Pilot panel
One liner, one panel, full approval. This is where the texture, the mix and the release are proven together.
Knowledge · Production guide
Scaling a formliner run from one pilot panel to a full programme.
The first panel proves the texture. The two-hundredth proves the tooling plan. This guide covers how to get from one to the other without the elevation drifting.
Start here
Scaling is about consistency, not just quantity.
A single liner on a single bed can run a small programme. Once you add beds, shifts or a longer programme, the questions change: will the second liner match the first? What happens when the first one wears? Who checks?
The steps
Five steps from pilot to programme.
Lock the pattern
Once approved, the master pattern is frozen and archived. Every future liner is poured from it.
Matched sets
Additional liners for parallel beds are poured from the same pattern in the same material batch where possible.
Plan the replacements
Order replacements at around two thirds of expected life, so they arrive before the originals fail.
Keep a reference panel
A retained sample panel in the yard gives everyone something to check new panels against.
Drift
Where drift creeps in, and how to stop it.
Pattern drift — patterns rebuilt from a used liner rather than the original master. We never do this unless the master is lost.
Material drift — a different grade or supplier on a later liner. Our spec file stops that.
Wear drift — an old liner running alongside a new one. Retire the old one when the new one comes online, or keep them on separate elevations.
At a glance
The idea in a picture.
Where the formliner sits
Swipe to see the whole diagram
FAQs
Common questions on scaling.
How many liners do we need for a given output?
It depends on your strike cycle. Tell us panels per week and hours on the bed and we'll suggest a set size.
Can we add a bed mid-programme?
Yes. We pour the extra liner from the archived pattern.
Should the pilot liner be kept?
If it's in good condition it can go into production. Many yards keep it as the reference.
Get in touch
Send us a photograph of the panel or the elevation.
One photograph tells us what surface you're chasing, and one line about the mix tells us what silicone or polyurethane will survive it.
Real people, a real workshop
You deal with the people who make it.
No call centre and no middlemen. When you contact TCI Construction, you speak to the team who design, build and check your mould.
- A real Warwickshire workshopUnit 15, Waterloo Park, Bidford-on-Avon, Alcester B50 4JG.
- Real people on the phoneCall the team on 01789 224228, Monday to Friday.
- The same team on every jobDesign, production and aftercare come from the people you see here.
- Part of TCI GroupFive specialist brands, one engineering team. Visit TCI Group.
Thomas LaneManaging Director
George PrestonDesign & Project Manager
Kelly BallingerHead of Partnerships
Jim AndertonProduction Manager
TheodoreEmployee Welfare