FURNITURE SYSTEMS
The safe and durable range that’s still evolving
Isabel Ferreira, Global head of Products at Pineapple Contracts, a designer and manufacturer of furniture for challenging environments, explains how a request from a Trust experiencing damage to its dining room furniture led the company to develop its rotationally moulded Ryno furniture, and some of the key in-use benefits of an evolving range. These include a robust and hard-wearing one-piece construction, ‘100% recyclability’, the ability to create complex shapes, a water-resistant design, and ‘no weak points’.
In 2013, Pineapple became the first UK manufacturer to develop rotationally moulded furniture designed specifically for high-risk environments. Development of our Ryno range began with the requirement to solve a specific need for a client working in the NHS. A healthcare provider they were working with had been struggling to accommodate a service-user who had a low tolerance to the furniture in a dining area, and had damaged some of the items by throwing them around. The healthcare provider had been unable to find dining room furniture able to withstand such severe treatment, and with its existing furniture being frequently damaged, not only faced regular replacement costs, but also service disruption until the furniture could be replaced. Eager to address and help resolve this difficult issue for the organisation, Pineapple’s in-house design team considered a number of options and different materials. Its research identified that wood was too easily damaged in such a high-risk environment, while metal felt cold and less welcoming. The Pineapple
team thus shortlisted a low-density polyethylene as the most durable and easy-to-clean to option; it was also a 100% recyclable material. The next step was to identify the
most suitable manufacturing method. Injection moulding is an efficient process for high-volume products, but wouldn’t provide the necessary strength and durability on a product the size of a dining table. After further research, the team identified rotational moulding as a possible manufacturing method. In this innovative process, plastic powder is enclosed within a mould, which is then placed inside a large oven before being rotated and heated, coating the inside of the mould with a layer of plastic. The resulting products are highly resilient hollow shapes which are 100% waterproof.
Complex shapes from a single piece of material Unlike with traditional furniture joinery, with rotational moulding it is possible to create complex shapes from a single, continuous piece of material, with minimal
Below: The Ryno table was one of the first products introduced in 2013. Pineapple said: “As word spread about this ‘indestructible’ table, other customers began asking for Ryno by name.” Centre: The Ryno Rocker gives users valuable control over their motion, while being supported by comforting wrap-around arms. Right: Pineapple’s recently launched eco-friendly shade for Ryno products – OceanGreen – is made from 50% recycled content derived from unwanted fishing nets and other equipment.
need for joints or fixings. These attributes were closely matched to the client’s needs, so the manufacturing method selected was rotational moulding. Furniture produced via this method would stand up to the rigours of everyday use in a high- risk environment. The one-piece design meant there were no weak points – unlike a traditional dining table, where the legs are vulnerable to damage. The hollow nature of rotationally moulded products meant the table could be filled with a non- reactive ballast, making it too heavy to pick up or throw (with the tables weighing up to 138 kg, and chairs weighing up to 85 kg, as defined by customer needs). The low-density polyethylene material also has an element of flexibility, which meant that even in the event of overturning, the tabletop would rebound and absorb the impact, rather than break. The client organisation provided
very positive feedback, noting that as well as having a positive effect on the management of destructive behaviour, the furniture also provided a sensory impact, with the patient enjoying the sound it made when struck with hands, as well as a longer-term effect of tolerating dining furniture in the room. The strength
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FEBRUARY 2024 | THE NETWORK
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