Strong and lightweight acoustic panels made of 70% recycled PET felt

Just new and already one of our favorite materials. Designing in PET felt is a pleasure because of the vibrant colors that also combine great. The material feels soft but the panels are also strong and light. So you can easily make (3D) sculptures that you can slide together and easily hang.

What is PET felt

This is an acoustic panel made of polyester fabric. It is made of 70% recycled PET, such as recycled PET bottles. You can saw and cut it with a Stanley knife in addition to laser cutting. This felt panel (also called EASYfelt) is fine to glue with, for example, mounting glue.

Laser-cut quality
The laser cut is about 0.2mm wide and you can make sharp inside corners. Please note that the laser cut has some ridges (see pictures) and is a little hard. The laser cut has the same color as the surface.

If you make joints such as mortise-and-tenon or slots that need to fit together, make them 8.5mm wide. That way you can still slide the pieces together just fine and it clamps without glue.

If you are making inlaid graphics or text, give the inside shapes (letters) an outside offset of about 0.2mm and the outside shapes (recess where the letter comes in) an inside offset of 0.2mm. That way it will fit together neatly and stick by itself.

2D applications

This acoustic felt is suitable for absorbing sound in a busy office, for example. And because you can have it cut any contour you want, you can immediately make it into a logo or image or text. Ideal in restaurants, classrooms or just for at home. You can also use it as a coaster, play mat and even as plates in a suspended ceiling. For example, make a hole pattern in these plates to make the acoustic properties even stronger.

3D applications

Through slots or mortise and tenon joints, you can easily connect pieces together to create 3D objects. Acoustic objects, of course, but also office items such as desk cabinets and pencil cases. And last but not least, lamps and fixtures.

A widely used and versatile type of wood. It is hard, strong, and has a distinctive wood grain.

Properties

Because plywood is constructed from cross-bonded layers, it is strong in all directions and less susceptible to breakage than solid wood. However, all plywood has a main grain direction in which the panels are stiffer; this is typically along the long side of the panel. This plywood is B/B quality and has a bonding suitable for laser cutting. The internal layers are virtually knot-free. Birch is light in color and has visible but not overwhelming grain patterns. As it is a natural material, the appearance can vary from sheet to sheet.

Applications

Birch plywood is used for a wide variety of applications, from keychains to furniture, and from models to 3D printers.

A high-quality wood species, lightweight and versatile. Lime plywood has a solid color and is particularly flat. The layers contain few knots.

Properties

Lime plywood is composed of cross-glued layers, which provides strength and stability in all directions. This makes it less susceptible to breakage than solid wood. However, basswood plywood has a main grain direction in which thin boards up to 3 mm are stiffer. The internal layers contain few knots, which contributes to the boards' attractive appearance. Lime wood is naturally light in color, with a subtle and even grain structure.

Applications

Lime plywood (or basswood plywood) is used for many different applications, including decorative objects, furniture and art projects. Its light weight and flat boards make it ideal for precision work such as model making and musical instruments. Its attractive, almost knot-free layers also make it suitable for decorative panels and interior finishes. For outdoor use, however, the material must be finished to provide weather protection.

Make your own parts and save the time to paint them. This MDF is colored throughout and has a nice soft appearance. 

Colored MDF is hard and strong, even slightly stiffer than normal MDF.

These colored boards are as easy to use as normal MDF: They are flat and strong because it consists of pressed wood fibers. The boards are equally strong in all directions because MDF is a homogeneous material. The great advantage of this through-and-through colored variant is, of course, that you immediately have beautiful colors. 

For outdoor use, you can finish MDF with clear varnish. For indoor use, oil or wax is also a nice option.

Colored MDF can be laser cut into any shape or pattern you want. The laser cut turns black which gives a nice contrast against the colored surface. The laser cut is thin (approx. 0.15mm) and precise, allowing you to make small details and precisely fitting joints.

You can choose from six colors: 

• mdf green 5mm
• mdf blue 5mm
• mdf red 5mm
• mdf orange 5mm
• mdf yellow 5mm
• mdf grey 5mm

Are you looking for black MDF? here.

A budget alternative to PE foam

Properties
Polyether foam is known as mattress foam, but you can also laser cut shapes from it. It can in some cases be an economical alternative to PE foam in (temporary) inlays of cases and crates. However, there are some important differences from PE foam. It is less sturdy. It is lighter in weight. It is lighter in color (gray). It has open cells so it absorbs liquid. It is less suitable for detailed shapes