Automotive Hardboard

Premium Georgia-Pacific Superwood® hardboard excels in automotive interior applications including door inserts, rear shelves, visors, seat foundations, load floors, head rest inserts, trunk trim, spare tire covers, quarter trim panels and headliners.

Sales and Marketing: 248-465-1660
Technical Information: 218-720-8253

Superwood® automotive hardboard delivers the benefits of real wood.

Low cost - Less expensive than other plastics and composite materials used for interior hard trim applications
High strength and stiffness - Superior flexural strength and stiffness over a wide range of temperatures; used in a sandwich construction with a low-density core, provides a strong, lightweight option for load bearing applications
Good dimensional stability - Better dimensional stability than many plastic materials in typical vehicle compartment conditions
Effective sound barrier - Good choice for passenger area sound blocking applications; combined with a sound absorption material, creates a first-rate acoustic package
Excellent bonding for coverings and finishes - Superb surface for painting, bonding, laminating and coating applications, dielectric and vacuum-covering operations

Superwood® Automotive Hardboard Material Safety Data Sheet –
Download MSDS: #31A: Wood and Wood Products (PDF: 68KB/9pgs)

To see a larger image, click the link below each picture.

Carpet Covered Hinged Spare Tire Cover

Carpet-Covered, Hinged Spare Tire Cover

Spare Tire Cover Foam Core Sandwich Panel Spare Tire Cover

Spare Tire Cover - Foam Core Sandwich Panel

Trunk Floor Panel Cargo Load Floor Foam Core Sandwich Panel

Cargo Load Floor - Foam Core Sandwich Panel Cargo storage load floor-front

Cargo Storage Load Floor/Storage Lid - Top
Cargo storage load floor-rear

Cargo Storage Load Floor/Storage Lid - Bottom

Sandwich Panel - Foam Core

Sandwich Panel - Close-Up

Stowage Cover

Formed Seat Back Seatback - Rear

Formed Rear Seatback

Carpet-Covered Seatback - Front View

Carpet-Covered Seatback - Back View

Third Row Seat Back

Flipper Panel - Phillips

Painted Headliner

Package Tray - Back View

Package Tray - Front View

Fabric-Covered Door Bolster - Back View

Fabric-Covered Door Bolster - Front View

Vinyl-Covered Door Bolster - Back View

Vinyl-Covered Door Bolster - Front View

Door Panel

Rear Corner Trim Panel Formed Seat Back - Covered 1

Formed Seat Back - Covered (1) Formed Seat Back - Covered 2

Formed Seat Back - Covered (2)

Second Row Flipper Panel - Hinged

Vinyl Covered Die-Cut Seat Back

Hinged and Carpeted Die-Cut Seat Back
Paint Options for Die-Cut Seat Back

Decorative Painted Options for Die-Cut Tire Covers or Cargo Load Floors (Underside)

Formed Front Row Seat Back

Composite Formed and Die-Cut Seat Back
Visor

Visor

Visor - Uncovered Plastic Fastners - 1

Plastic Fastners (1)
Plastic Fastners - 2

Plastic Fastners (2)

Metal Rosette Fastners

Automotive Hardboard Product Specification List for Vehicle Manufacturers
(as of 11/05/2007)

The Georgia-Pacific Duluth Testing Laboratory tests products to the following specifications:

Chrysler MSLD 1-4
Ford ESB-M2E66-B
GM 2209M
Hyundai MS 361-10
Mitsubishi ES-X82310
Nissan M7078
Subaru TS 345-1-9
Toyota TSL 3503G

In addition, product flammability is tested according to the following test methods:

GM 9070P
Honda HES C 206-99A
Mitsubishi ES-X60410
Nissan M0094
Toyota TSM0500G
FMVSS 302

Download Product Specification List for Vehicle Manufacturers (PDF: 54KB/1pg).

Upon request, we will test a specific product to a specific vehicle manufacturer.

The Georgia-Pacific Duluth Testing Laboratory is accredited by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), certificate number 855.01. The Scope of Accreditation for the laboratory can be found at www.A2LA.org.

Automotive Extended Manufacturing Enterprise Supporting the North American Automotive Market

These suppliers are experienced users of Georgia-Pacific automotive hardboard substrates.

