ROYAL AHREND WINDOW FLEX PANEL SYSTEM
FINAL REPORT
Minor Sustainable Product Design 2017/2018 Design coach Patrick Kruithof Taissia Visser 15042251 Jordi Snellink 13059386 Laura Verhaar 14061252 Zach Wongsodikromo 13012959 Razvan Varjoghe 15008657 In collaboration with Royal Ahrend: Ahrend Nederland bv | Postbus 1 | 5490 AA Sint-Oedenrode Ahrend Inspiration Centre | Laarderhoogtweg 25 | 1101 EB Amsterdam-Zuidoost T +31 (0)6 55 24 58 23 E jvheese@ahrend.com | www.ahrend.com 02
CONTENT Analyse fase 06
Design briefing 07 Our Vision 08 Innovation lab 09 Research 10 Material research 11 Soundproofing techniques 14 Ergonomics and dimensions 16 Personas 18 List Requirements 19
Idea fase 22
Brainstorm sessions 23 Spider web 23 Inspirational collage 24 Storyboard 25 Ahrend questions 26 Idea sketches 28 Morphological chart 31
Concept fase 32
Concepts 33 Window panel 34 Telescopic panel 38 Clamps 42 Model pictures 46 Choosing the concept 47
Second idea fase
48 Shape & position shutters 49 Accessories 51 Accessories 52 Variations 53 Modularity 56 Application 57 Shutter position 59
Materialisation fase 61 Final materials 62 Fabric 62 Accoustic shutters foam 63 Frame 64 Electronics 65 Assamblage 66 Exploded view 67
Final product 68 Sustainability 69 Product impression 70 Workspaces 72
Appendix 76 Project evaluation 77 Sources 78 Technical drawings 80
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INTRODUCTION It is clear that our current consumption and production patterns are unsustainable and resulting in various global problems, like climate change, resource depletion, pollution, poverty, etc. Sustainable choices in product design are therefore more important than ever. In this minor we learned various design and innovation strategies that enabled us to make design choices while considering the planet, people and profit. During this minor we formed a project team and worked together to design a new sustainable product; a new Ahrend Panel system for in office spaces. We visited the headquarters of our client Ahrend in Sint-Oedenrode. Here we got more information on the general assignment and requirements of the design. We also went for a tour in their factory and received insight in their sustainable solutions concerning the production of their current panels and other office furniture. After having a look in the Ahrend Innovation Lab next to the factory we felt inspirited and ready for some brainstorm sessions! Description of our assignment: Develop a new OEM panel system, which can be branded for at least 3 different parties. The panel system consists of an assortment of panels with a variety of add-ons and accessories. In this report you can find our complete design process of designing our Ahrend panel with our sustainable design choices explained. We hope you enjoy! 04
AHREND AND SUSTAINABILITY Ahrend has a vision of a circular economy. They thrive to expand the lifespan of their products, components and materials. For Ahrend it is important to produce products of such quality that they can be reused endlessly. They guarantee optimal use, retain value in the lifecycle and provide their customers with the option of using the product through an operational lease, rather than the conventional buy-to-own approach. Attention is paid to every part of the process. From the paint, to the way a product is painted. The components to make the steal table legs are also carefully combined, so it can be fully recycled after use. For example their Cradle to Cradle designs, whereby waste materials are re-processed into new resources. Ahrend is proud of the fact that they are the first and the only Cradle-to-Cradle company in the industry. Their production facilities make use of innovative techniques that help the transition to the exclusive use of renewable energy. Over 3000 solar panels that provide almost 600.000 kWh of green energy were installed. By extending the lifespan of their products by remanufacturing, repairing or upgrading, they are able to prevent materials form becoming landfill. The “REMADE” and “REVIVED” concepts are examples of their Dutch circular design brand Gispen. For these concepts they refurbish a concept of change a product’s function. Ahrend aspires to work with their costumers to create more value and assists them in the transition to a more sustainable and circular economy and company. 05
ANALYSE PHASE
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DESIGN BRIEFING Problem definition
Open-plan working environments can now be found in almost every office. In these office surroundings, insufficient acoustic measures is the number one source of irritation and has therefore a negative impact on productivity, health and wellbeing of employees. Placing panel systems throughout the office space, can be the right acoustic solution and creates an environment for employees to work efficiently.
Vision
We are going to develop a new OEM (Original equipment manufacturer) panel system, which can be branded for at least 3 different parties. Therefore features such as the color and dimensions, must be recognizable. The panel system consists of an assortment of panels with a variety of add-ons and accessories to create a more comfortable atmosphere for the employee. The main goal of the panel system is to provide the employee with a quiet personal workspace, but it should not totally disconnect the employee from the outside world. Our goal is to design a panel that is 100% recyclable and is completely produced with the principle Cradle-2-cradle in mind.
Function
The panel systems will be used to absorb sound and can also be used as a way to create predetermined spaces for certain activities such as concentrated or collaborative working to socialising. They rectify noise problems by using sound absorbing materials and separating disturbing noise sources in different areas such as printers and fans.
