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shelter, materials and objects...oh my! Bedford Falls Communications, Inc. recently made a strategic acquisition of www.materialicious.com, a synergist, hand-in glove complement with Surface & Panel magazine and www.surfaceandpanel. com. Materialicious.com’s tag line is shelter, materials and objects. This user-submitted visual curation site features modern architecture and design, craftsmanship, materials and products. It is frequented by the A&D community and consumers alike. If you are looking for the latest creative ideas from around the world, you’ll find them at materialicious.com. The site is driven by more than 1,000 content providers from all over the world and is a social site in the truest sense. Its simplicity and elegance, in addition to amazing content, drives impressive “page view” and “time-on-the-site” statistics. As websites go, Materialicious is one of the most prolific traffic-generators, currently ranked 26,000 in the United States and 53,000 in the world. This is a very high rank considering there are well over 10 million sites worldwide. Materialicious was always on the radar screen. Suzanne VanGilder and Laura Rowlett frequently used this site to scout new and unique applications of decorative surface materials and panel products for feature stories and web-exclusive articles, as well as fodder for S&P community discussions. Then one day a header appeared on the Materialicious site … THIS WEBSITE FOR SALE. The fit was absolutely perfect, and the bidding began. After very tense days of back and forth with the original site developer, we learned that we were not the winning bid. A gentleman in London earned that honor. As a group we were devastated. We had great plans … dreams which were now vanquished. I have to say that it was one of the most disappointing days in my life. Suzanne and Laura felt the same. All was lost. Getting up the next day and going back to work was difficult. As much as I tried, I could not get it out of my mind. Days passed, and slowly but surely we got back into our routines. We tried not to look over our shoulders. It was a Friday morning when our CFO came through my office door. With far more experience putting deals together, Chris knew it’s never over until it’s over. Quietly and behind the scenes she had stayed in close contact with the seller and convinced them to provide a copy of the purchase agreement with the London buyer. It was about 10 a.m. when she stood in front of my desk and said, “I didn’t want to tell you what I was working on because I didn’t think you could handle the disappointment twice, but in two hours if the buyer’s money is not transferred into the sellers escrow account, this contract is null and void.” She went on to say that the seller was getting increasingly frustrated with the buyer’s unreasonable demands. “Don’t get your hopes up, but in two hours the phone is going to ring and if the money transfers, you’re out of luck. If it doesn’t, I’ve arranged a wire transfer to the seller and the site will be yours 10 minutes later.” The rest is history. I was elated. Agony to ecstasy! When someone pulls off such an unexpected and surprising coup, you just automatically have to love that person. But that’s easy. Chris the CFO … is my wife and partner.
If you are looking for the latest creative ideas from around the world, you’ll find them at materialicious.com.
This is going to be fun. All the best,
John Aufderhaar Publisher, Surface & Panel • jaufderhaar@surfaceandpanel.com
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John Aufderhaar Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-206-1766 FAX: 920-206-1767 jaufderhaar@surfaceandpanel.com www.surfaceandpanel.com
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Small Thinking for Big Benefits: Retail of the Now While no market segment made it through the recession unscathed, retail really took a beating. Yet even in dreary circumstances there are opportunities.
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Retail Authority Sports Authority responds to the current retail conditions by implementing some business-as-unusual strategies in their store designs. Big Company + Small Company = Good Business Store fixtures company Premier Eurocase, combined with TFM and HPL manufacturing operation Roücke, Inc., have it covered, quite literally, when it comes to laminated components. Not Your Grandma's Polyester Hurdles hinder momentum for PVC-alternative 3DL films in the United States.
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Hardware at IWF 2010 Design-driving hardware manufacturers are gearing up for the 2010 International Woodworking Fair, August 25 through 28, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
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OHWOW It’s about a store, a retail brand that delivers big ideas to small places and small ideas to big places.
MARKETING
Alycia Schulz, Director of Marketing Surface & Panel Magazine 1063 East Paces Lane, Atlanta, GA 30326 PH: 406.610.4780 FAX: 920-206-1767 aschulz@surfaceandpanel.com
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The (Un)Real Deal Introducing HPL into Martin’s original X series creates guitars that sound great around a campfire and stand up to the rigors of travel.
ADVERTISING
Ryan Wagner, National Accounts Manager Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-262-2080 FAX: 920-206-1767 rwagner@surfaceandpanel.com
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CIRCULATION
Michelle Bruhn/Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-674-6943 FAX: 920 206-1767 mbruhn@surfaceandpanel.com
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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Suzanne VanGilder/Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 608-698-0375 FAX: 920-206-1767 svangilder@surfaceandpanel.com DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
Laura Rowlett/Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 317-417-6624 FAX: 920-206-1767 lrowlett@surfaceandpanel.com
ON THE COVER
Oh-Wow’s edgy retail spaces use strong, straight, dimensionally stable MDF panels to create fixtures worthy of their artisan books.
DESIGN/PRODUCTION
Karen Leno - KML Design, Inc. 923 Forest Edge Circle, Coralville, IA 52241 PH: 319-430-5108 kmldesign@mchsi.com C O M P O S I T E PA N E L A S S O C I AT I O N
Throughout the issue, keep an eye out for this “web extra” icon, an invitation to more information available at www. surfaceandpanel.com. While you're there, check out the community site, where you can connect with industry experts and weigh in on discussions.
MAIN OFFICE
19465 Deerfield Avenue, Suite 306 Leesburg, VA 20176 PH: 703-724-1128 FAX: 703-724-1588 Toll Free 1-866-4COMPOSITES www.pbmdf.com CANADIAN OFFICE
Post Office Box 747, Station B Ottawa, Ontario CANADA K1P 5P8 PH: 613-232-6782 FAX: 703-724-1588 INTERNATIONAL TESTING AND CERTIFICATION CENTER
73 Lawson Road, Leesburg, VA 20175 PH: 703-724-1128 FAX: 703-724-1588 www.itcclab.org
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Surface & Panel is published bimonthly by Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, Wisconsin 53098, telephone 920-206-1766, fax 920-206-1767. John Aufderhaar, President, Christine Aufderhaar, CFO. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical without written permission from the publisher. Subscription policy: Individual subscriptions are available, without charge, to manufacturers who engage in panel processing, qualified service providers and suppliers. Publisher reserves the right to reject non-qualified subscribers. One year subscription to non-qualified individuals: U.S. $50, Canada/Mexico $75, all other countries $100, payable in U.S. funds. Single issues are $15, and must be prepaid. Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. Printed in the U.S.A. Postmaster: Send address changes to Surface & Panel, 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098. Please direct all subscription questions and mail to: Surface & Panel, 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-206-1766
7/31/10 6:32 PM
Boise Cas
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Registration for the conference and hotel information can be found at www.surfaces-conference.com
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Mark your calendar for this important event!
FAIR MONT QUE E N E LIZ ABE TH | MONTR E AL , QUE BEC , CANADA
If you are an architect, designer, specifier or furniture and fixture producer involved in the selection, application and use of decorative surfaces, this conference is for you.
• Advances in 2DL and 3DL • 5-piece door trends • What North America’s largest furniture and fixture producers expect from suppliers • Expanding markets and applications for TFM • Trends in surface finish and texture • HPL, TFM, 2DL and 3DL matching programs… the key to value engineering • Economic trends in the surface and panel industry
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• The latest generation of environmentally friendly surfaces
C O N F E R E N C E
This is your opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in the surfacing world.
www.materialicious.com
For more information, contact: John Aufderhaar | TCM Americas 1617 Country Club Lane | Watertown, WI 53098 920-206-1766 | aufderhaar@charter.net
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unique to sublime
materialicious™ (“shelter, materials and objects”) is a user-submitted visual curation site featuring modern architecture and design, craftsmanship, materials and products it is a veritable designer's playground 1,000 contributors from the global design community help to make this one of the most popular websites in the world (Alexa ranking – 53,000) more than 300,000 unique visitors come to peruse each month, and they tend to stay and click around for a while who can blame them? there are lots of intriguing things to look at
www.materialicious.com
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Historic Legislation Advances Consumer Protection Landmark product emissions legislation urged by the Composite Panel Association (CPA) and others was signed into law by President Obama on July 7. The Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act will establish the first comprehensive national standard for formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products, and directs the US Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate implementing regulations by January 1, 2013. These regulations will be effective 180 days after promulgation. “This is a historic moment for the North American composite panel industry, which has always been at the forefront of environmental stewardship,” said Tom Julia, CPA President. “The legislation represents a responsible, bipartisan approach to advancing consumer protection, fair trade, and domestic jobs.” The emission limitations called for in the legislation are modeled on a regulation adopted by California in 2008, the so-called “CARB rule.” The result will be the toughest production standard in the world, including provisions to ensure that products made with composite wood panels meet the standard. The legislation will also encourage the development of lower emitting adhesive technologies and establish a transparent chain of custody for purposes of enforcement.
“This is a historic moment for the North American composite panel industry, which has always been at the forefront of environmental stewardship. The legislation represents a responsible, bipartisan approach to advancing consumer protection, fair trade, and domestic jobs.” TOM JULIA, CPA PRESIDENT 8
Manufacturer quality assurance requirements and third party testing and certification of panel products will give consumers the highest confidence in the composite wood products they purchase, regardless of where in the world they are manufactured. The legislation, introduced last fall by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), quickly garnered strong bipartisan support in the Senate. A companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) earlier this year. “This bill will establish national standards that will both protect public health and ensure an even playing field between domestic wood products and foreign imports,” said Senator Klobuchar. “The Composite Panel Association’s leadership and efforts to help craft this legislation was critical to our getting it through the Congress and to the President.” CPA and the Sierra Club initially drafted the legislation in late 2008, and a broad coalition of industry and environmental stakeholders soon joined the effort, along with the National Center for Health Housing, organized labor and others. “This has been a model of consensus based public policymaking, with all stakeholders at the table and all views respected,” Julia said. Besides the CPA, industry groups supporting the final bill included the American Forest & Paper Association, American Home Furnishings Alliance, Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association, Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association, Retail Industry Leaders Association and Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America. s&p Founded in 1960, the Composite Panel Association (CPA) is dedicated to advancing the North American wood–based panel and decorative surfacing industries. CPA represents these industries on technical, regulatory, quality assurance and product acceptance issues. www.pbmdf.com
www.surfaceandpanel.com
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Emissions so low it’s like nature wrote the specs herself. With UltraStock™-Free from Temple-Inland,® architects, designers and manufacturers can now choose a CARB-approved, no added formaldehyde (NAF) MDF with emission levels just about as low as nature herself. Along with lower emissions, UltraStock-Free offers valuable credits in green building rating systems such as LEED, NAHB Green Building Standard, Green Globe, and C.A.R.B. Also, UltraStock-Free
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complies with CPA 3-08–earning EPP certification. And, whether a project is “green-sensitive” or not, UltraStock-Free delivers the excellent machining and finishing performance demanded for furniture, flooring and cabinets. Discover UltraStock-Free without added formaldehyde today. Precise MDF performance, with specs that could have been written by nature herself. Real Selection. Real Solutions.
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The B Y
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arrot Heads everywhere are toasting Jimmy Buffett’s new Margaritaville waterfront hotel in Pensacola Beach, Fla., which is slated to open in summer 2010. If Buffett, a C.F. Martin loyalist, is there strumming a six string on a front porch swing, it will likely be a self-titled, limited-edition LX acoustic. Its sturdy construction of high-pressure laminate on the top, back and sides provide the durability and resistance to the elements that make it his first built-forthe-beach guitar. Introducing HPL into Martin’s original X series in 1998 was all about creating something competitive with import guitars while building an affordable instrument that would sound great around a campfire and stand up to the rigors of travel. When C.F. Martin unveiled its patented HPL guitar, instrument purists scoffed, suggesting an economypriced model compromised the company’s more than 175-year-old reputation of excellence. “It was a little freaky even to us and I’m sure to the marketplace at first,” says Linda Davis-Wallen, sourcing specialist for Martin’s wood selection for more than 30 years. “To push something that’s this far out of tradition was not an easy thing for us to do. Now we’re selling about 30,000 of these guitars a year, so it’s obviously been accepted over the years. We’re leveraging the brand name over a wider market and price base.”
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It all started back in the early 1990s when Tim Teel, director of instrument design, was new to the company’s research and development team and pursuing options for a lower-cost Martin. “Around that same time, I was remodeling a kitchen and happened to be in one of the hardware stores looking at samples of HPL for countertops,” Teel says. “The thought came to me, ‘What would it be like to use this for a guitar body?’” Teel got permission from his supervisor to build Martin’s first HPL prototype and reports good results early on. Soon after, he learned that Jim Witchell of Saratoga, Wyo., patented the use of HPL in guitars a few years prior. A licensing agreement allowed Teel to continue developing his own concept, and Martin now holds other patents on the sophisticated internal bracing designs required to make the DX collection perform similarly to tonewoods. “The goal was to make it sound as close to a solid Sitka spruce top guitar as possible. It has its own tone, and it’s very pleasing,” Teel says. “HPL is not a very resonant material, so it’s not the best in terms of sound to start with.” What gives an instrument its sound characteristics is a combination of the bracing system, the selection of materials and the thickness of those materials. From a structural standpoint, even though HPL is a third wood fiber in composition, it is different
www.surfaceandpanel.com
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CIRCLE #05 ON READER SERVICE CARD
“It was a little freaky even to us and I’m sure to the marketplace at first.” LINDA DAVIS -WALLEN SOURCING SPECIALIST FOR MARTIN’S WOOD SELECTION
– much thinner at 50/1,000 of an inch because weight affects tone – than the 1/32-inch thick wood used in Martin’s traditional guitars. Other than customized thickness and black kraft paper for aesthetic preference of exposed edges, Martin’s confidential HPL recipe is just your average countertop laminate. Changes to fabrication methods, such as beveling and routing the edges instead of binding them, alternative glues and different bending processes part from conventional guitar construction. “It seems like HPL is more consistent in tone because wood does vary quite a bit in stiffness,” Teel says. “You can manipulate it differently than wood, and there’s no finishing required.” That is why its production made sense in the first place, according to Davis-Wallen. She says Martin’s Mexico facility, which prior to the first X series made mostly strings and smaller Backpacker guitars, was a good fit because it didn’t house expensive spray finishing equipment required for wood guitars. Another advantage HPL offers is uniformity. Every dreadnought HPL guitar (DX) wears the very same picture-perfect woodgrain. “When we first started doing these guitars, we wanted to furnish our suppliers of the material with the best possible spruce tops,” says Dick Boak, director of artist relations. “I went down into our stacks of ‘poundcake’ – what spruce tops are called for their visual similarities to the sliced dessert – and found a really beautiful top, had it photographed and had special printing plates created for the DX series.”
