What’s the Difference Between Advanced Detail & Simple Formliners?

The main difference between advanced detail and simple concrete formliners is the complexity and depth of the design they can produce. Advanced detail formliners replicate intricate and custom designs, while simple formliners produce basic textures and patterns.

The form liner’s ability to create details is typically affected by the material used. Some materials can transfer and produce higher detail than others without wearing or tearing.

The material most commonly used for detailed and even simple projects is polyurethane. However, there are many urethane rubber options to choose from. Your project needs will determine the exact material that will work best.

How to Choose the Best Form Liner Material

The purpose of a formliner is to transfer a desired amount of texture or pattern onto concrete. The type of urethane rubber you use for your formliner will depend on your aesthetic goals, reuse needs, budget, and project size.

Why Does Hardness Matter?

The properties of urethane rubber will be a factor in which material will work best for your project. Shore hardness is an important property to note. It quite literally determines how hard the material is. It also tells you about the flexibility of the material. Urethane rubber with a Shore hardness of 90 A will be more rigid and less flexible than rubber with a 25 A hardness.

Formliners typically require a special combination of flexibility and rigidity. Most formliners range between 60 A and 90 A in order to optimize the properties to the liner.

What Level of Detail Do You Require?

If you need high-quality finishes and intricate designs on your concrete, rubbers with more flexibility and lower hardness should be your go-to for making formliners. A medium-hard rubber will have a better time replicating an original’s details than a very rigid rubber.

For advanced detail, VFI recommends using a rubber between 60 A and 70 A. It is at these hardnesses that the rubber will have the flexibility needed to release from decorative pieces more easily. These details can include customized logos, shapes, or three-dimensional effects that create a distinct identity or theme.

If you’re working on a less detailed project, your liner might need to be more durable. You would probably want to use a harder rubber for increased strength. VFI recommends using a rubber with a Shore hardness between 70 and 90 A if detail is less important.

Rigid rubbers are at a greater risk of not demolding or breaking the concrete because of their limited flexibility. That’s why it’s better to use these materials when your design is more subtle and less pronounced, with few undercuts.

Basic textures and patterns can include masonry appearances such as brick, stone, and wood. Even though these liners are simple, they will produce more natural results than if you were to use a material like plastic.

How Many Pulls Do You Need from a Single Liner?

You should also consider whether you need a liner for a one-time use or if you will need it for other projects down the line. Urethane rubber is desirable due to its high reuse potential. Plastics like ABS or polystyrene can make good simple formliners, but they don’t have the same reuse potential. They will also need to be fixed or adhered to the deck in order to generate a piece, creating more work.

Reuse will depend on the thickness of the liner and how deep the texture is. If you need your formliner to be more durable, you’ll want to consider making a simple formliner. At high hardnesses, these liners are rigid and abrasion-resistant, so they can endure multiple uses. If properly cared for, they can get up to 100 pulls. This can lead to lower overall costs, especially for large projects using a consistent pattern.

Even at lower durometers, you can still get a good amount of pulls from a single urethane form liner. However, some details may wear faster after each use compared to higher durometer urethane liners with simple details.

What’s the Budget of Your Project?

It’s also important to choose a formliner type that best fits your budget. Many people go for plastic formliners because they are relatively low in cost. However, they won’t be as durable if you need to get multiple uses out of them. They also have limited design options for some projects.

If you want a material that’s more cost-effective in the long run and you do not have strict design requirements, you’ll probably want to go with simple formliners made of urethane rubber. Due to their reusability, they work for large projects or multiple projects without wearing down quickly.

More detailed liners may cost more to make due to thickness requirements. They are more cost-effective and desirable for smaller projects because of this. The more detail you need, the thicker the liner will have to be. This is so the liner will have enough rigidity to resist tearing when demolding from deep undercuts.

What’s the Size of Your Project?

A factor that fits in with budget is the project size. If you’re working on a small, custom project, consider using advanced detail liners. The intricate designs they impart can be a good focal point if you’re trying to draw attention to a unique concrete element. They can also produce deep relief patterns while replicating surface textures.

Larger projects, on the other hand, may benefit more from simple formliners. Suitable projects include tilt-up panels, architectural walls, highway walls, bridges, and sound barriers. It is easier and cost-effective to create a long, repeated pattern using several high-durometer urethane liners. These simple form liners will have the strength to withstand the abrasive properties of concrete throughout the entire project. This will help ensure that all sections of the project have consistent details and textures.

VFI Recommended Formliner Materials

If you are in need of an advanced detail formliner material, we recommend:

• VFI-2163 60 A TDI Molding Rubber
• VFI-2165 65 A TDI Molding Rubber
• VFI-2170 70 A TDI Molding Rubber

If you are in need of a simple formliner material, we recommend:

• VFI-2170 70 A TDI Molding Rubber
• VFI-3171 70 A MDI Molding Rubber
• VFI-2180 80 A TDI Molding Rubber
• VFI-3181 80 A MDI Molding Rubber
• VFI-2190 90 A TDI Molding Rubber

MDI urethane rubbers have better adhesion compared to TDIs. This is good for adhering the liner to a rigid backing material like wood. The adhesion is especially desirable for large formliners that can’t be handled without the use of special equipment like cranes.

Contact VFI if you’re still unsure what material will work best for your formliner project.