October 24, 2005
Sunflower Board- Green Sustainable Product
What happens when we take natural fibers from an abundant renewable resource—Sun Flower seed hulls, and turn them into a strong and attractive panel board with bio-resins made from Soy Beans?
1. A fresh and attractive new material lends itself to durable product displays.
2. A strong and durable sheet material creates a new look for store fixtures.
3. Using new materials, like Dakota Burl™, creates visual interest, fosters environmental responsibility, and encourages curiosity.
Dakota Burl™ is a unique bio-based decorative composite material, made from an abundant agricultural resource. It exhibits the beauty and elegance of traditional burled woods. The natural burled texture and pattern along with its panel properties allow for a variety of applications.
Dakota Burl™ can be used naturally or stained with conventional wood stains to achieve a wide range of color options. It comes in 4’x 8’ sheets to be used in any interior application replacing plywood, particle board or MDF. Available in ½”, ¾” and 1” thicknesses, Dakota Burl™ is dense, durable and emits no toxic gasses.
Dakota Burl™ work surfaces and table tops
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Examples of displays made from Dakota Burl™: Sproutz from Jonti Craft
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Environ is the creator of Dakota Burl™
What Is Dakota Burl™?
• A unique composite material that utilizes a bio-based technology and exhibits the beauty and elegance of traditional burled woods.
How Does Dakota Burl™ Benefit Our Environment?
• Manufactured from a rapidly renewable agricultural fiber product.
• No out-gassing solvents are added during the manufacturing process, thus the material emits no VOCs into the atmosphere.
What Does Dakota Burl™ Look Like?
• The defined black outlining complements the natural yellow and brown tones of the fibers creating a distinctive pattern.
• Natural or stained, the material resembles authentic burled woods, giving a wide range of color options.
• The burled pattern and natural appearance run throughout the thickness of the material.
How Does Dakota Burl™ Work?
• The material cuts, sands and routes with standard woodworking tools.
• Traditional wood staining and finishing techniques can be used on the material to create a wide range of appearances.
• Four foot by eight foot panels are manufactured in 1/2", 3/4" and 1" thicknesses.
How Can I Use Dakota Burl™?
• Superior panel properties allow for a variety of applications.
• Table Surfaces, Horizontal and Vertical Surfaces (transaction surfaces and interior decorative wall applications), Cabinetry, Furniture and Architectural Applications are all excellent uses for Dakota Burl™. Please note that this material is intended for commercial and residential interior applications only.
NOTE: Not recommended for kitchen and/or bath countertop applications.
Posted by Glen at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2005
Acrylite Corrugated Acrylic Sheet
Looking for a cool looking accent for a fixture or display? CYRO Industries has a pre-formed wavy sheet that might do the trick. The material has an iridescent coating that gives matt pearlescent type of look on one side and sheen on the other side.
A standard sheet size is 41” W x 98”L in .118-inch thick (3 mm). Special lengths can be obtained up to 275 inches long (22.9 ft). The flutes are approximately ¾” of an inch high and about 3 inches apart from arc to arc. (See the drawing below for more details)
Acrylite corrugated sheet is extruded from impact-modified acrylic to be more break-resistant than sheet made from conventional acrylic. The material has an infrared reflecting surface coating and is resistant to aging. It does not become yellow or brittle The corrugated sheet was initially designed for patio roofs and is tough enough to withstand hail.
The material can be cut with a high-speed hand held circular saw and drilled. It can be fabricated mechanically, solvent or sonic welded.
Designers have shown interest in using the corrugated acrylic sheet because of its versatility and attractive appearance. It has been used for building horizontal shelves of wine racks, the fronts of cabinet doors and for segments for a trade show booth.
Design ideas:
Store Fixtures
Decorative front on a cash wrap
Divider panels
End Cap backdrop panel
Sign panel
In-Store Marketing – P-O-P
Base for a cosmetic display
Shoe Platform for Shoe Display
Wrap-around backdrop
Display Column
To learn more how we could include this material in your fixture or display project please call us toll free at 888-843-1870.
