Surface & Panel Q4-2013

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U N I T I N G M AT E R I A L S , T E C H N O L O G Y A N D D E S I G N

Business Reborn: a better way to

deliver better architectural millwork

Refreshing Movement and Color: The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport Planning For Integrated Healthcare special Section :

Finishing matters

surface design guide 2014 the evolution of TFL decorative panels

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Fooling Mother Nature

f rom

the

p ublisher

Blending man-made and natural materials in the same environment only works if man can replicate nature’s touch. Solid wood and veneers have always been the materials of choice in high-end residential and commercial environments. I can’t imagine an interior designer saying, “I think I am going to use light basis weight papers everywhere to enhance the beauty of this million dollar executive office.” Humans are comfortable with natural materials. They look at it, touch it and know it’s real. It’s from the forest – possibly hundreds of years old. Their senses speak to them. It’s almost spiritual. “Yes, this is real wood.”

Or is it?

High pressure laminate (HPL), thermally fused laminate (TFL), three dimensional laminate (3DL), foils (sometimes called finished foils), polypropylene, polyester and light basis weight papers (LBWP) certainly don’t sound as sexy as Santos Mahogany, but each of them is rapidly closing in on reality, nearly indistinguishable from the natural materials they effectively replicate. The average consumer is hard-pressed to know the difference. The perception is, “these materials are real.” And as we all know, perception is reality.

The mHouse project is a surface materials research lab where our industries' most compelling materials, technologies and designs will be showcased, challenging decadesold perceptions of what’s possible. Surface harmony is the goal and I am certain we will achieve it in the mHouse. Interior designer Amy Carman and architect John Vetter will create a stunning example of how materials can work in perfect harmony in the mHouse.

Will the result of the mHouse be a continuous blend of harmonious surfaces? Will anyone distinguish the real from the expertly imagined? The final test will be the impressions of other architects, designers and consumers who will be asked to identify the materials in the final application. Will they know the difference? Will they be fooled? Stay tuned; we will publish the results.

We all know “it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.” In the mHouse, I don’t think she is ever going to know.

I want to sincerely thank the growing list of mHouse sponsors. Participation from the industry is encouraging and more are welcome to join. If your company is interested in participating, please feel free to contact me at any time to discuss the benefits of the mHouse project.

With Kind Regards,

The mHouse project is a surface materials research lab where our industries’ most compelling materials, technologies and designs will be showcased, challenging decades-old perceptions of what’s possible.

John Aufderhaar, Publisher | Surface & Panel | jaufderhaar@surfaceandpanel.com | 920-206-1766

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6 Business Reborn: A Better Way to Deliver Better Architectural Millwork Acacia was ranked America’s fastest growing wood industry firm, largely in part to its unique go-to-market strategy.

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3 From the Publisher 12 Architect Spec Georgina Guzman, Assoc AIA Ziegler Cooper Architects

66 Advertiser Index

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John Aufderhaar President | Bedford Falls Communications 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 Ph: 920-206-1766 fax: 920-206-1767 jaufderhaar@surfaceandpanel.com a dv e r t is i n g

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14 Refreshing Movement and Color: The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

Perez, a multi-disciplinary design and construction firm based in New Orleans, designs the largest phase of the terminal renovation project for the New Orleans International Airport.

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Trends in Healthcare Design Michael Couch, MBA, LEED AP, PMC and Marketing Manager for Midmark Corporation presented some of the major changes that impact design and manufacturing at the 4th Annual Decorative Surfaces Conference.

20 Planning For Integrated Healthcare The Carle Hospital, Heart and Vascular Institute provides patients with convenient, comprehensive, and technologically sophisticated cardiovascular services.

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27 Finishing Matters A special section highlighting the finishing industry.

28 Consistent Quality in Construction and Finish 33 “Greener Design” Through

Materials and Processes 36 Finishing Room Process Health Check 40 Surface Design Guide 2014 The annual Surface Design Guide showcases the best industry offerings across the board. Each entry represents the anthropological side of fashion trends, as well as the leading edges of material and manufacturing technologies.

54 The Evolution of TFL Decorative Panels TFL makes an evolutionary leap forward with Uniboard’s Woodprint synchronized texture, the first embossed in-registered (EIR) decorative panel product specifically engineered for the North American furniture and casework markets.

58 Are “smart-routers” the Next Wave?

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On the FM cover: Master craftsman Robin Carley relies on high-quality finishing materials for prestigious projects like the Wisconsin State Capital.

60 Hot Design: CorePower Yoga CorePower Yoga strikes a balance between standardization and customization. This carries through from the structure of the classes to the interior finishes of the studios.

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On the cover: Modular systems with decorative panels deliver big visual impact with short lead-times for the New Orleans airport refresh.

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Surface & Panel is published quarterly 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.

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Business Reborn:

A Better Way to Deliver Better Architectural Millwork

photogr aphy by mark john son

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t was a dream job that ultimately ruined Houston-based architectural millworker Will Fuller’s first custom woodworking company.

In 2002, after 22 years earning a reputation as one of the top millwork companies in a city of 4-5 million people, Fuller received the contract for a very prestigious project. That was the year the Houston Texans made their debut in the brand new Reliant Stadium, and Fuller was engaged for a very choice package, including a 200-person private suite for Texans owner Bob McNair. “We got in there and were about 75-80% complete installing the project, and we get this call that says we’ve got a problem,” says Fuller. “All the finished veneer work, and it was almost all finished veneer laid up on superfine MDF, was the wrong color.” Fuller takes full responsibility for the error. There had been many variations during the development process, and though the deviation was very slight, Fuller’s project manager gave the in-house finishing department the wrong control sample. “It was a legitimate mistake,” Fuller says. “It was on us.” The general contractor panicked, and exercised the option to bring in outside millwork companies to speed up the process while Fuller’s company got busy re-working the entire installation. “When that happened, the GC effectively just got a blank, signed check from us. There were no efficiencies whatsoever,” says Fuller. “They did

p h o t o g r a p h y b y J u d H a gg a r d

what they felt they had to do.” After many months of costly re-work, lost opportunity, and a less-then-timely decision of a primary lender to divest all commercial lending and call all notes due, Fuller was done. Following 22 years of operation as a typical sub to general contractors, Fuller closed the doors on his 32,000 square foot facility, told 49 people they were out of a job, vowed he would never work in the business again, and walked off into the sunset, head hung low.

Of course, that isn’t the end of the story. Rather, it’s the beginning.

A true craftsman is an instrument of passion, regardless of the field.

It is no more possible to extinguish that than it is to keep rain from falling. So after two years wandering the proverbial desert, Will finally heard what he needed to hear. A little voice telling him that it is possible to do things a better way and to begin again. “I realized that there is not really a formula to being successful in this business,” says Fuller.

“There is a model. But the difference is the people.” This simple shift in awareness empowered Fuller to make a diametric shift in his operations that allowed him to simultaneously eliminate two of the most prohibitive aspects of working in high-end commercial millwork: bidding to the bottom to win projects and fighting architects for optimal specs.

A Different Way of Doing Things

Fuller started the operation that is now Acacia Custom Commercial Furnishings in 2007 with an intention to change the industry for the better. He had one helper, very little resources and 2000 square feet of space, office and shop combined. “We wanted to do large, complex, big ticket items,” says Fuller. “If our clients then knew how little we had to work with they probably would have run away like their hair was on fire. It would seem like there weren’t resources to do what we were doing. But we were willing.” Fuller’s experience in everything from paneling and doors, to frames, mouldings and furniture gave him the ability to step over what is typically perceived as a line.

“Usually you are either a furniture company or a millwork company.

We took on both,“ says Fuller. “People do what is in the middle of the room. People do the stuff on the perimeter of the room. What we realized was clients really want all these things to be the same materials, to exactly match. So why go to different vendors? Let’s single source all this. And it kept growing product wise to architectural glass, ornamental metals, steel-reinforced specialty components, unique lighting fixtures and more.”

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Internally, Fuller started assembling a team of people who were more concerned with craftsmanship than the bottom line. People willing to learn and stretch and grow beyond simply being woodworkers. “It is an interesting dynamic to teach wood guys to think that way,” says Fuller. “After they get over the ‘But I’m a wood guy’ mind set and start working with metal, glass, stone, lighting, upholstery and various integrated technology, they think it is pretty cool. Their job is never boring.”

With a passionate team creating a comprehensive product mix for high-end corporate clients, Acacia began to grow. By 2009 Fuller tripled his physical space, with both plant and office occupying a whopping 6000 square feet. That is not a typo. “The power of wonderful people being very creative and managing what they have well, is that the amount of output we get is almost theoretically impossible,” says Fuller. How productive is Acacia? By 2011 the company was ranked America’s fastest growing wood industry firm, largely in part to its unique go-to-market strategy. What is perhaps even more astounding is that Acacia does not compete on price, or work for general contractors. Ever. p h o t o g r a p h y b y J u d H a gg a r d

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Relational Revelations

Experience taught Fuller that the bidding process of subcontracting for a GC tended to drive down quality, prohibit innovation, minimize margins, obstruct cash flow and, ahem, overall place the operation in a precarious position within legal contracts.

When starting Acacia, Fuller decided he wanted to work for end users, the people who owned or leased the space. But that wasn’t quite right. Owners hire GCs, because they don’t want to deal with every trade. As most corporate leases are for at least five years, there would be a constant need to replace customers.

“Finally it dawned on us. Why would owners work with us? Who do they trust? Early on they sign an agreement for design and construction management services with architecture and design firms. Why don’t we talk to them?” says Fuller. “And we were really clumsy at it to begin with. We had to learn that architects and designers were almost nothing like we thought. We held the typical perspectives that I hear in my trade, and the vast majority of them were either dead wrong or way off.”

Often perceived as arrogant, behind the times for standard specs and difficult to work with, architects and designers carry an enormous amount of responsibility. This makes them risk adverse.

“Imagine the moment you put a drawing out, hundreds of eyes look at it and tell you everything you’ve done wrong. It is a difficult life.

Most A&D are really hard working people. You can almost see the stress dripping off them. They have so much going on,” says Fuller.

“We have learned that they typically don’t have enough time to design a project. They are constantly under the gun, yet their job is to put together a set of documents, drawings, and specifications so that everybody in the project knows exactly what to do. Everything from the structural, mechanical and electrical plans to the permitting. And they have to focus on that stuff early on. My stuff, at the higher end level, requires many hours to detail. But it is one of 40 or 50 elements in a project. By necessity it gets pushed off to the backburner, so when it comes time to design, A&D often feel like they are behind.”

These insights led Fuller to understand that if he wanted to build high-end corporate furniture to his specifications, first he had to build relationships. Key components to this include 1. Always give sound advice, nothing half-baked. No chest beating. 2. Always be responsive. 3. Bring solutions to the design team constantly.

Put into practice, Fuller has earned the trust of his ideal partner, the architect. It is not uncommon for Acacia to be specified by name from the time a project is first conceptualized and handed to the GC. This eliminates the bidding process altogether, and allows Fuller and his team to begin designing and engineering commercial furnishings while the project is still in the conceptual rendering stage. In the end, the client receives gorgeous finished product, the architect delivers a high-quality commercial interior, and Fuller has more flexibility to build what he loves with better margins and lower risk. “Projects and profits do matter, but it is about valuing people above everything,” says Fuller. “If you focus on the nurturing and caring for your own team first, and remember why you are doing what you are doing, the client wins by default, the product improves by default, accountability and profitability flourish. Life doesn’t become perfect, but it’s really good.” s&p

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Acacia Tech Spec Will Fuller and his team at Acacia do all the design work for their custom commercial furnishings in-house, as well as panel processing and metalwork. The 6000 square foot combined office and shop houses: ■ Weeke Profiline CNC Router with 5'x10' table ■ Striebig Compact Vertical Panel Saw ■ Brandt Optimat KDN 210 Edgebander ■ Saw Stop and Powermatic table saws ■ A metal shop with welding (Miller) and sandblasting (Skat Blast) capabilities Of course, Acacia’s most dependable resources are Derick, Chris, Lucas, Tom, Lucio, Mike, Martin, Tim, David, Loretta, Zee and Will.

