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Putting forward an exceptional case
The brilliant thing about new materials is they can inspire change
History is full of iconic designs born out of looking at using a new material for an old problem. From the bent steel-tube chairs of the Bauhaus, to the soft flowing shapes of formed plywood pieces by Alvar Aalto, new materials have opened up new design opportunities. Factorydesign is a creative agency, specialising in transport and product design, and always looking for opportunities to innovate, to find new solutions to old problems. Hybrix is a stainless steel sandwich of ultra-thin stainless steel plates and stainless steel fibres. The core is approx. 90% air which makes it stronger than solid stainless steel, yet formable and lighter than aluminium. “We remain impressed with the huge potential of Hybrix. As such, we have entered into another collaboration with Lamera AB (a spin-off from Volvo and owners of Hybrix), to follow on from winning the Crystal Cabin Awards at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2007 with our design for the Hybrix in-flight cabin trolley, and have created a design for a passenger flight case,” commented Adam White, Creative Director Factorydesign. We are all aware of the increasing demand for space in an airplane interior and that more and more people will do anything to avoid checking in a bag. As such, rules get ever more clear about the size and weight of hand luggage and, for Factorydesign, the bringing together of super- light, durable and handsome material, with the latest weights and measures from the authorities is irresistible.
Factorydesign have designed a piece of bespoke hand luggage which is lighter than any comparable metal case and features neoprene backed, nylon woven cloth panels that make the Hybrix flight case just a little bit flexible, a little bit more accommodating and a little bit more forgiving when it is being stuffed into an overhead locker. The front panel features an iconic shaped
'protector' to guard the cloth, which is pressed as a shell of metal and raised through the surface of the case, like a piece of armour. The shape can be adapted to include a company logo for instance, something that will customise it to suit a particular manufacturer or brand owner. The strong contrast between materials, colour and finish in this area offers a great branding opportunity. Metal cases are nothing new. There have been super-stylish attaché type cases around for years and for some time you have been able to buy a metal flight case - but they are neither cheap nor easy to make. When you look at the pressed metal types the design is chic but very expensive to tool - you need a very big press to make them. The other technique is to take flat cut sheet and join it together with extruded aluminium and corner pieces. This solution is cheap and when you have 'form following fabrication', often looks cheap too. The big
idea is to use the material in a way in which it could be formed easily. So Factorydesign have taken a strip of Hybrix and rolled it around in a single plane to create the overall shape, using a simple forming action that needs no pressing and yet has generous curve that shows care was taken in how it was made. The front and rear cover have the softness of
pre-formed neoprene panels but inside are armoured with Hybrix. Overall it is tough as old boots yet outside, it looks like a Rolex.
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