Posted by Glen at 07:19 AM | Comments (0)
October 04, 2005
Backlit Photo Displays
DSA/Phototech Inc.'s ThinSlide 2.5 slide access illuminated display for small to very large graphics combines a narrow profile with economy and ease of access. At only 2.5 in. deep, the display is well within ADA guidelines, which require 4 in. maximum depth in public areas. The UL-listed ThinSlide 2.5 lightbox uses standard fluorescent lighting. It comes in six sizes from 40 in. by 50 in. to 72 in. by 144 in. and will accommodate all materials designed for backlit or edgelit applications. Using a Phillips-head or optional security screwdriver, the user can quickly remove any or all sides of the display, which slide out of place to allow fast changeout of graphics. Manufactured of extruded aluminum, the ThinSlide 2.5 display is designed to be light yet durable and to dissipate heat effectively. The standard finish is brushed aluminum; custom sizes and powdercoat finishes are also available.
DSA/Phototech has supplied lightboxes and other graphic display systems to the retail, advertising, and trade exhibit industries for more than three decades.
Source: NASFM
Posted by Glen at 10:52 PM | Comments (0)
Mood Light Panels
Interesting way to add a new dimension to a light fixture.
Blending light, colors, and ambience into atmospheric lighting, Outwater Plastics' programmable LED Mood Light Classic Panels pulse and sweep in an infinite variety of colors to create an illumination matrix. A remote control allows retailers to generate their own lighting scenarios and color changing combinations. The intensity of the primary red, green, and blue LEDs can be varied through 20 mood light settings for unlimited color combinations and active light functions such as random interchanging color combinations, rainbow color sequences, fusions of gradually changing colors, and pulsating light. A sound mode feature enables the coordination of panels to display in sync with the rhythm of music. Made of an aluminum frame with a sturdy polycarbonate front cover divided into four squares, they can be wall- or ceiling-mounted or used as a single standing display. Measuring 19-1/2 by 19-1/2 by 1-3/4 in., each panel comes with a single UL power supply or can be purchased with an optional power supply unit, which can concurrently power up to 16 panels.
Source: Nasfm
Posted by Glen at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)
Revolutionizing the Retail Space
There's a great article about the changing face of retail spaces over at RetailTrafficMag.com.
What makes a retail space special? Striking design, of course; great products, too. But to maintain an edge over competitors, retailers are finding they have to give shoppers other reasons for visiting their stores.
A Dick's Sporting Goods prototype store, for example, lets you practice your golf swing while, say, your daughter is perfecting her archery technique. Geoffrey, the new megastore chain from the Toys ‘R’ Us family, has children's hair stylists and photographers for family snapshots. Mazda provides espresso and PlayStations.
That's entertainment — retail style.
In the age of easy Internet purchasing and one-stop buying, retailers are doing everything they can to attract shoppers and their families — and keep them in the store for hours. With this in mind, designers are revolutionizing interior spaces by targeting the shoppers' imagination through texture, sound, color and movement.
“You have to always remember that you're creating an exciting moment for the customer,” says Russ Sway, president of the Institute of Store Planners. “When they walk into a store, you want them to say ‘wow’ to the products that have already existed.”
For most retailers remodeling is routine, often done every five to seven years to freshen the look and attract new shoppers. “It's important to redesign so that the new store down the street won't seem more appealing because it has a fresher coat of paint and trendier graphics,” says Robert Mooney, a former retailer who is now senior designer at Carter & Burgess in Texas. “They want to make sure that they keep up with the Joneses.”
On the following pages, we present some elegant designs and some practical ones that opened in the past year. These uncommon spaces have more to set them off than just attractive fixtures...
Continue reading Uncommon SPACES
Posted by Glen at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)
Light Bulbs Burning Out Of Industry
The light bulb will soon become obsolete in all industries due to the adoption of the LED. The display industry has already started using LED's in displays, and the trend has branched outward according to an article at eBuild.com.
Thomas Alva Edison, the wizard of Menlo Park, was born Feb. 11, 1847, and died Oct. 18, 1931, in West Orange, N.J.
He's about to die again.