Effect on the office environment
Our system will have a positive effect on the office space. The system will be designed so that there is as little disruption as possible in the work area. They help to create an aesthetically pleasing silent room and can help separate different types of workstations which also improves the privacy of workers and provides a ‘homey’ atmosphere. As a result, the employee is more satisfied and productive.
Target group
Target group is composed of people who are working in institutions like companies, libraries, schools, etc. and desire for privacy at the working space. These people can be found around the world and need an efficient solution for a better concentration when working and as well a sound barrier for not being distracted by the others from the room. Our product is meant for people who are working individually, work and discuss in a group/ team or just want to socialize. Also part of the target group are the bosses who request a nice looking set-up for the offices and the people who are going to assemble the panels.
Production and sales area
Ahrend sells their products worldwide, with our product we don’t want to deviate from this. We think it is achievable to sell our panels in the same places Ahrend sells their products right now. For the production numbers, we think mass production is reasonable to process. These amounts of products won’t be made in one time, because Ahrend only starts production after the product is sold. For the retail price we sent an email to our contact at Ahrend. We want the cost price to be relatively the same as their current products. 07
Our vision is to create a private, but open and shareable workspace that’s easily adjustable to one’s preference. The workspace is suitable for individual work, teamwork or socializing.
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INNOVATION LAB We went to the innovation lab of Ahrend which was located next to their factory and headquarters office. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures here but we did get a lot of information on what kind of innovations and new features Ahrend is working on for their newest line of panels and desks. After this inspirational day we made a few collages about their products and brand in general to keep us on the right track during the project. We also searched on different website such as Pinterest for products related to office panels that we found inspirational.
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RESEARCH
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MATERIAL RESEARCH Of course choosing the right materials for our product is very important. It is one of the factors which terminates how sustainable our product will be. We searched all over the web and looked in some books to get an overview of all kinds of materials that are maybe suitable to use. We also made a list of properties which the materials should have to single out the most appropriate ones: - The material for the inside of the panel should have some kind of sound absorbing effect on its surroundings. - The materials we will use should be C2C certified, or at least sustainable in some kind of way. - For the outside of the panel, the appearance of the material should create a ‘homey’ and warm feeling.
Cradle to Cradle Bio foam
This material is comparable to Airpop (which is a form of Styrofoam used to isolate buildings). The structure of bio foam looks the same and is has almost the same properties as Airpop but the large difference between these two materials is the way they are produced: Bio foam is only based out of biopolymers made from vegetable based materials like vegetable waste. Bio Foam is the first foam isolation material made from bio basis material which of course is very sustainable. It’s also the first biological foam product awarded with the Cradle to Cradle certificate. The energy used for the production of Biofoam is the lowest of all isolation packaging materials. Biofoam Products can be used endless without quality loss and therefore the CO2 emission is also drastically reduced. Because this foam is air filled it also has sound absorbing properties and is therefore suited to put inside our Ahrend Panels. This material is very lightweight which makes it easy and cheaper to transport. It’s also resistant against humidity. Bio foam can be used to produce different moulded parts which could be suitable for our Ahrend panels. When the product is at its end of life, this material can be turned into compost.
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Organic Sheep Whool
Wool’s unique advantage is its breathability. That is it’s ability to absorb and release moisture from the surrounding air, without compromising its thermal efficiency. When wool fibres absorbs moisture, they generate tiny amounts of heat. This warmth acts to prevent condensation in construction cavities by maintaining the temperature above the dew-point in damp conditions. This property creates a natural buffering effect, stabilising heat changes that occur with relative humidity. Practically, this reduces the need to keep adjusting heating or cooling levels as wool insulation will keep a buildings cooler during the day and warmer during the night. Being made from a naturally produced fibre, sheep wool insulation requires less than 15% of the energy required to produce than glass fibre insulation. It can absorb and break down indoor air pollutants, such as formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. Wool is a sustainable and renewable resource, that has zero ozone depletion potential and at the end of it’s useful life can be remanufactured or biodegraded. Using sheep wool as insulation for the shutters means that it will be able to absorb sound and provide warmth. No special clothing or protection is needed to handle this material so it is easy to install and is not harmful for the company assembler or user. It’s also renewable and can be easily fixed or replaced if the shutter broke. Material Advantages Wool is natural, renewable and sustainable. Sheep Wool Insulation is perfectly safe to touch and requires no specialised safety clothing or equipment, making it easy to install. It causes no irritation to the eyes, skin or lungs and wool fibres present no hazard to your health. Wool fibres are breathable, meaning they can absorb and release moisture without reducing thermal performance unlike fiberglass based products. 12
Wool does not support combustion and will extinguish itself in the event of fire. Sheep Wool Insulation does not settle due to the high elasticity of the wool fibres ensuring no loss of performance over time. Performance Benefits Wool has a higher fire resistance than cellulose and cellular plastic insulation. It does not burn, but instead singes away from fire and extinguishes itself (Wool has a very high inflammation point of 560°C due to its high Nitrogen content of ~16%) Wool is self extinguishing because of its high Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI=25.2), which means to completely burn wool an oxygen content of 25.2% is necessary whereas air only has 21%. Wool fibres are hygroscopic by nature, meaning the can absorb up to 35% of their own weight from the surrounding atmosphere depending on the humidity, helping to preserve the surrounding timbers. While absorbing this moisture, wool releases energy in the form of heat, thus raising the temperature of its surrounding areas. Naturally releasing this moisture in the warmer seasons, wool creates a cooling effect on the same surroundings. Multiple layered wool fibres effectively reduce airborne sound transfer.