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Georgina Guzman, Assoc AIA Senior Project Manager Ziegler Cooper Architects S&P:

What is your approach to specifying millwork?

G.G. One of the areas of a project that I specify is millwork, and it is typically a high-end part of our design. If we just hand it over to the GC to sort out there is a good chance it will not be treated correctly.

Using just any millwork contractor with a low bid can really damage the look of the design, and the quality suffers. By the end of the project, what we were intending to be an elegant feature in our space, simply doesn’t meet our expectations. We’ve learned from that, and so we actually specify Acacia to eliminate the bid process, because they specialize in this area. Will Fuller treats it differently.

Rather than a typical millwork contractor product that is built to be low price, Acacia uses expert knowledge to fabricate premium, highend furnishings.

S&P:

Why do you specify Acacia for millwork?

G.G. The value that Acacia brings to the table, which is why we love working with them, is that we do a pre-construction approach to our design. That way we don’t design something that is cost prohibitive, that later has to be cut. Approaching it from the front end makes a big difference. Will Fuller helps ensure that the designs can be built within our budget, so we are able to keep our high-end millwork in our projects. And that is ultimately important to our design.

S&P:

How do your clients benefit from your direct work with Acacia?

G.G. Will is always trying to make sure he understands the actual reason why we draw a design, and then he usually has an easier, better, faster, less expensive way to do it. So a number of our clients enjoy the benefits of his hard work without understanding that the only reason they can have such beautiful millwork is because he figured out a reasonable way to make it happen. s&p

photogr aphy by mark john son

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Refreshing Movement and Color: The Louis

p h oto g r a p h y by M i c h a e l Pa lu m b o

Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

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ew Orleans is a magical place. Straddling the Mississippi river, the city on the delta is a cultural cross roads with a long heritage unlike anywhere else.

The place blazes with mystery. Deep dark secrets add mystique to southern hospitality for a lively environment of libation and celebration. Despite obvious inequities and sorrows, both recent and historic, New Orleans resonates with a sense of triumph that comes through in its unique art, music and cuisine. And for visitors, New Orleans is a welcoming place, willing to share all it has to offer, the strange and the sublime.

How does a designer compress nearly 300 years of a city’s history into a project? That was the task that faced Perez, a multi-disciplinary design and construction firm based in New Orleans. In 2011 the company was awarded a contract to design the largest phase (Phase IV) of the terminal renovation project for the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The project included refreshing the institutional look of the terminal interior, security checkpoint and the concessions area at the West Terminal. In addition to artistic challenges, the work had to be completed on a very tight timeline in order to be ready prior to Super Bowl XLVII, scheduled for February 3, 2013 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. “We weren’t only dealing with the Super Bowl,” says Kris Lowry, interior designer and LEED AP for Perez. “Due to the nature of the facility, it was important that products specified were easily and quickly available. This airport operates 24/7, so we had to be able to phase the entire project to work around the functionality of the airport.

We chose finish materials with high-design impact, short lead-times and quick assembly.

The elements had to be able to be installed in measures of hours.” Many variations of engineered materials, often incorporated into modular systems, were used in the project, turning it into a virtual showcase of some of the best the industry has to offer.

Modern Movement

The client wanted a modern take on New Orleans culture. Founded in New Orleans in 1940 and currently located in the middle of the French Quarter, Perez was well qualified to interpret the theme. “We were encouraged to use the city’s events and culture as inspiration, but as residents of the city, we didn’t want to just throw Mardi Gras beads everywhere,” says Lowry. “The client let us pursue the deeper roots of what New Orleans is all about, to think more symbolically.”

The other design objective was unification with the surrounding airport spaces.

Considering the general flow of traffic through an airport, the refreshed areas had to connect into the existing spaces. “A couple

of years prior to this project another architecture firm specified routed MDF panels in a modular system from Marlite called Volta for a different phase,” says Ron Massingill, Vice President of Associated Architectural Products, Inc., the company that did the installation for both this project and the phase IV renovation with Perez. “Within that system were some of Marlite's Myriad panels that had digitally printed images of different scenes from around the city of New Orleans.”

Perez’s design for the renovation borrows some of the same devices from other areas of the airport, but with an intriguing, modern concept. It also welcomes visitors to the city with a style that is intimately New Orleans. “When most people think of New Orleans, they think Bourbon Street and Mardi Gras,” says Lowry. “Rather than being overly literal with the interpretation of our city, we used color and movement to create the mood of the places and events.” Inspired by the city’s many parades and the organic flow of the Mississippi River, the selections for the finishes, furniture and millwork for the project were designed to curve or have

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flowing patterns. “If you’ve ever seen a map of New Orleans, you’ll notice that straight lines aren’t really our thing,” says Lowry. A great example of this is the ceiling over the main traffic way of the terminal. Armstrong’s SoundScape acoustic product in white Convex and Concave shapes creates a sense of large-scale undulations. Within the ticketing and seating areas, the ceilings are accented with 3-Forms Ready-To-GoSuspended Symphony panels that are reminiscent of music and dance.

Proceed with Color

“We chose to focus on the reds, coppers and oranges that typically occur as the sun sets,” says Lowry. “New Orleans is a city of ghost stories, music and processions. It is at

this time of day that the city really comes to life. With these colors we meant to provide a moody glow.” That glow meets visitors for arrival and departure, from the ticketing counters through the terminals, concessions, help desk and baggage claim. Durable and visually subdued Corian solid surface is used for horizontal surfaces, while bold Varia EcoResins and laminate carry the overall palette into the millwork and fixtures.

The same translucent panels, along with Formica’s Figured Anigre HPL are integrated into Marlite Systems to create columns in the baggage claim, terminal spaces and a large junction known as “the bridges” where ticketing connects into the main concession.

“For this phase of the airport the design team combined two different modular panel

“If you’ve ever seen a map of New Orleans, you’ll notice that straight lines aren’t really our thing,” Kris Lowry, interior designer and LEED AP for Perez

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systems, which is pretty unusual,” says Kevin Krieger, who does product design for Marlite. “But the systems I design are all based on getting pretty much anything you want to put on a wall into a modular, systematic format so that the client doesn’t have to do custom millwork, and they don’t have to worry about detailing. That is what Marlite does for the A&D community. At the Louis Armstrong Airport they specified HPL on Surface Systems MAP (mechanically applied panels) that easily attaches to subwalls, and Myriad Wall Systems with backlighting for the resin panels.” The engineered materials are quite different design-wise, but both carry across the intended color scheme and include small-scale movement. Overall the effect is one of mystery and meandering.

“We’re really proud of the project,” says Massingill. “It shows off our products and what can be done with them nicely. And despite the extremely intense schedule, all the trades were very well coordinated. It was a challenge, but the end result is great.”

Perez’s comprehensive experience as an architectural and design firm that also does building, construction and development was a big advantage in completing the major refresh in such a short timeframe.

And the design team was able to transmit some of the traditions, rituals and natural beauty of New Orleans through the skillful application of modular systems and engineered materials. s&p

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providers. An ACO is a group of healthcare providers and suppliers who work together to improve care, reduce costs and meet certain quality-of-care criteria. These quality measures are organized into four domains with a common focus: • Patient experience • Care coordination and patient safety • Preventative health • Caring for at-risk populations

Trends

in Healthcare Design

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p h o t o s c o u r t e s y o f M i d m a r k C o r p o r at i o n

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esign trends are typically the result of underlying anthropological factors. This is particularly true in the healthcare market, where political and socio-economic drivers have as much of an affect as technology and fashion. Michael Couch, MBA, LEED AP, PMC and Marketing Manager for Midmark Corporation is a constant student of the healthcare market.

He recently presented some of the major changes that impact design and manufacturing at the 4th Annual Decorative Surfaces Conference. The following are some of the insights he shared.

A 2013 article in Time Magazine entitled “A Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us”1 investigates the United State’s uniquely high healthcare spending, which has been rising disproportionately to the economy, and is not reflected in positive outcomes.

In response, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or the ACA, attempts to encourage innovations in healthcare delivery, cap rising Medicare costs and expand coverage to 70 percent of the uninsured.

Regardless of how the program is perceived, it is changing the demographics of healthcare, which influences design.

The Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) is a provision of the ACA, which allows for the voluntary creation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) by healthcare

In response to this, hospitals are rapidly acquiring medical practices in the anticipation of offering ACOs. The shift is moving toward integrated medical systems that emphasize ambulatory and preventative care, but also offer acute care, trauma care and rehabilitation. A recent article published by the Center for Studying Health System Change2 suggests that the trend away from private practice also has benefits for physicians, including less overall risk and insurance costs, access to the latest technology (equipment and electronic medical records), the opportunity to work within an integrated care team, and better work/life balance. The new ACO model is outcome based, rather than fee-for-service based, and includes rewards for wellness and the health of specific patient populations. There are also penalties for patient readmissions.

In general, these trends changes both who the healthcare client is, and how devices, diagnostics and fixtures are marketed.

Surface trends remain relatively consistent in the fashion sense. Evidence baseddesign leans towards natural light, healing colors and materials that look like wood, but perform well in demanding environments.

Realism is still paramount, but with a caveat.

Unlike other markets that prize texture, ease of cleaning and sanitization is crucial, particularly considering the penalties for readmission. For that same reason, seamless surfaces are in demand. According to Couch, the market is split down the middle regarding the effectiveness of anti-microbial surfaces.

The emphasis on ambulatory and preventative care is expected to result in more frequent, less acute visits to physicians. That translates to more traffic and quicker visits. Details like integrated handles (which improve circulation patterns) and modular casework that can be removed for cleaning, actually add up. s&p 1. http://content.time.com/time/magazine/ article/0,9171,2136864,00.html 2. http://www.hschange.org/CONTENT/1230/

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Planning For

Integrated Healthcare b y

s u z a n n e

p hotogra p hy by Kat N ania , courtesy o f S he p ley B ul f inch

M

any recent articles1 indicate trends toward integrated healthcare systems as opposed to private medical practices. Hospitals undertake these consolidations and hire physicians with a wide range of specialties to provide preventative, ambulatory, acute and rehabilitative care all within one entity and often under one roof. There are many reasons behind this (see Trends in Healthcare Design page 18). Put into practice, planning and design firms are coming up with elegant solutions that serve both the client and the patient.

An excellent example of this is the Carle Hospital, Heart and Vascular Institute that was completed in 2013. Located in Urbana, Ill., the 400,000 square-foot addition provides patients with convenient, comprehensive, and technologically sophisticated cardiovascular services in a new facility that is an integrated part of the Carle Hospital.

“We live in a fairly rural area. One of our big objectives is to provide both inpatient and outpatient care, right here in the region,” says Scott Harding, Vice President of Facilities and Support Services for the facility. “We are also the trauma center for the area, and have grown quite a bit. So one of the goals of the project was to provide an ambulatory area for outpatient diagnostics and labs, as well as facilities for in-patient procedures and acute care.”

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v a n

g i l d e r

What’s in a name?

A promise.