Article Suppliers

I. Forming/Molders Manufacturers
CNI, Inc. - Madison Heights, MI
Gemini Group/Valley Enterprises - Ubly, MI
Global Enterprises - Chesterfield, MI
Quality Converters, Inc. - Orland, IN

II. Die Cut Suppliers
CNI, Inc. - Madison Heights, MI
Commonwealth Regal - Tecumseh, ON
Dienetics - Jenison, MI
Fultz Manufacturing Inc. – Traverse City, MI
Gemini Group/Valley Enterprises - Ubly, MI
Global Enterprises - Chesterfield, MI
Industry Products Company - Piqua, OH
K. Wm. Beach Manufacturing Co., Inc. - Springfield, OH
KeYah International - Springfield, OH
Quality Converters, Inc. - Orland, IN

III. Routing
Gemini Group/Valley Enterprises - Ubly, MI
Quality Converters, Inc. - Orland, IN

Supplemental Technology Manufacturers for Various Processes of Georgia-Pacific Hardboard and Components

I. Adhesives
Chemical Technology Inc. - Detroit, MI

II. Coatings
Chemical Technology Inc. - Detroit, MI
The DECC Company, Inc. - Grand Rapids, MI

III. Fasteners
ITW Engineered Fastners - Troy, MI
Northern Stampings, Inc. - Chesterfield, MI

IV. Molds for Forming Georgia-Pacific Hardboard
Keener Tool & Engineering, Inc. - Eastpointe, MI

V. NVH Testing and Engineering Laboratory
Roush Industries, Inc. Livonia, MI

VI. Painter of Georgia-Pacific Hardboard Components
Proto-Crafts, Inc. - Deckerville, MI

VII. Processing Equipment

Keener Tool & Engineering, Inc. (Molding Presses and related forming equipment to process hardboard) - East Pointe, MI

VIII. Sandwich Panel Core Material Suppliers
BASF Corporation - Wyandotte, MI
Dayton Polymeric Products, LLC
Tricel Corporation - Gurnee, IL

IX. Tooling for Die Cutting
Accurate Steel Rule Die, Inc. - Auburn Hills, MI
AC Steel Rule Die - Madison Heights, MI
Bernal Inc. - Auburn Hills, MI
Dienetics Jenison, MI

Property		Hardboard - Wet Process	Hardboard - Dry Process
Maximum board thickness that can be formed		3.9mm	NA
Maximum Draw / Bending Depths	At edge of part or if cutout gives relief	30mm	NA
	Around outside corner of part	15mm
	Internal to part	5mm
	One direction bend	150mm+
Minimum Draft Angle	At edge of part	1°	NA
	Internal to part	10°
	One direction bend	1° - 10° depending on depth and location
Minimum Outside Radius		5 x material thick	NA
Molded Return Flange		Yes	No
Score & Bend		No	No
Trimming Method		– Steel rule die cut – In-mold (bypass shear or pinch trim) – Secondary trim tool – Water jet – Laser	– Steel rule die cut on 3.2mm thick or less – Router – Secondary trim tool – Water jet – Laser
Fastener Attachment		– Staked-on – In-mold – Riveted – Keyhole slot – Bonded / Glued	– Staked-on – Riveted – Keyhole slot – Bonded / Glued
Integral color		Natural	Natural
Pre-applied finishes	Paint & Coatings	Various options	Various options
	Print	Wood and metal grain	Various options
	Overlay	Opaque
In-mold finishes	Embossing / Graining	Yes	NA
In-mold finishes	Overlays	Yes	NA
Adhesive compatibility	Solvent base	Yes	Yes
	Water base	Yes	Yes
	Pressure sensitive	Yes	Yes
	Hot melt	Yes	Yes
	Heat activated	Yes	Yes
Covering options / processes	Paint	Yes	Yes
	Carpet / Fabric	Yes	Yes
	Vacuum-formed	Yes (porous material)	Yes (porous material)
	Dielectric bonded	Yes	Yes
	Edge fold	Yes	Yes
Molded to multiple thickness and density in same part		No	NA

Property		Hardboard - Wet Process (Typical for 3.2mm board)	Hardboard - Dry Process (Typical for 5.6mm board)
Nominal Density (gm/cm3)		0.96 - 0.99	1.10
Flexural Strength (MOR) - ASTM D1037	(Mpa)	35 - 41	48 - 56
Flexural Strength (MOR) - ASTM D1037	(psi)	5,000 - 6,000	7,000 - 8,000
Flexural Stiffness (MOE) - ASTM D1037	(Mpa)	3,100 - 3,800	4,900
Flexural Stiffness (MOE) - ASTM D1037	(psi)	450,000 - 550,000	700,000
Tensile Strength - ASTM D 1037	(Mpa)	26
Tensile Strength - ASTM D 1037	(psi)	3,800
Burst - SAE J315	(Mpa)	3.6
Burst - SAE J315	(psi)	520
Moisture Content - SAE J315 (%)		4 - 5	4 - 5
Dimensional Stability (%)	Expansion¹ (38°C, 98% RH)	0.25
	Expansion² (24 hr H₂O soak)	0.30
	Contraction³ (88°C, 24 hr)	0.30
Water Absorption, 24 hr - SAE J315 (%)		25	15
Thickness Swell, 24 hr - SAE J315 (%)		20	10
Flammability FMVSS 302 (mm/min)		20	0
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (10^-6 /C°)		6.8	6.8
¹ SAE J315 Method A ² SAE J315 Method B ³ SAE J315 Method C - following expansion method A Download Automotive Hardboard Wet Performance Properties Chart (PDF: 72KB/2pgs).

