Lockers installed in locker rooms of swimming pools can be classified according to the material they are made of:
Furniture made of laminated particleboard
Manufacture of furniture from laminated particleboard is one of the oldest manufacturing methods. Particleboard is a composite material produced from pressed wood chips and sawdust and impregnated with formaldehyde resins.Like any other wood items, these lockers are obviously short-lived due to mechanical damage and low tolerance to tough environments, such as detergents and water.
Constant contact with water, even in small amounts (drops from clothes or splashes when cleaning the surfaces) significantly reduces the useful life of lockers made of laminated particleboard. They become unfit for use in a short time. It all starts with the topcoat peeling, then the material may soak up to 1/3 of its volume.
In case of excessive humidity, the particleboard locker lifetime shall not exceed two years.
Within the first year of their useful life the outer appearance and functionality of lockers suffer considerably. The bottom parts start decaying affected by detergents and accumulated moisture, however, doors and hinges distorting leading to locks malfunction may happen earlier.
Metal lockers
The second most popular are metal lockers. They are not treated with resins or any other toxic substances (like particleboard); however, this is where their advantages end.
For the purpose of reducing the cost per item, the walls of such lockers are usually thin and easily distortable (as a result, the locks soon stop functioning). The metal lockers are mainly nondemountable which causes high transportation costs, as despite their low specific weight they occupy much space
Such lockers win sales as low-priced goods (they are the cheapest on the market of changing room lockers).
The main drawback of this technology is that metal rusts in moist environments of swimming pools. The useful life in such circumstances shortens up to several years.
HPL lockers
;HPL-plastic is another material used to manufacture various constructions and finish surfaces. It is also called paper-based laminate as it consists of layers of paper impregnated with phenolic thermoresistant resins and treated with high pressure.The primary advantage of this material is its durability. It is water, detergent and damage resistant. Specialists say that the useful life of HPL-plastic is over 30 years. However, the locker manufactured from this material can hardly serve as long as 30 years. Why?
The trick is hidden in the material itself. The material is so heavy that the door fittings cannot support the door weight and eventually the locker distorts.
Transportation of HPL lockers is rather costly and they can be assembled only by a skilled specialist. High complexity and cost of HPL manufacture cause high price for HPL goods.
ACP lockers
The new solution for lockers manufacturing from aluminum composite panels combines all advantages of the above-mentioned models:- hese lockers do not swell or corrode on wetting.
- Aluminum composite is a robust material, it is hard to deform.
- Despite its durability, the material is light and easy to transport.
- Parts manufactured using CNC machines are easy to assemble (a locker assembly takes about 10-20 minutes).
Learn more about ACP lockers
