28 Jul 2004
HERMAN MILLER EQUA CHAIR BENEFITS FROM STRENGTH, AESTHETIC ADVANTAGES OF DSM’S AKULON® ULTRAFLOW®
Herman Miller, Inc., a leading global provider of office furniture and services in the office furniture industry, has selected Akulon Ultraflow fibreglass-reinforced polyamide resin from , DSM Engineering Plastics for the structural shell on their line of Equa Chairs. Engineers at Herman Miller chose the high-flow polyamide 6 (PA6) for the material’s excellent long-term fatigue performance and superior surface finish. In the Equa chair, Akulon Ultraflow also wards off scuffs and scrapes, helping to maintain the chair’s aesthetics.
"Herman Miller is constantly looking for ways to improve the performance and beauty of its designs," says Bert Havenith General Product Manager Akulon Europe of DSM, "and the Ultraflow material did just that for Equa. The thermoplastic resin is injection moulded into the Equa Chair’s one-piece seat and back to produce a strong, flexible, cost-effective, and visually pleasing shell.”
The improved flow properties of Akulon Ultraflow, important for the long flowing lines of the Equa chair, derive from proprietary technology developed by DSM Research and Development and introduced in 2001. These flow properties give exceptionally beautiful surfaces previously unavailable in a high glass-content polyamide 6.
The superb melt flow of Akulon Ultraflow is the result of DSM Engineering Plastics’ proprietary method of melt flow improvement. The improved flow level of Akulon Ultraflow in comparison to that of standard PA6 grades translates to important benefits like cycle time reduction, freedom of design and opportunities for wall thickness reductions, improved surface appearance, potentially more cavities per tool, the need for smaller injection moulding units, and lower moulded-in stress and warpage combined with excellent retention of mechanical performance.
Akulon Ultraflow replaced polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin in the original design and has reduced costs while improving the durability of the product. "We were able to significantly increase the fatigue performance of the chair shell," said Andy Hector Product Engineer at Herman Miller, “which will increase the expected life of the chair and reduce warranty costs."
The Equa line provides high-performance, adjustable, long-term seating with a one-piece flexible shell in three sizes, for computer work, general office work, and formal or informal meetings. The ergonomically-designed seat and back of the Equa 2 shell flex separately so the chair automatically responds to the user's movements.
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Notes for editors
Akulon Ultraflow
Akulon Ultraflow is proven to improve melt flow in glass-reinforced and unreinforced PA6 grades by up to 80%. The product is offered in unreinforced, 30%, 40%, and 50% glass-fibre reinforced versions and in various glassfiber/mineral combinations. The mechanical properties of Akulon Ultraflow are similar to those of standard Akulon® PA6 grades. These grades can easily replace equivalent PA66 grades. Akulon® PA6 grades, compared to PA66 grades, are easier to process due to the broader processing window, have higher weld strength after welding operations, better toughness, and better surface appearance.
The list of possible applications is broad, in particular for thin-walled applications. In addition, the highly reinforced Akulon Ultraflow grades provide a good alternative in applications where metals are currently used. Examples of application areas for Akulon Ultraflow include the lawn and garden industry for use in edgers, trimmers, and blowers. In addition, Akulon Ultraflow is applied in automotive applications both for under-the-bonnet and appearance parts.
About Herman Miller
Herman Miller helps create great places to work by researching, designing, manufacturing, and distributing innovative interior furnishings that support companies, organizations, and individuals all over the world. The company's award-winning products, complemented by furniture management and strategic consulting services, generated $1.34 billion in revenue during fiscal 2003. In 2003 Herman Miller was ranked among the top 50 "most innovative corporate users of information technology" by Information Week magazine and was again included in Business Ethics magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens." Herman Miller was also named recipient of the prestigious National Design Award for product design from the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. The company trades on the NASDAQ stock market under the symbol MLHR. For additional information about the company, visit HermanMiller.com.
DSM Engineering Plastics
DSM Engineering Plastics is a business group forming part of DSM's Performance Materials cluster. DSM EP is a global supplier of Stanyl® PA46 and Akulon® 6 and 66 polyamides, Arnitel® TPE-E, Arnite® PBT and PET polyesters, Xantar® polycarbonate, Yparex® extrudable adhesive resins, and Stamylan® UH Ultra High Molecular Weight PE. These materials are used in technical components for electrical appliances, electronic equipment and cars, in barrier packaging films as well as in many mechanical and extrusion applications. The business group had annual sales of EUR 566 million in 2003. DSM Engineering Plastics has a market share of about 5% in the world market. With Stanyl®, it is the global market leader in high heat polyamides.
Akulon®, Arnite®, Arnitel®, Stanyl®, Stamylan®UH, Xantar® and Yparex® are registered trademarks of DSM Engineering Plastics.
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DSM Engineering Materials
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