An edge tape is measured by two numbers. The first is its thickness — how much it stands proud above the panel surface. The second is its width — whether it covers the edge along its full height. A mistake in either of these numbers is expensive: a thin tape on an impact-loaded side cracks fast, a narrow tape on a thick panel leaves a "slit" of exposed chipboard. Picking right is half the success of the edge.
Tape thickness
In everyday work three thicknesses dominate: 0.4 mm, 1 mm and 2 mm. Each owns its own role.
- 0.4 mm — the thinnest. Barely stands above the panel surface, invisible at a distance, saves material and barely eats into the clean dimensions of the part. Ideal for hidden sides: the back edges of cabinets, the top edge under a lid, internal shelves in closed cabinets. Downside — weak under impact: on a visible side in daily use it picks up damage quickly.
- 1 mm — the golden middle. Tangible to the touch, looks "honest", takes a fair amount of impact. The standard for visible sides of household furniture — fronts, visible cabinet edges, countertops under moderate load.
- 2 mm — the thick one. For places where the edge does real work: working countertops, public furniture, school and medical furniture, corner front elements at risk of impact. Looks "expensive", hides small panel imperfections, takes a decade of load.
Tape width
The edge tape width must not be smaller than the panel thickness — otherwise the edge stays "bare" along the rim. If the panel is 18 mm, the tape needs to be at least 19 mm. If it is 25 mm — 26 mm or wider. This is not a recommendation, it is physics: the tape is trimmed after bonding and there has to be something left to trim.
iFurn.pro automatically filters the band dropdown on the part side: a tape whose width is less than the board thickness (taking into account the minimum processing margin set in the board catalog) simply does not appear in the list — the mistake does not reach the machine. On the shop floor this saves hours of rework and scrap on dozens of parts.
Mixed thicknesses in one project
An experienced technologist rarely sets the same thickness on every side of a part. A more typical scheme is: the front face of a front in 2 mm for "weight", the side edges in 1 mm, the invisible back edges in 0.4 mm to save. On a countertop usually 2 mm along the front edge (the one a hand touches), 1 mm at the back.
iFurn.pro lets you assign tape thickness and material individually to each of the four sides of a part — and automatically recalculates the clean dimensions of the piece taking all the thicknesses into account. The technologist does not need to keep the arithmetic in their head: the system does it for them.
What matters to the customer
When a factory offers "edge of your choice", it helps to understand that the choice is not only colour. Thickness is about durability and feel. Width is about basic correctness. Both numbers directly drive the price per metre of edging, so even a modest review of "default" thicknesses can move the budget noticeably in the right direction.