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Ford's Super-Strong, Lightweight Shelf Made From Honeycomb-Structured Paper

The designers borrow a trick well-known to Ikea

By Rain Noe - February 22, 2017

in Materials

For their new EcoSport model, the designers of Ford have incorporated an adjustable rear cargo shelf that weighs just six pounds, yet can hold nearly 700. The combination of sturdiness and light weight is a result of it being made from a paper honeycomb structure, similar to what Ikea uses inside their Lack tables (see link below).

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Here's what it can do:

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Although it's not clear from the video, the shelf slides into brackets of differing heights. It can also be stored on the back of the seats.

Mark Thomas

8 years ago

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Why do they load 400 pounds to show that it can hold "almost 700 pounds"?

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  Mark Thomas
  
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  "almost" in this case is less than which is what 400 is relative to 700 ;) Seriously it would be cool if there were kits where I could build shelves of any form or size with this technology. Really the honeycomb is the only thing not easily available.
  
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  - Peter Wachter
    
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    If you search "honeycomb board" you'll find a lot of sources of boards that are "pre-skinned" with kraft paper among other materials. If you don't have the machines to do the laminating of the skins the core material is virtually impossible to employ on an amateur level. BTW I hung kitchen cabinets in the 70's that had kraft honeycomb doors skinned in HPL (High Pressure Laminate or "Formica"). An aluminum version is popular in aircraft.
    
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