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Dear Sara
Here is a link to a manufacture of honeycomb
panels:
I am not sure if they would be a useful resource or
not.
They make a wide range of panels, from many different
materials.
They do not currently serve the printing / display industry
specifically, so they may not have the perfect solution in hand, but they are
likely to be willing to explore some options.
Their panels should be rigid, and durable and can be built
for exterior use. The main green aspect is that the panels would use
minimal materials in their manufacture - they contain a lot of air. The
company also says their production operations are carbon
neutral.
Karl DeWahl
Manufacturing Team Leader/Senior Engineer Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
University of Minnesota 612/624-4645, 800/247-0015 http://www.mntap.umn.edu Helping Minnesota Businesses Maximize
Resource Efficiency, Prevent Pollution and Reduce Costs.
From: owner-p2tech@great-lakes.net [mailto:owner-p2tech@great-lakes.net] On Behalf Of Johnson, Sara Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 12:10 PM To: p2tech@great-lakes.net Cc: Perelli, Vince Subject: Assistance for NH printer/manufacturer of displays Posted on behalf of a
colleague: Greetings P2
Techies: We
need your assistance. This one is pretty tough. A very proactive
company recently reached out to us for some assistance in helping them to
further reduce their already small environmental footprint. They are
a leading national firm providing display solutions, from in-house graphics
design and production, to a broad line of display hardware to turn-key project
and program management solutions. They
are currently interested in testing alternative printable and manufacturable
materials. Specifically, they are looking for a board with properties
similar to Sintra (Komacell) expanded PVC. These are:
1)
Relatively dense to cut drill and router cleanly; 2)
Non-hydrophyllic; and 3) Provides a
clean
surface to accept printing without absorbing ink
dramatically.
Right now, they have
a 35%
post-consumer waste cardboard, which is excellent for “disposable”
printing, but is not good for exterior or long-term/abusive
use. They also have
a 35% post-industrial recycled waste styrene which works well for
in-store signage or for projects where the graphic can flex or can be supported
on 4 sides. They use a wood/PVC blended product
(Gatorfom) which is rigid and resists impact, but is not good for unsupported
lengths over 40' and it’s highly hydrophyllic. Additionally,
they already use a composite aluminum/PVC sheet, virgin steel sheet, and
virgin aluminum sheet . Apparently,
they are looking for a source of recycled Sintra or a similar
product. They are very interested in getting away from PVC products,
but they require the properties listed above. We've checked - they
already know about the "Eco-Flexx" product. Per the company, "It prints
beautifully for outdoor banners. It is OK for indoors, but not good enough
for display-grade and museum-grade applications. FYI -- they are already
members of the Exhibit Designers and Producers
Association. Basically what their industry says is “Medium
Density Fiberboard (MDF) is recycled." We are told that Medium
Density Fiberboard is sawdust, so it absorbs moisture and apparently prints
poorly, etc. Great for cabinets, lousy for graphics. They are
also members of PINE - Printing Industries of New England. They got
some useful information there on highly-recycled card stock. They don't
appear to be up on the latest for plastics as a printed product. The
silk-screen industry hasn't been particularly helpful as a resource for
alternatives. See -- This is the
problem with working with a proactive company -- they've basically taken the
wind out of our P2 sails! Any and all assistance and leads are
greatly appreciated. Sara
Johnson Pollution Prevention
Program NH Department of
Environmental Services |