Carle Hospital engaged Bulfinch, an architecture, planning and design firm that specializes in institutional and corporate projects, to conceptualize the new building. Architect David Paarz managed the project. “The new nine-story tower was built for future expansion, so the planning for the overall campus was very important in terms of growth,” Paarz says. “The components of the cardiovascular facility were previously spread out in different buildings. Our task was to bring all that functionality together in one space. It makes it much more efficient for the physicians, and more convenient for the patients, when all the parts can work together to provide advanced care.” The Carle Hospital is also fully integrated with Epic electronic medical health records systems.

Stevens Industries out of Teutopolis, Ill, produced the casework and the millwork for the Heart and Vascular Institute. With 500,000 square feet of production space, Stevens is both one of the largest laminators in North America (producing 30,000 TFL panels and 2,500 HPL panels weekly), and a significant commercial casework and custom millwork manufacturer (fabricating 75,000-100,000 pieces per week). “We have seen a nice increase in healthcare projects- at least 15-20 percent this year,” says Todd Wegman, President of Stevens Industries, Inc. “There is a big push toward specialized practices coming together, and more ambulatory clinics.”

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“We have seen a nice increase in healthcare projects – at least 15-20 percent this year.

There is a big push toward specialized practices coming together, and more ambulatory clinics.”

Todd Wegman, President of Stevens Industries, Inc.

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Bulfinch is known for high-quality, long lasting buildings. “We like to carry that sensibility into our interiors, but at the same time we are very conscious of our clients’ budgets,” says Paarz. “So we pick and choose where we use different types of materials while maintaining specific palettes.” To do this, Paarz and his team carefully map out the functionality of the space and then specify the materials according to the performance requirements of each area.

“The important thing in planning a building like this is to look at it from a clinical perspective,” says Paarz. “The first two floors are really dedicated to the Heart and Vascular Institute, and the hospital wanted a separate type of image for those areas. We went with a bit of a darker palette there and used cherry wood finishes. The upper floors are more hospital related and have a maple palette. So there is definitely a distinction.”

The first floor opens to a lobby that doubles as a waiting room. The ground level also houses the ambulatory cardiovascular clinics and non-invasive diagnostics, such as nuclear cardiology, providing easy access for patients. All of the procedure labs, including eight cardiac catheterization, EP and interventional radiology labs are located on the second floor, connecting directly to the hospital’s existing surgical suite. “The second floor is designed around a clean core, which is a typical layout for surgery. But it works well for procedure, too,” says Paarz. “It keeps all the supplies in the middle of the floor and helps to maintain a good flow of clean supplies in and out of the labs, which really improves efficiency. It also allowed us to set up a semirestricted corridor for staff and patients that is naturally lit, which helps tremendously in the feel of the space.”

The upper floors are all single patient bedrooms built around a decentralized nursing model. “We didn’t add any beds with the addition,” says Harding, “but now all the rooms on our campus are private, including the prep, recovery and intensive care rooms. So we added 136 new private rooms and by doing that we were able to make another 100 plus rooms that were double rooms, single. We also expanded the space out to make room for necessary equipment and provide privacy for patients and their families.” The new layout includes ample storage to keep equipment out of corridors. Other benefits of the space are that it is much quieter and easier to keep clean.

Materials Make the Design

Shepley Bulfinch specified a variety of materials for the project, starting with panels chosen for aesthetic value, and then progressively moving into more durable materials to meet the performance needs of each area. Stevens Industries, with its in-house capabilities to produce panels to spec as well as fabricate, helped realize a wide variety of elegant design solutions. “The owner and architect were dedicated to making this project meet all the needs of the patient population,” says Wegman. “And they were very open-minded to using materials that matched the use of the spaces.”

Cherry veneer, with its warm and familiar tone, welcomes patients into the very public front spaces of lobby, reception and waiting.

“Moving into the exam rooms, we used Wilsonart HPL in a similar cherry finish,” says Paarz. “Then when we got back into the clinical areas we used mostly Acrovyn, a high-impact sheet vinyl material that is used a lot for wall protection. All the doors, nurse stations and

patient room headwalls are made from the composite vinyl, which is an extruded product from Construction Specialties, Inc.” The specs for the project included formaldehyde-free MDF and MDO, which Stevens typically sources from Sierra Pine. Fire-rated substrates were used for the larger installations. In addition to all the commercial cabinetry and millwork, Stevens fabricated the countertops from Corian solid surfaces in Savannah and Linen.

Carle Hospital’s new tower, which houses the Heart and Vascular Institute, opened in October of 2013. Since then, patient satisfaction scores have increased significantly. The new footprint makes it possible to serve the patient population with comprehensive care, from clinical visits, to diagnostics and procedures. “Obviously there was a big need in this area for what we are doing here,” says Harding.

“I think the project went really well. It was completed in 24 months.

Everybody that is in it now loves it; the staff, the patients and their families and friends.” s&p

Two of the many examples of articles outlining this trend: Accenture. Clinical transformation: new business models for a new era in healthcare. Chicago (IL): Accenture; 2012 Sep [cited 2013 Sept 4]. Available from: http://www.accenture.com/ sitecollectiondocuments/pdf/accenture-clinical-transformation-newbusiness-models-for-a-new-era-in-healthcare.pdf

1.

Hospitals’ Race to Employ Physicians – The Logic behind a MoneyLosing Proposition Robert Kocher, M.D., and Nikhil R. Sahni, B.S. (10.1056/NEJMp1101959) was published on March 30, 2011, at NEJM.org.

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December 2013

Matters

Consistent Quality in construction and finish “Greener� design through new materials and processes finishing room process health check

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�ons��ent �u��it� in Construction and Finish

�

obin Carley, President of Carley, Wood Associates, is a master woodworker who dedicates his life to his craft. Carley’s portfolio of prestigious projects includes both architectural millwork and custom furniture for airports, hospitals, arts centers corporate headquarters, law offices and the Wisconsin State Capitol. The scope of his work belies the relatively small size of his operation, and is a testament to Carley’s commitment.

“My personal way of dealing is that I want to give the customer the absolute pinnacle of quality for the best value, and make the product last as long as possible,” says Carley. To fulfill this, Carley combines master craftsmanship with the right materials for the job, including a high-performance finish that enhances and protects his work.

The operation evolved in 1982, when Carley was working with a furniture company that was hesitant to take on a contract for architecturally designed furniture. At the time, no one in the Madison, WI area was doing commercial grade architectural millwork, and Carley jumped at the opportunity to build a business based on quality. He got involved with the AWI, and over the past 30 years has produced increasingly sophisticated pieces in a 17,000 square foot, Madison, WI-based facility. Carley applies the latest technologies to process an ever changing palette of materials, meeting specifiers’ demands for laminates, metals, resins, glass and more; but the firm’s specialty is wood and veneer.

All essential facets of each project are done in-house to ensure that the clients’ designs and functional intents are met. This includes finishing within a dust-free, temperature controlled system.

Although Carley has done a wide variety of work for clients nationwide, he is probably best know for his on-going restoration work within the distinguished Wisconsin State Capital building. Since 1986, Carley, Wood Associates has worked on different aspects of the project, and still takes on jobs as they become available. One of the most interesting packages ran from about 1995-2002 and included the duplication of the original furniture built in the 1920s.

“It was a little bit of an anthropological endeavor. There were a few parts and pieces, examples from the time, that we used as prototypes. Our objective was to make the furniture so that cosmetically you could not tell the difference between the old and the new,” says

by

su z anne

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“It was a little bit of an anthropological endeavor. There were a few parts and pieces, examples from the time, that we used as prototypes. Our objective was to make the furniture so that cosmetically you could not tell the difference between the old and the new.”

Robin Carley, President of Carley, Wood Associates

Carley. “The equipment of the teens and 20s was fairly sophisticated, so not that different from the equipment today. That part was pretty straightforward. But we went through great lengths to stay consistent with the materials that were used originally.” With an academic background encompassing fine arts, furniture design, and mechanical engineering, Carley made minor adjustments to the original designs, incorporating new hardware and structural materials into the construction where they would improve the performance of the piece without detracting from the period aesthetic. “We used identical materials where it made sense, and also made a hybrid material because we wanted the furniture to be as close to the original as possible. But the original had some failure involved,” said Carley. “There were some longevity issues and we resolved those.”

Longevity

To add to the lifetime of the work, the pieces for the Wisconsin State Capital were finished with Carley’s preferred specialty conversion varnish, which was originally a Sadolin product. He first encountered the Danish finish at IWF in the 1980s, and was so impressed by the quality of the results, that he started to use it regularly when he could find it. Along the way, Chemcraft and Sadolin USA entered a joint venture and now that product, called Plastofix, is available in the United States under AkzoNobel’s Chemcraft brand. (It can still be found under the Sadolin name in other parts of the world, but to find it in North America, the name is Plastofix).

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A Great Finish is Only the Beginning

Deater Harp Foreman

Mel Schreiner Finisher

Harry Farissier Finisher

Hal Roenick Owner

Ron Sylvester President Pinellas Paint & Industrial Finishes, Inc.

R.T. Sylvester Vice President Industrial Sales Pinellas Paint & Industrial Finishes, Inc.

“The Varicure Clear System is a great match for our business.

It has a clear, durable finish and works right out of the bucket.

It’s easy to apply, and tool friendly – we get less buildup in our hoses and guns, and that means reduced cleaning time and lower solvent costs. And, it’s dry to stack time is very fast, which has helped increase our production.”

Deater Harp, Foreman Creative Woodworking Concepts, Tarpon Springs, FL Founded in 1984, Creative Woodworking Concepts manufacturers and installs custom architectural millwork for hotels, restaurants and other commercial customers. They are shown here with their Chemcraft distributor, Pinellas Paint & Industrial Finishes, Inc.

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© 2013 AkzoNobel

Chemcraft® is a registered trademark of Akzo Nobel Coatings Inc.

The solvent-based, two-part, post-catalyzed conversion varnish meets the needs of the master woodworker who truly understands what is expected of his work. “I needed a very durable furniture finish, but it had to be made specifically as a wood finish so that it has some amount of flexibility in it still,” says Carley. “That way the wood can expand and contract without cracking the finish. That crazing is something that always has been a problem with two-part finishes because when they harden, they continue to harden to the point where they get brittle. Then as the wood moves it starts to cause little fissures. So you need elasticity in your durable finish. And it is not

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something that everybody has perfected. Other suppliers have gone through times where their products have crazing that takes place. All the big companies deal with it.”

Carley is an expert at engineering sophisticated millwork and furniture. Considering that all the finishing in his shop is done by hand with a Kremlin system, an important finish characteristic is ease of use. “The mixing process for the Plastofix is very straight forward. And the material also has enough solids that you can really get a nice, thick coat for each coat. It builds well. Too much build up could theoretically cause problems. But some finishes take it better than others,” says Carley. “The Plastofix has some of the best allowable variations in those areas. If you are off a little on the hardener, it still works perfectly. If you put on 6 mils instead of 4 mils, it still works perfectly.

Having those kinds of leeway’s with the material means you are going to get a better result overall.”

Over the years there have been times where Carley had difficulties getting Plastofix, and had to work with other materials. “When we couldn’t get a hold of the material we tried other products from different suppliers. Sometimes we would find something similar, and then the manufacturer would change formulas and start tweaking things.

That really bothers me. So I am happy to have a source for Plastofix.

We really enjoy using the material.”

Another issue Carley found with interim materials was that manufactures often did not have enough longitudinal information on the products’ performance. Occasionally the finish would fail after a project was installed. In 1993 Carley beat out very large architectural millwork firms and won the project for the American Family Insurance national headquarters. “We built the project and had it installed. It was literally showcase stuff. Everyone was thrilled with it,” says Carley.