DESIGN WITH A DOUBLESHOT OF COLOR. We’re rolling out 15 refreshing colors on 11 metal designs. Call or visit to see them all. Here: 413 Pink and 501 Sky. 800.807.7341 chemetal.com
MODELS PICTURED, LEFT TO RIGHT, STARTING FROM FACING PAGE: 000X HIPPIE, LX REALTREE, AND LX ELVIS PRESLEY.
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The advent of this technology also affords an ecologically friendly alternative to conserve dwindling wood resources. To that end, Martin became FSC-certified in late 1997. In versions where the top is actual laminated spruce and the back and sides are HPL, the DX series is a prime example of engineered and naturefound materials working in harmony. HPL guitars are not intended to replace traditional tonewoods but rather to provide an extremely viable, high-quality acoustic in a price range previously not addressed by the company. “Some of our cheap instruments, at least on the surface, look identical to a really high-quality piece of wood,” Davis-Wallen says. “People get hung up on appearance.” ■
DX 175
COWBOY SERIES
Curiosity Created the Cat
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“Before we had the X series, we had a lot of calls from people who wanted artwork on guitars and not just hand-painted one-offs,” says Boak, who coordinates the art for limited-edition series instruments. “We had experimented with laser etching and ink jet printing, but it looked kind of cheap.” As the story goes, a vision was born when CEO of Felix the Cat Productions, Inc., Don Oriolo (son of Felix the Cat cartoonist Joseph Oriolo) sketched the character on his placemat during lunch with Boak. “We wanted to use HPL for a more kidsized acoustic because of its durability,” Boak says. The FX series featuring HPL and Felix the Cat became the first Little Martins with graphic tops, debuting in 2004. Using templates, scanned images and offset printing to capture and reproduce fine and commercial artwork, Martin collaborates with diverse talent for a variety of limited edition HPL instruments. For example, the Cowboy Series in a large 000X body size features paintings by Robert Armstrong with CEO Chris Martin in cameo appearances. Chris Martin’s cousin, artist Robert Goetzel, contributed designs for the company’s 175-year anniversary guitar (DX 175) as well as the Tour and Origins models depicting scenes from Martin’s Nazareth, Penn. headquarters. ■
ORIGINS
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Born of the Beach
BOAK, TEEL, BUFFETT AND RIZZIE MEET AT MARTIN TO DISCUSS THE DESIGN OF THE JIMMY BUFFET LX SERIES GUITAR.
The guitar’s HPL construction tolerates humidity and water droplets. It’s great for the beach; it’s small, durable and reasonably priced.
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“I wanted to make it like an old guitar that looked beat up – like it came from the attic of someone who managed to talk his mom into a Roy Rogers guitar back in the 1950s, when Jimmy and I were kids,” says fine artist Dan Rizzie, Buffett’s neighbor in The Hamptons and creator of the design for Martin’s Jimmy Buffett LX series guitar. Rizzie, who also plays the guitar, owns several Martins including one of the first two produced in the series. He worked with a graphic design house to translate his sketches, ink drawings and mechanically sprayed stencil paintings to computerized versions for Martin’s digital template. “I even wanted to include tiny pineapples around the sound hole at first, but as it turns out, registration is a big deal with these guitars,” he says. “The transfer process is amazing.” Rizzie and Buffett refined the design for about a year and together visited the Martin headquarters in Nazareth, Pa. Early ideas were to create a vintage appearance of cracking in the finish or even the illusion of a sandy top. “I knew I wanted it to be understated and not like my other paintings,” he says. “We looked at a lot of old Hawaiian stenciled guitars and some from Jimmy’s own collection. I wanted to stay away from that ‘swimsuit print’ look with flowers, sharks and hula girls.” Inspired by his friend’s fun-loving lifestyle, Rizzie drew in the sailboat parked in Buffett’s driveway as well as the perfomer’s seaplane, both depicted on the guitar top. “It’s a great little guitar. It plays well and is a serious instrument,” says Rizzie, referencing a leisurely fishing trip with friends where Buffett brought along his LX. The guitar’s HPL construction tolerates humidity and water droplets. “It’s great for the beach; it’s small, durable and reasonable. You can pay $15,000 for a Martin, but this is a $400 guitar that sounds like a lot more.” s&p
www.surfaceandpanel.com
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1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
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> On this day, On this day, we will listen, we will ask, we will see the future, we will create, we will find a way, we will succeed, we will break new ground. > On this day, we celebrate 25 years of days like these.
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GOING WITH THE GRAIN For more than two decades, Brian Jones, sales agent in North America for SESA pressing plates based in Italy, has observed texture popularized in the flooring and HPL decorative surface markets. He says already this year he’s seeing increased interest, sampling and quotations for TFM pressing plates, an indicator that advancements in decor paper printing may soon pair with more tactile and custom finishes.
What do your TFM clients want from texture? I’d say most suppliers believe there’s a pent-up demand that TFM is not cultivating and meeting. All the way down the line to the showroom, the design community wants unique appearances through prints and textures. However, the TFM market has been cautious with investments with design excursions limited to commodity oriented prints and muted textures. Therefore, this is what their markets expect from TFM. In all likelihood, designers cannot imagine what is possible if they have never participated in the creation of a design aesthetic. What do you mean “participate” in creating? Think of the A&D community as the drivers. The project could be a new line of desktops or the remodel of 50 hotels. Also think of them as creators who at this point do not know what is possible. Then bring them together with the printer and SESA, a designer of texture, and let the team create an appropriate aesthetic. Expect the customer to be astonished, satisfied and open the checkbook willingly. Printers and artwork creators as well as SESA are using state-of-the-art software and equipment, such as laser-etched print cylinders, in their design and manufacturing operations. All have the intent of doing justice to the designs we create together with our mutual customers. The purpose is realism. Our customers have said that SESA designs have a ‘fingerprint’ they like.
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What European texture trends can we look for in the U.S. and Canada? European TFM customers are using some interesting new designs: linens, stones, multi-gloss wood grains with gloss in the pores and multi-gloss wood grains with strong corrugation that have matte tops and glossy valleys. While the U.S. market demands natural woodgrains, prints and textures rivaling the appearance of real wood, European tastes are evolving toward designer wood textures and finishes beyond what’s in nature. What makes texture the next frontier for TFM in the North American market? This is a time of opportunity for TFM to use print and texture to either differentiate from or emulate what’s been done with HPL, which is charge premiums and make money. Lowpressure laminators can supply customers with the very same textured abstracts or simulated wood for far less cost. That opportunity does not apply to the entire TFM market – perhaps even just a few percent – but it has a huge opportunity to grow. What are some barriers to the use of textured press plates in low-pressure laminating? There are always requests to reduce investment cost, to innovate, to research and develop a completely new means to impart texture. It is a universal, persistent, and debilitating failure to understand the real investment cost and more significantly, miss the opportunity found, explored and proven by their cousins in HPL and TFM flooring in N.A. and in Europe. Two things to remember about press plates: in a modest commodity effort, the investment cost is almost negligible, and the real benefit is in the ability to create value through adding aesthetics.
www.surfaceandpanel.com
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What are some ways TFM can overcome these hurdles? What we can do quite readily is assemble a team that includes the customers, the printer, the texture designer and the laminator. From experience, I can tell you it is value-adding, it works and it’s fun. To facilitate communication with the design community, the industry can start educating students in architecture and interior design institutions. Another idea is for laminators to include customers, print and texture suppliers in their research and development. The purpose is to invest in understanding and creating new market segments that will pay more for a unique product. What’s an example of successful use of texture for value-adding aesthetics? California Closets has proven the value of print and texture as a means to collect stunning profits for several years. Its Lago collection is an exception for TFM as a solid color or straight direction woodgrain print in simple alignment with a straight woodgrain texture. I’m hopeful that Lago will show the possibilities in adding value to TFM. It’s texture is deep and strong and can be felt by the customer. It doesn’t look like real wood, but it’s different
What we can do quite readily is assemble a team that includes the customers, the printer, the texture designer and the laminator. From experience, I can tell you it is value-adding, it works and it’s fun. BRIAN JONES, SALES AGENT IN NORTH AMERICA FOR SESA
and in demand. The cost to California Closets is low, but the product, which is as much service and design as it is laminate, is selling for a very high premium and selling well. What are your predictions for the future of TFM in flooring? Most flooring products already take advantage of what we call EiR, Embossed in Register, meaning wood pores and other features of the texture align with those in the print to create enhanced realism. Of our three types of customers (HPL, TFM and flooring), the flooring group is the most dynamic and driven in using print and texture to compete with wood and other laminators. Because of intense competition between wood and laminate for performance and aesthetic supremacy, it will be necessary to be continuously innovative in both hardwood and laminate with print, texture, price and performance. s&p CIRCLE #08 ON READER SERVICE CARD
The beauty and texture of linen is here. MATCH YOUR MOOD AND STYLE with The Linen Collection of thermally-fused melamine from KML. Resembling spun linen, the deeply-textured finished panels come in six classic neutral shades. Or, choose from any KML color or effect option to complement your design and create a timeless impression.
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BUYING FROM THE PAST A
dvancements in image fidelity push engineered wood laminates closer to the appearance of solid wood, sometimes even stretching color and texture combinations beyond Mother Earth’s portfolio. Add in-register texture, and from a 4-foot viewing distance it becomes difficult to distinguish thermally fused melamine floorboards from hardwood planks. As print quality inches closer to composite substrates’ high performance standards, a kind of superboard is born. To live up to its potential, the pressure is on decor paper printers to capture nature’s best. A trend toward rustic floorboards led Mark Smith, senior design manager for Schattdecor, on a treasure hunt for old-growth wood. The search produced the “Reclaimed Resources” line without cutting down a single tree. “The new growth wood just doesn’t have the richness in color and structure that these reclaimed woods bring to flooring,” Smith says. Through journeys to remote and unlikely locations, Smith selected rare wood cuts for the Au Natural, Urban Offices, Southwest Orientation, Graying of America and Exotic Distinctions collections. Rustic Cherry, Huntstock Walnut and Urban Oak came from sustainably harvested trees on small family farms in northwest Missouri. 18
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Laricio Pinie Laricio Pine
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EXPRESS YOURSELF Selected decors with a Smart- or Postfoil finish provide an infinite range of possibilities for your furniture surfaces. Benefit from design by Schattdecor!
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Notable sources include Lodge Pine from a Kansas City, Kan. storefront; Southern Cabin Oak from old Amish barn beams in Stockton, Mo., and Dockwood from an old boat dock in Platte City, Mo. Smith found the makings of Elmwood, Maplewood and Hartland Hickory in a circa 1892 dairy barn in Readstown, Wis. Other varieties hail from old barns, buildings and churches in southern Germany. Pews in a Bavarian Rathaus gave Beam Oak its oldworld charm. “Species like oak, maple and walnut can be new growth from a forest designed to replenish wood, and those don’t have the years of naturally growing up to bring this quality of character,” Smith says. “It’s the difference between organic and processed food.” He visited numerous reclaimed wood brokers with impressive inventories of solid beams, keeping in mind that old-growth stock harvested from churches and barns often predated those uses by a hundred years or more. Smith says he’s paid as few as a few dollars per square foot to as much as $30 per square foot for his finds. Selections are photographed in Germany with a Cruse camera, a flat-bed scanner that captures very high-resolution images. Computer alterations allow for cropping, blending and adjusting to achieve a random qual-
ity without repeated sections and cut lines. Depending on the intended casegoods use, images are printed for a paste-up of standard panel sections. Lay-up is underway for Canyon one-, two- or three-board flooring formats using the same wood samples. “This gives the designers a hands-on feels as we put things together,” Smith says. “Decor papers for laminates are sophisticated products that find
inspiration in real wood and real resources. In this case, we’re buying from the past.” s&p We're Wondering: How important do
you think texture is to surface design? Is enhanced tactility the best way to add value to decor products? Visit the S&P community to share your ideas. www.surfaceandpanel.com
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The wood at your fingertips Circle #11 on Reader Service Card
www.Roseburg.com The Place To Get Quick Answers For Your Projects Roseburg is one of the largest and most diverse producers of sustainable wood products in North America. Roseburg.com puts valuable information at the tips of your fingers.
