| Thieme Corp. Press Release |  |
Sitting Pretty with Polyurethane
Function elements of polyurethane hard foam give the new Sedus office chairs elegance and stability
St. Charles, IL, December 2006 — The backrest of an office chair must not only be attractive and comfortable, it must also be able to cope with a high degree of stress and strain. In the new office chair series "Silent Rush" from the internationally operating company Sedus Stoll AG, Germany, this double requirement was solved using function elements of polyurethane (PUR) and Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) — developed and manufactured by Thieme in its main production plant.
With its striking shell form, the 'silent rush' is a deliberate counterpoint to the usual, skeleton-like office swivel chair design. The typical aluminium support for the backrest is nonetheless present, even if it is hidden by the armchair-like design of the chairs. It was foamed into the PUR backrest shell, which in turn is hidden under the chair upholstery. This aluminium support directs the forces into the PUR shell. This allows it to take great strain.
Compared with a construction in wood, metal or injection moulding, the 'silent rush' uncompromisingly exploits the typical advantages of the material PUR: backrest and armrests are formed from a single piece, only the seat is executed as a separate injection moulded part. The demanding, curved geometry of the parts was not only easier to realise in PUR but also — thanks to the use of low-cost aluminium tools — much cheaper than in metal or injection moulding.
The material used was BaydurŪ 110 from the Bayer company. This material is distinguished by its high degree of impact resistance and flexural strength so that it was no problem to achieve the thin walls required by the customer and the thick walls required for stability. Thus the backrest shell of the Sedus office chair at its thinnest points — in the area of the armrests — is only 6 mm, while at the support — the most highly strained part — it reaches a material thickness of over 40 mm. This type of geometry could not be achieved using injection moulding. Another advantage of the PUR construction is the good adhesion between the hard foam core of BaydurŪ 110 and the soft foam upholstery, which is also of polyurethane.
The 'silent rush' by Sedus has shown what can be done with this material. This shape would not have been possible with other materials or only at considerably higher costs.
Press Photo 1:
December 2006 — Sitting pretty with polyurethane
(Photograph: Sedus Stoll AG, Germany)
December 2006 — Sitting pretty with polyurethane
Backrest and armrests of the 'silent rush' are executed as a coherent Custom RIM part. There is a thickness in the middle where the aluminium support is. (Photograph: Thieme)
About THIEME
THIEME Maschinenfabrik, the foundation of today's THIEME, was founded in 1960 by Werner Thieme. In 1965, THIEME entered the plastics market. Thieme currently employs about 500 people around the world and achieves total annual sales of approximately 70 million euros.
Thieme is headquartered in the German town of Teningen. The company serves its customers with manufacturing, sales and service subsidiaries in France, Great Britain, and the United States (St. Charles, IL).
About Sedus Stoll
Sedus Stoll was founded in 1871 in Waldshut where the group headquarters is still located. The traditional company, which became a stock corporation in 1995, currently employs around 1,000 people in its Waldshut headquarters and eight European subsidiaries.
The office, conference and contract furniture manufactured by Sedus Stoll has been setting standards from the very beginning in terms of ergonomics, design and environmental compatibility. The first sprung swivel chair in the world was developed here, as was the first 5-footer on swivel casters. Sedus Stoll places great emphasis on the quality and long-life of its products.
