To the untrained eye, most formwork panels look more or less the same. A steel frame, plywood face and some company branding. But for anyone who has worked on site, they will know that there are significant differences between panels, the most obvious being the contrast between a well-built panel and a poor one. These discrepancies come to bare when you’re trying to keep a concrete pour on schedule, handle panels with ease and importantly build safely.

At Gael Form, we have always believed that the quality of formwork is in the details. Starting with the frame, our panels are built with galvanised steel, which offers durability and weather resistance along with structural stability across repeated use over many projects. When looking closely at the composition of a top quality panel, strength alone isn’t enough, which is why we invested in our ISO 9001 certified manufacturing facility in County Meath, Ireland. Advanced production technology is part of this investment, including robotic and manual welding, laser cutting, CNC machining, punching and bending. These tools enable consistent welds, tighter tolerances and improved formwork frame structures. 

Of course it’s not just what is behind the face that matters. Gael Form’s panels feature high-quality surface materials engineered to maintain integrity through many pours. Taking our DMP system for example, it uses a robust thermoplastic overlay specifically designed for extended reusability and clean concrete finishes. The result of this for your team? Less patching, fewer replacements and overall better looking work. So whether it’s strength or an aesthetic finish, the formwork surface plays a critical role.

Usability is a vital aspect that must be considered when looking at the composition of a great formwork. Every detail within our panels is designed to make jobs simpler and faster. To prevent damage during handling on-site, corners are reinforced. Our frames are purposely built for straightforward assembly and compatibility with other competitor systems that you may currently already have in use. This removes the stress of dealing with mismatched clamps and the many hours of wasted time adapting layouts, resulting in a significantly smoother process for your team.

Following on from the usability point, a top tier panel is made for a lifecycle that includes many uses across multiple projects. Wear and tear will invariably creep in over time and that is okay if refurbishment is an available option. Although external to the physical anatomy of the panel, Gael Form’s in-house refurb team is the saviour that steps in here and truly elevates the value and ROI of your formwork system. Offering full evaluations and repairing or replacing damaged plywood, repainting, recoating frames and performing welding repairs. If a panel is beyond saving we will handle the safe disposal for you.

Ultimately, a good panel does a lot more than hold concrete in place, it supports the entire workflow of a build. When the formwork is of a high quality, your labour produces work that matches. The anatomy of a panel and the process as a whole is something Gael Form cares deeply about and continues to innovate. To learn more, get in touch: info@gaelform.com