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New Dimensions Defy Misnomers
Price, Performance and Potential Boost TFM’s Competitive Advantage B Y
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orn from the board side of the composite panel business, thermally fused melamine (TFM) has experienced more growing pains than its elder cousin high-pressure laminate (HPL), which has long enjoyed aggressive marketing programs. “The term HPL is highly visible,” says Rick Troxel, product manager for Roseburg. “One thing we’ve had to recognize and embrace is the fact that architects and designers have 30-year relationships with HPL specification reps. But we know that HPL took 40-plus years to mature, and now TFM, which was 10 to 20 years behind HPL, is starting to gain recognition as something other than a commodity, cabinet-liner replacement for shelves and cabinet interiors. It has been a long, tough road to educate specifiers.” Misunderstandings about its performance characteristics, colorchoice availability and even its name have sidelined TFM, which uses the same decor papers popular in HPL. Also known as low-pressure laminate and melamine-faced chipboard, TFM is often mistaken for melamine paper – pinch-rolled low basis weight paper with melamine crystals – or called thermo-pressed laminate. Confusion about its very identity leads specifiers to pass up TFM in favor of HPL despite valueengineering potential.
USING A TECHNIQUE ADOPTED FROM THE CLOSET COMPONENTS MARKET, STEVENS INDUSTRIES CREATES ROUNDED EDGES FOR ITS TOT MATE ECO CHILDREN'S FURNITURE LINE, WHICH FEATURES TEXTURED TFM ON MDF PANELS. TODD WEGMAN SAYS THE PROCESS IS SOMEWHAT OF A TRADE SECRET BUT SHARES THAT IT RELIES ON A ROUTED-OUT UNDERSIDE AND SPECIALLY TREATED PAPER THAT BENDS SIMILARLY TO POST FORMING FOR HPL.
Hurdles such as shipment minimums on orders and a slimmer profit margin – somewhere between 30 and 50-percent less than HPL – present challenges for laminators. “Even if you want to renovate an entire hotel lobby, it may not use a full truckload of TFM panels,” says Todd Wegman of Stevens Industries, which laminates boards and builds finished fixtures. “Cash flow is king. It can be difficult to ship low-volume orders at the right price.” Wegman says changing TFM’s competitive focus from HPL to real wood products could produce sales numbers that favorably affect shipping costs. Stevens Industries has done just this by offering its Eco by Tot Mate, a line of furniture and storage fixtures constructed from TFM components, in response to similar birch ply designs popular in schools and childcare environments. Another barrier to the marketplace is designers’ tendency to select over-engineered materials for vertical surfaces. Enlightened fabrica22
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tors sometimes make value-adjusted substitutions when appropriate. “TFM is becoming more competitive with HPL and has made it easier to match jobs that aren’t always specified based on HPL surfaces.” says Bob Knothe, TFM sales manager for Toppan Interamerica, a decor paper printer. “For example, 10 to 15 years ago, Steelcase wouldn’t even consider TFM but today have popular TFM lines, Nurture for healthcare and Turnstone for office furniture.” Perceptions that its lower price equates to reduced performance persisted for decades. Lately though, exact-matching programs for complementary decorative surfaces, advances in print fidelity, developments in surface texture and widespread use on boards offering LEED credit are helping TFM panels gain respect. New marketing efforts positioning TFM as a practical design solution with many desirable qualities make it competitive with solid wood. “For some reason, a lot of people still equate quality with only ‘real’ wood,” says Willie Wanker, president of Kustom Material Laminators (KML) in Washington state. “In some cabinet door and frame markets, specifiers still think it needs to be solid wood or veneer, and it doesn’t. So much territory hasn’t been explored in TFM.” The next frontier in TFM’s marketability is texture. Improved technology in custom-designed pressing plates and in-register ticking for flooring provides realistic surfaces that, combined with modern-day print fidelity, rival the appearance of real wood, especially in flooring applications. In recent years, laminators’ tightened purse strings and cabinet makers’ lackluster commitment to texture programs set the U.S. market far apart from European design demands, according to Brian Jones of Sesa. (See Tech Spec, page 16)
FLAKEBOARD’S WF297 EN VOGUE
“TFM is becoming more competitive with HPL and has made it easier to match jobs that aren’t always specified based on HPL surfaces.” BOB KNOTHE, TFM SALES MANAGER FOR TOPPAN INTERAMERICA
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“The timing is right to offer more texture in the U.S. because designers want to see something realistic.” JEAN GUYON, TAFISA CANADA
Environmental benefits of TFM increase its acceptance as a substitute for hardwoods. “Green” MDF or particleboard finished with a decorative surface that closely matches the real thing achieves the same visual without affecting endangered wood. “With the acid etching (Kings Mountain International) and the plates (Hueck) we have now and have coming, you won’t even be able to tell the difference between reproducible TFM and exotic species that won’t be around forever,” Wanker says. “The combination of a visual and tactile component increases the realism of TFM, makes it look less artificial and gives credence to the woodgrains,” says Cathy Barrett, design and specification manager for Flakeboard, which recently launched its AuthenTICK texture as a standard option for panels. “In some of our newer contemporary designs, the untrained eye might think AuthenTICK is in-register texture.” Barrett says Flakeboard is active in improving matching programs for textured TFM, 3DL and edgebanding. “The timing is right to offer more texture in the U.S. because designers want to see something realistic,” says Jean Guyon of Tafisa Canada, which launched its Smoothwood finish several years ago as a more durable alternative to the North-American standard orange peel TFM. According to Guyon, the idea behind Smoothwood was to offer something mimicking wood furniture. It has very fine ticking like that seen in maple, cherry and birch. Guyon says Smoothwood’s success in North America spurred a line of textured surfaces to debut at IWF 2010. The collection has five new modern colors available in Softwood and the recent Urbania textures, featuring straight grains such as riftcut and quarter-sawn oak. Urbania’s milk chocolate tones are meant to mimic the look of bamboo but as an even more artistic rendering of bamboo itself, Guyon explains, noting that Urbania is an expanded line of the Lago design now marketed through California Closets with Tafisa as an exclusive supplier. “It’s more modern than anything we’ve done before. The North American marketplace is ready for this kind of texture, but it has to be used with popular woodgrain prints because investing in texture plates can be quite expensive, roughly $150,000 per texture with multiple plates, so offering it has to make sense financially.”
"D.RELEASE" BY SUDDEKOR 24
"URBANIA" BY TAFISA
Another option that’s pioneering the texture movement is release papers, which give surfaces their final appearance and feel. Used to create a finish for either TFM or HPL, release papers are placed over the saturated print during lamination and then discarded or reused. For example, Suddekor’s new D.Release is coming soon to the U.S. market and offers a range of finishes and textures from high gloss to super matte. “It will allow for embossed finishes at a fraction of the cost of steel plates,” says Fran Vahle, director of sales for Suddekor. From a decor paper printer’s perspective, creating more prints with pearlescent details also adds realism to the product, especially with embossed finishes. “Design helps to take historically consistent TFM from uses primarily in cabinet interiors to more visible decorative applications and therefore makes it more value-added,” says Marcel Albert, director of design for Suddekor. More and more, TFM laminators are creating educational outreach efforts to forge new and real connections with specifiers. Addressing misconceptions, they’re positioning TFM panels as a sophisticated, value-engineered option that goes way beyond the “wags”, white, almond, gray (and black) commodity boards. Markets served, niche focus, specialty services and integration level dictate companies’ tactics, which range from the Uniboard Academy launched last year to Roseburg’s tabletop presentations at AIA chapter meetings and Greenbuild trade show participation. Stevens Industries has mobile showrooms in three themed buses that travel east of the Rocky mountains to display TFM-surfaced furnishings for healthcare settings, furniture for children’s environments or science lab fixtures. “What TFM offers in terms of value-engineering a project is relatively unknown in the architectural community,” says Wanker. “At KML, we only offer one thing, and we’re reaching out across the country to promote TFM’s role, especially in vertical applications where impactresistance is not key. For our lunch-and-learn visits at top architectural firms, we show actual decor papers and tell how the pressed melamine becomes an integral part of the substrate. We emphasize similarities between TFM and HPL such as scratch resistance and how it doesn’t ring.” At the fabrication level, manufacturers of store fixtures, office furniture and closet systems, which specify panels based on their bottom line, were the first to embrace TFM. Today, laminators are reaching out to architects and designers who spec for commercial fixtures, hospital casegoods and school furnishings with a particular aesthetic in mind. “We’re seeing more fabricators coming back to the architect to suggest TFM as an alternative to exotic veneers or materials that are either over- or under-specified,” Troxel says. “To be involved in that communication, we’re creating value propositions with a message that goes way beyond price.” ■
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TFM as Main Course
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erhaps the way to a materials specifier’s design is through his stomach. To launch its 2010 Elegantly Natural collection last spring, Uniboard served up its thermally fused melamine (TFM) line as mouth-watering menu selections, bringing invitees up close and personal with its spread of rich woodgrain and casual linen prints. Culinary academies became classrooms for two evenings at Quebec’s Ateliers & Saveurs and one night at Toronto’s Cirillo’s Academy.
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TFM can sometimes be business-to-business-oriented and not close to the end user, but we’re all consumers in one way or another. These events were about getting back to the basics of melamine. With the economy the way it is and price increases in raw materials, we thought we could we make more impact with a smaller event to educate and interact with specifiers. For more about TFM, visit www.surfaceandpanel.com CIRCLE #15 ON READER SERVICE CARD
All NEW
MDF•XPLY Presenting samples in a whole new way, Unibord outfitted 80 guests each night in full-length aprons upon arrival to foster an environment where industry competitors collaborated alongside professional chefs and formed a sensory connection with the new pallet. Smoked chicken with tomato and corn chowder became Sweet Beige. The warmth of Velvet Wenge was a savory beef tenderloin tataki. A decadent tiramisu embodied the high- and low-lights in Cashmere, and Viva Walnut posed as coffee-flavored macaroons. Fruitwood grains Soho Apple and Coastal Pear were a natural fit for cocktail creations. “French food is never a bad thing,” says Susan Doherty, product manager for Uniboard. “TFM can sometimes be business-to-business-oriented and not close to the end user, but we’re all consumers in one way or another. These events were about getting back to the basics of melamine. With the economy the way it is and price increases in raw materials, we thought we could we make more impact with a smaller event to educate and interact s& p with specifiers.”
Strong Lightweight Smooth The new MDF•XPLY from Industrial Wood Products features a solid hardwood veneer core on the inside with an MDF platform. This allows SMOOTH finished applications for veneer, melamine, paper, printing, painting and overlays. A guaranteed SMOOTH finish. A weight that is 30% less than traditional PB/MDF but just as strong. Available in FSC, CARB & NAUF
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Small Thinking for Big Benefits:
RETAIL OF THE NOW
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B Y
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rave retail. While no market segment made it through the recession unscathed, retail really took a beating. Not only did real estate tank, but consumer spending for non-essentials also came to a screeching halt. Yet even in dreary circumstances there are opportunities. No matter how complex a business may be, every operation can be explained by answering three basic questions: What do you sell? Who do you sell it to? How do you bring it to market? When a dramatic change hits the marketplace, savvy companies look to these areas for business solutions. “Winning brands will innovate and differentiate,” says Tom Pirovano, Director of Industry Insight for The Nielsen Company.
THE NEW CONSUMER
With the economy still limping along, consumer trends reflect a sense of uncertainty. Standards have shifted away from opulence; instead health, value, stability, DIY and corporate disclosure are influencing buying. “Restraint is the new normal,” says Todd Hale, Senior Vice President for Consumer and Shopper Insight, the Nielsen Company, “Value is a top priority. Value messages must include differentiation beyond pricing.” Hale predicts that businesses that “drive the recession wave” by taking an active role in innovation and ad spending are likely to be the big winners. According to 2010 consumer trends, consumers are tired of living in fear-based austerity. They want to start buying again but are cautious, looking for sustainability in every possible meaning of the word. Little luxuries that link back to health, stability and environmental/community stewardship have replaced status symbols. And thanks to the exponential expansion of digital information and social media (even among the poor), consumers have unprecedented access to immediate and unmoderated product/company information.
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PRODUCT OFFERING
The blurring of the line between the digital world and the “real world” is impacting consumer expectations in both realms. Consumers are cultivating ever-more detailed online profiles, which are mined for valuable demographic data. The result? Relevant information is finding consumers based on preferences rather than the other way around. What’s more is that consumers are beginning to expect that their needs have already been anticipated. Another driving force behind consumer spending is location-based everything. Misgivings about products made in China, combined with a desire to “reduce the carbon footprint” have consumers shopping closer to home. Residual uncertainty from the recession has strengthened the
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appeal of local agriculture and economy to the point that large wellestablished brands are “de-branding” to better fit the local color. This does not mean branding is obsolete. In fact, consumer recognition of visual branding is increasing in the age of digital information. But brands that are too big transcend customization and locality, so their impact is diluted. Product assortment has become a key point of differentiation.
Rather than making brick and mortar storefronts obsolete, the Internet has driven traditional retail to become more specialized to the local market.