Natural Cotton Fiber
Made from high grade natural fiber, natural cotton fiber works well as an insulating and as a sound absorption absorbing material. It is considered as a green solution for effective sound proofing as natural fibers in the material are easily recyclable. Cotton reduces echoes, reverberation times and improves speech Intelligibility for any sound application. Organic cotton can be used as panel or integrated in ceiling panels or can be used as a backer to a more decorative finish. Organic cotton is generally understood as cotton and is grown in subtropical countries such as Turkey, China, USA from non genetically modified plants, that is believed to be grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicalssuch as fertilizers or pesticides. Its production also promotes and enhances biodiversity and biological cycles. In the United States cotton plantations must also meet the requirements enforced by the National Organic Program (NOP), from the USDA, in order to be considered organic.
How it works
There are amounts of micro connected pores in the materials which the acoustic waves go deep into and then the acoustic waves will convert acoustic energy to heat energy, and finally the soundabsorption effect is achieved.
Polyester could be the best option but it’s far from being sustainable. However it can be eco-friendly by being made in a more complex manufacturing procedure. Also the the advantage is that it can be easily injected molded for the shutters.
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SOUNDPROOFING TECHNIQUES Form of the foam
Acoustic foam is an open celled foam used for acoustic treatment. It attenuates airborne sound waves by increasing air resistance, thus reducing the amplitude of the waves. This foam is designed to reduce echoes and can also help to damp sounds and soundproof a specified location such as a office space altogether but its primary use for improving the clarity of sound in a room. These sound absorbers are used to improve the acoustics of the room, which thereby reduces noise in the room.
Triple leaf and air cavity
Only making the walls thicker is not the only or best solution to make sure your walls are soundproofing. Another technique that will work is the use of air cavity depth. With this technique you simply add a space of ‘nothing’ in between the two leafs. Hereby creating a wall that is build up like Mass-Air-Mass.
If you need to block a lot of sound its best to build a ‘room inside of a room’ with airspace and multiple physical barriers. The shape of the foam matters a great deal because it affects the way sounds are received and absorbed. With this foam you will need to somehow preserve the form of the foam and make sure the sounds come in contact with it.
If you leave a small air cavity in between sometimes this makes your problems bigger instead of smaller. Therefore it is important to create a larger air cavity. For instance, a 6mm Airspace only gives you a STC of 30 while an Airspace of 150mm gives already 45 STC. The reason why small air cavities don’t work is because of resonance. Renosance is a frequency-dependent phenomenon. In our example the size of the air cavity has a corresponding resonance frequency. 14
The noise level of 60-65 decibels that’s common in some open-plan offices is not only too loud for concentration, it can also impede effective collaboration by causing speech interference. As Babisch explains it, the sound level of speech is about 60 decibels if people talk to one another, in normal tones without raising their voices, at a distance of about one meter. This means any other noise within that same range, someone else talking nearby, for instance can cause speech interference, so not all the words may be fully heard. “Nevertheless,” he says, “a sentence may be understood because of cortical processing. This, however, is an active process that may cause reaction leading to adverse effects in the longer run of chronic noise exposure.”
Sound stats
Important is to keep the private area(s) in the range of 40-50 dB for an optimal level of concentration and focus over the tasks.
In other words, in noisy environments with poor acoustics, workers can as easily get stressed by trying to hear others as by trying not to hear others - a lose/lose proposition.
In offices, irritating noise can come from all kinds of sources: air conditioning, obnoxious ringtones, traffic, nearby construction, unsophisticated sound-masking systems and especially from other people’s voices, says Julian Treasure, chairman of a United Kingdombased consultancy, The Sound Agency. Noisy environments tend to only get worse over time, because people start speaking louder as it gets noisier around them (known as the Lombard effect) We are easily set off by noise because we have been programmed as humans to be aware of sounds as possible dangers, going back to when our evolutionary predecessors had many enemies in the wild. This sensitivity to sounds has stayed in our neurobiology. We’re constantly alert to our environment, and noise easily makes us uneasy. Lab studies on humans as well as animals have shown that exposure to noise arouses the nervous system, causing rising blood pressure and the release of stress hormones. Over time, these instinctive responses can stress the cardiovascular system and give rise to negative outcomes such as anger and exhaustion. 15
ERGONOMICS AND DIMENSIONS Dimensions of our Ahrend Panel
To determine the height of our panel we had to research human ergonomics. Because both young and older people work in office surroundings we looked at a few measurements of the target group 20 / 60 year old females and males which influences the dimensions of our design. The eye height when sitting is important for the height of our panel because our panel will be fixed (not adjustable). We want to give all workers the opportunity to close themselves of from the outside world, or create a more open space to work in teams or socialize. Of course people of different length will be working at the desk so the panel should be high enough for everyone to ´not be able to see the person working against you´ when the panel is closed. Eye height when sitting. (vertical distance from the seat to the inner corner of the right eye) Average height from the seat to the eye is 80,2 cm. But because we want taller office workers to also not be able to look over the panel we will take a larger percentile: P80 (80% of the population should not be able to see over the panel) We took this number because we don’t want to cross the line and make the panel so high it creates a trapped feeling. The eye height of 80% of the office employees is lower than 126,5 cm. We took the dimensions of the Ahrend Balance panel and calculated how high our panel should be: A fixed Ahrend Balance desk is 74 cm high. This means that our panel should be at least 52,5 cm higher from the desk. (126,5 - 74 = 52,5) 16
Because Ahrend also makes Balance Tables that are adjustable in height we will make the panel longer so even when the table is at its lowest stand, you won’t get a gap between the panel and table. The width of our panel dependents on the widths of the Ahrend tables. We took the Ahrend Balance table as example. Our panel will be available in five widths: 1200, 1400, 1600, 1800 and 2000 mm. The first two panels will not have the accessories panel option. But the other ones do. On the next page you will find this information in a sketch.
