates similar to Formica, but with top surface made of multilaminar veneer and sprayed with resin are called Alpikord,[6] is made by Alpi SpA .[7]
- Consoweld similar twentieth century product manufactured by Consolidated Paper of Wisconsin.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b The History of Formica Corporation
- ^ "Cyanamid Concern Formally Acquires Formica Company". New York Times. Apr 17, 1956. p. 41.
- ^ ROBERT J. COLE (Oct 12, 1984). "Cyanamid Will Sell Formica; Deal Valued At $200 Million". New York Times. p. D3.
- ^ History of the Fletcher Building group
- ^ Formica Corporation announces purchase by Fletcher Building Limited
- ^ Alpi, "AlpiKord"
- ^ The Alpi Website