“We used two different finishes on the project, a competitive product on the highly figured maple, and the Chemcraft Plastofix on the mahogany furniture. It was a very good project for us. It won several architectural awards. But about three years after we finished the project, the maple finish had crazed rather significantly, and we had to go back and refinish the furniture. To this day, and it has been 20 years, we have not refinished a single mahogany piece on that project. All of them are still in amazingly good shape. That is pretty unusual, and definitely attributed to the quality of the Plastofix material. I prefer to use it. When you have something in business that really works and you are happy with it, you stay with it.” s&p

“Greener” Design

Through New Materials and Processes b y

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hese are exciting times in the adhesive and coatings industry, particularly for laminated decorative panels. New applications of adhesives and coatings are constantly driving the industry forward, from topcoats that deliver high-gloss finishes that enhance both the performance and the realism of the design, to processes allowing fabricators to engineer both traditional and hybrid laminates, Underlying the progress is a consumer demand for better quality finished goods, and environmental accountability. Although polyurethane is not a new material, innovative thinkers are breaking out of the “we’ve always done it that way” mind set to take advantage of PURs inherent design, manufacturing and environmental benefits.

PUR Green

At least some of the shift toward using PUR, as an adhesive or coating, can be credited to the increase in environmentally conscious consumers. Specifiers are more aware of the lifecycles of materials and requests for formaldehyde-free products are on the rise. Even endusers, who may not be well-versed in regulations, are leery of emissions. They research online, ask questions and consider what might be emitted into their homes when they purchase furniture, flooring and fixtures. Many manufacturers view providing the market with “green” options as both a duty and a marketing advantage, and endusers expect products to have a “green” story. Consumers want reassurance that the materials and processes used in manufacturing are environmentally friendly, from building materials and electronics to transportation and appliances. As the general public becomes savvier, it is easier to convey concepts such as source reduction, process efficiency and recycling as they relate to how things are made.

And so, a humble material that is rarely considered by end users, like PUR, begins to earn some credibility with those who care enough to learn how their products are made. Often used as both an adhesive and a coating, KLEIBERIT Hot Coating ® materials emit no VOC’s, and offer producers many opportunities to design and manufacture durable goods with significant efficiencies.

Designing For Environmental Integrity

Product design is paramount to sales and marketing. If the design imparts a positive reaction, the consumer will purchase it. A compelling product meets a consumer on many levels. Certainly there is the aesthetic, but people also like the stories behind their purchases.

Where did the piece come from? Why was it chosen? How has it come to be in the consumer’s life? Consumers enjoy feeling as if they had a part in the process. The contemporary realization that the human race has impact on the earth drives the end user to increasingly demand “green” products. In response clever designers apply new technology and build better stories. PUR can play a particularly interesting role in the design process because decorative surfaces must be affixed to a substrate by some method, and then that surface must be durable enough to meet a variety of applications.

Despite a desire for ”greener” production, consumers still weigh cost heavily into their buying decisions. The adhesives and coatings used in product construction and finishing are required to be versatile, bond well, look good, be easy to use and be cost efficient. A closer look at the manufacturing processes and logistics of getting goods to market reinforces the important role that PUR can play in a green story.

Green Processing

As an adhesive, polyurethane is incredibly versatile, bonding virtually any material, fabric, plastic film, metal, rigid wood, to any substrate.

While the flooring, furniture and cabinet industries are continually defining new applications for PUR (both as an adhesive and a coating that can significantly increase the performance of lower weight

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“Many manufacturers view providing the market with “green” options as both a duty and a marketing advantage, and end-users expect products to have a “green” story.”

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decorative surfaces), it has been used in other markets for a long time.

The transportation industry regularly uses PUR adhesives rather than mechanical fastenings to improve gas mileage for vehicles. This also streamlines the manufacturing process, reduces costs and allows for a sleek, contemporary look.

Surface manufacturers are adapting some of these adhesives gains to their designs and processes. Specific PUR formulations offer consistent properties and can be customized for cleaner, safer, more efficient and more responsible processes. Compared to solvent-based adhesives, lower monomer PUR is safer and easier to transport to the manufacturing facility. Additionally, lower application quantity can be used due to the superior performance of PUR, which is a thermoset, rather than a thermoplastic material. Further, PUR requires no special waste removal and can be treated like typical solid waste.

On the finishing side, traditional methods rely in large part on the preparation of the substrate, regardless of whether the material is solvent-based or waterborne. A typical finishing line begins with sanding and priming operations before the finish can be applied. Curing follows application, and depending on the specified thickness of the finish, the entire process may be repeated. The process becomes quite expensive with the costs of long operating lines, dust management, overspray capture systems and emissions controls. Conversely, a one-pass hot melt polyurethane with a shell UV curing topcoat provides an elegant and efficient means for achieving a durable, environmentally friendly, finish.

New formulations of polyurethane are increasingly being adapted into manufacturing and finishing because the material allows for new designs, efficient processes and durable end-products. Perhaps more importantly, PUR enhances the green story every step along the value chain. Not only is that good marketing, it’s good business. s&p

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Finishing Room

Process Health Check b y

P h i l

S t e v e n s o n / A W FI

F

inishing is an art form that requires demanding skills. However, if the finishing environment and process is unhealthy, production goals and expectations will not be met. Supervisors and company stakeholders often make the wrong assumption that the employee’s skill is the only factor in meeting the finishing operation’s goals. It may be time for a finishing environment and process health check. A robust process and efficient finishing environment will pay large dividends for the company and the finishing team.

The following is a comprehensive health check for a well-functioning finishing facility.

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Fi ni s h i ng e nvi ronm e nt

• Lighting Is the finishing facility’s lighting adequate to visually detect defects before finishing? Can the finishing operator see the color of the finish correctly? General propose light should be a minimum of 85 ft. candle at 3 ft. off the floor. In the spray booths, the lighting should be a minimum of 125 ft candle at 3 ft. off the floor. This will allow the spray operator to “read” the finish correctly during application of the coating. The lighting temperature should be between 6,8007,200 Kelvin throughout the facility. This temperature will provide near daylight conditions, allowing finishers to hit color standards and minimize defects.

• Airflow Is the airflow at the correct CFM within the booth to adequately remove overspray and provide a safe environment for the spray operators? Cross-draft booths require 125 cubic ft. per min. flowing across the face of the booth filters. Enclosed downdraft booths require 50 to 75 CFM to operate efficiently.

The booth exhaust chamber should be inspected to ensure the exhaust filters effectively capture paint particulate. If the exhaust chamber or the exhaust fan blades are loaded with overspray the exhaust will not flow efficiently. Filters must be evaluated and/or changed frequently to ensure peak performance of spray booths.

• Air-make-up The volume of air exhausted out of the facility by the spray booths must be replaced by clean air. Air-make-up systems should be inspected to ensure enough clean air is flowing through the finishing area. Air-make-up systems must deliver 5 to 10 percent more CFM than the total CFM exhausted by the spray booths and ovens.

This will provide positive airflow pressure in the spray environment.

A positive pressure environment will prevent the spray booths from being the vacuum cleaner for the facility. This will allow spray operators to spray in a clean environment and assist the spray booths in efficiently exhausting overspray. Air-make-up discharge air should have a final secondary filtration system that filters the intake air at a minimum of 10 microns. Any contamination under 10 microns cannot be seen or felt.

Com pre s s e d Ai r

To check compressed air quality for water oil and other contaminants, connect blowgun at point of use and blow compressed air into a clean white rag for a minimum of 5 minutes. If contamination can visually be detected on the rag, immediate action should be taken to eliminate contamination. Compressor, airlines, filter, and air dryers must all be examined to indentify source of contamination. To check for air pressure drop, connect an in-line air pressure gauge on the end of the air hose directly before hooking up spray application equipment. Trigger the spray equipment and read the number of pounds of pressure drop while the spray equipment is operating. If the air pressure reading drops 5 pounds or more, an airflow problem exists. Inadequate airflow to the spray equipment will cause poor coating atomization and flow out of the material.

Air hoses, compressed air piping size, quick connect size and filter size should be inspected to identify airflow restrictions.

Surfac e Pr e paration

Perform an inspection of the whitewood surface preparation to ensure a quality product is delivered to the finishing department.

Use a 90-watt halogen flood lamp at a low angle to inspect for defects. Whitewood should not be re-sanded in the finishing department to remove defects.

Is the sanding equipment operating to manufacture’s specifications? Are all settings (feed rate, belt speed, spindle speed, thickness settings, and pressures) set correctly and consistently for the process? Is the equipment maintained and cleaned properly? An abrasive change out regiment must be in place and strictly adhered to. If poor sanding and finishing results are symptomatic, it is recommended to consult with the abrasive or equipment supplier to identify process improvements. All great finishing processes begin with consistency in surface preparation.

Coati ng H ealth Ch ec ks

To keep a healthy robust finishing process, the coating must be checked regularly before use to ensure product is meeting the correct specifications. Viscosity, temperature, sheen and color should be included in the quality checks. Eliminating coating variables will allow the spray operator to efficiently deliver a quality product.

Required health check tools • Hot wire airflow anemometer • Viscosity cup • Wet mil gauge • In-line air pressure gauge • Blow gun • Infrared heat sensor • Radiometer “puck” • Stop watch • Light level meter • White rag

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I n Proc e s s Ch e c ks

Wet mill thickness gages should be located at each booth. At the beginning and throughout the shift, the spray operator should measure coating thickness to insure consistent application of the coatings. Viscosity readings should be checked before using material to ensure proper atomization and flow out of the coating.

An infrared heat sensor should be used to check for consistent coating temperatures. Ambient temperatures and humidity should be checked and periodically recorded through out the work shift.

Proper documentation of the results of coating quality checks must be maintained to provide accurate data of the coating process.

Cur i ng Ove n Audits

Application Equi pm e nt I ns pe ction

Is the spray equipment operating at manufacture’s performance specifications? Spray equipment operating at peak performance will minimize re-work and improve finishing department throughput. Is the equipment clean and well maintained? Check to insure tips, needles and air-caps are in good condition. Air caps should be visually inspected for dents or wear, and kept free of coating debris. Spray tips, needles and fluid nozzles must be replaced on a regular basis before wear enlarges orifice openings and distorts fan pattern.

Fluid Delivery pumps and systems must be inspected for leaking seals. Medium and high-pressure pumps should be checked for internal seal wear by performing a “stall test” to identify inconsistent fluid delivery pressures. Most equipment suppliers will perform a health audit of coating application systems.

S pray Equi pm e nt S et-up

Correctly setting up equipment and using best practice standards is a must for a good coating application process. Spray equipment flow rates should be a first consideration when auditing equipment performance. Correct flow rates are set up to deliver the proper mil thickness of the coating, color of the finish and speed of application.

The second consideration is properly setting the atomization air.

Atomization air should be set at the lowest value to deliver a particle size that will meet or exceed the quality standard requirements of the finish.

The final consideration is the fan pattern width. The fan pattern must be set to a uniform, relatively flat pattern and the appropriate width to minimize overspray waste on the size of parts that are being coated. It is recommended that the settings be well marked for a visual reference point. Lockout of the equipment setting is recommended where practical and/or the same process is used from shift to shift.

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Are the ovens providing the correct curing profile to ensure adequate curing of the parts? Coating and/or equipment suppliers generally offer services to perform a complete oven curing profile test. Mapping the curing process will provide data to ensure that the process is meeting performance standards. All air flow and exhaust systems should be checked to make sure the correct CFM is being maintained in the oven. For UV curing ovens, a radiometer should be run once a day. The radiometer puck should be run at the left, right and center of the oven to guarantee even curing across the spectrum of the lamps.

