We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Engineering

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Warpage?

Daniel Liden
By
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 21,906
Share

Warpage is a form of distortion that can occur in some materials, such as wood or plastic. This usually results from uneven stresses that can be internal or external to the material being warped. Common causes of warpage include uneven physical pressure or extreme temperature conditions placed on a given material. Sometimes, especially in woodworking practices, warpage specifically refers to a distortion from flatness; this is a problem when one needs a straight, flat board. In its most general sense, however, the term refers to any distortion from the intended shape and design of an object.

In man-made materials, warpage is often caused by residual stress in the composition of a material. Sometimes, flaws in production such as uneven cooling after manufacture or uneven distribution of molecules throughout a material cause internal stress that can lead to warpage or, in some extreme cases, cracking and further damage. Expansion and contraction of molecules occurs naturally with temperature change; problems with this occur when the expansions and contractions are not, for whatever reason, uniformly arranged throughout the material.

For many different manufacturing and shipping companies, it is very important to prevent warpage, as it can render products useless. As a very simple example, a warped board is often useless when a straight and flat board is needed; wood warping costs the logging industry millions in US dollars (USD) each year. Sometimes, warp on a product can even lead to eventual cracking and further damage to the material. Because of this, companies generally work to keep their products at relatively constant temperatures, as extremes of heat and cold can very easily cause an object to warp. They also make sure to keep products arranged in such a way that prevents excessive pressure from being placed on them.

A warpage can occur in many different ways and is described in terms of the way in which something warps. In a bow warp, for example, material becomes bent along the length of its face, giving it the curve of a bow. In a cup warp, the edges of the face of the material curve upward and are higher than the middle. A twist warp results in the two ends of the material being tilted at different angles to each other. A kink refers to a small area of warpage in which only a small part of the material is affected; this is often caused by a knot in a piece of wood or some similar imperfection.

Share
InfoBloom is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Daniel Liden
By Daniel Liden
Daniel Liden, a talented writer with a passion for cutting-edge topics and data analysis, brings a unique perspective to his work. With a diverse academic background, he crafts compelling content on complex subjects, showcasing his ability to effectively communicate intricate ideas. He is skilled at understanding and connecting with target audiences, making him a valuable contributor.
Discussion Comments
By jennythelib — On Jun 16, 2011

@dfoster85 - I remember those! You're right that you don't hear about it with DVDs--maybe they are a low warpage material?--but it can still happen. I've seen it! I think it takes longer and a hotter car.

By dfoster85 — On Jun 14, 2011

I saw the title of this page and thought it was a compound noun: war-page. Oops! Now I know the noun form of "warp."

I'm most familiar with this from VHS tapes (not to show my age or anything). Did anyone else frequent a video store that had one of those melted tapes on display? It was meant as a warning what would happen if you left the molded plastic tape in your car on a hot day. You don't seem to hear about that problem with DVDs anymore; they must be made out of something else.

Daniel Liden
Daniel Liden
Daniel Liden, a talented writer with a passion for cutting-edge topics and data analysis, brings a unique perspective to...
Learn more
Share
https://www.infobloom.com/what-is-warpage.htm
Copy this link
InfoBloom, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

InfoBloom, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.