Bencore · Composite panels
Lightben composite panel
Thousands of clear polycarbonate cylinders under acrylic skins. Bencore's most varied family, and the one with the EPD.
Lightben is an ultra-light composite panel made by bonding a core of transparent polycarbonate cylinders to outer layers of acrylic. The cylinders carry the light, so the panel glows evenly when lit from behind and shows a fine dot pattern in daylight. It is the family Bencore puts forward for backlit walls, and the one the HOK team used for the colour changing corridors at Lifetime Networks in New York.
The family has grown into six builds. Lightben and Lightben Plus use a 7 mm cylinder. Lightben Large opens that up to 10 mm cylinders on a 28 mm core. Lightben Kaos 3D mixes 4, 7 and 12 mm cylinders at random, and comes with a black or white core as well. Lightben CC puts the colour in the core rather than the skin, and is the core inside the Crystal glazed wall. Lightben Acoustic, the sound absorbing build, has its own page.
Lightben is also the family with the environmental paperwork: it holds a Life Cycle Assessment and an Environmental Product Declaration, and its clear skins are now made in Green Cast acrylic.
Colours and finishes
Lightben on the light table
Every code Bencore offers for Lightben, by family. Tap one to see it at wall scale, lit or unlit, then quote it with one click.
Lightben and Lightben Large
22Clear glossy
21 of 21. T is the glossy skin, S the satin.
Why specify it
What Lightben does well
Six builds, one look
Standard, Plus, Large, Kaos 3D, Kaos 3D Black or White, and CC colour core, from 17 to 34 mm.
LCA and EPD
The Lightben family holds a Life Cycle Assessment and an Environmental Product Declaration, verified by a third party.
Certified sound reduction
Lightben 27 mm reaches Rw 35 dB on its own and a double wall of 25 mm panels with a 100 mm gap reaches Rw 46 dB.
Fire certificates in four countries
Lightben Plus 19 mm is Class 1 in Italy and B1 in Germany; 19 and 21 mm builds hold C1 / CC1 and Class B results in the USA.
Builds and versions
Lightben and Lightben Plus
7 mm cylinders, 15 mm core, 17 to 21 mm total. Plus is the certified build.
Lightben Large
10 mm cylinders on a 28 mm core, 34 mm total, acrylic skins.
Lightben Kaos 3D
Cylinders of 4, 7 and 12 mm mixed at random. 21 mm total.
Lightben Kaos 3D Black and White
The Kaos core in black or white, 19 or 21 mm, clear skins glossy or satin.
Lightben CC, colour core
Coloured cylinders under clear skins: red, orange, yellow, silver, black, green, light blue or white. The core used in Crystal.
Technical data
| Core | Transparent polycarbonate cylinders, 7 mm (10 mm in Large; 4, 7 and 12 mm in Kaos 3D) |
|---|---|
| Core thickness | 15 mm (28 mm in Large) |
| Total thickness | 17, 19 or 21 mm (34 mm in Large) |
| Skins | PMMA, PETG or PC on Lightben and Plus; PMMA on Large and Kaos 3D; Green Cast acrylic on clear skins |
| Finishes | 21 colours each for Lightben, Large and Kaos 3D; 8 core colours for CC; clear for Kaos Black and White |
| Sound reduction | Rw 35 dB at 27 mm; double walls from Rw 40 to 46 dB, certified |
| Fire reaction | Plus 19 mm: Class 1 Italy, B1 Germany, C1 / CC1 USA. 21 mm: C1 / CC1 USA; with glass, Class B ASTM E 84 |
| Environmental | LCA and EPD held for the family; adhesives with zero VOC |
| Standard sheet | 1000 × 3015 mm (about 3.3 × 9.9 ft) |
| Made in | Carrara, Italy, by Bencore |
| Supply | Quote only, through FIDAR System, authorized Canadian dealer |
From Bencore's Living catalogue and 2024 technical presentation. Figures not published by Bencore are not shown; ask us for the data sheet of the exact build.
Where it is used
- Backlit and colour changing walls
- Partition walls and doors
- Ceilings and canopies
- Retail fixtures and counters
- Bar and reception fronts
- Exhibition stands
Questions
Lightben questions
What is Lightben made of?
A core of transparent polycarbonate cylinders bonded to outer layers of acrylic, in several finishes and colours. Bencore's bonding puts adhesive only on the cylinder walls, so the openings stay clear.
Which Lightben should I specify for a backlit wall?
Any of them, with satin skins if you want an even glow with no hot spots, or glossy skins if you want some direct light and a view through. Kaos 3D gives a random bubble pattern, Large a bigger dot, CC a colour that stays in the core.
Does Lightben have an EPD?
Yes. The Lightben family holds a Life Cycle Assessment and an Environmental Product Declaration, which Bencore obtained so the panel's sustainability can be verified rather than claimed. Ask us for the document when you need it for a LEED submission.
How much sound does a Lightben wall stop?
Bencore has certified Lightben 27 mm at Rw 35 dB as a single panel, and double walls of two 21 or 25 mm panels with an air gap of 40 to 100 mm at Rw 40 to 46 dB.
Also in the range
Goes with Lightben
Composite panelsLightben Acoustic
Doors and wallsCrystal
Composite panelsMirror
Composite panelsStarlightBack to the Bencore range, with the panel finder, the light table, performance data and reference projects.