TO MARKET
Contemporary retail has to function on both the global and the micro levels. Although consumers often research online before making a purchase, there is still a desire to handle product, particularly with sizespecific merchandise. Rather than making brick and mortar storefronts obsolete, the Internet has driven traditional retail to become more specialized to the local market. Small “satellite” stores and temporary “pop-up” retailers that offer special-edition merchandise are becoming more common. The “Retail Authority” feature (page 32) looks at how Sports Authority, one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the United States, is thinking small to stay big. A corresponding vignette about Premier Eurocase (page 36), a fixtures provider to Sports Authority, shows how a similar approach in the business-to-business market is a sustainable operating model. s&p
Visual Impact Once again B+N Industries is taking regular materials beyond the mundane to catch the attention of the design world. This time, they have adapted their simple and elegant Iconic Panel series to the sustainable sensibilities of the contemporary marketplace. Started as a distributor of consumable retail products such as tags and labels more than two decades ago, B+N has grown into an innovative designer and manufacturer of products and systems for the retail, architectural and consumer industries. With locations in Burlingame, Calif., and New York, B+N offers custom and standard fixtures. “We’re recognized as one of two premiere fixture manufacturers and designers that offer systems in the U.S.,” says Kevin McPhee, Creative + Marketing Director for B+N Industries. B+N’s commitment to rethinking common merchandising systems includes product lines such as the Puck system, which offers a stylish alternative to slatwall. In 2006, B+N inspired
retail fashionistas with the launch of its Iconic Panels. These eye-catching wall coverings are made from routed MDF core that is 3D laminated. While the custom possibilities are endless for such a concept, B+N offers 12 standard relief patterns. “We take our inspiration from famous artists, architects and design movements,” says McPhee. Each panel comes in 12 different finishes, including paintable laminate and unfinished MDF. FSC-certified “green” boards can be specified with NAUF, as well as moistureand fire-resistant core. In 2009, after much trial and error on slicing salvaged lumber, B+N introduced a new line of Reclaimed Wood Iconic panels. Available in western redwood, Douglas fir and Asian teak, these panels effectively convey the sustainable value message today’s consumers seek. ■ For more about contoured panels, visit www.surfaceandpanel.com
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Retail Authority B Y
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ports Authority, one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the United States, is responding to the current retail conditions by implementing some business-as-unusual strategies in their store designs. Based in Englewood, Colo., the retailer has more than 460 stores in 45 states and a standard concept that is regionally customized to optimize product/market match. Head-to-head competition is stiff in athletic equipment sales, so Sports Authority is always looking for ways to differentiate through product mix and retail environment. By staying on top of market trends and materials technology, Sports Authority continues to succeed in an economy that is tough on retail. VENDORS AESTHETICS / STORE AESTHETICS
Bruno Schloffel is the director of store design for Sports Authority. In addition to designing spaces that appeal to consumers, Schloffel must also coordinate vendorspecific branding into company-specific themes. “It is the shop within a shop kind of thing,” he explains. “Essentially the vendors get a piece of real estate in the store,
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“Those components that look like aluminum are actually made from metallic vinyl that is vacuum formed onto an MDF substrate by Premier Eurocase, our primary laminate fixture supplier. The wood finish is also vinyl.” Bruno Schloffel, director of store design, Sports Authority
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and they dictate the design of those fixtures,” says Schloffel. Complicating matters from a design perspective is the fact that different brands have varying degrees of in-house capabilities. “The big vendors, the Nikes and the Underarmours, dictate their fixture design to reinforce their marketing strategy and often provide their own fixtures,” says Schloffel. “We collaborate with the smaller vendors to design and source fixtures that represent their brand but also match our philosophy.” Sports Authority’s overall design uses colorways and materials to identify the different departments and unify the visual impact of the store. For example, the golf section has a country club theme. Contoured silver and wood fixtures display clubs and drivers. And the whole department has a TFM wood backdrop and specialty carpet that resembles a putting green. “Those components that look like aluminum are actually made from metallic vinyl that is vacuum formed onto an MDF substrate by Premier Eurocase, our primary laminate fixture supplier. The wood finish is also vinyl,” says Schloffel. “The engineered materials are very durable, and we can create nearly any design with them.” Innovative materials and new technologies play a large role in the development of Sports Authority’s store designs. In addition to 3DL vinyl, TFM, acrylic panels and energy-efficient LED lighting are widely used in display areas. Beyond achieving more sophisticated visuals, designing with modern materials often results in significant budgetary savings both in terms of value engineering and operating costs. “The beauty of what the vendors bring to the party is that for most of the big ones, the Nikes and Underarmours, cost is not the object, so they bring things like LED signs and new technologies. Then we adapt those concepts and try to find a more cost effective way to do it across 400 stores,” says Schloffel.
Cefla Finishing America recently opened the company’s new 150,000 square foot facility in Charlotte, NC. The building is comprised of a 50,000 square foot machine manufacturing area, parts distribution, warehousing, and technology departments. This significant investment in the North American Finishing Industry includes the largest and most complete testing laboratory and showroom, along with dedicated classrooms to support Cefla’s unique Education & Training program. Cefla Finishing Group takes long term success of our customers and finishing systems very seriously. We developed CAFÉ (Cefla America Finishing Education) courses to provide a comprehensive understanding of, not only the machinery, but also the other process components that contribute to a successfully operating finishing department.
CAFÉ subscribes to the famous proverb: “Education expensive? — try ignorance!” Cefl a Finishing America Inc. | Charlot te, NC | Tel . 704 598 0020
www.ceflafinishinggroup.com
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By tailoring product mixes to meet the preferences of the “new consumer,” and applying digital and material technologies to the store design process, the Sports Authority is moving forward with, well authority.
RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
Another way Sports Authority stays abreast of new materials and manufacturing processes for fixtures is through supplier relationships. “We attend shows like GlobalShop and Store Point to get ideas, but one thing that has become clear over time is the importance of having a relationship with your suppliers,” Schloffel says. “You have to be able to talk to the people and to have confidence that they understand what you want. We choose suppliers that are proactively working with us as a company and bringing new ideas to the table, not just taking orders and collecting a paycheck.” Sports Authority has a long-standing relationship with Premier Eurocase, located in Denver, Colo. Andy Wilzoch, head of Premier Eurocase, understands that keeping store designers informed about his company’s capabilities helps them to design better fixtures. “When Andy gets new equipment, like his vacuum press, he’ll call me up and say, ‘You need to come over and see this thing I got from Germany. It’s amazing!’ I’ve been through the entire panel processing operation, which is very cool,” says Schloffel. “Afterwards we sit down and figure out ways we can make something useful from the machines.” Because the fixtures and design elements are more or less implemented across all the Sports Authority stores, the development process is a collaborative effort between Schloffel , the vendor and the fixture manufacturer. “Typically we do an internal sketch and design process first. Then we work out a 3D rendering for the merchandiser and present it to the vendor. When everyone is happy with the piece from a visual perspective, I sit down with Premier Eurocase and ask them how they are going to build it. Then we adjust the design so that it fits the performance criteria and can be manufactured efficiently,” says Schoffel. 32
THE NEXT BIG (SMALL) THING
Schloffel brings his knowledge of design and processes back to Sports Authority’s visual merchandising group and merchant team, the people that buy merchandise for the company. They work together to assess market trends and plan stores. One recent development takes advantage of both the current condition of retail real estate and the “new consumer’s” affinity for local, customized retail. In August 2010 Sports Authority will open its first Elite store. “The real estate situation is tough right now for big shopping centers,” says Schoffel, “but there are a lot of small footprints available.” The Elite concept is a series of small, higher-end, regionally based satellite stores. In addition to stocking specialty items to serve niche markets (think
areas that have strong sports teams), Elite stores will also include an element of e-tailing that gives consumers in-store Internet access to Sports Authority’s entire line. Although not yet open for business, the Elite concept seems to have real market appeal, and has already attracted several high-profile vendor brands that choose not to sell in the larger retail sporting goods environment. Although the retail segment took a hard hit during the recession, innovative companies like Sports Authority are persevering. By tailoring product mixes to meet the preferences of the “new consumer,” and applying digital and material technologies to the store design process, the Sports Authority is moving forward with, well authority. s&p
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Taking Care of Business For 45 years, Stiles has been helping manufacturers succeed by meeting the needs of a changing industry. Tasks once done manually can now be accomplished with the push of a button or a mouse click, allowing sophisticated software applications and CNC machines to work hand-in-hand with traditional craftsmanship and artistry. The world’s largest independent distributor of quality machinery, Stiles is focused on offering solutions that improve process technology and maximize production capacity. And, as the industry continues to evolve, Stiles maintains its passionate commitment to make your business a success. Find out how Stiles can help you take care of your business. Call Stephan Waltman at 616.698.7500 or email swaltman@stilesmachinery.com. stilesmachinery.com
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Big Company
+ Small Company = Good Business
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ndy Wilzoch likes machines. Twenty-three years ago he parlayed his affinity for technology into a 1000 square-foot store fixtures shop in Denver, Colo. Since then things have continued to develop. Wilzoch’s endeavors now occupy a 215,000 square foot facility that produces RTF components, TFM and HPL panels. Perhaps Wilzoch developed his solid, two-part business model to support his equipment habit. After all, the only way to sustainably buy the latest high-tech machinery is to make it work for you. Or maybe he’s one of those intuitive entrepreneurs who can see around corners. Whatever the reason, the combined capabilities of Wilzoch’s nationally renowned store fixtures company Premier Eurocase (which also does components and closet systems), and his hometown sweetheart TFM
V a n G i l d e r
and HPL manufacturing operation Roücke, Inc. pretty much have it covered, quite literally, when it comes to laminated components. Together, the two operations bypass normal supply chains to offer fast, flexible fulfillment on projects of all sizes. Nationwide
Premier Eurocase employs 70 people and manufactures about 16,ooo store fixtures annually for large national brands, including Sports Authority, Walgreens, Quizno’s Subs and Famous Footwear. The 70,000 square-foot-shop runs membrane pressing and panel processing equipment. Premier’s sister company Roücke occupies an adjacent 30,000 square-foot shop that manufactures TFM and HPL panels. A separate 115,000 square-foot building is used for assembly, shipping and warehouse space. “Our capital investment in equipment gives us huge advantages,” says Wilzoch. “Because we have all the capabilities in-house we can do rapid proto-typing with the actual materials, from napkin sketch to actual product, within a few days.” In addition to simply fulfilling requests, Wilzoch and his engineers collaborate with customers to design pieces that meet specific performance criteria. “Shops tend to design to their capabilities. So if a standard cabinet shop works in HPL, they design in HPL to suit their processes and minimize outsourcing. We do TFM, HPL and RTF in-house, so we can easily design components that are difficult for our competition to match,” says Wilzoch. Material matching programs drive Premier’s color offering. “A lot of our standard melamines were picked because they have RTF matches,” says Wilzoch. “We go out of our way to make sure vinyl matches our melamine.” Premier buys their PVC films from many suppliers, but prefers Renolit for their great customer service. Local
Premier sources their TFM and HPL from Roücke, as do the majority of the small cabinet shops in Colorado. “Andy (Wilzoch) started Roücke in 2004. He always did HPL at Premier and bought melamine from other places. Then they were doing huge store builds that required so much melamine that he bought the press to supply Premier,” explains Tiarra Goble, Operations Manager for Roücke’s seven-person operation. “Then local shops got wind of the capability and there was a lot of local demand.” Roücke manufactures chamfered panels, selling TFM through distribution in Colorado and HPL direct to local cabinet shops. “We’re kind of a niche market,” says Goble. “We pride ourselves on quality and the ability to do both large and small runs very quickly.” By sticking close to home Roücke maximizes speed to market, even for specialty orders. This allows them to thrive on a local level in an industry typically dominated by giant national processors. 34
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Circle #19 on Reader Service Card
Another way that Roücke differentiates itself is by marketing its product as “premium” melamine. Catch that? Not as commodity panels, but as the versatile, durable, valuable product that it is. “TFM is so easy to use, I think people are beginning to understand its performance. Especially since we use the same name-brand Wilsonart and Formica papers in TFM and HPL, I see people substituting TFM in many applications that would have normally used HPL,” says Goble. Roücke stocks 4-by-8-foot melamine sheets in 35 popular designs that match their RTF offering. Primary melamine paper suppliers are Coverright and Arclin. They also offer a wide variety of substrates, the most popular choice being industrial-grade western pine particleboard and MDF core. Specialty substrates, such as fire-rated, moisture- resistant and recycled/ NAUF board, supplied by Boise Cascade, Collins and Sierra Pine are also available. Synergy
What is particularly interesting about Wilzoch’s endeavors, beyond his “relentless acquisition” of the latest technology and manufacturing processes, is how his capabilities and distribution models inoculate his businesses against economic shifts. Although the first half of 2010 was predictably slow for Premier’s retail fixture operation, business was extremely robust for Roücke, who has been supplying thousands upon thousands of HPL and TFM panels for big government, education and hospital projects. In developing both large and small business strategies, Wilzoch has fortified his operations. Business is good, customers are happy, and Wilzoch is probably already planning his next equipment upgrade. n
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Equipment Highlights
1 Between Premier Eurocase and Roücke, Andy Wilzoch has a sophisticated collection of equipment that allows for extremely quick production of TFM, HPL and 3DL components.
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2 At Premier production processes start with cut patterns that are downloaded to three available CNC panel saws. Total saw production is well over 1,000 sheets per day. As each part is cut, labels printed in real time describe the part with a bar code that the machining centers will read. There are three Holzma panel saws at Premier Eurocase, including an: HPL-380 Power Concept, HPP-350 and a HKL-11 Angular Saw that features an independent ripcut and crosscut saw in the same unit and automatic material handling between the two. Three Homag BAZ CNC contour edgebanders carry out all the typical routing and drilling operations expected from a machining center, but these machines also simultaneously apply edgebanding to shaped components, trim and scrape in one continuous process. All of this is completed without the part leaving the machine. The facility also has three straight line Homag edgebanders, and the prototype department has a Brandt edgebander. Premier’s six Weeke point to points, including a large Weeke BHC-655, are very flexible machining centers used for drilling, routing and grooving. These are considered to be “Pod & Rail” machines, which gives them the ability to be quickly set up on changeovers from part to part. The Wemhöner Basic Plus is a fully optioned membrane press for flat or 3D laminating. The membrane press in conjunction with Roücke’s Wemhöner short-cycle melamine press, gives Premier Eurocase extremely fast custom 3D component capabilities. Premier has a Homag Machining Center featuring a BOF-132 and BOF-311 , used primarily for routing operations, slatwall and pre-machining RTF. And a collection of horizontal drills for dowel drilling and insertion, including two Weeke ABD-150s, a Gannomat Index 125 and a Gannomat Spectrum. s&p
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➊ HOMAG BAZ CONTOURED EDGBANDER ➋ TFM PANELS COOLING AFTER COMING OUT OF
A WEMHÖNER SHORT-CYCLE MELAMINE PRESS
➌ WEMHÖNER BASIC PLUS MEMBRANE PRESS ➍ HOLZMA HKL-11 ANGULAR SAW ➎ A CONTOURED PIECE MACHINED ON A HOMAG BAZ
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2010SnP_
OMNOVA Solutions’ Harmony program facilitates design and color matching across multiple OMNOVA product constructions - Paper, Flat, and 3D Laminates including surf(x)® 3D Laminates. The program provides the best application of laminate based on cost and functional requirements. Benefits of the Harmony program include: • Enables uniform design for furniture and fixtures with coordinating laminates
866.332.5226 laminates@omnova.com www.omnova.com/laminates
• Reduces development time and improves speed to market for new products • Simplifies supply chain, eliminating need for multiple vendors • Controls end product cost by using a range of constructions based on functional needs To learn how OMNOVA Laminates can make a difference in your cabinetry, furniture or fixtures, contact us today! Or visit our online Design Center to see our broad offering, obtain additional information and order samples – www.omnova.com/designcenter.
