Lightweight Network Looking to Inspire

A new lobbying group has emerged to try to encourage furniture designers and manufacturers to use more lightweight board in their design and production.

The Lightweight Network UK has been formed with the specific aims of explaining the environmental and cost benefits of lightweight panels over standard particleboard and promoting its use in inspirational design schemes.

Edgeband manufacturer REHAU hosted the inaugural meeting at its Ross on Wye HQ recently with representatives from fittings specialists Hettich UK, adhesives and bonding company Delo and board manufacturers Thermopal all present to show their support and help build the momentum needed for the campaign.

Lightweight board has long been recognised as an environmentally friendly alternative to standard wood panels using fewer natural resources and being both cheaper and easier to transport, manufacture and install.

It offers designers a new dimension in furniture design by allowing for much thicker yet lighter panels to be used in contemporary kitchen, bathroom, office and shopfitting applications. Until now, its use has been restricted largely to worktops as manufacturers have looked for practical and secure ways to fix connections in the top and bottom facings for runners and frames.

However, Hettich UK and Delo presented a new bonding dowel solution at the Lightweight Network UK meeting which will allow lightweight board to be used in even the most demanding technical applications, and REHAU showed how edgeband can be easily applied up to a 50mm depth with 8mm substrate each side.

Speaking at the meeting, Neil Schofield of Hettich said: ‘The Hettinject initiative which we have developed with Delo gives new freedom to designers and, alongside the REHAU edgeband capability, opens up a whole new market for lightweight board which we hope to exploit alongside manufacturers like Thermopal.

‘We are now creating a regular forum at which manufacturers and designers can ask questions about the material's applications and benefits and where we can all provide both the reassurance and the inspiration necessary for them to choose lightweight board over the conventional alternatives.’

Office furniture manufacturer Sven Christiansen was represented at the Lightweight Network UK meeting and gave a valuable and positive perspective on the production and processing issues which will impact on the shift towards the new boards.

Allison Tucker, Business Team Manager at REHAU, said: ‘There was lots of enthusiasm at the meeting to move forward with the campaign and for us as manufacturers to work together to educate and inspire the market.

‘As a result, we will be holding further meetings at Hettich's Manchester and London offices and inviting more potential customers to attend and see practical demonstrations of how the fixings and edgeband can be applied.’

As well as the open forums, the Lightweight Network UK has also announced plans for a website dedicated to promoting the material and for new literature to explain its benefits and applications.

Further details can be obtained from either Hettich on: 0161 872 9552, email: sales@uk.hettich.com, http://www.hettich.com/uk or REHAU on: 01989 762600, email: allison.tucker@rehau.com, http://www.rehau.co.uk.