In what technologists are calling the death of Edison, advances in electronics will render his signature invention - a bright, long- lasting light bulb - obsolete.
By decade's end, or as soon as 2008, the world's general illumination market will to begin a gradual transition from the incandescent light bulb, barely changed since the days of Edison, to light-emitting diodes.
Why chuck the venerable light bulb?
Around 2009, an equivalent LED still will be about five times more expensive than the 75-cent-to-$1 100-watt bulb at the hardware store, says Jagdish Rebello, an analyst at researcher iSuppli.
But consider the operating savings, he adds. They will last about 10 times longer and consume only one-tenth of the power...
Continue reading Experts: LEDs Will Render Light Bulbs Obsolete
Posted by Glen at 10:25 PM | Comments (0)
Recessed Lighting In Merchandise Cases
Energy-efficient, high-impact and unobtrusive lighting can bolster sales by effectively displaying the color and beauty of merchandise. Amerlux Lighting Solutions' SVA lighting fixtures combine a high-performance optical system engineered around the ED17 ceramic metal halide lamp with a linear spread distribution designed for display-case illumination. The right amount of light, not overpowering but focused, is delivered to the case merchandise with minimal glare, making it look as though it were illuminated from within the case.
The SVA luminaire also offers significant energy savings. Spaced up to 4 ft. o.c., these luminaires can replace 100-watt incandescent lamps at 18 in. o.c., reducing energy consumption by more than half and installation costs by 33%. The SVA uses the ED17 ceramic metal halide lamp, which has a longer rated life than standard PAR MH or incandescent lamps; this allows re-lamping cycles to be extended. Having only one lamp to inventory also saves time and money. And the recessed in the ceiling design help lower HVAC costs, as heat dissipates above the ceiling...
Continue reading Amerlux SVA Recessed Luminaire Focuses Light on Merchandise in Cases
Posted by Glen at 10:17 PM | Comments (0)
October 03, 2005
Using Scents makes $ and Cent$ at Retail
Olfactory/Fragrance/Scent
The use of olfactory marketing at the point of sale creates an effect of surprise and is an important differentiation factor. Not only does it generate a better memory of the commercial message and the brand name with which it is associated but it intensifies the message and strengthens the positioning of products. Customers tend to browse longer and do more impulse buying when pleasurable scents are detected.
Fragrances are encapsulated in basic materials such as paper, card stock, adhesive labels, fabric, plastic and metal. Most fragrances can be used quite successfully in these materials with long lasting effects - some up to years. Handling breaks down the fragrance capsules not storing of finished products. In addition, many companies will customize fragrances to your specifications.
There are two basic ways to use fragrance: 1) diffusers and 2) incorporation into substrates.
Diffusers
Diffusers vary in size and shape. They are incorporated into a display or store fixture and are directly adaptable to your advertisement elements thanks to their maneuverability and their small size, which can be adjusted to the area of use. Their very low consumption of fluid prevents a frequent change of the fragrances and thus enables the installation in places difficult to access.
Many diffusers are also equipped with a programming system which enables the device to operate autonomously. The system has several features including the possibility to adapt the power of the fragrance to the area and a timer option to regulate the periods of diffusion.
Substrates
One option is to have the fragrance incorporated directly into the printing process. Any printer can accommodate a fragrance. Usually about 2 kg will cover 4000 A4 sheets. It will not affect the finished printed image. You can customize for a small part of the display or fixture or cover the entire surface area.
Some companies, such as Polyvel Inc., incorporate the power of fragrance into the production process of plastics. They specialize in additives to plastic and understand the chemical nature of fragrances to preserve their integrity and optimum performance in high temperature plastics processing environments. Whether the process is blown film, cast sheet, injection molding, blow molding, rotational molding, foam extrusion, heat seal materials, or spun bond non-woven fiber, they have developed scents that can easily be incorporated into a processing environment. Using three levels of concentrate (low, medium, high), fragrances can be used in varying intensities depending on display or fixture placement and size.
Sources and Further Information:
http://www.prolitec.com
http://www.aromaco.co.uk
http://www.polyvel.com/polyscent7.html
Posted by Glen at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)