FAQ

THE PRODUCT

 

WHAT IS FENIX?

• FENIX are innovative materials for interior design. They are neither a film nor a finish.

WHICH MATERIALS DOES FENIX OFFER?

• FENIX NTM, FENIX NTM Bloom, FENIX NTA.

WHERE FENIX IS PRODUCED?

• FENIX are made in Italy and Canada.
• Manufactured in Arpa Industriale’s plant in Bra and in Formica Corporation’s plant in St. Jean, Quebec.

WHAT IS FENIX NTM?

• FENIX NTM is an innovative matte material. Pleasant to the touch and durable. “Smart” and versatile.

WHAT IS FENIX NTA?

• FENIX NTA has an empowered metal surface with FENIX features: visual comfort, soft touch, scratch resistance.

WHAT DOES BLOOM MEAN?

• Bloom identifies a new technology developed for the core of the material. Focusing on a challenging raw material coming from nature, lignine, a new technology has been introduced to significantly reduce the amount of phenol included in the resin by 50%.
• The Bloom technology maintains the quality and well-known technical features of FENIX NTM.

WHICH ARE THE MAIN PROPERTIES OF FENIX?

The main properties are:

1. low light reflectivity, extremely matte surface;
2. soft touch;
3. anti-fingerprint;
4. thermal healing of superficial micro-scratches.

WHICH CERTIFICATIONS ARE RELATED TO FENIX?

FENIX NTM and FENIX NTA are certified according to:

• NSF (suitability for use as work and non-work surfaces of food service equipment on which direct food contact during normal preparation or holding operations is not intended, expected, or reasonable).
• Greenguard GOLD (FENIX as a product designed for use in indoor spaces meets strict chemical emissions limits).
• FENIX NTM in 0.9mm and FENIX NTA -- EU regulation 10/2011 and following updates under selected conditions (FENIX is a material suitable for contact with foodstuff).
• FENIX NTM FR in 0.9 mm and FENIX NTA in 0.7mm are certified IMO MED (suitable for marine equipment).
• FENIX NTM FR from 10 mm above is classified as Bs1d0 and CE marked for interiors building applications.

HOW CAN I GET HIGH-RES IMAGES?

They can be all downloaded in high resolution here:

• FENIX NTM
• FENIX NTM Bloom
• FENIX NTA

IS FENIX AVAILABLE IN FR GRADE?

• FENIX NTM and FENIX NTA are available in FR grade as Make to Order.
• FENIX NTM Bloom is not yet available in FR grade.

ARE CUSTOM COLORS AVAILABLE?

• Plain custom colors are available for FENIX NTM upon a minimum quantity with a price surcharge and extended lead times.

IS THERE A POSTFORMING GRADE IN THE FENIX RANGE?

• A postforming grade is not available.

DOES FENIX FEATURE A SPECIAL PACKAGING?

• Standard packaging is used for FENIX: pallets for truck transportation and wooden cases for sea transportation. All FENIX sheets are filmed with a branded protective film.

DOES FENIX HAVE A WARRANTY?

• Yes, it can be downloaded online.
  
  

THE MATERIAL FEATURES

 

HOW MANY TIMES CAN THE SUPERFICIAL MICROSCRATCHES BE REPAIRED BY THERMAL HEALING?

• The thermal healing repair can be done several times if the structure of the material is not damaged.

DOES THE REMOVAL OF SUPERFICIAL MICROSCRATCHES HAVE TO BE DONE IMMEDIATELY?

• Tests have shown that the removal of superficial microscratches by a "magic sponge" takes place both immediately and after 24h.

WHICH IS THE FENIX SURFACE SPECULAR REFLECTANCE?

• FENIX surface is extremely matte: the surface specular reflectance is in the range of 8-16 gloss at 85°.
  
  

THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS

 

WHAT IS THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS USED FOR FENIX?

• FENIX products are paper based, super opaque materials. FENIX products are made of paper (over 60%) and thermosetting resins (30 - 40%). The FENIX products are created by a pressing process in which heat and pressure are applied simultaneously in order to obtain a homogeneous non-porous product.
• The external surface of FENIX is obtained through the application of a multilayer coating and it is characterized by next generation acrylic resins, hardened and fixed with Electron Beam Curing process.
• FENIX NTA contains a real metal structure in its décor layer.
  
  

MACHINING TIPS

 

HOW CAN EDGING BE MANAGED?

• FENIX sheets, in the thin version, can be edge-banded using the same color with 1.2 mm thickness (Matched Colored Core) or using ABS/PP edge-banding strip developed in partnership with manufacturers of edge-banding material (e.g. Rehau, Doellken, etc). Edge banding correspondences are available.
• Processing and machining guidelines are available online.

WHICH MACHINING TOOLS ARE SUGGESTED?

• FENIX can be machined with standard carpenter’s tools.
• Processing and machining guidelines are available online.
• Each fabricator working with the sheets needs to make sure that proper risk assessments have been performed.

WHICH ARE THE INSTALLATION GUIDELINES?

• FENIX is a semi-finished product, so the fabrication guidelines should be followed, according to the diverse applications in different contexts.

WHERE MAY I FIND TECHNICAL INFORMATION ON THE PRODUCT?

• Online you may find the technical data sheets and the standard delivery programs for the different product lines.

IS THE FENIX PRODUCT DIRECTIONAL?

• FENIX has its own intrinsic directionality.
• The directionality of FENIX NTM is only visible under certain lighting conditions.
• The directionality of FENIX NTA is emphasized by the presence of a sheet of real metal in the outermost surface layer of the material. Should you ever need to work with FENIX NTA in a way that will require joining the material, we recommend that you check the effect of the material’s directionality first.

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE LIFE OF A SHEET OF FENIX?

• FENIX is a durable material. The actual lifespan depends on how it is used, especially in regards to the decorative surface. In any case, its durability is an important quality that makes it especially attractive from an environmental point of view. Long life means less waste and a saving in resources.