Hous e ke e pi ng

A “5S” program must be in place to organize and maintain an efficient finishing operation. A clean, well-organized operation will provide a sense of well-being and orderliness to the team.

Conc lus ion:

The finishing health check described in this article is about focusing on many common sense details. Often the little details in finishing are overlooked and considered nonessential in production.

This health check will add up to large dividends in profitability and throughput when properly implemented. A healthy robust finishing process will provide a foundation for success in today’s demanding business environment. s&p © October 2013 / AWFI

CLEAN CURE™ TECHNOLOGY

FORMALDEHYDE-FREE

SOLVENT BORNE

LOW ODOR

HAPs FREE

Innovation is in the air.

Formaldehyde-free Finishes from M.L. Campbell

Our breakthrough solvent borne Clean Cure™ technology platform provides acid cure formaldehyde-free amino-alkyd post-catalyzed and pre-catalyzed finishing systems that are both low odor and HAPs free, helping to create a safer work environment.

Our solvent borne, formaldehyde-free products include:

ENVIROVAR™ CONVERSION VARNISH ENVIROMAX™ PRE-CAT See your nearest M.L. Campbell distributor for recommendations on which Clean Cure™ Technology products best suit your shop’s needs.

Visit us at Booth #4623

*

®

Smart People. Brilliant Finishes.

Expertise is the key ingredient in all we do at M.L. Campbell. Not only in formulating our products, but also in providing invaluable technical answers. Our expert distributors are the best in the business. And they’re at your disposal with unmatched product knowledge and training programs. Along with our easy-to-apply products and industry-leading marketing support, M.L. Campbell gives you the wood finishing results you demand.

* M.L. Campbell EnviroVar™ conversion varnish earned a Sequoia New Product Award for Green/Environmental Leadership in Wood Coatings at the AWFS® Fair 2011.

Surface Design Guide

2014 The annual Surface Design Guide showcases the best industry offerings across the board. Fabulous and functional, decorative materials provide stunning aesthetics, reliably durable surfaces, and specialty touch points that elevate the overall quality of any

â–˛ Chemetal www.chemetal.com

Chemetal brightens it up with ten new warm and colorful designs, including three vibrantly tinted horizontal patterns. Choose from “shades of gray� (the color, not the character), blackened aluminums and two oxidized copper designs with warm hues. For cooler tones, there's the non-directional stainless steel HPL laminate and finally, for functional, Chemetal adds a cost-effective magnetic dry erase to its collection of magnetic surfaces.

4' x 8' and some 4' x 10' sizes. All ideal for interior vertical use. n

application. Each entry represents the anthropological side of fashion trends, as well as the leading edges of material and manufacturing technologies.

Peruse, enjoy, and let the imagination run wild with possibilities.

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e

Panol am www.panolam.com

EcoStone™ Decorative Surfaces ► EcoStone™ Decorative Surface is the latest innovative product manufactured by Panolam™ Surface Systems. Inspired by colors found in nature, this color-through structure is well suited to a variety of cutting and finishing techniques. Manufactured with 100 percent recycled core paper, all EcoStone Decorative Surfaces products are FSC® certified. EcoStone™ Decorative Surface is Class A Fire Rated and also certified GREENGUARD, GREENGUARD Gold and CE mark of conformity. ◄ Nevamar® Vivid Collection Offered in a palette of 12 tropically inspired colorways, Nevamar’s Vivid Collection brings lively hues for bold accents in both horizontal and vertical surfaces. Vivid is the newest collection in Nevamar’s new systems approach that provides designers with a product portfolio that allows them to combine multiple products, colors, textures and finishes to create enduring surface solutions. Nevamar’s low emission products are FSC, GREENGUARD® and GREENGUARD® GOLD certified. n

S te vens Industries www.stevensind.com Stevens Industries and Design Art Surfaces introduce EIR, Embossed in Registration products.

EIR products are laminate panels with rich textures matched identically to the wood grain to create an authentic appearance. This innovative application is inspired by European design and provides an intricate and sophisticated product for furniture applications. Design Art Surfaces will be offering EIR products in a variety of colors and textures. n

SDG.2014

Arclin ► www.arclin.com

Art, architecture, science, industry, nature, interior design, fashion, Arclin turns to a myriad of sources for inspiration for its more than 150 TFL designs: from wood grains – pines, cherries maples and exotics – to textures, solids and more. The company’s innovative technologies and manufacturing processes make Arclin TFL ideal for particleboard, MDF and specialty plywood substrates, and can be customized to meet design needs and manufacturing criteria. Arclin’s E-Gen®-designated TFL are available with GREENGUARD certification and may contribute to LEED credits for improved air qualitys. n

L amigr af ▲

cabinets furniture panels drawers closets

www.lamigraf.com

Lamigraf’s Design Studio is based on the analysis of social changes and aesthetic movements. Resulting decorative designs (shown left to right above) such as Red Elm, which balances elegant design with a rustic touch, and Rainwood, with its pure and plain wood texture, lend themselves to a variety of surface textures and applications.

Lamigraf’s finish foils are also timely. Designs like Copernicus Oak stands out from the oak mega-trend with narrow, soft cathedrals and contrasting 3D richness. Camargue Pine scores with its appearance of reused and distressed wood. n

Renolit www.renolit.com

woodgrain prints

by Panel Processing Inc.

The natural appearance and durability of Woodgrain Prints make them an easy choice over laminates. Our gravure printing process produces a high quality consistent image, and with multiple wood patterns and custom color matching, the possibilities are endless.

Oh yeah, did we mention it costs less?

1.800.433.7142 www.panel.com 42

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Renolit’s Woodstock Ocean Drive.

Woodstock describes the wood-plasticcomposite surfacing material based on polyolefin and wood fiber with a polypropylene skin and a non-woven fiber back. Ocean Drive describes the deep texture of the panel surface. Ocean Drive comes in White, Black and paintable versions. It can be laminated to board and edgebanded or field applied to flat and curved surfaces. n

SDG.2014 Brand New, and slightly distressed about it.

Wilsonart www.wilsonart.com

Wilsonart® HD® High Definition® Laminate ▲ Nature as artwork is the overall theme of six new Wilsonart® HD® High Definition® Laminate designs: Cosmos Granite, Golden Romano (pictured above), Bianco Romano, Florence Gold, Summer Carnival and Winter Carnival. Celebrating the inherent beauty of natural stone, the designs strikingly resemble the vibrant colors and large-scale movement of exotic granite through enhanced realism delivered by state-of-the-art print technology and texture.

Wilsonart® Premium Laminate ▼ Unique and graceful, natural beauty is easy to spot, touch, experience – or is it? Wilsonart’s design team shatters reality with 12 new Premium designs that capture the natural elegance of hardwood and stone, and feature exclusive AEON™ technology to add durable, longlasting protection and superior resistance to scratches, scuffs and every day wear. n

◄ L aminati www.laminati-usa.com www.alfatherm.it/english/home.asp

Presenting the Bodega collection.

Using the latest technology and the most modern trends in Italian design Laminati and Alfatherm have teamed up to bring to the American market a perfectly matching collection that takes the guess work out of matching the PVC foils and HPL laminate and the guess work out of finding cutting edge design!

Laminati-USA is proud to be the exclusive distributor for Alfatherm PVC Foils in the USA. n

4 new hpl laminate designs with texture, gloss, aged and distressed looks. Part of our collection of 78 designs. GreenGuard-certified.

Call or visit to see them all.

hpl design laminates | 800 807-7341 | ialaminates.com

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interprint ►

www.usa.interprint.com

Interprint’s Forest Rain (top image) answers the demand for a new, sophisticated engineered wood look. A great color carrier with highlights, contrast and a natural feel. The easy come and go linear quality allows the design to work with contemporary press plates as well as on it's own.

▼ DVUV www.dvuv.com

DVUV’s newest powder coated finish is UVMax® Gloss; a one coat, single step high gloss finish for MDF that eliminates the need for primers, multiple coats and extra labor. UV-cured powder coating is VOC and solvent free, and uses 100% pre-consumer recycled content MDF, for possible LEED credits.

UVMax® Gloss is available in White, Red, Blue, Gray and Lava Stone, a multi-component solid surface finish. In-house custom color matching to any Pantone, RAL, laminate or liquid paint is also available. n

Threadbare (bottom image) is a play on a trend seen in textiles, the “worn in” look. These motifs fade into the colors and texture of the overall design. With this design Interprint has taken the color and texture of a distressed surface and added the soft crossfire of a maple to give the feel of movement and depth. n

▼ JB Cutting www.jbcutting.com

Integrate 3DL seamlessly into your design projects.

JB Cutting, Inc. is a full service manufacturer of three-dimensional laminate (thermofoil) components. The company specializes in madeto-order finished MDF-core components that are complimentary to store fixtures, healthcare furnishing environments, residential kitchen and bath, and custom closet systems. JB Cutting is primarily a wood fabricating operation with CNC, edge banding, thermoforming and panel processing capability. JBC has recently added miter folding capabilities, allowing the creation of seamless edges and increasing the strength and beauty of your projects. n

▲ Abet L aminati www.abetlaminati.com

Abet Laminati presents Stratificato, a decorative high pressure, self-supporting, compact laminate used for countertops, furniture, backsplashes, gym lockers, toilet partitions or any laminate application requiring extra strength, durability and design.

Stratificato is offered in over 500 colors and patterns, 30 finishes, eight sizes and various thicknesses. Its surface is composed of decorative paper impregnated with melamine resin. Several colors in 12 mm thickness are in stock in North America. Digital print is now possible – any design can be printed right onto the surface. n 44

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Decotone DecotoneMetallic MetallicLaminates Laminates Decotone DecotoneMetallic MetallicLaminates Laminates

Decotone DecotoneTorino TorinoCollection CollectionWood WoodLaminates Laminates Decotone Decotone Torino Torino Collection Collection Wood Wood Laminates Laminates Decotone Torino Collection Wood Laminates

Tel: 908-301-0600 Tel: 908-301-0600 Tel: Tel: 908-301-0600 908-301-0600 Tel: 908-301-0600 email: email:sales@decotonesurfaces.com sales@decotonesurfaces.com

email: email: sales@decotonesurfaces.com sales@decotonesurfaces.com email: sales@decotonesurfaces.com

Decotone DecotoneTranslucent Translucent Decotone Decotone Translucent Translucent Panels Panels Decotone Translucent Panels Panels Panels Los Angeles Miami Los Angeles Miami Los LosAngeles Angeles Los Angeles

Miami Miami Miami

Decotone DecotoneDecorative Decorative Decotone Decotone Decorative Decorative Laminates Laminates Decotone Decorative Laminates Laminates Laminates New New NewJersey Jersey NewYork York

New New Jersey Jersey New New York York www.decotonesurfaces.com www.decotonesurfaces.com New Jersey New York

Zenolite ZenoliteHigh HighGloss Gloss Zenolite Zenolite High High Gloss Gloss Acrylic Panels Acrylic Panels Zenolite High Gloss Acrylic Acrylic Panels AcrylicPanels Panels Oregon Toronto Oregon Toronto

Oregon Oregon Oregon

Toronto Toronto Toronto

SDG.2014

Advanced Technology, Inc. ► www.advtechnology.com

With 30 years experience exploring the limits of laminates and custom wall coverings, Advanced Technology’s design team develops patterns to meet the contemporary trends in the European market, and that also compete domestically with the wallpaper and vinyl markets.

The results are larger scale, more fluid patterns.

