Composite material from multiple parts

A composite material is a new panel glued together from several identical parts of different thicknesses into one block. Useful when the factory catalog has no panel of the required thickness but has thin panels that can be glued.

When it is needed

Typical scenarios:

The client wants a 32 mm countertop. The factory catalog only has 16 mm chipboard. We glue two 16 mm parts → we get a 32 mm composite material.
A thick 50 mm shelf is needed. The catalog has 16 mm and 25 mm. We glue 25 + 25 = 50 mm or 16 + 16 + 16 = 48 mm.
A decorative «sandwich» of different materials — e.g., a laminated panel on the outside + a moisture-resistant core.

How the client creates a composite material

In the project’s materials section the «Create composite material» modal opens. There the groups of parts suitable for gluing are gathered automatically:

The system iterates all the project’s parts and groups them by matching X × Y × quantity × item.
Each group must contain at least 2 identical parts.
Groups are listed — the client picks one.
Within the group the client marks exactly which parts will enter the composite material and from which side they are glued — top (up) or bottom (down) relative to the base part.
Sets the name of the new material (default — «Composite material #XX»).
Clicks «Create». All selected parts are bound to the new composite material; their thicknesses are summed.

Which parts do not enter the group

The auto-grouping algorithm excludes:

Parts that already have an edge assigned — the edge must sit only on the end face of the finished composite block, not on individual layers. If a part has an edge, remove it first.
Parts already in a composite material — you cannot «glue what is already glued» via the same modal.
Parts from materials with the «No sewing» flag (`no_hem_in_material`) — the material is marked incompatible with the gluing operation. Read more — «Sewing» operation prohibition.
Groups smaller than two identical parts — you cannot glue something «to itself».

If the project has no suitable groups, the modal shows: «No parts for creating a composite material». In that case prepare the parts (remove the edge, create several identical ones) or give up the composite material.

What appears in the project

After creation:

A new position appears in the project materials list with the specified name and the total thickness (Z = sum of z of all layers).
All parts of the group are bound to this new material — the old binding to single panels is overwritten.
In the part list the parts are displayed with the new thickness — as if they were a single solid part.
The calculation includes all original panels + the gluing work (if the factory charges it separately).

What matters for the factory admin

For gluing to work technically, the factory must have the corresponding equipment (vacuum press, glue unit). If the factory does not perform gluing — mark the materials with the «No sewing» flag in their cards (see Individual settings), and they will be excluded from the auto-grouping.
The cost of the gluing work is configured separately as a service in the «Services» section of the admin panel (not «Machine services» — that section only links the operation to a specific machine).
The minimum thickness difference for gluing is regulated through the same general setting as postforming (`min_delta_edge_material`) — it defines the technological minimum for radius transitions and gluing.

Composite material or composite part?

This article is about creating a new material by gluing several identical parts of the project. If instead it is about a single part made of several layers of different materials (a thick countertop "pie") and its per-layer cost calculation, see Composite part material.