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PERSONAS TARGETGROUP Type l : Individual work
James graduates mechanical engineering in Sweden in 2012 and now he’s thirty years old and works for BMW with the specialization in 3D modeling for the car bodies. He’s a social person but when it’s time for work he wants to be focused and work individually and avoiding the possibility of being distracted by the co-workers. Based on his creativity he managed to design the BMW 4th series model 2017. He said about himself that group work helps him but most of the time he’s the most productive when he’s alone.
Type ll : Group work
Lo-Han is from Indonesia but now she’s living in Amsterdam working at a design studio called Feiz. She is an artzy kind of person with sustainable aspiration related to the modern product design. Lo and her team from the studio are having a meeting every morning of the week where they brainstorm ideas and make plans. Lo thinks that the ideas result from team-work debates and opinions. As well their entire studio sometimes is split and work on different projects so it’s difficult to work in an open space/ room.
Type lll : Pair work
Chris is 25 years old and works at Genpact in London doing business analysis. His post requires data input from one of his colleagues from the office. Twice a week he has to work together with this person to evaluate the results. He thinks that these meetings are hard and exhausting due to the noise and lack of concentration caused by de rest of the colleges. Chris thinks that a more quiet environment would help everybody to be more efficient at work and be relaxed. 18
LIST OF REQUIREMENTS
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LIST OF REQUIREMENTS AND WISHES 1 General
1.1 The panel system consists of an assortment of panels with a variety of add-ons and accessories. 1.2 The panel can be branded for at least 3 different parties. 1.3 The panel will have excellent sound absorbing properties. 1.4 The panel shall be designed so as to minimize the risk of injury to the user. 1.5 The panel has three interchangeable accessories (pegboard, mossboard, whiteboard).
2 Sustainability
2.1 The panel should be sustainable, where we expect C2C opportunities. 2.2 Use of sustainable materials is at least 75% of total weight, were 100% is the objective. 2.3 The panel has an expected lifespan of at least 10 years, were 20 years is the objective possibly through e.g. Refurbished or Repurposed services. 2.4 Refurbishment for future re-use or lifetime extension of the panel is possible. 2.5 There will be no use of any type of glue. 2.6 Absorption material used in the shutters shall be environment friendly.
3 Dimensions
3.1 It will be possible to produce different dimensions in height according to every user body measures. 3.2 The panel shall be available in 5 different lengths for different kinds of tables. 20
4. Production
4.1 The panel is suitable for large series - mass production, outperforming benchmark products. 4.2 Glue residues make it difficult to separate parts. As a direct result of this, we will not use glue in our product. 4.3 The panel shall be designed so the shutters are easy to take apart. 4.4 All parts which are lubricated to assist sliding shall be designed to protect users from lubricant stains when in normal use. 4.5 Movable and adjustable parts shall be designed so that injuries and inadvertent operation are avoided. 4.6 Any joints shall be made using materials to give a surface which will not crack, retain dirt or foreign matter or absorbs liquid.
5. Assembly
5.1 The panel shall be designed for (dis)assembly. 5.2 The whole panel can be assembled while the company assembler is standing up. Only one type of screw is used on the whole product. 5.3 When the panel is in place it has minimum movement. 5.4 Accessoires-panel is only interchangeable by a company assembler.
6. Material
6.1 Tested for acoustic value in accordance with ISO 354 (2003). 6.2 The panel shall be manufactured from materials which are resistant to the mechanical, chemical and thermal requirements of the intended use of the workbench. 6.3 The chosen materials shall be able for reuse.
7. Safety 7.1 All accessible edges and corners are free from burrs and rounded or chamfered. 7.2 The edges and corners of the top surfaces are chamfered not less than 1mm by 1mm or rounded with a radius of not less than 2 mm. 7.3 The ends of feet and tubular components are closed or capped. 7.4 The shutters are at least 0.5mm separated to prevent fingers from getting stuck. 7.5 The shutters shall be flexible enough to bend if finger gets stuck. 7.6 Accessoires-panel will not fall out of place by the weight it carries. 7.7 It shall not be possible for any load bearing part of the panel to come loose unintentionally.