Advanced Technology’s team introduced a group of nine beautiful designs for the company’s MirroFlex Structures line. From Audrey, a flowing, floral pattern, to the geometric Nexus, there is something to catch the attention of any interior designer. n

Uniboard www.uniboard.com You will never look at TFL the same way again!

Uniboard’s Woodprint Technology is the first synchronized texture in TFL in North America. The technology aligns the décor paper and surface texture to replicate real wood characteristics that are perfectly synchronized, just as they’d be in nature. Brushed Elm, the 2014 Collection, is offered in six trendsetting, cool neutral colours that are suitable for all design projects and emphasize the beauty of Woodprint. (see more on page 54) This collection offers a designer look that is better than nature with the versatility of TFL. n

RIKEN USA CORPORATION

Arborite ▼ www.arborite.com/us

INK Arborite INK, Arborite's new designer series, features three colorforward patterns from designers at the forefront of their fields. Each designer, from the hospitality, retail, and graphics industries, used laminate as a canvas to create innovative and contemporary patterns that fit a market need and appeal to contract specifiers across North America.

Riken USA Corporation produces foils for 3D laminate for seamless cabinet doors, office furniture and store fixtures using Japanese printing technology.

Vacuum and membrane press the most complex dimensional profiles on routed substrates in solid colors, patterns and wood grains with satin, matte, desktop and contemporary high-gloss finishes.

New items items –– Almic Graphit, Terra Grau, Champagne Metallic, Circle Line High Gloss 1D & 2D

Graphit Almic Amber

Terra Circle AlmicGrau Blue Champagne Almic Red AlmicLine Silver

Metallic 1702 Beverly Road | Burlington, NJ 08016 | p: 609.387.2011 info@riken-usa.com | www.riken-usa.com

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Textures Adding to the seven existing premium textures, Arborite introduced two new elegant finishes. Evergrain (EV) features a texture of a fine wood grain with a slight sheen.

Structured's (SR) highly embossed texture suits woodgrains, solids, and linear patterns, adding an especially contemporary edge when paired with boldly colored designs. n

SDG.2014

▲ Greenl am www.greenlam.com

The newest laminate collections, Coastline and Pacific Trail from Greenlam feature a bold, structured finish, reminiscent of the trees that populate the Northwest’s coasts. These postformable laminates are as resilient as the trees that inspired them and perfect for modern design.

Greenlam boasts a wide range of innovative lifestyle designs in varied textures and colors, with a market that spans across more than 101 countries. n

▲ Synergy Thermofoils www.synergythermofoils.com

In addition to the recent introduction of 12 Edgewood designs (aggressivetexture), Synergy Thermofoils has added a realistic-pore Wenge to its Authentic collection. As with all the decor collection, matching TFL and paper laminates are available. Synergy Thermal Foils perfectly coordinated surfaces are never without edge banding, HPL, TFL or light basis weight paper matches. n

Thinking Forward

red high gloss 3d laminate

white high gloss 3d laminate

quartered flakey white oak veneer

exotic veneer | high gloss acrylic and 3d laminates | textured melamine | veneer surfaces | supermatte 3d laminates

Yo u r s o u r ce fo r ins p ir e d co m p o ne n t s 866-344-8132 | www.northerncontours.com

SDG.2014

KML ▼ www.kmlcorp.com

Edgewood, KML’s latest designer finish, delivers the look and feel of natural wood grain, but with superior durability and consistency.

Through Edgewood, designers can now specify exotic materials for large projects with color consistency, fade resistance, and an authentic tactile experience without using exotic natural resources. KML is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for Single Chain-ofCustody through the Rainforest Alliance.

With 8 unique designer finishes, over 70 stock colors (and more than 800 specialty colors), 4 substrate options, 2 lamination processes, and a component department that offers cut-to-size boards up to 11 feet long, KML allows designers to “go wild” with unprecedented customization. n

Northern Contours ▲ www.northerncontours.com

American Vintage | Texture + Low Sheen Northern Contours announces the Canyon Family, a collection of three American inspired materials joining their Impressions line of textured components. The coloration is uniquely varied and appeals to both rugged and refined design styles.

Moderna Grigio

In contrast, four new metallic acrylic materials join the line of reflective components. The metallic material has a directional design that offers a unique brilliance and depth to the finish. Available in Sapphire, Graphite, Champagne and Amethyst, the metallic acrylics are available on the LEVEL profile with 3D aluminum edgebanding. n

954.420.9553 www.SynergyThermofoils.com 48

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Fl akeboard▼ www.flakeboard.com

Developed as accents, but certainly viable on their own, discover the rich neutral solid palette of the Accentz Series, available in any of Flakeboard’s eight texture finishes. Accentz offer perfect compliment to the five new modern wood tones of the Groovz Series.

The Groovz Series boasts a white, two greys, natural teak and chocolate brown color selections that are both fashionable and classic, promising longevity. The linear grain of the Groovz Series will enhance any design, especially in conjunction with the random woodgrain AuthenTICK finish, or bold Medina texture. n

FEEL NATURAL, FEEL GRAND, FEEL ILLAMINATED.

2013

COLLECTION

Neutral oak 1498

Our new woodgrain designs, bring out a new level of naturalness with a harmonic combination of cathedrals and light real coloured wood.

2013 COLLECTION We are inspired by natural creativity.

R

Phone: (57-1) 644 9898 Fax: (57-1) 644 9897 R

SDG.2014

Olon ► www.olon.com

NEXGEN™ FLEX decorative laminates for 5 piece doors are intended as a Builders line to service sizeable projects. They are available in complementary matches to recently released TFL finishes – Belluno, Natural Wood and Caserta finishes (Caserta shown here).

NEXGEN™ FLEX decorative laminate is engineered to provide superior radius performance for profile wrapped mouldings. n

◄ L amitech www.lamitech.com.co

▲ SSI North America www.ssinorthamerica.com

SSI North America proudly offers StyleLite® High Gloss Acrylic Finished Laminate. Perfect for: kitchen cabinets and doors, architectural millwork, fixtures, displays, partitions and office furniture.

Available in raw sheets or professionally laminated panels, StyleLite® is the decorative surface architects and designers choose when looking for the “perfect high gloss surface.”

Matching and complimentary ABS & acrylic edge bands are readily available one roll at a time. n

Inspired by the natural effects found on the mother of pearls and capiz shells, Lamitech created mineral inks that when printed on paper, add shine, sparkle and depth to the raw materials pressed to produce HPL. This gives the laminates an iridescent visual effect with our special glossy finish atop trendy neutral hues including Bronze, Moonlight, Dune and Snowflake. Lamitech's Perarlescents are recommended for vertical applications only. n

Reach out and touch an exclusive line of textured surfaces. With the natural look and feel of real wood, our designer finishes are the fraction of the cost. And, with 100% recovered wood material, you can help preserve habitats for our wild friends.

complimentary samples available

www.KMLcorp.com

(888) 358 · 5075

SDG.2014

What’s hot in MeMbrane Pressing?

Formica www.formica.com

Black Walnut Timber 180fx® is inspired by the trend for bespoke international furniture design that celebrates and natural beauty of wood in its true form and scale.

Think 170-year-old slabs of Black American Walnut – book matched down the center with Walnut dovetails, to create a stunningly realistic woodgrain laminate – across a striking five-foot expanse.

Black Walnut Timber’s styling balances natural brown with subtle red and yellow tones and is balanced with realistic linear cathedrals and cross-fire figured grain. n

H &R Wood Specialties, Inc. ▼ www.hrwood.com

Wall Mounted Nurse Charting Stations take advantage of seamless construction using the latest in PETG and PVC based 3DL’s as a durable alternative to more traditional surfacing materials. Seamless edge thicknesses in excess of five inches can now be achieved through innovative thermofoil processing and advancements in 3DL materials.

Creating products today meeting those demands for high design and performance is far easier now than ever. n

Sculptured Wall Panels

Smartech has both the right membrane and the best advice for how to take advantage of everything new in 3D Lamination.

Schattdecor www.schattdecor.com www.digitalvisions-schattdecor.de/en

Success comes from being different – and Schattdecor is pushing the edge of what is possible with their DIGITAL VISIONS, light-up foils, warm-up foils and Smartfoils collections.

Digital Visions▼ by Schattdecor opens up a world of fascinating design possibilities for use in interior and shop design, booth construction and architecture with extensive décor printing possibilities.

Light-up foil▲, the 37° decor and warm-up foil provide exciting answers to the question, “What else will decors be capable of in the future?” In addition to visual and tactile realism, Schattdecor presents a Postfoil that is capable of heating up the air around it, as well as a Smartfoil that glows in the dark and one that gets darker or lighter depending on the ambient temperature. n

MEGANITE ▼ www.meganite.com

Since 1976, MEGANITE has been specialized in manufacturing custom surfacing material like 100% Acrylic Solid Surface.

This stairway is made with a custom icy white color and sandblasted for high slip resistance. MEGANITE is the leader in customized Solid Surface material with +600 colors and various dimensions for horizontal and vertical applications.

Think outside of the box with MEGANITE to realized dream Solid Surface applications at an affordable price & low MOQ. n

Seamless Health Care Components

Put Smartech’s 3D expertise to work for you!

SMARTECH INTERNATIONAL, LP smartechonline.com 704 362 1922

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Toppan Inter america ▼ www.toppan-cosmo.jp/english/

Riken www.riken-usa.com

Riken has been providing high quality 3D Laminates for both residential and commercial interior applications such as kitchen cabinet doors, store fixtures, and office furniture. The 3D Laminate Collection offers extensive colors and patterns including wood grains in high gloss, satin, and matte finishes.

Using the vacuum and membrane press technology, the foil can be applied onto the substrate with or without three dimensional profiles to create the most sharp and seamless surfaces. Riken also offers decorative glass films for windows and glass partitions suitable for commercial spaces. n

Toppan Interamerica’s new texture finish precoated light basis weight papers are a perfect fit with the current trend in visually textured wood grains. Toppan’s proprietary topcoat system is registered with print graphics providing a realism that can be seen and felt.

Sauder Woodworking’s new Scribed Oak pattern draws inspiration from natural materials and the shift toward lighter colors.

This trend we call New Country Style is a converging of Vintage, Cottage and “green” influences. n

Roseburg ▲ www.roseburg.com/ProductGroup/duramine/

New Duramine Architectural Binder Roseburg is pleased to announce the availability of our new Duramine® Thermally Fused Laminate Panels binder.

This binder features our best selling woodgrains, abstracts, solid colors and textures. Whether designing furniture, commercial fixtures or cabinets, designers can count on Duramine® to offer great looks and proven value. n

Tafisa ▼ www.tafisa.ca

Introducing Tafisa’s new collection of 13 trendsetting colors.

Available in 9 new mix & match Crystalite solids and 4 new Urbania woodgrains, this new collection is yet another design innovation from Tafisa – the company that leads the way in fashion-forward interiors, touching off world-class trends right here in North America. All 13 colors are available with matching HPL, edgebanding and mouldings and are complemented by a complete door program. s&p

Omnova ▲ www.omnova.com/laminates

As time speeds by in a blur, people have a new respect for history, preservation and craft. OMNOVA’s Mackinac WL design reflects the desired imperfections and traits of an up-cycled, heirloom with its cross sawn oak grain inspired by reclaimed wood. The finish is reminiscent of color aged by time, and texture of a cross-cut raised grain for a tactile feel.

Mackinac WL features the dimensional flexibility, exceptional durability, easy cleanability and stain resistance that designers have come to expect from surf(x)® 3D Laminates. n 52

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WINNERS LEED . LEADERS WIN. ®

iT’s wHaT’s on THe insiDe THaT maKes a cHampion.

