8300 Datasheet, PDF (5/16 Pages) 3M Electronics – Static Dissipative Rigid Worksurface 8300 Series

A. Both the laminate and the substrate should be conditioned at approximately 75°F (24°C) and 45‑55%
RH for a minimum of 48 hours prior to fabrication.
B. Provision should be made to allow air circulation around the various components of the fabrication
process (i.e., laminate, substrate, etc.).
C. Where cracking may be a problem due to moisture differentials, the laminate should be thoroughly
dried out to minimize the rate of shrinkage. Fabricators have not experienced problems with buckling
or lifting of laminate when the laminate was dried prior to lamination and then later took on moisture.
(Note: Moisture in the laminate enhances its postforming properties.)
D. Decreasing the ambient humidity ‑ minimizes stress cracking
Increasing the ambient humidity ‑ facilitates postforming
7.0 Fabrication
3M^™ Rigid Worksurface 8300 Series is a rigid product and the top surface is very hard. Special tools and
procedures are required in order to fabricated this product successfully.
A. Cutting/sawing/routing:
1. To avoid chipping during sawing, it is important that the rotation of the blade be such that the teeth of
the blade first contact and cut into the decorative (top) surface of the laminate. Therefore, with a hand
circular saw, the laminate should be cut with the decorative surface face down. With a table saw, the
decorative surface should face up.
2. Blades and bits used should be carbide‑tipped. A blade with more teeth will make a smoother cut.
Blades/bits should always be sharp. Recommended saw blades: triple chip grind, 10 – 15 degrees
positive rake. Ten inch diameter minimum 80 teeth, twelve inch diameter minimum 100 teeth.
3. The higher the rotation speed of the blade or bit, the cleaner the cut will be.
Caution: Do not exceed manufacturers recommended rotation speeds.
4. The laminate should not be forced into a cutting blade, and it must be supported near the blade,
especially when cutting unmounted laminate.
5. When cutting openings into a finished benchtop covered with laminate, never cut the inside corners
of the opening at 90° (the point at which each such cut ends can serve as a source for a crack.)
Always round such inside corners to a minimum radius to 0.125 in. (3.2 mm). However, the largest
possible radius should be used.
6. After cutting/sawing/routing, the edges of the laminate should always be filed or sanded to remove
chips or nicks that may lead to a crack later on.
B. Sanding:
Sanding and filing should always be directed parallel to or away from the decorative surface.
C. Drilling:
Recommendations are generally the same as those for sawing. In addition, the material being drilled
should be backed to prevent breakout at the bottom of the hole.
8.0 Postforming
A. The minimum radius around which 3M Rigid Worksurface 8300 should be formed is 0.50 in. when
parallel to the machine direction. If the laminate is post‑formed perpendicular to the machine direction
the minimum radius is 0.625 in.
B. Laminate sheets can be formed only in a straight line. They cannot be drawn over curved edges (e.g.,
covering a round tabletop) like vacuum‑formable plastic sheets can. The substrate must be clean,
smooth, and straight. Parallelism is essential in the moving parts of the forming operation.
C. In general, the laminate should be only slightly larger than the substrate [0.125‑0.25 in. (3.2‑6.4 mm)]
and should be trimmed after the forming operation is completed. Excessive overhang will tend to crack
or buckle during the postforming process. Check the edges of the laminate prior to forming. Any nicks
or cracks should be filed smooth before forming; if not, cracks can develop at these rough spots.
78-8136-3801-8