Top photo courtesy of Hallmark Cards Inc. Bottom photo courtesy of Hussmann Corporation. SURF(X) is a registered trademark of OMNOVA Solutions Inc. © 2010 OMNOVA Solutions Inc.
CIRCLE #20 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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NOTYour
Grandma’s Polyester
Hurdles Hinder Momentum for PVC-Alternative 3DL films in the U.S. B Y
L A U R A
R O W L E T T
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THE HORIZONTAL SURFACES FOR THE NURTURE OPUS OVERBED TRAY TABLES USE PET 3DL FILMS FROM OMNOVA AND ARE MADE BY NORTHERN CONTOURS FOR STEELCASE.
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onsidering polyester (PET) 3D laminates’ modest position in the U.S. market, NeoCon 2010 was huge for Japanese C.I. Kasei’s Ambtra, Inc. Its Bonlex PET’s leading role in the Best of NeoCon Gold Award-winning Herman Miller Compass system is easily an initiation of PET for 3DL in North America. Excitement about Bonlex PET is welcome news for Ambtra, which has offered the alternative to traditional PVC-based foils for many years in the U.S. and Canada without much interest from specifiers. “Ambtra is excited to partner with Herman Miller to introduce North America to PET,” says Kevin Rudolph, sales manager for Ambtra. Historically, when available or requested, alternative films to 3DL polyvinyl chloride (PVC) have faced competitive disadvantages. In addition to cost, challenges include printing on its extremely nonporous surface as well as perfecting solid color compatibility with established exact-match programs for TFM and HPL collections. “PET is not as versatile as PVC, so what makes it an awesome product also hinders it from a design standpoint,” says Larry Brophy Jr., vice president of sales for MultiSource Laminates.
www.surfaceandpanel.com
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CIRCLE #21 ON READER SERVICE CARD
SPIRIT WHITE GOLD (FACING PAGE) AND GRACE ARE TWO OF FOUR PET 3DL FILMS WITH ABSTRACT PRINTS AMERICAN RENOLIT ENTERED IN THE 2010 CHALLENGERS AWARD COMPETITION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKING FAIR.
When MultiSource Laminates, a California-based distributor of Lamitech HPL sheets brought a Brazilian PET 3D laminate to the U.S. last year, “furniture and store fixtures fabricators paid attention,” says Brophy. Unique environmentally desirable characteristics that support LEED credit – zero VOCs and at least 65-percent post-consumer recycled content from flakes of chopped-up plastic water bottles – made EccoPlast a standout in alternative 3DL films. But since appearances in few fixtures of note, including a corner shelf unit for Ulta cosmetics, interest dwindled. EccoPlast is just one of several 3DL coverings free of PVC to hit North America, used mostly in healthcare environments, commercial interiors, store fixtures and other applications where seamless, substrate-sealing surfaces and contoured edges are ideal. For example, Surface Source International (SSI), the exclusive U.S. supplier of Germany’s Klockner Pentaplast, for three years has offered a North American Stocking Program with PET as a standard option; whites, blacks and midtones comprise nine of 17 high-gloss colors. Following common use of 3DL in European residential design, SSI focuses on PET use for kitchen and closet components but also supplies for store fixtures, a sector whose demand for 3DL is greater in the U.S. than in Europe.
High Gloss Finish
Riken is the World Leader in production of High Gloss 3-D Laminates. Architects and Designers across North America turn to Riken when spectacular gloss levels are desired in Kitchen Cabinets, Store Fixtures and Commercial Interiors. Riken 3-D High Gloss is stocked in New Jersey with distribution points in Miami and Los Angeles. A new short roll program is now in place to deliver Riken 3-D High Gloss anywhere in North America. The short roll program includes the introduction of hot new designs and colors. Riken’s 3-D High Gloss Laminates add value to any application. Call us today for samples of the new introductions.
NEW ITEMS
MOCHATINI HG
COCOA BLISS HG
BUTTERSCHNAPPS HG
VANILLA STIX HG
WENGE HG
BRIGHT GREEN HG
FANCY RED
PREMIUM EBONY
www.riken-usa.com
1702 BEVERLY ROAD BURLINGTON, NJ 08016 U.S.A. TEL: 609-387-2011
info@riken-usa.com
FAX: 609-387-4958
THE APPEARANCE OF AMBTRA'S BONLEX PET ON VERTICAL SURFACES FOR THE HERMAN MILLER COMPASS SYSTEM (2010 BEST OF NEOCON GOLD AWARD WINNER) INDICATES EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES AND NEW ACCEPTANCE OF POLYESTER 3D LAMINATES IN THE U.S MARKET. surface&panel
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SUMMER 2010
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SynDeco
Fear of the Unknown
A
n ongoing media frenzy about potential links between phthalates absorption and hormone disruption in infants and children spurred a coupe against PVC. Heightened concern for the issue led the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban some plasticizers in soft children’s toys as a precautionary measure in February 2009. For office furniture leaders Steelcase and Herman Miller, as well as Kaiser Permanente healthcare facilities, the stir supports a phase-out of PVC. “Although PVC is a restricted material within the Cradle to Cradle certification, this is not our primary motivation for avoiding the material,” says Angela Nahikian, director of global environmental sustainability at Steelcase. “Since 2006, it’s been our intent to exit PVC along with other materials of concern such as heavy metals and fire retardants. Materials selection continues to be a pivotal part of our commitment to design innovative products that avoid the use of chemicals of concern.” Examples of changes include shipping all 17 active solid colors and seven wood grain PVC-free 3 mm and 1 mm edgebands standard on 12 product lines in the U.S. More than 82 percent of Steelcase systems products that include edgebanding are now PVC-free. “There is no reason to worry about getting exposed to phthalates through furniture and furnishings,” says Allen Blakey, vice president of industry and government affairs for the Vinyl Institute, an association representing poly resins manufacturers. “If companies think they need alternatives to PVC, they probably don’t have the data. That’s what our our lifecycle studies found.” Defending safe use of PVC are articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and Consumer Products Safety Commission reviews. In February 2007, an assessment on alleged toxic effects of PVC throughout its lifecycle published by the Green Building Council found possible impacts on health safetly to be “very uncertain” and prompted the USGBC to suspend potential LEED credit for PVC exclusion. ■
Other versions include Rivestar, a line Riken developed for Japan that is available by request in the U.S. Products such as Omnova’s EFX, Ambtra’s Bonlex PET and Renolit’s made-to-order collection satisfy specifiers’ occasional interest. “We have received more and more inquiries about environmentally friendly products,” says Lana Cella, product manager for American Renolit. “It comes down to whether they’re willing to pay the difference for ‘green’ components, and it’s not the perfect climate right now to increase costs.” Greg O’Connell, manager of 3DL for SSI, says, “The cost to produce PET is a little higher, but because Klockner stocks PET as the highest-quality option for many colors, we don’t really reflect the price difference.” He says the company is selling more high-gloss than ever in the U.S. and that PET offers a smoother finish than PVC for high-gloss surfaces. “The people who have pressed it and perfected that process can see the difference and will tell you the same thing.” O’Connell notes that for very vivid colors or high-volume orders, PVC is still the best choice. Availability of PVC alternatives in the U.S. rides the coattails of Japanese and European nations’ efforts – the European Union’s 2007 REACH legislation and the decade-old voluntary program Vinyl 2010 – to manage debated environmental impact factors and human-health effects related to PVC products’ cradle-to-grave lifecycle. The movement begins to impact the U.S. market as European design preferences and regulatory efforts catch on. For instance, IKEA uses no PVC in panel goods. While makers and sellers of 3DL PVC alternatives say demand is generally low, a grassroots organization the Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) reports more than 100 healthcare facilities nationwide are committed to phasing out PVC because of plasticizers linked to possible hormone disruption in infants and children. PENTADECOR 3D POLYESTER FILMS FROM KLOCKNER PENTAPLAST
“There is no reason to worry about getting exposed to phthalates through furniture and furnishings. If companies think they need alternatives to PVC, they probably don’t have the data. That’s what our our lifecycle studies found.” ALLEN BL AKEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FOR THE VINYL INSTITUTE
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SynDECOR®-based overlays: The next great thing in decorative laminates! SynDECOR®, a biaxially-oriented polypropylene (OPP) based film, provides cabinet and RTA furniture producers an exciting, cost-effective alternative to today's laminate substrates. This thin, strong barrier film is UV-stabilized and modified to chemically bond to glues for lamination. SynDECOR is surface printed and e-beam or UV-coated by AET Films converter customers.
No more water or moisture issues Because SynDECOR is an OPP-based film, it has all of the water resistance your applications will ever need. Meeting 24-hour test requirements is no issue, whether the laminates are based upon our 23, 32, 41 or 56 gsm products.
Its “Living Hinge” is ideal for miter-fold construction Unlike most materials, polypropylene actually strengthens when it is flexed. This inherent, high resistance to flexural fatigue, combined with SynDECOR’s high resistance to tear-initiation, allows and inspires product designs that include foldable backs, v-grooved cabinet carcasses, lightweight panels and shelving. Furniture and cabinet producers can now improve product design and appearance while reducing the overall costs.
IF water-resistance, living-hinge and versatility are not
enough to convince you, then also consider these additional SynDECOR benefits: • consistent chemical bonds with today’s commonly used glues • superior print fidelity • converter-applied coatings that deliver exceptional mar, scratch and abrasion resistance • formaldehyde and melamine-free • polyolefin-based construction, widely considered the most sustainable of all plastics
Wrapped profiles and five-piece doors MDF and SynDECOR-based overlays are made for one another. The thin, yet strong SynDECOR-based laminate will highlight the intricate detail of routed products. Five-piece doors can now be produced with one substrate and one print surface, delivering consistent design with improved durability. The functional surface of SynDECOR chemically bonds to the PUR or water-based glues.
The Hidden Advantage™
www.SynDECOR.com For more information on SynDECOR, call 1.800.688.2044.
AET is a proud member of the CPA and we truly believe that SynDECOR - based laminates are an “Innovative Product for a Sustainable Future.” Circle #22 on Reader Service Card
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level. Distinctive style. Clean lines. Brilliant Luster. Itʼs our new line of high gloss ABS Acrylic components. Quality products. Affordable pricing. Responsive service. Itʼs what Northern Contours can do for you.
Contact us today. 866-344-8132 www.northerncontours.com Blue, Dark Grey and Ivory Acrylic Level doors with 3D Aluminum Edgebanding shown here. Circle #23 on Reader Service Card
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The inclusion of Ambtra's Bonlex PET in the recent Best of NeoConGold Award-winning Herman Miller Compass system indicates emerging opportunities and new acceptance of polyester 3D laminates in the U.S market. “Some will say the print resolution for PET is getting closer to PVC in 3DL. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.” Kevin Rudolph, Ambtra
Circle #24 on Reader Service Card
The hype about plasticizers stems from a few questionable phthalates, optional additives to make naturally brittle PVC flexible (see “Fear of the Unknown” sidebar on page 42). So, how does it all translate to cabinet components? According to a 2009 guide by the 3D Initiatives Group, an assembly of information-sharing European companies (and Sonae Industria) throughout the distribution chain, traditional thermoplastic furniture foils consist of PVC; chalk and pigment fillers; cadmium-, lead- and mercury-free stabilizers but only a minimal percentage of plasticizers, none containing the softener DEHP. Creation of dioxin, a byproduct of burning chlorine that is toxic in high doses, is also a hot topic surrounding responsible manufacturing and disposal of products containing PVC (see “On Emission” sidebar on page 46). This includes membrane-pressed casegoods, which are currently not separable from their substrates for post-consumer recycling. “One aspect of being ‘green’ is recycling in the manufacturing and production processes, and PVC is still the best there,” Cella says. “When you look at cost and advantages, there is no product that’s perfect.” In 3D lamination applications, PET’s performance characteristics for features like durability and impact-, scratch- and mar- resistance match PVC foils. However, to mimic PVC’s flame-retardant composition, PET developers rely on chemical additives to emulate chlorine’s self-extinguishing capabilities. “We don’t want to see manufacturers trade one harmful substance like phthalates for something else that is harsh, untested and whose risks are unknown,” says Mike Schade, PVC campaign coordinator for CHEJ. Difficulty finding suitable substitutes for a variety of PVC-containing products hinders the demand for PVC-free environments. One such example lies in Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to replacing everything from medical tubing, IV bags and packaging to casegoods, furniture components, flooring and wall coverings in its quest for 100-percent PVC-free healthcare facilities. Blakey says Kaiser Permanente’s response to the Vinyl Institute’s letter asking for published data supporting reasons for the phase-out acknowledged that PVC is a superior option for some equipment.