Proudly featuring par ticleboard and MDF panels manufactured utilizing one of the world’s lowest emitting binding systems.

SierraPine products are manufactured in the USA and available WHEN and WHERE you need it.

Don’t cut corners when it comes to the products you specify.

Our long-standing reputation for cutting edge development has resulted in SierraPine brands being specified more than any other composite wood manufacturer in the U.S., par ticularly for green, sustainable MDF and par ticleboard products.

CHOOSE tHE lEAdER .

SPECIFY

SIERRAPINE .

www.sierrapine.com

®

•

800-676-3339

The Evolution of TFLDecorative Panels b y

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ears from now design historians will look back and pinpoint late October 2013 as the time when TFL made an evolutionary leap forward. The venue for the official launch was the WMS show in Toronto, and the major unveiling was Uniboard’s Woodprint synchronized texture. This new development aligns dÊcor paper with surface texture to replicate real wood characteristics in TFL. It is the first embossed in-registered (EIR) decorative panel product specifically engineered for the North American furniture and casework markets. For those who love the aspect of engineered materials that is the coalescence of technology and art, EIR is exciting on many levels. First, it helps to reinforce the quality side of TFL, a material that has struggled with a split personality since its inception. Another compelling part of the story is how major players in the industry, each with its own area of expertise, came together under the direction of Uniboard to bring this product to the North American market. And finally, there is no doubt that EIR TFL for furniture is going to be a favorite of A&D and fabricators alike. This enhanced decorative panel delivers the tactile fidelity that end-users demand, in a format that is easy to process and

requires no additional finishing. “There are so many gains for the furniture market with embossed in-register TFL panels,” says Don Raymond, Vice President Marketing at Uniboard Canada. “Woodprint synchronized texture is the first in North America, and it is truly a giant leap moving the industry forward.”

Enhancing Perceptions

TFL has always endured a bit of an identity crisis due to the fact that the material is extraordinarily versatile in its appearance and applications. First introduced as a secondary building material available in a handful of neutral colors, there is a commodity aspect to the product where price is the singular competitive advantage. But TFL is also so much more. A decorative panel in its own right, the material can be made with beautiful décor papers that allow it to carry virtually any design. Add to the visual effect processes that enhance durability, and the TFL decorative panel becomes a sophisticated value-added product that holds its own amongst specialty materials.

However, it is not enough for a material to just look pretty.

Designers and end users increasingly expect their high-value products to have haptic appeal. “I think Uniboard’s EIR Woodprint product is pivotal because the TFL guys, they have to be out there selling new products,” says Bill Hines, Managing Director of Interprint, Inc. “I was talking to a distributor at the WMS show who said he could only survive so long selling white and maple.” Generalized textures, most notably variations on “pebbled” have been available since the mid1990s. Although the last few years have seen a big jump in the variety of overall textured finishes in the market, there was no synchronization outside of laminate flooring. “Now Uniboard has this great design with EIR technology. It is a leap forward from just a textured print. There is this realism that is catching the eyes of the office furniture makers and residential furniture makers, the specifiers and the architects.

And that is the kind of boost that TFL needs and deserves,” says Hines.

Synchronizing Technology

Considering the significant investment and coordination required to create a product that moves the needle, it is no surprise that Uniboard took the lead in bringing EIR technology to panels. “EIR has been in North America in laminate flooring since 1999. That was also a project between Uniboard and SESA, announced at Surfaces that same year,” says Brian Jones of SESA S.p.A. “What is unique about EIR is the cooperation contributed by each step in the TFL process. The designer starts the ball rolling. Then the printer, the paper maker, the saturator, the machine management and the mould engraver all have to work together to make a quality product.”

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“The design was very complex and very beautiful as is, then adding the texture really enhanced the depth.”

Don Raymond, Vice President Marketing at Uniboard Canada

silva

Although Uniboard is certainly experienced with EIR on the flooring side of TFL, an endeavor that initially brought together a team of experts from Interprint (paper and printing), Arclin (treating) and SESA (press moulds), the development of Woodprint was a different project all together. “If you are introducing something completely different, you can’t retrofit existing technologies and designs,” says Raymond. “You have to come out strong. This is completely new and a differentiated product.” While there is a trend toward flooring as ceiling and wall cladding, any attempt to use it in a furniture application is awkwardly out of scale and wrought with manufacturing challenges. To bring EIR to furniture, not only did the processes have to be customized (there are different considerations when producing panels versus planks), but the design development also had to be done specifically for the application.

Stunning Results

intrigue

classic spice

Riva

zahara

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As the specification community experiences EIR TFL panels, the way furniture is conceived and built will change. Aesthetically, Uniboard set out to create something fresh and exciting with a lot of character, but the design also had to have longevity. To achieve this, design, color and texture work together synergistically. While handling Woodprint is the best way to get the full effect, just the description reads like poetry. The actual design is a woodgrain called “Brushed Elm.” It features in-trend straight grain as well as the small cathedraling and flowers that are natural characteristics of wood. In other areas interest is added with crossgrain and whitewash. “The design was very complex and very beautiful as is, then adding the texture really enhanced the depth,” says Raymond.

The finish texture masterfully imparts not just the look, but also the feel, of wire brushing. With varied depths across the surface of the design, the overall effect is a low luster, naturally worn, handpolished and oiled texture. “It looks absolutely stunning,“ says Hines. “Uniboard is doing full production of this, so it is not just a hand sample made in a lab. This is actually in production. And the boards are just really gorgeous.” Uniboard developed a series of colorways for the design that fit the current and emerging trends, and will continue to adjust color to meet the future needs of the A&D community.

As much as designers are sure to love the beauty of EIR panels, fabricators are going to appreciate the ease of working with the material. It is no secret that finishing is the classic bottleneck in a woodshop. And when dealing with other materials, consistency, stability and availability can also be issues. “With the EIR TFL the wood pores in print are married to the tactile pores in texture,” says Jones. “So the result is realism that competes very well with veneer for much lower cost. Further, it is TFL, so the durability is also far superior.”

Most end users will never fully appreciate all the design development, technology and expert knowledge that Uniboard brought together to be the first to bring this visionary effect to furniture panels. Most people that come into contact with Woodprint built into furniture and cabinets probably won’t know that the beautiful surface they see and touch is engineered. One certainty is that EIR creates such a compelling aesthetic, making a great product even better, that it will become the defining characteristic of high-end decorative TFL panels. s&p

BOISE CASCADE FIXTURE GRADE

Are “smart-routers” the next wave ?

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e all know about smart phones.

Smart TVs and even smart cars are becoming more common. Now, we also have smart CNC routers. In all these cases, the “smart” version does more.

Smart phones do more than make phone calls and smart-routers do more than cut parts.

The fundamental advantage of a smart-router is that it makes a lot more money from nested-based business.

The substantial benefits of a smart-router are not just in cutting parts, but in all the details required to cut parts. It also shines if things go wrong. Most folks considering a router for the first time do not realize that the vast majority of their cost will not just be in running the router, but instead, in the myriad of details required to run the router (preparation, programming, hold down, procedures, sorting, scrap, assembly and error handling are the main cost areas).

Ordinary routers do not focus on these areas. They rely on the user to take care of them, and usually it’s not all that easy. The operator must be both skilled and well trained to work within the limitations of these systems. Smart-routers focus on where the most money is spent because that is where the most money can be made. Ordinary routers may seem less expensive at first, but may prove to be much more expensive in the long run.

Instead of a machine that just executes a program, smart-routers automatically perform numerous functions that otherwise must be done by expensive, skilled operators. Smart-routers aren’t just controls that move a machine. They actually know the job they are doing, so they can make judgment calls that make it much more efficient.

Smart-routers also perform valuable new functions that are just not possible with an ordinary router.

A common problem in nested-based machining occurs when the actual material thickness varies from the thickness that was originally programmed. With ordinary routers, you either have to reprogram the entire job and develop a new CNC program for the new thickness or live with the inevitable mismatches. With smart-routers, simply input the actual thickness at the beginning of the job and the machine adjusts everything automatically.

Replacing scrap parts is really easy with a smart-router. At the end of a job, simply scan the labels of any parts you want to recut and the machine nests them on any material still on the table for re-cutting.

This saves a lot compared to creating new CNC programs to make replacement parts. With a smart-router it is even possible to add parts from previous jobs to a new job, provided the same material is running

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(it watches that). When replacements parts from another job are cut, a red bar on the label indicates that the part is for a different job.

Smart-router labels are also somewhat smart. Most jobs consist of several individual items, for example, a kitchen full of cabinets. To get the most efficient nests, parts are scattered throughout the job.

Once complete, the first thing that must be done is to figure out which parts go with which cabinets. Smart-routers use a color symbol on the labels. Put the parts with the same symbol together (red circles with red circles, blue triangles with blue triangles, etc.) for easy matching.

Color symbols are much easier to sort than text descriptions. This saves a lot of labor. Using a diagram of the part, smart labels also show which edges need to be edgebanded.

Another thing that saves a lot of labor is assembly marks. These are dot patterns machined into the joints of mating parts that tell you which parts go together (one dot goes with one dot, two dots go with two dots, etc.). Assembly marks are completely hidden when the parts are assembled, but they save a lot of assembly time, especially on more complex pieces Since nesting is done right at the machine, it is easy to use material left from previous jobs. At the beginning of a new job, simply scan the label on any material and the machine nests on it. Even flawed materials can be used by nesting around the flaws. This feature alone can save 5-7% on material cost each year.

Another feature with huge payback is the pause button. With standard routers, the operator must remain close to the control so the machine can be stopped if something goes wrong. The only job the operator can really do is watch the machine. With a smart-router, a pause button clips to the operator’s belt. Pressing it anywhere in the production cell immediately stops the machine and offers options. It

works like an emergency stop, but is not a “wrench in the gearbox” emergency stop.

Not fly-cutting the spoil board soon enough to keep parts from moving is probably the single most common reason for scrapping parts in nested based machining. Smart-routers try to help by keeping track of where the spoilboard is cut as the parts are machined.

Before instructing to load another sheet, it looks at the parts on the next sheet and at the cuts already in the spoilboard to make sure every part has sufficient hold down area so it won’t move. If any part falls below a minimum, it gives the operator a choice, either fly cut the top before continuing or it will leave a skin on the problem part so it remains connected to other parts around it and doesn’t move. Over time, this saves a ton of scrap, a lot of time and a lot of money.

Perhaps some parts are moving because spoil board was not flycut soon enough. It is possible to instruct the machine to go ahead and finish this sheet, but leave a skin on all remaining parts so they won’t move and be scrapped. The skin can be easily trimmed afterwards to save the parts. Smart-routers can fly-cut a spoil board in the middle of a job, then adjust the program for the new spoil board thickness and finish the job. If these types of problems are encountered on an ordinary router, addressing them is much more involved.

Just the labor saved by using a machine operator to do other tasks in the production cell is enough to pay for the upgrade to a smartrouter. Scrap savings, labor reduction and programming functionality make a smart-router a savvy business decision.

This is only the beginning of what smart-routers do right now, today. They also keep track of maintenance and tool life, alerting operators before, not after, that there is a problem. They provide a step- by-step guide through anything you want to do. All it takes to run a smart-router is reading. The operating manual, repair procedures and videos of maintenance and repair are right at the machine.

There is also a direct connection to a service center that can address problems. An app for smart phone or tablets allows smart-router monitoring from anywhere. With all this capability, smart-routers are incredibly intuitive and easy to use. Just as smart phones have replaced flip phones, smart-routers may very well replace ordinary routers by offering better, easier and substantially more profitable operation. s&p Ken Susnjara is the founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Thermwood Corporation. Thermwood is a high technology manufacturing company specializing in CNC machine tools, manufacturing software and support products for the woodworking, plastics and composite industries. Ken has a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rose Polytechnic Institute (currently, Rose Hulman Institute of Technology) and has received numerous individual awards including Army, Navy and Air Force citations for work in aerospace engineering. He is listed in Who’s Who Worldwide.