9. Wishes
9.1 Materials used are preferable C2C certified. 9.2 The final product has a homey feeling. 9.3 The panel gives extra lighting. 9.4 The panel is modular, which means that it is possible to add our 9.5 Telescope and Clamp idea to the panel. 9.6 By making the panel in different sizes in length, it’s possible to make different variations of office spaces.
8. Norms
8.1 NEN-EN 13150 - Workbenches for laboratories - Safety requirements and test methods. 8.2 NEN-EN 14074 - Test methods for the determination of strength and durability of moving parts. 8.3 NEN-EN 1730 - Furniture - Tables - Test methods for the determination of stability, strength and durability. 8.4 NEN-EN 527-2 - Office furniture - Work tables - Part 2: Safety, strength and durability requirements. 8.5 NEN 1824 Ergonomics - Ergonomic requirements for the surface of (workplaces in) administration and office spaces.
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IDEA PHASE
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BRAINSTORM SESSIONS Fabrics
On the next page you see a storyboard we made about behaviour in the office. We tried to look at other activities and habits taking place in the office nowadays.
Steel Materials Aluminum
Close from others
How to use
Private space
Separation
Privacy
Socialize
Textiles
Sustainable
Adjustable
Storage
Teamwork
Alone
Personal
School
Accessoiries
Places to use
Library
Panel System Silence
Connectable
OďŹƒce Ahrend
Ergonomic Brands
Roels Recognizable
Actively used Gispen
Calm
Modular Different colours
Clean
Outstanding
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Inspirational products
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QUESTIONS FOR AHREND We had several questions about the project and decided to email our someone at Ahrend. (Please find the answers below in RED) Imagine we are a company that wants to refurnish their office workspace. The room we want to furnish with Ahrend products is about 100m2 large. It has to have room for 35 people to work at the same time. Of course we want to use panels to prevent irritation of insufficient acoustic measures. We would like to use Ahrend services to get some advise on sourcing and selecting products to optimize our interior design. 1. How many tables and panels will usually be placed in a room this big? I guess it would be 35 desks. Each user than needs on 3 sides some kind of acoustic measures (such as panels). 2. Could you give us an example of the total costs for a company like above to refurnish their office space? No. Is classified. Sorry! 3. What is the minimum of products you can order at Ahrend? (For example, would you accept an order of only 10 office panels?) We will accept orders starting from 1 pcs. Usually the pricing will be high (e.g. small order upcharge, transportcosting, etc) 4. Could you give us the fabrication cost price of a panel like S50? No. Is classified. Advice from my side, is to compare costs to functionality. So, use materials and solutions which have to lowest prices compared to their functionalities and/or performances. We saw on the Ahrend website that all panels are attached to an Ahrend table (Except for the Concentration Corner) 26
5. Does the panel we are going to design also has to be attachable to an Ahrend table? Or can it also be loose, and stand on the floor? Sure. Why not. The only boundary you have is your creativity. In the S50 Factsheets it stated that the product comes with holes so it can be attached to other products in the ahrend furniture range. 6. Are the panels of Ahrend all attached in the same way by using these holes and leg clamps like panel S50? Yes! 7. Does Ahrend also sell acoustic panels that can be attached to non Ahrend tables? Sure. Why not. 8. How many panels does Ahrend sell on a yearly basis? In total, we have produced 25K in 2016. 9. Do you think the production will change in the next 5 years? We would like to know this so we can estimate the size of our production of the panel we are going to design. Hmmmm… I hope not. I don’t think it is important for this project. We can source the parts all over the world, so we are kind of free to make decisions here. Keep in mind, we want to assemble to items no matter what in the Netherlands at our facilities in Culemborg (Gispen). 10. What kind of materials do you use to make panels noiseabsorbing? (next to PE foam and open cell foam Flamex) This is part of your process, to come with new and surprising solutions and materials. 11. Is there a minimum of accoustic value your panels should have? Please investigate first try to deepen the subject… And gives us your advice! Met vriendelijke groet | With kind regards, Jurriaan van Heese
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SKETCHES
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Important sketches
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CHART Panel materials
Connecting methodes
Clampsystem
Acoustic materials
Moving 31
CONCEPT PHASE
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The Ahrend Window flex Panel
The first concept we are showing in our final report is the Windowed panel. The idea behind this concept, is the flexibility of opening and closing a panel, without removing the product. Therefore we simply added a few panels that work like the luxaflex system. This is something where we took our inspiration out of. There are a few big benefits considering this product. At first, there are power outlets integrated in the frame itself. This ensures a unlimited power supply whenever needed, without the problems of a cut in your tabletop. Which results in a less sustainable product. Another benefit is the ease of use. The panels are able to open and close
without the use of electricity. There will be one handle that rotates all the panels simultaneously. Therefore there will be no trouble with broken wires or motors. At last but not least is this panel suitable for the current Ahrend tables. The dimensions are specifically chosen and designed so they fit perfectly on these tables. This ensures the probability of consumers buying this product together in one package. Our vision is also very recognizable in this concept. The user will have a quiet workspace whenever desired but, he won’t be completely disconnected. The colours and fabrics always have the possibility to change and fit to each of the three different parties. In this design we did keep in mind that the product needs to be recyclable. We choose to keep the different parts and materials at a minimum and therefore have the opportunity to use these again for a second life after the end of use.