Visit us at IWF / Booth No. 6512
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On Emission
“PVC can be a throw-away product for some film uses, but 3D lamination is a long-term use,” says Jim Barnett of American Renolit. Due to short-lived applications, seven billion pounds of PVC end up in U.S. landfills each year, according to Mike Schade, PVC campaign coordinator for the Center for Health, Environment and Justice. “When furniture is destroyed, dioxins are released,” he says. “There’s this syndrome where attackers try to get credit for stopping use of PVC,” Blakey says. “From the environmental activist perspective, it’s easy to pick on PVC because its inherent chlorine is what makes ozone, is in pesticides and contributes to dioxin formation.” Calling dioxin a “badge of honor” for the opponents of PVC, Blakey explains dioxin is a relative success story as an example of how regulations do work. According to the Vinyl Institute, dioxin emissions are down by half since the ’60s even though PVC production has tripled since then. Modern incineration methods are dioxin-preventative, and slow fires like backyard burning are the real culprit, says Blakey, citing 10 years’ experience working for the National Solid Waste Management Association. “What matters with dioxin creation is not what gets burned but how it gets burned,” he says. “Time, temperature and turbulence are factors. You can get dioxin in flue gasses, but even though waste incinerators burn at about 1,600 degrees, they’re engineered to bring flue gas temps down quickly and control emissions very well.” “We can’t rely on the marketplace to act,” Schade says. “It shouldn’t be up to institutions like hospitals and schools to police this.” ■
NORTHERN CONTOURS SHOWED OMNOVA'S "VINTAGE" PET 3DL (HORIZONTAL SURFACE) AT 2008 IWF. THE WOODGRAIN FILM IS A PET 3DL BY RIKEN.
Seldom are requests for PVC-free building design, according to Gensler architect Leonard Sciarra, who specifies PVC-free edgebanding from BioPlastic Solutions when appropriate. “It’s the issues with PVC manufacturing and landfill and not so much the product use that are causing trouble for us as architects,” he says, adding that a lack of awareness about alternative plastic products available to specifiers may also affect their limited use. “It’s a lot easier to be flexible with new materials for furniture design than with actual building construction, where changing things up is a big deal.” Design preferences aside, price remains a major consideration in choosing materials for 3DL. “[PET] is going to cost a little more at first, but the price isn’t that big of a deterrent if the design requires alternatives,” says Eric Johnson, marketing manager for Omnova Solutions, whose EFX PET film appears in 3DL components for Steelcase via Northern Contours. “I think specifiers will go with PET when necessary versus choosing something other than 3DL components.” PET 3DL films carry a typically 15- to 30-percent higher tag than PVC foils and are often in line with solid-color HPL. “In many cases, it doesn’t make financial sense to move away from PVC,” Rudolph says. “Until recent interest by the healthcare industry, its price was not in line with what consumers want to pay.” s&p
“We can’t rely on the marketplace to act. It shouldn’t be up to institutions like hospitals and schools to police this.” MIKE SCHADE, PVC CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR FOR THE CENTER FOR HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND JUSTICE PET FOR 3DL IS NOT BRAND-NEW TO THE U.S. MARKET. AT NEOCON 2008, STEELCASE SHOWED ITS PATIENT ROOM WITH HORIZONTAL PET 3DL SURFACES, INCLUDING TRAYS FOR THE NURTURE OPUS TABLE. 44
For more about polyester 3D laminates, visit www.surfaceandpanel.com
www.surfaceandpanel.com
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Circle #25 on Reader Service Card
KLEIBERIT Adhesives – Competence PUR KLEBCHEMIE M.G. Becker GmbH & Co. KG, producer of KLEIBERIT Adhesives, is a family owned company located in Weingarten Germany (near Heidelberg). KLEIBERIT is internationally renowned for it’s competence in polyurethane (PUR) adhesives and has set the standard in this field for more than twenty years. KLEIBERIT’s strength in PUR adhesives is aptly portrayed in their motto – Competence PUR! KLEIBERIT adhesives has enjoyed strong growth over the years which can be attributed to their commitment to innovation – approximately 20% of their products are less than two years old. In particular, the North American market has grown considerably, and KLEIBERIT has responded by dramatically increasing their sales force and support in both the U.S. and Canada. This includes strategically positioned warehouses in Toronto Canada, Charlotte, NC and a new location near Los Angeles, CA to ensure prompt and reliable delivery of KLEIBERIT products. KLEIBERIT has been active in the North American market since 1984. The first products mainly consisted of PVA and EVA adhesives for the woodworking market before KLEIBERIT became the first to offer PUR hot melts to the market. In 1996, KLEIBERIT established offices in Charlotte, NC and Toronto Canada in order to provide direct, local customer service. Today KLEIBERIT is proud to offer the North America market modern, high quality industrial adhesives for a variety of applications:
KLEBSTOFFE • ADHESIVES
New Generation of Wrapping Adhesives
With products like PUR 704.6, KLEIBERIT’s 704 series for exterior applications has been further expanded to include yet another certified PUR hot melt adhesive for high performance profile wrapping. 704.6 boasts very high green strength, is fast setting, has good processing characteristics and excellent application properties so that it is also suitable for very wide slot nozzles. The product range for interior is also being constantly improved to keep up with demand for efficient and price effective products. Flat Lamination – High Gloss
The KLEIBERIT PUR 706 and 709 product lines are comprised of professional PUR hot melts which make technological advances possible through price and performance. The very good adhesion performance to multiple, diverse materials like plastic, metal, wood derived products, paper board, textile, etc. ensures that for there is an individual solution for nearly every instance. ME (MicroEmission) versions also now offered. 3–D Form Press Technology
KLEIBERIT continues its focus on polyurethanes with both 1 and 2 components such as 436.3 and 430.7 for all aspects of 3D membrane pressing. From kitchen doors to office furniture, high gloss to wood grain, KLEIBERIT offerings cover it all with products with exceptionally high green strength at low reactivation temperatures. FIRA rated products show the highest heat resistance. KLEIBERIT HotCoating®
KLEIBERIT realized there was a chance to extend their competence in PUR hot melts to the lacquer industry which ultimately resulted in an alternative to traditional lacquering technology with the added advantage of a much simpler application process. KLEIBERIT HotCoating® is an innovative coating based on a reactive, PUR hot melt system. This technology, for both rolled materials and flat substrates, offers a wide variety of advantages:
• One processing step • No interim sanding • 100% solid content • Smaller production area • Lower capital expenditure • Reliable production • Variable The coating has good adhesion to digital print surfaces and is extremely wear resistant (>AC6). The entire North American Sales team invites you to stop by KLEIBERIT’s booth at IWF – Hall B, Booth 6684. HotCoating® and flat lamination machine demonstrations will be conducted daily. The company employs approximately 350 employees worldwide and produces approximately 40,000 tons of adhesives annually which are used and processed on all continents. A highly specialized network of Engineers, whose main strength is developing customized solutions together with the end–users, advises KLEIBERIT customers. In addition to the furniture and wood industries, the automotive, filter and most recently the textile branches have been profiting for years from KLEIBERIT know–how and competence in PUR adhesive technology. n
Our Highlights for you ... Profile Wrapping: HotCoating®: Flat Lamination: 3D Membrane Pressing: Assembly:
AT L A N TA / A U G U S T 2 5 - 2 8 2010 COME VISIT US ...
Booth 6684 I N T E R N A T I O N A L W O O D W O R K I N G F A I R
KLEIBERIT Adhesives USA, Inc. 109-B Howie Mine Road Waxhaw, NC 28173 Phone: (704)843-3339 Fax: (704)843-4930 email: info.usa@kleiberit.com
KLEIBERIT Adhesives Canada Inc. 45 Sheppard Avenue East/Suite 900 Toronto, Ontario M2N 5W9 Phone: (416)256-5842 Fax: (416)781-4901 email: info.canada@kleiberit.com
www.kleiberit.com C O M P E T E N C E PUR
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• Exterior and Interior use • Surface Solutions • Fleecebacking with PUR • Precoating edgebanding • Light Weight Panel • Aluminum Honeycomb • High Gloss • Structural Insulated Panel • 1 Component and 2 Component • High Gloss • High speed PUR bonding for Type 1 rating
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Design-driving hardware manufacturers are gearing up for the 2010 International Woodworking Fair, August 25 through 28, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The consensus says relentless innovation and dedication to service remain the focus of industry leaders’ performance-enhancing pursuit. In preparation for the show, a few presenters shared their plans for IWF with Surface & Panel.
products and services for aging consumers since 1985, developed the suit 12 years ago in Germany. Currently Blum owns a suit in the U.S. and uses it at its North Carolina facility for Dynamic Spaces training functions. “It’s like watching your grandparents in the kitchen.” Blum’s testing with AGE EXPLORER includes wearing the suit a minimum of two hours to feel its full effects, according to Cannon. “This help us be sure that the products we create and launch to the market really will be beneficial to all kitchen users,” she says.
Steve Regele, vice president of sales and marketing, on why IWF is important to Blum
Blum
| Booth 2537
Blum’s good, better, best cabinet set-up will highlight its DYNAMIC SPACE planning for kitchens. Blum perfected its kitchen scheme based on ergonomics and access by studying benefits of ideal work flows, zoned storage areas and interior organization with the AGE EXPLORER. Testing design concepts with the AGE EXPLORER, a suit that simulates multi-sensory physical limitations of old age, enabled Blum to test its products’ ability to provide quality of motion throughout the years as well as learn how proper storage planning eliminates the need to retrofit cabinets down the road. “It was interesting to see someone in the suit at 30 years old having to lift one plate at a time into the overhead cabinets or having to grab the counter top to pull themselves up from a kneeling position,” says Debbie Cannon, manager of marketing services. The Meyer-Hentschel Institute, a researcher of 46
“The IWF show has been an essential element in Blum’s annual marketing activities for more than 30 years. Our company’s objective has always been to support IWF because this is one of the most important trade shows for the woodworking industry. This trade show not only provides Blum with an opportunity to increase our product exposure in face-to-face discussions with our distributor and OEM cabinet customers, but in addition, the value of networking cannot be underestimated.” n
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Grass
Ferrari America, Inc. | BOOTH 1707 Ferrari America will display two new hardware items at IWF, including two Challengers Award entries, the Karma soft-close mechanism that attaches to the one-piece Compacta frame hinges and the Wing lift support with soft-close for flip-up cabinet applications. Also look for the F1 double wall drawers with soft-close. “We will be utilizing the newly developed Smart Center displays in the booth to showcase the Ferrari line of products,” says Dean Bradshaw of Ferrari America. “The Smart Center is a tool developed for our distributors to present in their showrooms to showcase the Ferrari line of products through a variety of working samples and cabinets mounted on a tower display unit. The Smart Center is a valuable tool for our distributors in order to demonstrate the functionality of the Ferrari hardware as well as increase awareness of the Ferrari brand among customers.” ■
| BOOTH 2137
Combining intelligence, function and comfort, Dynapro is the new generation of undermount slides from Grass. Dynapro is the company’s response to trends within the modern furniture sector from handlefree, high-front panels, wide drawers and demand for customization in drawer design to the growing requirements of functional properties. The system offers design freedom for cabinetry concepts with a high load-carrying capacity, three-dimensional adjustment option for perfect alignment and a synchronized movement that allows drawers to operate without a sound. And when Dynapro closes, the soft-close action provides a smooth, gentle stop. Dynapro, the new generation of undermount slides for wooden drawers. ■
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Häfele
| BOOTH 2207
Häfele America Co. will introduce two new products, present automated and traditional kitchens, launch a new LED lighting program and show attendees the ease of installation. Look for HAWA Concepta, a revolutionary pivot/slide-in hardware for frameless wood or glass doors in furniture fronts and room partitions. Also on display is hardware for the space-saving Hiddenbed, a desktop that easily transforms into a bed. The LOOX LED lighting program utilizes a plug-and-play system that does not require an electrician. Going forward, all commercial and residential Häfele cabinet and furniture hardware will support LED, a cost-effective and environmentally friendly lighting solution. Look for carts and connectors, tools and MyHäfele and H2O (Made to order) programs as well as new decorative hardware, recent trash bin technology and improved versions of the Al Fresco exterior sliding and door system, Synergy closet hardware and the Moovit double-wall drawer system. A new furniture locking system, StealthLock, uses four AAA batteries and no wiring to power the lock. No keys are required; a wireless keypad transmitter is the only necessary device.
Skye Russell, marketing coordinator, on why a strong presence at IWF is important to Häfele “Häfele has always been a major player in IWF, and this year is no exception. IWF attracts residential, commercial and architectural woodworkers, all of whom utilize our range of products for furniture hardware, cabinet hardware, architectural builders hardware and electronic locking systems. Because IWF only happens once every other year, and we are continually evaluating and adding new products to our product line, we require enough space to include new products, improved products, shop tools and Häfele commodities that woodworkers know and expect to see.” ■
King Slide Works Co., Ltd.
| BOOTH 2355
With one touch to open and no handle needed, King Slide has perfectly combined the touch-open and soft-closing technologies in the 1A88 drawer slide. Using all-mechanical design that will not only save electricity but promote green technology, the 1A88 is a Challengers Award finalist. ■
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Rev-A-Shelf
| BOOTH 2931
New at IWF is Rev-A-Shelf’s one-of-a-kind pull-out pantry, a top-mount vanity hamper and a top-mount 10-quart waste container for vanity or desk use. Also look for examples from a new glass product line as well as the Tambour Table, which appeared as a sneak peak at KBIS.
