ACCESSA PASSES ABRASION AND DURABILITY TESTS WITH FLYING COLORS
An opportunity to supply a major office furniture manufacturer with arm rests for two lines of their office chairs was too good for this ACCESSA customer to pass up. They would have to manufacture the arm rests to the strict color, abrasion and durability specifications as they relate to the coating. Response speed, accuracy and abrasion testing would be critical in this effort to win the business in a competitive format.
ACCESSA was called in and the first step was to get the coating to pass the abrasion test. Initial coating samples submitted did NOT meet abrasion standards when tested by the furniture manufacturer. A more durable base was then formulated, and abrasion testing equipment was built to simulate the test prior to sending the next sample to the furniture manufacturer. The second coating ACCESSA supplied passed the tests and met all abrasion and durability tolerances, whereas coatings from competitors being tested had failed.
In the next step ACCESSA successfully matched swatches of the first three colors attempted. Later, with color-coated arm rest samples in hand, ACCESSA accompanied their client on a visit to the furniture manufacturer for testing and review where the samples were approved and the new business secured. There is no doubt the tag-team solution process and the performance of Phlexthane enhanced the relationship between ACCESSA and its customer as well.
WINNING THE BATTLE AGAINST MOLD AND BACTERIA
A manufacturer of foam parts for the Amusement Industry had been applying ACCESSA’s Phlexthane on head rests, seat pads and body restraint arms. As time went on, they received inquiries from some of their customers about the potential to reduce the persistence of mold and bacteria growth on the surface of the foam parts, a condition that resulted, in part, from extended exposure to the elements. ACCESSA was brought in to look at the problem from a coatings perspective.
ACCESSA partnered with an additive supplier to successfully develop a coating, resistant to mold and bacteria, that was compatible with Phlexthane. The proprietary antimicrobial formulation is now widely used and is freely offered as an option to other ACCESSA customers in industries as diverse as marine and medical.