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The Ahrend Telescopic panel
Our second concept is our telescopic idea. This product creates a psychological barrier between two table. We took our inspiration from products like a tape measure and the tongue of a reptile. A big plus of this product is the ability of adding it to any table with the hook. The hook designed in a shape and dimension that it is possible to add on to any table that has a reasonable thickness. The product is self retractable, and therefore costs no trouble. Just like how a tape measure rolls back in. It is also designed to hang onto the existing ahrend panels. This makes it easy to attach and detach after the end of use. This product provides the user a quiet space to work, but he is still able to reconnect with the rest of the office. This is a quality that comes back in our vision.
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The Ahrend Clamp panel
With this concept it is not really the panel we designed but more the technique of attaching and detaching. We designed a way to attach the panels to tables from any thickness. This is by a clamb. This clamb is attachable without any tools and therefore easy and suitable for offices. The user can remove the panel whenever he desires. Another important benefit to this concept is that it doesn’t harm the tables. The clamb attaches to the table with a big and flat screw that is made out of a soft plastic. This ensures that the table won’t be harmful for the tabletops.
With this product the user can add hadd-ons and accessories. This is something Ahrend really wanted to see, and something that we thought was very important. Therefore it is stated in our vision that it is possible.
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MODELS
Ahrend window scale panel model
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Telescopic model
Ahrend Clamp model
CHOOSING THE CONCEPT
The next thing to do after designing these three concepts was choosing between them. We worked the three concepts out, up to the same level to make sure the comparison was candid. We chose to do this with an evaluation table. Here we put a few of our wishes and requieries to measure how good they score. We gave these a value to show how important they were in comparison to the other ones. The things that stood out here was sound absorption, modular and C2C certified. These things are also important in our vision and according to the assignment from Ahrend. After deciding on the points and counting them up the Window panel stood out with the most points. It scored very good on every aspect we tested on, and we decided to go with this product as our final design. This product is a very original and is not available on the market yet.
To go from concept to final product we are going to change the concept a little. We’ll do this in the form of a second idea or concept phase. We have a lot of ideas on how we can make this product even better than the idea that is showed right now.
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SECOND IDEA PHASE WINDOW FLEX PANEL
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SHAPE & POSITION SHUTTERS
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meant for bigger offices where the chances of creating reverberation are high. The inconvenient is that for some of the users may find this shape a bit distracting.
This type of shutters is addressed for partial quiet offices with people who are generally work in private but with some possible need for collaboration time to time. This model has quite a small thickness and work just in the case of partially quite environments otherwise would not work properly regarding sound reduction. The round shape can redirection the sound so there is a possibility of creating reverberation back to the direction from the sound came.
Model 4 is the ultimate option for a very crowded and noisy office where privacy and quiteness are very important during calls. The model has flat surfaces but it’s a lot thicker than type 2 which makes it very efficient in reducing the noise.
Chosen shutters model
This model is universal and it’s created as a medium option which works well for all types of office environments due to the flat shape which can easily absorb the noise and reduce the unwanted/ distracting sounds.
The model we chose would be type 1 because of the following reasons. Type 1: It’s meant for medium size offices, mainly quite but adapts well also for quite noisy environments very well. The shutters can be closed without touching each other due to rounded shape; it won’t create any gap in between. The fabric can be easily applied for this shape and can be also replaced anytime. Type 2: Is not a feasible option because even it’s it a good sound proof option the shutters can’t be closed completely because otherwise the edges would touch each other.
Type 3 it’s a very efficient model that not only that it capture the sound from one direction but it can collect the sounds from a wider range than normal flat shape shutters. As well it has a bigger thickness so works very well in a noisy environment. This model it’s 50
Type 3: Would be quite the best fit for our panels but due to the requirement for the fabric to be anytime and easily changed this option is not going to work. Type 4: Could be a good option but the issue is that again the edges would touch each other so to make possible closing all the shutters, gaps will appear between each one of them.
ACCESSORIES
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ACCESSORIES We decided to add a piece of wall where accessories can be placed. This is to give the customer the option to choose their own product and personalize your office space. This also creates a break in between the different positions of the panels when multiple panels are placed next to each other. The accessories are put on the panels with a simple hook system as shown bedides. There won’t be any tools needed to attach and dettach the accessory to the panel. The accessory is therefore also easy to remove and replace for another accessory. This extends the lifetime of the overall product. Only the accessory needs to be swapped and the rest of the panel can just stay as it is. This makes it a very sustainable option for the product.
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VARIATIONS
Magnetic sheet
A magnetic accessory for on your panel. This accessory comes in handy for every office. Other accessories can be hung onto this one, papers can be stored with a small magnet or even pictures. This is an accessory that always is functional in every workplace.
All the accessories contribute in their own way to sustainability.
Whiteboard
For the more creative offices a whiteboard accessory is always a good idea. Simple thoughts or ideas can be written on the board until needed. This is also a good accessory for brainstorm sessions or group work. The accessory comes with a little cup where markers and wipers can be stored.
