PROCESSING INSTRUCTIONS
Tips & Tricks for working with hanit®
Our environmentally friendly hanit® material consists of 100 % recycled plastic and is characterised by its wide range of uses. Products made from hanit® can be easily installed without a great deal of previous technical knowledge, are easy to transport and protect our climate by reducing the amount of new material that is required. However, in addition to being environmentally friendly, it is particularly the outstanding product performance which makes the material unique, since hanit® combines the positive characteristics of wood, stone, plastic and concrete, and as well as its high utility value outdoors it also has a very good price/performance ratio which quickly pays for itself.
SPECIAL FEATURES OF RECYCLING PLASTIC
hanit® is just as easy to process as wood and can be machined with tools and machinery from the wood and metal processing areas without problems. Our products made from recycled plastic can therefore be flexibly adapted to any project, and are suitable for almost any purpose of use. However, because of the material characteristics, there are several special features which need to be taken into consideration during the processing of hanit®:
- Recycling products have a closed surface. The core, on the other hand, has a partially grid-like structure that becomes visible during machining. However, this material-related characteristic does not affect the processing and stability of the material.
- Even though hanit® is much lighter than concrete or stone, its high density soon becomes noticeable during processing, which gives the material its strength and makes it a popular alternative with many professionals.
- The processing of recycling plastic normally results in additional tool wear. We therefore always recommend the use of tools equipped with carbide for processing hanit®.
- Several hanit® products have additional metal reinforcement which gives the product additional stability. Cuts must be avoided when using these products.
- Chips can occur during the machining of recycling plastic, as they do with wood. These should be collected using appropriate extraction systems or devices so that they can be recycled or disposed of afterwards.
DOWNLOAD AREA
More information about the installation, assembly or processing of our hanit® recycling products for the respective products can be found in the Downloads tab. These documents will provide step-by-step support for correct implementation. And we are always pleased to be available to you in person for any other questions.
TOOL SELECTION
Working with hanit®
SAWING
An optimum cutting pattern can best be achieved by recycling plastic using fast band saws and circular saws with slightly straight-set teeth made from carbide. To avoid clogging the recycling plastic, we recommend quick swarf removal.
SCREW FIXING
When hanit® recycling products are being screwed in place, the profile that is being secured such as planks, decking or square profiles should be pre-drilled. The drill hole should be bigger than the screw when doing this. We also recommend elongated holes to take account of the thermally induced expansion of the material.
MILLING
When hanit® artificial wood is being milled, a swarf cross-section that is as big as possible should be selected to minimise the amount of heat generated by the swarf removal. The maximum cutting depth and the feed rate should be used, whereas the cutting speed should be slow. To increase the service life of the tools, we recommend using milling cutters made from carbide.
KNOCKING IN NAILS
Hammers and nails or guns are also not a problem for our hanit® recycling plastic. During fixing it should merely be noted that penetrating the profiles is somewhat more difficult than with wood because of the compact surface.
DRILLING
A standard drill with a twist angle of 20 to 30° and a tip angle of 110 to 120° can be used in the majority of cases when drilling recycling plastic. Relaxation strokes should occasionally be used to avoid high frictional heat, particularly at greater drilling depths.
SUPPORT DISTANCES
Unlike wood or metal products, recycling plastic is less rigid and more flexible. This special material characteristic should be taken into consideration accordingly, particularly in the walkway, fence and terrace construction areas.
PLANING
An electric plane can be used to machine hanit®. The surface depends on the feed rate, cutting speed, clearance and rake angle and the condition of the blades to a considerable extent.
KNOCKING IN PROFILES
If recycling profiles are being knocked in, we recommend using a pile driver or edge protector to avoid damage to the product.
DEBURRING
Angle grinders are not suitable for cutting work on hanit® because of the high rotational speed. On the other hand, an angle grinder can be used without problems on plastic parts which have burrs or edges after machining.
EXPANSION DISTANCE
Planks, thresholds and square profiles made from hanit® recycling plastic may not be press fitted. Since the profiles can have temperature-related length fluctuations of +/- 1.5 %, an expansion distance (expansion gap) should be adhered to during installation.
COLOUR WORLDS
hanit® can also be coloured
In addition to the standard colour of grey, many hanit® products are also available in anthracite, brown, red or blue. This isn’t so easy because of the colourful mixture of materials and colours from the yellow sack, because the pellets which are produced during recycling are initially always grey. We can only colour hanit® by adding coloured granulate and therefore produce other colour variants. The material is completely coloured all the way through and not just surface treated.
Products made from hanit® recycling plastic can have slight colour and appearance fluctuations. Colour differences tend to occur more frequently with grey products which are not coloured and with which the colour is the result of the manufacturing process.
hanit® is characterised by having muted colouring. This underlines the natural character of the products. The colours and therefore the products can become somewhat lighter over time. This is a natural process which does not affect the functionality of the products.