He is named as inventor or co-inventor in over 50 patents and patents pending and is author of seven books on technology in manufacturing. Ken is also an experienced computer programmer having developed several commercial software packages. He is a licensed instrument rated multi-engine pilot and a certified open water diver.

Smart-routers aren’t just controls that move a machine.

They actually know the job they are doing, so they can make judgment calls that make it much more efficient.

Smart-routers also perform valuable new functions that are just not possible with an ordinary router.

Forrest sets the standard for excellence with these new top-quality blades: • Woodworker II 48-Tooth Blade for general-purpose applications. Features a 20º face hook, a 25º bevel, and sharp points for clean cross-grain slicing and quiet, smooth cutting.

• PVW Blade for rip and cross cutting plywood and plywood veneers without splintering, fuzz or chipouts. Commercialquality, 10º hook, 70 teeth, and high alternate top bevel grind.

• 2-Piece & 4-Piece Finger Joint Sets with reversible, interlocking 8” blades. Ideal for rabbets and grooves.

Blades have 24 teeth and standard 5/8” bore. Reversible for 3/16” and 5/16” cuts or 1/4” and 3/8” cuts.

• Thin Kerf Dados for clean cutting of 3/16” to 1/4” grooves in thin plywood and man-made materials. Available in two-piece and three-piece sets for table or radial arm saws.

Our blades are U.S.A-manufactured and have a 30-day, money-back guarantee.

Custom sizes available. Order from Forrest dealers or retailers, by going online, or by calling us directly.

www.ForrestBlades.com 1-800-733-7111 (In NJ, call 973-473-5236) © 2013 Forrest Manufacturing

Code SP

surface&panel

Q4 2013

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HotDesign CorePower Yoga

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he ancient practice of yoga (exercise, meditation and breath work) has a strong presence in modern America, where it is so mainstream that even the Seattle Seahawks mandate it as part of the team’s training regiment.

According to a study conducted by the Yoga Journal, there were 20 million people practicing yoga in the United States as of 2012.

While the majority of classes take place in independent studio settings, Denver-based CorePower Yoga recognized an opportunity to bring a standardized style of yoga to the masses. Founded in 2002 with the intention of sharing the benefits of yoga by building amazing studio spaces, CorePower Yoga operates over 90 studios in dense urban markets of 12 states. “We stand out in the industry as the largest network of yoga studios in the country,” says Holly Georgelos, Marketing Director for CorePower Yoga. “We have established a premiere yoga brand based on a consistent, quality customer experience, and made it convenient for members to have a dedicated practice.”

Dedication By Design

Like many successful business models, CorePower Yoga strikes a balance between standardization and customization; from the structure of the classes to the interior finishes of the studios. “We reach the goal-minded individual,” says Georgelos. “The fitness component is amazing. Practitioners get a full-body workout in one hour. The heated power vinyasa (flow) classes build overall strength, but there is also a mental benefit from de-stressing that comes from breath work. That is different than a typical gym workout.”

CorePower Yoga grows by infilling established yoga communities and making it convenient for people to develop a practice. Membership entitles a person to use any of the studios nationwide. Regardless of the location, the look of the space and the style of the classes are standard enough to distinguish the brand. To accomplish this an inhouse interior design team established a consistent palette of materials and LED lighting fixtures that creates a modern, environmentally 60

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conscious setting. “We want to connect to nature, so we use Formica’s Couture HPL throughout the studios, “says Kristy Arends, LEED AP, the Manager of Design and Development for CorePower Yoga. “It is a beautiful, elegant design that is unique to CorePower Yoga. It is in Formica’s European line, but because it is our brand standard we buy the entire roll, and that specialty HPL goes to our millwork partners.”

Some Like it Hot

CorePower Yoga’s spa-like amenities include lobby, reception space, boutique retail, changing rooms with showers and private lockers.

Each studio also has between one and four climate-controlled practice rooms, with busier locations serving more than 600 students daily. Depending on the class, temperatures range from 85 degrees Fahrenheit with natural humidity to 105 degrees Fahrenheit with 60 percent humidity. “A big reason why we use HPL is that when CorePower

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Yoga first started, the designers were using real wood,” says Arends. “But after about three years of people putting their hot, sweaty, yoga clothes on the surfaces, or even their boots from the outside, the wood lockers would warp and discolor. So we replaced them all with laminate. The performance is so much better.” The recycled nature of HPL also appeals to the design sensibility. The Lonseal vinyl flooring in the practice rooms is also recycled, inherently antimicrobial and doesn’t warp.

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CorePower Yoga’s interior designs reflect the ethos of the local communities, with unique paint, carpet and specialty fixtures. Some of the most eye catching are engineered decorative surfaces. 3Form’s Wovin Wall modular systems, which are comprised of metal, timber laminate and polypropylene pieces snapped together and backlit, provide dramatic sculptural focal points in some locations.

Significant visual impact also comes from Texture Panels inserts made by the 3D laminator Soelberg Industries. “We make everything to the size and color specification for a particular project,” says Steve Soelberg, President of Soelberg Industries. “That is the fun thing about this product. It helps the A&D because it eliminates the need for on-site fabrication and streamlines installation.” Soelberg does membrane pressing in-house, offering many finishes (metallics, woodgrains, solids, high-gloss and texture) from leading suppliers in the flexible film industry, including Omnova Solutions, Dackor, SSI and Renolit.

Soelberg also supports the CPA’s ECC program.“ Our preferred substrate is Flakeboard. Their very refined MDF machines better than anybody’s and there is no telegraphing,” says Soelberg.

The custom made desk inserts at CorePower Yoga complement the textures of each location’s interior finishes. “The shape is carved into the MDF with a CNC machine, then wrapped,” says Arends. “The MDF is made from recycled/reclaimed wood, and Soelberg uses only water-based adhesives. Their wood scraps are composted for farming, and the leftover plastic is recycled.

We love this company.”

CorePower Yoga’s success comes from delivering consistent training experiences within beautiful interiors that carry brandspecific design elements. “We don’t want to be totally branded where it is cookie cutter and every studio looks the same,” says Arends. “Each location feels a little different. That creates an independent sense of community with enough familiar elements that practitioners know it is still CorePower Yoga.” s&p

What is ECC? ECC stands for Eco-Certified CompositeTM, as defined in a ground-breaking new Sustainability Standard and Certification Program for composite panel products – specifically particleboard, MDF, hardboard and engineered wood siding and trim, and products made with them.

What makes a composite panel Eco-Certified?

The requirements for ECC Certification are tough and specific, and require annual audits.

Composite panels must first comply with the stringent California Air Resources Board (CARB) formaldehyde emissions regulation.

In addition, the panel manufacturing facility must meet at least 3 of the following requirements: • Carbon Footprint – Demonstrate that the panel’s carbon store offsets its cradle-to-gate carbon footprint as determined in kg-CO2 equivalents of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

• Local and Renewable Resource – At least 85% of wood fiber sourced within 250 miles.

• Recycled/Recovered – At least 75% recycled or recovered wood fiber; or at least 50% recycled/recovered wood fiber plus a minimum of 5% post-consumer fiber.

• Sustainability – At least 97% of the wood fiber furnish used in the manufacturing process is either converted into panels or other non-waste products.

• Wood Sourcing – Hold a valid assessment and certificate from a certifying agency recognized by CPA such as FSC or SFI.

The Composite Panel Association is committed to advancing and certifying the sustainability of industry products for residential, commercial and industrial uses.

ECC Wood Products are among the greenest on earth.

What products carry the ECC logo?

Products carrying the ECC-certified logo include furniture, cabinets, closet systems, flooring, doors, mouldings and more.

Who can be ECC certified?

ECC certification is available to composite panel plants and facilities that manufacture laminated panels, components and finished products. Certification provides independent third party verification and an audited chain of custody.

What about LEED? ECC certification may help products achieve LEED credit for Recycled Content MR Credit 4, Regional Materials MR Credit 5, Certified Wood MR Credit 7, and/or Low Emitting Material EQ Credit 4.4.

ECC certification may also help earn credit for Low Emitting Materials EQ Credit 4.5 (LEED–CI) and others.

Who sponsors ECC? The Composite Panel Association (CPA) developed the ECC Standard, including its pioneering Carbon Calculator. CPA administers the ECC Certification Program as a third party certification agency accredited to ISO/IEC Guide 65by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

www.ECCproduct.org

a d v e r t i s e r

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Agristrand 34 888.250.5625 www.Agristrand.com

Northern Contours 47 866.344.8132 www.northerncontours.com

Arclin Omnova Solutions 19 866.332.5226 61 877.689.9145 www.omnova.com www.arclin.com

Blum, Inc. 67 704.827.1345 Perfecting motion www.blum.com

Panel Processing 42 800.433.7142 www.panel.com

Boise Cascade 57 888.264.7372 www.bc.com

Panolam 203.925.1556 68 (BC) www.panolam.com

Chemcraft, a brand of AkzoNobel 31 336.841.5111 www.chemcraft.com

Premiere Eurocase 24 303.407.7214 www.premiereurocase.com

Clarion Boards 13 800.373.4383 www.clarionindustries.com

Renolit 62 856.467.3800 www.renolit.com

Collins 21 800.329.1219 www.CollinsWood.com

Riken USA Corporation 46 609.387.2011 www.riken-usa.com

Columbia Forest Products 35 800.808.9080 www.columbiaforestproducts.com

Roseburg 8 800.245.1115 www.Roseburg.com

Composite Panel Association 64-65 866.4Composites www.DecorativeSurfaces.org

Salice 26 800.222.9652 www.saliceamerica.com

Decotone 45 908.301.0600 www.decotonesurfaces.com

Schattdecor 25 314.400.6100 www.schattdecor.com

DVUV 32 216.741.5511 www.dvuv.com

SierraPine Composite Solutions 53 800.676.3339 www.sierrapine.com

Forrest 59 800.733.7111 www.ForrestBlades.com

Smartech 51 704.362.1922 www.smartechonline.com

Interior Arts 43 800.807.7341 www.ialaminates.com

Stevens Industries 63 217.540.3100 www.stevensmelamine.com

Interprint, Inc. 2 (IFC) 413.443.4733 www.interprint.us

Kings Mountain International 23 704.739.4227 www.kmiinc.net

Stiles Machinery, Inc. 11 616.698.7500 www.stilesmachinery.com

Surface Source International 22 973.598.0152 www.ssinorthamerica.com

KML-Kustom Material Laminates

Synergy Thermofoils 50 888.358.5075 48 954.420.9553 www.KMLcorp.com www.SynergyThermofoils.com Laminati 41 877.863.7908 www.laminati-usa.com

Lamitech S.A. 49 571.644.9898 www.lamitech.com.co Marlite 15 800.377.1221 速 www.marlite.com

M.L. Campbell 39 800.364.1359 www.mlcampbell.com 66

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Tafisa Canada 5 888.882.3472 www.tafisa.ca Thermwood 12 800.533.6901 www.thermwood.com

Uniboard 17 800.263.5240 www.uniboard.com

West Fraser Sales Ltd. 9 780.413.8900 www.westfraser.com

Fine-tune your drawers.

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It’s virtually silent. And who doesn’t like the sound of that? Ask your distributor about adjusting to life with TANDEM plus BLUMOTION. blum.com

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