General manager David Noe on why IWF 2010 is exciting for Rev-A-Shelf “Even during the toughest part of the economic downturn, RAS was committed to developing new ideas and innovative products. We plan to introduce several new concepts in Atlanta and have decided to create a booth that emphasizes only the new products and not our full line. I think it will be interesting for our woodworking customers to talk with Bill Wallburn, our senior engineer, who was a cabinet maker
Selby
| BOOTH 1907
Selby will show many of its more than 3,000 cabinet and furniture hardware items at IWF. It will feature two wall bed mechanisms that are not bolted to the floor but are made to be built into cabinets, which are then fastened to the wall. Created for mattress sizes from single to king beds, the easy-to-install mechanisms allow for cabinetmakers’ unlimited creativity. “One would not even know there is a bed inside a cabinet unless someone told them,” says Neil Bruckner of Selby. ■
for 30 years. Bill really has a great insight into how the new products will make sense for both the installation and the profitability of our designs. We will display new products that cover the closet industry, traditional and contemporary kitchen cabinets as well as continued progress in our Green Inititatives with products that address improved manufacturing techniques. Typically the IWF attendee spends a little more time in your booth than at booths for the kitchen or design shows. We want to be sure that we use this time properly, and the cabinet shops always look to us as a destination booth at this show.” ■
Salice America | BOOTH 2729 Salice’s state-of-the-art products displaying at IWF include a one-piece face frame hinge with an integrated soft-close feature and a mechanical drawer slide that “PUSH” opens and soft closes. Salice will also introduce a three-knuckle Single Pivot hinge for commercial and institutional applications. This hinge is designed to provide a large load capacity, endurance and high stability of the door. It is die-cast, has automatic closing action and touts an opening angle of up to 270 degrees. Using the standard drilling pattern of Salice hinges, it is available for full-, half-, and inset-overlay applications. It is compatible with the entire range of Salice mounting plates. s&p
Visit S&P at IWF / Booth No. 1529 50
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Decorative Foils Give Weight to Cost-Effective Surface Design Wherever environments demand high-quality decorative surfaces, from store walls to living rooms, value-engineering is a crucial consideration if not the most important of many factors specifiers must consider. Whether selected for machining and manufacturing characteristics in retail fixtures or a sensible price point to make storage solutions and home furniture fashions, decorative foils control an important sector of the overlay market. Decorative foils are among the paper-based overlays with a more than 30-year history in North America. Thanks to decor paper technology, these foils provide sharp print fidelity; wear-, stain- and water-resistant qualities; ease of maintenance and durability possible only through the magic of modern materials science. By examining the various types of decorative foils and their appropriate applications, it becomes easy to identify ideal applications for these intermediate-range decorative overlays and how they achieve a cost-effective end product.
THEN AND NOW
BY USING A LIGHTWEIGHT DECORATIVE FOIL FOR INTERIOR AND EXPOSED SURFACES, MODULAR RTA FURNITURE LIKE THESE FROM CLOSETMAID ARE FUNCTIONALLY AND AESTHETICALLY VERSATILE ENOUGH TO BE USED THROUGHOUT THE HOME. 54
Following World War II, the European market explored particleboard engineered wood products to fuel the rebuilding effort and to make up for limited forest resources. Because North America did not have the same forestry problems, it began to embrace plywood as an alternative to solid wood construction. Sanding requirements to tame the roughness of the early particleboard led to the first priming foils, which were simply impregnated papers laminated to the particleboard substrate. The advent of these priming foils meant a smoother surface suitable for painting. This advancement provided a natural evolution to solid color foils and later printed woodgrain and geometric designs. With the addition of a finished lacquer topcoat, all that was necessary to complete a finished panel was to glue the decorative foil to the substrate. In North America, the late ’70s and early ’80s marked a spike in decorative foil products and related construction techniques. Decorative foils and construction techniques in that era brought 32 mm frameless cabinets and RTA furniture manufacturing. Since then, a sensibility that no product or material need over-perform has become the mantra behind the term value-engineering.
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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION, TECHNICAL DEFINITION AND SPECIFICATIONS Decorative foils, by definition, are cellulose papers weighing between 40 and 200 grams/square meter (G/M2) before impregnation. The impregnation process fills voids with a blend of resins and encapsulates the paper fibers. These intermediate range foils are commonly used for interiors and exposed surfaces. They give kitchen and bathroom cabinets, closet components, store fixtures and garage cabinets a reasonable price point. Varieties on the heavier end of the decorative foils spectrum, between 100 and 200 grams, are dubbed specialty papers.
IMPREGNATION FOR FUNCTION Impregnation serves to increase internal bond strength and provide a smoother surface for printing and topcoating. Pre- or post-impregnation is the norm, but decorative foils are sometimes supplied un-impregnated, meaning no resins are added during or after the paper manufacturing process. Pre-impregnated papers receive a melamine, acrylic and urea resin system during the paper manufacturing process. With just the right blend, the resulting foil will typically carry a resin content of 15 to 20 percent of the total weight. Pre-impregnated foils are advertised in a finished weight that accounts for pre-impregnation but not any added topcoat. Pre-impregnated paper is supplied from the paper mill ready for printing and topcoating or, in the case of solid colors, topcoating only. At this stage, mechanical or chemical embossing is also an option. Supplied fully cured and ready to be glued to the substrate of choice, pre-impregnated foils typically can be profile wrapped without any additional processing, such as backing or reinforcing papers. They will remain flexible for their usable shelf life.
It only makes sense, then, that papers impregnated after the paper manufacturing process are the makings of post-impregnated foils. With this variety, impregnation, a series of resin baths, happens after the paper has been fully cured. The decorative foil’s end use determines the exact resin recipe mix of melamine, acrylic and urea. For example, if the foil is to be used for profile wrapping, more acrylic will be introduced to obtain additional flexibility; if the application is for flat surfaces, then extra melamine will provide a harder finished product. Finally, following the resin baths, postimpregnated foil is fully cured and will typically be topcoated, a step that too is completed in-line. Printing and chemical embossing take place prior to impregnation, but mechanical embossing is typically done after printing, impregnation and topcoating. The resin content of post-impregnated foils will typically be in the 25 to 30 percent range but can be higher for special application products. Post-impregnated foil weights will be advertised as base paper weights before printing, impregnation and topcoat have been added. As with pre-impregnated foils, the product is sold fully cured, is ready to be glued to the chosen substrate and will remain flexible for its usable shelf life. Topcoats of decorative foils vary with manufacturing technique and end use application. Retail displays may require performance qualities that residential closet components do not. A hotel lobby’s shelving experiences more abuse than an average home media center. Decorative foils are applicable for most vertical applications but are less appropriate for high-abuse environments unless a high-resistant topcoat has been specified.
TOP IMAGE FACING PAGE AND TOP THREE IMAGES THIS PAGE COURTESY OF BAUSCHLINNEMANN GMBH
Acid-cured lacquer and electron beam-cured topcoats are options. To that end, introducing high-wear, high-performance additives will allow abrasion-resistance for use in flooring and floor moldings. Where aesthetics are key, topcoats are versatile enough to provide cosmetic features such as various levels of gloss and embossing.
SCHATTDECOR'S COIMBRA surface&panel
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IMAGES COURTESY OF BAUSCHLINNEMANN GMBH
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
PVA (sometimes known as wet line) laminating systems are typically found in high-output laminating environments. This laminating system will typically apply a PVA adhesive to the board, paper or a combination of both. The adhesive is applied in line during the laminating process. After flashing the moisture out of the adhesive, the bond is completed with a heated pressure roll. Other adhesive systems, such as urea formaldehyde and epoxy can be used to laminate decorative foils, but almost all laminating systems in North and South America are either pre-applied hotmelt or PVA wet lines.
ADHESION TO SUBSTRATE Decorative foils are typically laminated to particleboard or MDF, however they can be glued to plywood or non-wood fiber panel substrates. Another of the many critical choices comes with the selection of the appropriate adhesive and laminating system, which determines a decorative foil’s quality of bond to a substrate. Decorative foils are supplied in roll form and are usually laminated using a roll laminating system, but flat press laminating is possible. The most popular adhesive systems used in North as well as South America are hotmelt ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyvinyl acetate (PVA). In the case of hotmelt, the adhesive is normally pre-applied to the foil and shipped to the laminating company ready for the laminating process, thus providing a laminating system that requires a lower capital outlay. An advantage of EVA-based hotmelt is additional water resistance due to the thermo-plastic nature of the adhesive. This adhesive system employs a heated pressure roll on the laminator that reactivates the hotmelt and with pressure bonds the foil to the substrate.
TYPICAL END USE APPLICATIONS Decorative foils are found in a myriad of woodworking applications. Some end use applications include kitchen, bathroom and garage cabinets; closet and storage systems; store fixtures; office and contract furniture; laminate flooring; architectural moldings and picture frames. Utilizing the same material for profiled components and edgebanding achieves an exact match. Although the cost savings is significant when compared to real wood veneer, the visual fidelity can be almost indistinguishable.
It is important for the architect, designer, specifier or engineer to be mindful of an overlay’s exposure within its intended application. Decorative foils’ extremely customizable nature creates potential for value-engineering, particularly with high-volume orders. A design can be specifically constructed for vertical surfaces, manufactured for profile wrapping and, if necessary, topcoated with a lacquer that will provide for high-wear. “We carefully consider the purpose and use of the product when selecting foils,” says Lisa Engel, Vice President of Channel Marketing and Communications for ClosetMaid. “For our residential home storage products, lightweight decorative foils are a perfect solution. They provide satisfactory durability and the aesthetics the consumers demand. But for products expected to have more daily wear and tear, several topcoats and technologies are available. We typically specify a decorative foil with a top coat finish.” In the case of store fixtures, silk screen over printing is possible with the correct topcoat. Additionally, recoatable topcoats allow for components to be built and then “finished” to achieve a more traditional wood construction look. Decorative foils are available in a variety of stock designs and colors allowing for a wide range of design options for any substrate inventory. The impregnated paper’s long shelf life, coupled with a long end use product life cycle, adds to the economic value of this intermediate-range overlay.
RIGHT: BUSH FURNITURE MILANO GOLD ANIGRE. FACING PAGE, LOWER LEFT: EXPEDIT FROM IKEA 56
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AS SEEN IN THESE STORAGE UNITS BY CLOSETMAID, DECORATIVE FOILS OFFER EXCELLENT PRINT FIDELITY, ALLOWING FOR WOODGRAINS THAT COMPLEMENT DIVERSE HOME INTERIOR SCHEMES.
RESOURCES
IN SUMMARY More than ever, specifiers focus on the costsavings and performance benefits that valueengineering decorative surfaces afford. It becomes a matter of outfitting a project with the right materials so the result performs optimally but doesn’t squander precious resources. Developing a knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of each overlay will allow for a well-designed, cost-effective finished product. s&p
The Composite Panel Association (CPA) is the trade association for the North American composite panel and decorative surfacing industries. CPA sponsors an annual Surface & Panel Buyers Guide which is dedicated to providing the most comprehensive information on North American composite panel and decorative surfacing products, including decorative foils. Manufacturers and processors of decorative foils should reference the Voluntary Compendium of Standards for Decorative Overlays which was re-published in July 2009 by the Composite Panel Association (www.pbmdf.com). The voluntary standards cover decorative overlays made from cellulosic or polymeric materials. The compendium outlines the attributes of each type of overlay, provides the user with information and industry-accepted test methods to determine the performance and physical characteristics of the different overlays, and allows identification of the appropriate product for a particular application. The use of this compendium does not preclude anyone from manufacturing, marketing, purchasing or using products not conforming to the standards. For more information visit the Composite Panel Association at www.DecorativeSurfaces.org and www.pbmdf.com.
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Circle the letter of the correct answer for each question below. 1.
What type of engineered wood products first appeared in the European market following World War II to provide raw materials to fuel the rebuilding effort?
a. medium-density fiberboard To receive one learning unit (LU), answer at least 80% of the following questions correctly. A certificate of completion will be sent to you after submitting the quiz. There is no fee to take this course.
b. oriented strand board c. particleboard d. hardwood plywood 2.
Take this quiz online at www.DecorativeSurfaces.org
a. priming foils b. specialty papers
MAIL, FAX OR EMAIL COMPLETED QUIZ TO:
Allyson O’Sullivan Composite Panel Association 19465 Deerfield Avenue, Suite 306 Leesburg, VA 20176 703-724-1128, extension 251 Fax: 703-724-1588 email: aosullivan@cpamail.org
In response to a need for reduced sanding requirements and smoother surface texture, the market embraced impregnated papers laminated to the substrate called:
c. backing papers d. reinforcing papers 3.
Which is a quality that acid-cured lacquer and electron beam-cured topcoats do not provide decorative foils?
a. gloss finish b. embossing c. abrasion-resistance d. LEED credit
CONTACT INFORMATION:
4.
Pre- or post-impregnating cellulose papers with a blend of resins:
a. produces a smooth surface that eliminates a need for topcoating
NAME
b. encapsulates the paper fibers to increase internal bond strength c. fills voids in the paper, rendering it unprintable
COMPANY NAME
d. is uncommon for decorative foils ADDRESS
5.
CITY/STATE/ZIP EMAIL
Pre-impregnated foils advertised in a finished weight include the pre-impregnation but not any added:
a. melamine 6.
b. acrylic
c. urea
d. topcoat
Without any additional processing, pre-impregnated foils typically can be:
a. membrane pressed
b. profile wrapped
c. postformed
d. post-impregnated
PHONE
7. AIA #
For post-impregnated foils, the _________ determines the exact recipe of the resin baths used on the cured paper.
a. equipment ❏ I would like to receive future CEU courses.
8.
