Miter-folded, membrane pressed 3-D laminate improves structural integrity, surface durability, and aesthetics of nesting display tables

DENVER, CO — Retail store fixtures must combine attention-getting style with workhorse durability at affordable prices. Yet, due to the inherent limitations of many conventional surfacing materials, finding a material that can simultaneously satisfy functional, aesthetic, and cost requirements can be a challenge. The wrong choice leads to costly failures in the field and headaches for the retailer.

When nesting tables used to display merchandise in The Sports Authority®'s Golf Department began to show premature wear and structural weakness, the Englewood, CO-based retailer turned to one of its suppliers — Premier Eurocase, Inc. (Denver, CO) — for a solution. Premier manufactures wood fixtures, including point-of-purchase displays and cash register counters, for The Sports Authority stores, as well as provides turnkey solutions.

"The tables were being manufactured primarily of thermofused melamine," explains Andy Wilzoch, president of the Denver, CO-based supplier, "Which wouldn't have been an issue if the tables were only being used to display apparel as intended. However, in retail settings, tables inevitably become benches, holding people instead of clothing, and are also frequently pulled and pushed around by employees as the department changes."

"As a result, the table joints and melamine corners were prematurely failing under the abuse," he explains. As a solution, Wilzoch introduced his customer to components membrane pressed with 3-D laminate (3DL). "Generally, components membrane pressed with 3DL are extremely durable compared to a typical melamine or high pressure laminate when used for a vertical application with outside corners," says Wilzoch. "By introducing 3-D laminates to this product we were able to add a three-dimensional look and a high level of durability."

Miter-folded 3-D laminates add structural integrity, high-end aesthetics

Premier also simplified the design of the stacking tables, three in all. "For the end of the larger table we replaced nine individual pieces with one membrane-pressed piece that incorporates a raised-panel and two miter-folded 3-inch (7.62 cm) thick legs," explains Wilzoch.

The process begins with 4 ft x 8 ft (1.2 x 2.4 m) sheets of MDF, which are laminated with Pearwood melamine. A Wemhöner short-cycle melamine press allows Premier to thermofuse melamine in-house. "Color and finish matching across material types is very important to our business," says Wilzoch. "We can offer a full range of colors and finishes in both 3-D laminate and melamine, and we've eliminated the delay associated with ordering matching melamine from outside suppliers."

Premier stocks nine standard woodgrains and six standard colors of melamine and has 3-D laminates from American Renolit (Whippany, NJ) to match each one.

Melamine-backed boards are taken to a Homag BOF CNC twin table router and machined into individual components to be either membrane pressed or edge banded (table tops and skirts). Premier's 100,000-sq-ft (9,300-sq-m) facility is highly automated and supports a wide range of equipment and material handling systems. Cutting information is programmed in the office and then downloaded to the CNC machine center. As each part is cut, a label is printed that describes the part and provides a bar code that can be read by the machining centers. Parts are transported from one operation to another via roller conveyors and transfer carts.

Machined components to be membrane pressed are sent through a spray booth where adhesive supplied by Helmitin Inc. (Olive Branch, MS) is applied and allowed to dry for approximately 45 minutes. Components are then sent through a Wemhöner Variopress 1000 membrane press, which has a 4 ft x 8 ft (1.2 m x 2.4 m) twin shuttle table and automatic turnover device. Parts are placed on a table — with Renolit 3-dimensional laminate suspended above — and slid inside the chamber where the 3DL is heated by the membrane blanket and through a combination of air pressure and vacuum that draws the film tightly onto all top and side surfaces of the part. Exceptional formability enables the film to conform to virtually any shape routed into the substrate, including compound curves and fine details, while maintaining uniform wall thickness with minimal thin-out.

Membrane pressed parts are manually trimmed and then transported back to the router where construction holes are machined and V-grooves are routed across the backside to allow for miter-folding. The groove is deep enough to penetrate the wood but does not touch the film. The mitered wood edges are then coated with adhesive and hinged on the film to close the groove, creating an outside corner that is hidden by seamless film. "The finished leg appears to be solid and offers significantly improved structural integrity compared to the original design," says Wilzoch.

Finished tables are assembled in-house. The largest of the three nesting tables measures 36 in. x 56 in. x 32 in. (91 cm x 142 cm x 81 cm); the top table is 15 in. x 44 in. x 16 in. (38 cm x 112 cm x 41 cm); and the bottom adjustable table is 14 in. x 48 in. x 20 in. (36 cm x 142 cm x 51 cm). Each quarter, Premier Eurocase produces from 20 to 100 sets of the tables, depending on the season and the customer's requirements.

Membrane pressing expands design options

"We could not produce the nesting tables without membrane pressing," says Wilzoch. "It's one of many products we've brought in house since adding membrane pressing to our capabilities just over a year ago," he adds. "We're now manufacturing a lot of stand-alone point-of-purchase displays with radius curves and soft corners that were very difficult for us to produce in the past."

The Sports Authority® chain, which also includes Gart Sports®, Sportmart®, and Oshman's®, has provided the strongest area of growth for Premier's membrane pressing capabilities. "The sporting goods stores are constantly developing new fixtures," says Wilzoch. "They want the three-dimensional capabilities and soft, rounded, seamless edges that membrane pressing offers." From zero components a year ago, now 30% of the components Premier produces for sporting goods installations are membrane pressed.

Premier Eurocase, Inc.
12000 East 56th Avenue #K
Denver, CO 80239
303-373-9718
303-373-9710 fax
premier@Premierurocase.com
www.Premierurocase.com