Production Facility	Board Type	Master Sheet Sizes Trimmed - Untrimmed
Duluth, MN	S1S	48" x 192"	51-3/8" x 195"
Duluth, MN	S1S	66" x 192"	68-1/2" x 195"
Phillips, WI	S2S	48" x 96"	49-3/8" x 98-1/2"

S1S - Smooth surface, screen back, wet process
S2S - Smooth surface and back, dry process
Master sheet sizes can be cut-to-size. See Cut-To-Size below for details.
Untrimmed master sheet has rough, uncut edges. Board properties are not guaranteed beyond the trimmed board dimensions.

Unsanded Board

Nominal Thickness		Location
2.5 mm	(0.100 in)	Duluth, Phillips
3.2 mm	(0.125 in)	Duluth, Phillips
3.9 mm	(0.155 in)	Duluth, Phillips
4.7 mm	(0.185 in)	Duluth, Phillips
5.6 mm	(0.220 in)	Duluth, Phillips
6.0 mm	(0.235 in)	Duluth, Phillips
7.0 mm	(0.275 in)	Duluth
Thickness Tolerance = +/- 0.5 mm (+/- 0.020 in

Unsanded board is not suitable for applications that require tight thickness tolerances or a blemish free screen side.
For products less than 2.5 mm, the board must be sanded.
Thickness tolerance is defined as any individual point on a panel. The measuring device and technique are described in SAE J315.

Sanded Board

Location	Range of sanded thicknesses available
Duluth	1.5 mm (0.060") to 6.4 mm (0.250")
Phillips	Can be sanded at Duluth
Thickness Tolerance = +/- 0.13mm (+/- 0.005 in)

Caliper sanding - For applications that require tight thickness tolerance, but can tolerate screen side appearance variations and blemishes
Full screen removal sanding - For applications that require tight thickness tolerance and a uniform blemish-free screen side

Cut-To-Size

Location	Minimum Size	Dimensional Tolerance	"Squareness"
Duluth	12" x 12" minimum, up to master sheet size	+/- 1.60 mm (1/16")	3.2 mm (1/8")
Phillips	24" x 48", 32" x 48", 48" x 48", 48" x 96"	+/- 1.60 mm (1/16")	3.2 mm (1/8")

Finishing Options

Duluth - overlays, roll coat various coatings and adhesives, printing
Phillips - roll coat, printing, curtain coat

Product Specific Gravity

Duluth - 0.98
Phillips - 1.02

Product Weight*

Weight	Duluth kg/m2 (lb/ft2)	Phillips kg/m2 (lb/ft2)
1.5 mm (0.060 in)	1.5 (0.31)	-
2.0 mm (0.080 in)	2.0 (0.41)	-
2.5 mm (0.100 in)	2.5 (0.51)	2.8 (0.58)
3.2 mm (0.125 in)	3.1 (0.64)	3.6 (0.73)
3.9 mm (0.155 in)	3.9 (0.79)	4.4 (0.90)
4.7 mm (0.185 in)	4.6 (0.94)	5.3 (1.08)
5.6 mm (0.220 in)	5.5 (1.12)	6.3 (1.28)
6.0 mm (0.235 in)	5.8 (1.20)	6.7 (1.37)
7.0 mm (0.275 in)	6.8 (1.40)	-

*Not to be used for calculating shipping weight

Use of Natural Products

Superwood® automotive hardboard contains more than 97% natural fiber... compare that to any other material used for interior trim applications.
In wet process hardboard manufacture, synthetic additives are kept to a bare minimum. The naturally occurring wood components are used to bond fibers together under heat and pressure. The result is a strong and stable product that is as natural as you can get.
The natural fibers primarily come from forest residue, waste materials and recycled materials.
Forest residue - waste material that is leftover from logging operations such as tree tops and branches
Industrial waste - waste and rejected material from wood processing plants, recycled board, recycled pallets

Internal Recycle and Utilization of Raw Materials

Process wastewater containing dissolved wood sugars is concentrated by evaporation to create 10,000 tons per year of wood molasses. This material is used as an adjunct for cattle feed.
Trim waste, sander dust, and wood chip screenings are used as fuel to generate 50% (280 billion BTU per year) of the energy needed to make the hardboard product.
Wood ash from generating energy is used as a soil amendment (750 tons per year) by area farmers. This program is managed by the Agricultural Extension Service.
Bark, wood fines and dirt are reclaimed from the chip washing process and converted into compost at a rate of 2,000 tons per year.

Customer Recycling and Uses of Board Processing Waste

Fuel for generating energy
Landscaping / mulch products
Livestock bedding

Building Products