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Moss
Here is our moss accessory, this one is completely covered with a moss plant. This takes the outside into your workspace. It has been proven that moss indoors improves the air quality and keeps you more focussed. Moss is also very low maintenance, it doesn’t need a lot of water and can just stay on the wall for several years.
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Pegboard
This accessory steps in Ahrend their idea of add-ons. With the pegboard all accessories that are desired can be hung. And it is completely modular and can be designed by the user. He decides whatever add-on he wants on his desk and it can be put on with two simple dowels. This accessory comes with a big and small cup. The big one is specifically designed to fit your A4 papers in.
Telescopic
We decided to retrieve a concept of ours into an accessory for our f inal product. It still works the same. For people who desire a little bit more privacy, the telescopic accessory is perfect. Whenever needed, the user pulls out the smaller panel and hooks it onto the table. This accessory then provides a psychological banner between himself and his surroundings. The panel won’t stop all the sounds, but when you don’t see the noise, you often don’t hear it as loud either. 55
MODULARITY To make sure our product is available for as many types of offices as possible we decided to design it in a few different dimensions, and different options for accessories and add-ons. We decided to put all these variations in a clear table.
*Accessories are available with panel length 1600 and up. ** Telescopic accessorie is only available with a fixed panel.
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APPLICATION
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Swiping left and right will open and close the shutters. When you swipe up a little menu with settings will appear. 58
ACTIVITY BASED SHUTTER POSITION
Teamwork
Shutters open Telescopic accessory closed (The accessories displayed are not necessarily the only ones you can use for the certain activity, but these do fit very well with the activity shown)
Individual work
Shutters closed Telescopic accessory open
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Socializing Shutters open
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Working in pairs Shutters half open
MATERIALISATION PHASE
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FINAL MATERIALS Shutters fabric We have done a lot of research for the fabric we were going to use in our product. After searching for a while we came across Climatex. They offer various kinds of textiles with a Cradle-2-Cradle certification. We have looked into their different series and decided that the ultra collection fitted best for our purpose. This is a silver certified series, and has a calm and quiet looking appearance. Another benefit with this fabric, there is a sound absorbing factor. Maybe it doesn’t help much, but all the sound absorbing factors are welcome. Of course we want our customers to have a few options instead of only one colour, therefore we chose five different colours. After deciding on using this brand for the fabrics we found out that Ahrend is already using this for their fabrics. Nevertheless, we decided to stick with this product. This is because we couldn’t find a
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better supplier for cradle-2-cradle fabrics. We didn’t felt the need to decide on another, worse, supplier only because Ahrend does already work with Climatex.
Ultra Specifications
72 % CraduraTM, PA 16 % Certified Virgin Wool, WV 12 % Redesigned Lenzing FRTM, CV FR Nominal width: 140 cm Weight: 437 g/lfm Abrasion resistance: 500‘000 Martindale, EN ISO 12947-2 Sound absorbtion: ow= 0,50
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Accoustic shutters foam For the material of the shutters we decided on BioFoam. The biggest advantage of this material is the form freedom. The material can be made with molding. Therefore we were able to make every shape we desired.
Pull slipcover down
Another advantage of this material is the capability of only using one material for the entire shutters that has the desired shape and is isolating enough for sound proofing the panel. Therefore we don’t need a frame of whatsort and add a isolator within. Fabric
Biofoam
Biofoam is also very lightweight and makes it easy to install and lift. These things were unfortunately not possible with the other materials we had to choose from. Another benefit of using biofoam is the cradle-2-cradle certification. This makes our product a little bit closer to achieving a complete recyclable and cradle-2-cradle product. Which is what the client wanted and was our goal as well.
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Frame For the frame we decided on using stainless steel. We are going with the 316L type, this is because we will need to weld the parts together. Steel is also a very sustainable option because the steel can be reused and remold into something else. The coloring will be done with a sustainable powder coat. We decided to go with the same process as Ahrend is doing right now, because they have the entire process up and running. Some of the parts are made out of through extrusion. These will be made out of the same material.
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ELECTRONICS How do the shutters move
We decided to give all the shutters an individual motor instead of using one motor and a strap to connect them to each other. This was because you don’t need a lot power to move the shutters. The motors will be connected with wires to a motherboard. This motherboard has a NFC receiver. This will receive the data from the app, and this decides whether the shutters are opened of closed. The shutters are able to rotate a complete 360°.
Outlet
With the outlets we decided to give the consumer the choice. There is are a few different options, AC,DC, USB-C, USB-B. Also we left a spot open for any future revelations, where other electricity options can be put in. The different options are all available in a complete box, that can be put into the side of the panel. There will be a open space to put these options in, they are made with laser cutting in the frame.
