The STONIM® Fabrication Manual
A field guide for fabricators and installers working with STONIM® premium solid surface — from pallet to polish. Storage, cutting, seaming, sinks, thermoforming, and the tolerances that keep a warranty valid.
Storage & Transport
STONIM® sheets travel on wooden pallets and must be unloaded with a forklift or equivalent lifting device. Manual unloading is possible, but only one sheet at a time, held at its edge, carried vertically, by two people.
Storage conditions
- 15°C–23°C, dry, well-ventilated indoor area — never exposed to moisture.
- Horizontal storage: stacked evenly on a flat base.
- Vertical storage: on vertical supports, lower edge resting on the floor.
- Batch number and colour kept visible for easy identification.
Quality Review
Every sheet is checked before dispatch, but final inspection is the fabricator's responsibility. Check colour and surface before the first cut — faults found after cutting are not covered.
| Control | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bending | < 2.0 mm / metre |
| Dimension | Thickness ±0.5mm · Length −8/+10mm · Width −4/+10mm |
| Hardness | Barcol 60–65 (ASTM D2583) |
| Curvature | 2 mm / metre max |
| Foreign bodies | ≤1 mm²/m² contrast dots · ≤3 per dm² |
Glue
Joints are made with a two-component acrylic (MMA-based) seaming adhesive, colour-matched to the sheet — resin base (A) plus peroxide hardener (B). Correctly used, it produces a chemical bond that reads as a single continuous surface.
Working window
- Open time: ~10–15 minutes at 20°C ± 2°C
- Initial set: ~35 minutes
- Full cure: ~24 hours
- Mix ratio: ~10:1 (A:B) for cartridge systems
Tools & Accessories
Tooling is largely brand-agnostic. The requirements are in the blade and the machine, not the badge on it.
Blade requirements
- Tungsten carbide K10 / K5, or diamond quality
- Negative 6° tooth angle
- 4,000–6,000 rpm
- Re-sharpen on a 400–600 grit wheel
Core kit
- Squaring saw (3kW) · Router (800–1,600W) · Vacuum (350–1,200W)
- Heat-treatment furnace, up to 180°C, with regulation
- Joiner's / fixing clamps · Glue gun & MMA kit
Preparation of Working Area
Before processing begins — in the workshop or on-site — the room and the sheet both need to be ready.
Workshop
- ≥18°C ambient, sheets acclimatised 12 hours before cutting
- Well-lit, low-dust, surfaces flat for gluing
Customer premises
- Access route, doorway size, ceiling height
- Electrical & water points confirmed in advance
- Agreement reached on scope before work starts
Cutting STONIM® Sheets
Squaring saws handle standard sheet cuts, the same way they'd handle panel board or MDF. Band saws or jigsaws work for rough cuts, but leave a 5mm over-measurement to allow for micro-cracking at the edge.
- All cut edges ≥50mm from any joint
- Cut edges never run over a cooking plate
- Overhangs extend ≥70mm into the supporting cabinet
- Minimum internal corner radius: 6mm
Gluing
Dry-fit before wet gluing — a visible line in a dry joint stays visible after the glue goes in. Pieces are laid face-up on a flat surface with a 2–3mm gap, filled with adhesive, then pressed to final position.
- Allow 45–60 minutes before further processing the joint
- Don't remove excess glue while soft — it shrinks ~10% while setting
- Metallic/mineral-particle colours: use a groove or 45° mitre, not a plain butt joint
Edge Details & Their Making
Front and back edges are where a fabricator's craft is most visible. Classic square, bullnose, waterfall, or a stepped drop-front — all built by laminating and profiling strips of STONIM®.
Two ways to a rounded back edge
- Pre-prepared edge element (glued strips, milled to radius, fitted into a groove)
- Edge milling machine (built up in place, then profiled)
Installation of Sinks & Washbasins
Mark the cut, deduct sink thickness plus 5mm, rough-cut with a jigsaw (or CNC for speed and finish), then bond. The same seaming glue used for sheet joints holds an in-build STONIM® bowl in place.
Inox (stainless) sinks
Small STONIM® blocks (20×40mm) drilled and threaded for M6 screws are glued to the sink rim every 10–15cm — these fix the sink's exact position for final installation.
Installation of Cooking Plate
Hob cut-outs cause the most fabrication faults — heat expansion, weak points from cutting, or a missing aluminium heat barrier. Reinforce the opening before the hob ever goes in.
- Rough-cut 3mm smaller than final opening
- Keep joints ≥70mm from the heat source
- Glue 12mm × 50mm STONIM® strips around the opening, 12mm into the interior
- 3M 425 aluminium tape around the rim before the hob is inserted
Sub-Construction
Countertops sit on a bearing frame, not the cabinet alone. Wherever supports are 500mm or more apart, sub-construction is mandatory — best built from STONIM® offcuts, which share the same expansion coefficient as the top.
| Thickness | Use |
|---|---|
| 6mm | Vertical wall cladding only |
| 12mm | Kitchen counters, horizontal surfaces |
| 18mm | Self-standing, self-bearing plates |
Overhangs ≤150mm need no extra support. Beyond that, two-thirds of the sub-frame sits inside the cabinet, one-third bears the overhang. Past 500mm, the overhang needs ground support every 800mm.
Grinding & Polishing
Finish is built in steps, not jumped to. Move the grinder clockwise, front-to-back and side-to-side — pressing too hard overheats the surface and works against you.
| Finish | Grit progression |
|---|---|
| Matt | P150 → P180 → P240 → P320 |
| Semi-gloss | … → P320 → P600 |
| High gloss | … → P800 → P1200 → paste |
Vertical Applications
Wall cladding, furniture faces, and decorative panels follow the same fabrication logic as a countertop, just standing up. Use 6mm minimum thickness, and confirm the wall is flat before mounting — flatten it first if not.
- Sub-construction: wood, water-resistant chipboard, or aluminium bearing profiles
- Leave clearance at panel edges for thermal dilatation
- Fix with elastic silicone glue, not rigid seam adhesive
Heat Treatment
STONIM® can be moulded, bent, and formed three-dimensionally with heat. Sheets are heated to 160°C ± 10°C, formed in a two-sided mould, then cooled evenly to lock in the new shape without losing material properties.
| Thickness | Heating time | Min. radius |
|---|---|---|
| 6mm | ~16 min | 25mm |
| 12mm | ~22 min | 90mm |
| 18mm | ~30 min | 120mm |
Training
STONIM® runs a standard fabricator training programme — technical properties, treatment theory, and hands-on practice — at designated facilities, with dates published at stonim.com. For anything not covered in this manual, technical support is a message away.
Fabricator Checklist
Twelve rules that decide whether a warranty claim gets approved.
- Check quality on delivery and store sheets properly.
- Warm sheets to 18°C ± 2°C before working.
- Test-glue and confirm colour before cutting; keep one job to one batch.
- Match sheet thickness to application — 6 / 12 / 18mm.
- Keep every cut edge smooth and rounded.
- Ensure even temperature through full thickness while cooling.
- Allow ~0.1mm/m expansion per 1°C change.
- Bond to other materials with elastic adhesive only.
- Isolate all heat-emitting fittings (hobs, dishwashers).
- Reinforce every sink and hob cut-out.
- Match support heights exactly — STONIM® must lie flat.
- Use the correct machines, tooling, and blades, every time.
STONIM® Technical Specifications
Cite these figures directly in tenders and technical submittals.