SPONSORED BY:
& Decorative Surfaces Council
9.
c. end use
d. hotmelt adhesive
Compared to pre-impregnated papers, post-impregnated foils have typically __________ resin content.
a. higher
Composite Panel Association
b. shelf life
b. identical
c. lower
d. weaker
Hotmelt adhesion with EVA is advantageous for all reasons except:
a. It is shipped on the foil, ready for the laminating process. b. The laminating system required to use hotmelt-preapplied foils requires comparably lower investment than other adhesives demand. c. It’s unpopularity in the Americas makes hotmelt adhesives scarce resources. d. EVA-based hotmelt provides additional water resistance due to its thermoplastic nature. 10. Topcoats that allow for components to be built and then “finished” to achieve a more traditional wood construction look are known as:
a. thinset 58
b. recoatable
c. traditional
d. reactable
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The ITCC builds on 40 years of independent, reliable testing services and CPA’s designation as “TPC-1” – the first agency in the world to be approved as a Third Party Certifier by the California Air Resources Board. CIRCLE #28 ON READER SERVICE CARD
Setting the Global Standard for Quality Assurance CPA’s International Testing and Certification Center (ITCC) in Leesburg,
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Virginia, is a state-of-the-art facility engineered with tomorrow’s ultra lowemitting wood products in mind.
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Chamber testing is available for CARB quarterly compliance and ULEF/ NAF testing, daily mill quality control testing, a wide range of informational
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and screening tests and product research. The ITCC’s sample conditioning area is made entirely of inert material to ensure accurate results for ultra-low emitting products. In 2009 the ITCC added six new ASTM D 6007 Small Chambers. The
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Specializing in Particleboard, MDF, Hardboard and Hardwood Plywood Chamber Testing Capacity Significantly Increased in 2009 Offering Daily QC Testing for Panel Manufacturers Accepting New Clients for Product Certification and Informational/ Screening Tests
ITCC also features three Large Chambers, Perforators, Desiccators and a full compliment of physical, dimensional and mechanical property testing. CPA’s Grademark Certification Program for panel products is the largest and most comprehensive in North America. CPA also offers certification to mill specifications as well as the Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) Program.
CONTACT THE ITCC TODAY TO SCHEDULE SERVICES ITCC | 73 Lawson Road, Suite 101 | Leesburg, VA 20175 | 703.724.1128 Director of Laboratory Services: bharrington@cpamail.org Director of Certification Services: csurak@cpamail.org NVLAP LAB CODE 100418-0
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OHWOW B Y
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o, that’s really the name, OHWOW (Our House West of Wynwood). It’s a collaborative creative enterprise engineered by Miami art and publishing powerhouse Al Moran and New York event impresario Aaron Bondaroff. But it is not really about them. It is about the opportunity they offer people from the worlds of art, music, fashion, design and publishing to expand their practice into different media and modes of production. Still too esoteric? It’s about a store, a retail brand that delivers big ideas to small places and small ideas to big places. Rafael de Cárdenas of Architecture At Large designed OHWOW’s Miami exhibition/retail space in 2008, as well as the Book Club store that opened in New York’s Greenwich Village in 2010. The spaces were built around Moran and Bondaroff’s premise that art is not a mediaspecific institutional function; it is fluid. OHWOW delivers products, events and spaces that nurture independent artists, but they also reinforce an overall branding concept for broader market appeal. “It
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is a non-conventional approach for a gallery,” says creative director Al Moran. “It’s a community space, but we are trying to develop a brand and a name over several different media through publications, bookstores and art exhibits.” NW 7 AVENUE, MIAMI
On a local level, the exhibition space in Miami was developed to be a hub for creative production that links artists to a community of others that can provide the necessary experience, skills and resources to realize projects. The OHWOW brand evolved organically to become a shorthand identity for the efforts of the local creative community. Although OHWOW does host traditional exhibitions, and sell to collectors, they also seek to carve out some middle ground. “By staking out a territory between the mass-consumption product and the rarefied, precious art object, OHWOW reaches a broader, more engaged public – fellow producers,” says Moran. “ OHWOW becomes brand becomes identity becomes community.”
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“We used MDF even though it is heavy because it stays super straight. It’s got great dimensional stability, so it won’t warp. Plus it doesn’t have knots and dents, and we needed the system to be super smooth and super straight.”
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NAUF - Particleboard One of the ways that OHWOW accomplishes this is by utilizing Moran’s capabilities as a printer to publish short-run artisan books. The publications are appropriate for capturing large-scale commercial ventures and small DIY productions alike. “It’s a rejection of the prevailing ideas of professionalism and exclusivity,” says Moran. Integral to the concept is an expansive idea of space. The OHWOW community exists within the permanent galleries and temporary events worldwide, but it also includes the aficionado reading an OHWOW publication in the comfort of home. OHWOW publications are sold online, through pop-up stores and via specialty retail. Luis Menocal, of Custom Interior Contractors, built-out the Miami exhibition and retail space designed by Cárdenas. “The installation goes from nothing to big, and from big to nothing, within three dimensions,” says Menocal. To achieve this presentation, Menocal sliced MDF into various sizes. The pieces were sanded and finished in a high-gloss liquid coating. “We used MDF even though it is heavy because it stays super straight. It’s got great dimensional stability, so it won’t warp. Plus it doesn’t have knots and dents, and we needed the system to be super smooth and super straight,” says Menocal.
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Heterotopic = in an abnormal place
Despite its clear commitment to art, OHWOW comes across as slightly anti-art. It rejects the classic paradigm of the art collector as the sole patron of the arts, yet avoids commoditized mass-production. According to Moran, OHWOW uses a wide variety of marketing and branding techniques to “make possible a more democratic model of supporting the arts.” NAUF - Melamine Cárdenas captured this disorienting concept of the arts within his designs for OHWOW. A common theme used to define the discrete OHWOW brand is the use of black and white stripes and shapes. The inspiration came from WWI and WWII, when contrasting colors and MC shapes were used as a means of visual communications. “Invasion Stripes” were alternating black and white bands painted on the fuselages and wings of WWII Allied aircraft to increase the recognition by Sans urée formaldéhyde - Mélamine friendly forces. By adapting that scheme into the OHWOW designs, Cárdenas conveys a sense of solidarity across multiple media. Conversely, divergent colors and alarming shapes were also used as camouflage for navy ships, a practice sometimes known as “Dazzle.” The technique was not used to conceal the ships, but rather to make it difficult to estimate type, size, speed and heading. In addition to disorienting the enemy, Dazzle also profoundly boosted crew morale. NAUF - Particleboard & Melamine OHWOW’s concept takes the traditional gallery model and adds to it aspects of commerce and branding. In doing so, they have leveled the playing field of fine art, effectively giving smaller individual efforts larger exposure. This out-of-the-box, out-of-the-ordinary approach, disorientMC ing as it may seem, is perfectly in sync with contemporary consumer sensibilities. And Cárdenas, a long-time member of the OHWOW community, expertly captured the design intent in the Miami gallery and Particle brut Mélamine Book Club retail spaces. s&p
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In 2010 OHWOW opened Book Club, the first of what will likely be a series of intimate micro-stores in carefully selected locations. Book Club is located below street level in a landmarked historic brownstone on Waverly Place, in Greenwich Village. Cárdenas designed the store to echo a classic black and white, pre-war NYC bathroom. The shelving units in the 150- square foot pocket-sized store are built out of MDF finished in matte and gloss liquid coating. According to Architecture at Large, “Book Club’s shelving units appear stacked one atop the other and the negative space behind the shelves lends a floating sensation. A layered pattern of stream-lined brushstrokes on the walls, coupled with reflective angular Mylar shapes and sharp fluorescent lighting give the space a sense of disorientation and chaos, fitting in OHWOW’s vision of creating a heterotopic arena for cultural projects.” 62
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Chemetal and Treefrog Chemetal and Treefrog have joined forces to offer a complete Wall Panel System suitable for a range of interior installations, from retail spaces and lobbies to airports and sports stadiums. With this system, designers who want to specify Chemetal’s extensive selection of over 100 metal designs and Treefrog’s complete collection of over 50 prefinished real wood veneer laminates, now have an easier way to do so in large spaces.
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Developed for use with 5/16-in.-thick or 3/8-in.-thick panels up to 4-ft. by 10-ft. sizes, the Chemetal and Treefrog Wall Panel System offers a complete installation solution that includes design assistance, preparation of shop drawings, estimating, take-offs, panel fabrication and delivery, complete extrusion systems and installation by certified service providers. Chemetal and Treefrog are able to offer this through our partnership with a leading wall panel manufacturer. Our full line of edgebanding products includes PVC, veneers, pre-finished veneers, polyesters and adhesives. Therm O Web also has a complete line of hot air and glue pot edgebanders and can help you find one that fits your needs. Please visit us online at www.thermoweb.com or call us at 800-323-0799.
Shown here is Chemetal Treefrog Aurora.
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Tenino from KML An expensive European look without an expensive price. The Tenino Collection of thermofused melamine comes in six chic tones to meet your high-end pattern requirements: Rosewood, Wenge, Oak, White, Grey and Walnut.
materialicious™ (“shelter, materials and objects”) is a user-submitted visual curation site featuring modern architecture and design, craftsmanship, materials and products 1,000 contributors from the global design community help to make this one of the most popular websites in the world (Alexa ranking – 53,000) more than 300,000 unique visitors come to peruse each month, and they tend to stay and click around for a while who can blame them? there are lots of intriguing things to look at
Fine wood grain pattern detailing, exquisite shading and natural colors give the appearance of expensive Italian inspired designs with the added benefit of exceptional cost. Available on FSC Certified substrates and NAUF substrates for environmentally responsible applications. Call or click for more information and a distributor. KML – 888-358-5075 www.kmlcorp.com CIRCLE #33 ON READER SERVICE CARD
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Planit’s Cab-2Nest Software Provides a Turnkey Solution for Nested Based Manufacturing
Get started on the path to CNC Automation with Cab-2-Nest. Cab-2-Nest is an easy to use Order Entry manufacturing software tool that allows you to manufacture all your Kitchen Cabinet and/or Commercial Cabinet jobs. With minimal set-up, you will quickly be designing and sectioning cabinets and outputting 100% accurate code to your Nested Based machinery.
Fully integrated with your Nested Based CNC Machine, Cab-2Nest allows you to configure your Cabinets individually including quantity and positions of Doors, Drawers, Shelves, and Roll-Outs, then automatically generates the programs necessary to run your Nested Based CNC Machine. For more information visit Planit at IWF in booth 4613.
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www.bc.com/particleboard Cefla
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704.598.0020
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609.387.2011
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Chemetal 11
800.807.7341
Roseburg 21
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Franklin Adhesives & Polymers 2
800.877.4583 | ext. 1337
Smartech International 23
704.362.1922 www.smartechonline.com
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Southern Chemical Corporation
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269.628.2181 www.hrwood.com
Stiles Machinery, Inc.
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www.iwfatlanta.com/sp Kleiberit 704.843.3339 www.kleiberit.com KML-Kustom Material Laminates 888.358.5075 www.kmlcorp.com materialicious www.materialicious.com
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Warp Speed Ahead It stands to reason that advancing communication technology pushes materials and manufacturing technology to expand at an exponential rate. Information has never been more accessible or easier to share. The nature of my work means that I spend the majority of my time learning about the industry and how to channel that knowledge to the right audience. Trust me, there is no shortage of information and innovation in either area. On all fronts, the rate of acceptance of composite panel and decorative surfacing materials has little to do with the volume of available information. Instead it depends on how quickly precise information is conveyed from its source to the people that will use it. You don’t have to take my word for it. Classical mechanics derived from Newton’s Second Law of Motion defines the average
“If the goal is to improve (accelerate in a positive direction) the position of engineered materials in terms of specifiers’ perception, then it is necessary to have appropriate messaging cover a larger distance in a shorter time frame.”
velocity (rate of change in position) as being equal to the change of displacement divided by the change in time. v =∆x/∆t I think this basic physical description remains pretty accurate when describing intangible concepts, such as market reach and acceptance. If the goal is to improve (accelerate in a positive direction) the position of engineered materials in terms of specifiers’ perception, then it is necessary to have appropriate messaging cover a larger distance in a shorter time frame. In terms of digital marketing and communications, I keep coming around to this concept of optimizing efforts through a combination of standardizing and customizing information. When dealing with technical subject matter, like engineered materials, it is essential do have a clear definition of what a specific material is, including the BENEFITS of that product. Did you catch that, engineers? I agree resin technology is fascinating, but that is a feature of a material, and features don’t sell. Benefits do. The benefit might be moisture-resistance or CARB-compliance. The point is that a standardized definition of a material that can be “branded” for recognition is going to allow a message to travel a greater distance over a shorter time, right HPL? The other aspect here is customizing. Let me clarify here that when I talk about the distance a message travels, that is only valid within a targeted audience. Bigger only means better if the recipients are qualified. Putting a message about the benefits of engineered wood siding in front of pastry chefs (and others outside the industry) is pointless. Reaching one designer who may or may not have tight control over materials specification on a stand-alone project is better. Addressing a group of design/build developers is ideal. That is why taking advantage of outlets geared toward specifiers (particularly high-volume specifiers) is crucial. Whether it is by sharing physical space at an event that draws the target audiences en masse (like NeoCon and the Materials Pavilion) or through far-reaching communications tools dedicated to the target audiences (like this magazine in conjunction with the Surface & Panel website and Materialicious), the concept of position changing in direct relationship with the distance information travels over a time interval is not just a good idea. It’s the law. If you would like to discuss any of these ideas further or learn more about how we are leveraging our various tools to send messages over large distances in short time frames, stop by the S&P booth (#1529) at IWF. We all have the same objective in mind. Nerd out –
Suzanne VanGilder • Editorial Director • svangilder@surfaceandpanel.com
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