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ASSEMBLY
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EXPLODED VIEW TOTAL PRODUCT ACCESSORY TOP HOOK UPPER AXLE FRAME 1800 OUTLET SYSTEM
ACCESSORY
BOTTOM HOOK FRONTSIDE BOTTOM FRAME
SHUTTERS
BOTTOM AXLE
MOTOR AXLE FOAM BOTTTOM
MOTOR
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FINAL PRODUCT THE AHREND WINDOW FLEX PANEL
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THE FLEX PANEL AND ITS SUSTAINABILITY
Highest table height: 88 cm
We have decided to implement sustainability on different levels throughout the entire design. This is for example visible in our choice of materials. We use cradle-2-cradle certified fabrics in our shutters, and BioFoam as isolator. In the way we designed our product is sustainability also very visible, all the modularity came from a sustainable perspective. Our idea behind this was, that when a company wants to switch their accessories they don’t have to buy an entire new panel system, but only the accessory can easily be swapped. This counts as well for the fabric of the shutters, these are secured with an elastic at the bottom, so they can be removed whenever desired. In our outlet system we also wanted to create a bit of sustainability. We can’t look in the future and therefore won’t know how the electrical outlets will look like. The consumer has the option for four different outlets, but we don’t know what is available in ten years. Therefore we kept an open space, that is currently closed of with a plastic cap. This cap can be swapped out, and an outlet option can be put in. With all these aspects in consideration we can look positive to our product with sustainability in mind. There are of course always ways to improve this even more, and if this minor would have went on a little longer, we would definitely tried to make our product even more sustainable.
Accessorie: Moss
Standard table height: 74 cm
Lowest table height: 62 cm
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PRODUCT IMPRESSION
Shutters of the Ahrend Flex panel can open and close using the Ahrend Flex Application on your smartphone or tablet.
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Best set up for an individual workspace Accessory: Telescopic
Standard connection to Ahrend tables 71
AHREND FLEX PANEL WORKSPACES An impression of multiple Ahrend Window Flex panels next to each other with different accessories and table heights, suitable for different office activities.
Accessories from left to right: Moss, magnetic board, pegboard. 72
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Office space suitable for individual work, teamwork or socializing. Whiteboard accessory.
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THANKYOU FOR READING!
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APPENDIX
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EVALUATION Product evaluation
In the end we are all very happy with the end result of our product. We have thought everything through and kept in mind to make sure there were no loose ends. Something that we are very happy with is modularity that we designed into the product. We made it very wide to ensure that the consumer has as many options and choices as he desires. Simply because every office is different, and everyone should be able to design their offices in their own and personal preferences. Nevertheless, if we had more time there are certain things that we would like to go a little bit more in depth about. We would have liked to really looked into the technologies of how the electricity and techniques worked in our product. And if the time would have allowed us, we wanted to really work out the accessories in the panel. These are now more concepts than actual products. Regardless of these two points we are extremely happy with how our product looks like in the end and hope that Ahrend sees this in the same way as we do.
Process evaluation
In the first week of the minor we were a little lost on how to start. Neither of us knew each other so we really had to search for the group dimensions and what everybody’s strengths were. After acknowledging what everyone could do best we decided to split and divide the tasks and this went pretty okay. Some people did their tasks in the agreed time and others needed a little bit more time. In the first few weeks we kept hanging in the analysis phase and had a little bit of trouble starting with our idea phase. Eventually we did sketch some ideas and very quick we already had a solid plan and good ideas. After a little bit of hard work we came to the intermediate presentations where we were able to show three
quality concepts. Unfortunately our motivation fell a little back in the week after that, but we picked it up properly again. After choosing between the three concepts for our final product all of us were very enthusiastic again. In the end we had to do a lot of work and a lot of hours to finish our product in time for the deadline, but we think that we did it very good. Looking back on this it would have been better if we would have made a proper planning and stuck to it. Now we just went from week to week and saw from there.
Group evaluation
As said above we did had a few difficulties in the beginning. We did not really knew each other and who could do what best. Dividing the tasks seemed like a good idea at that time. In the end this showed that a few people would do a lot of the difficult tasks that took more time and a few people would do significantly less. Something what Taïssia and Laura would have liked to see was a little bit more input and motivation from the others. For example Taïssia was the one who was really good in InDesign and Rendering, and therefore she did this task, but this was a very large task and took a lot of time. Laura had the same with Solidworks and the technical drawings. Jordi could come along okay with the tasks he had to do, for example making the app, presentations and gifs. The three of us really had to motivate Razvan and Zach to do the tasks that we had given them and take some initiative to start a new one. They decided to make the model together and we look forward to see how this will turn out eventually. Looking back Taïssia and Laura could have given them maybe more responsibility to do certain things. We found it hard to put tasks out of our hands because we were used to doing them ourselves. 77
SOURCES http://www.soundproofcow.com/product-category/sound-absorption-materials/acoustic-cotton/ https://www.gispen.com/nl/gispen-nomi-hoes https://www.foambymail.com/acoustical-foam-products.html http://www.synprodo.nl/nl/2/236/wat_is_biofoam.aspx https://www.termokomfort.nl/isolatieparels/biofoampearls http://www.climatex.com/en/collection/ultra/ http://www.climatex.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/climatex-Ultra-491008.pdf https://www.steelcase.com/research/articles/topics/open-plan-workplace/much-noise/ https://www.ahrend.com/en/csr/sustainable-values/ http://www.isobouw.nl/nl/producten/algemene-isolatie/biofoam-isolatiemateriaal/ https://dined.io.tudelft.nl/en/database/tool
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TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
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