Cruise & Ferry Interiors 2020

5 2 companies that has been using plastics to improve its products. The firm uses a polyurethane surface treatment on its products to ensure they are hard-wearing, stain resistant and easy to maintain. Table Topics is also pioneering the use of plastics in interior design with its durable acrylic resin Acralyte, which can be used on tabletops, and Bolidt uses thermo-hardened plastics on its indoor and outdoor flooring solutions. Synthetic textiles are manmade by joining individual molecules into polymers through polymerisation. These include materials such as polyester, acrylic, nylon, acetate, Kevlar and vinyl. Flooring manufacturer Forbo uses a nylon derivative – Nylon 6.6 – in its Flotex FR flooring onboard cruise ships and ferries, due to its many material benefits. Nylon 6.6 has a high mechanical strength and is extremely tough and hard-wearing. As such, it resists wear and tear and is fire- and chemical-retardant. Richloom Contract can provide expertise on using vinyl in low-maintenance furnishings for the hospitality and cruise industries and Baumann Dekor offers its Trevira CS trademarked flame-retardant polyester fibres and yarns for use in the upholstery of soft furnishings. Metals and alloys are crystalline when solid, such as iron, aluminium, steel, copper and brass. Many organisations in the shipbuilding sector are finding innovative uses for these strong and extremely versatile materials. For example, Lautex is renowned for its suspended aluminium ceilings and the marine branch of Antti-Teollisuus provides high-quality steel sheet metal products that can be used in ship doors. The Copper Development Association is also educating organisations on the varying uses and development of copper as a key manufacturing and design material. Composites are made by combining two or more constituent materials with different physical or chemical properties to produce a material with improved characteristics. Manufacturer PE Composites produces lightweight structural components using glass and carbon fibre-reinforced polymer composite materials – for example in hulls and decks – as they are less prone to corrosion than more traditional materials. Meanwhile, chemical engineering firm DuPont employs a team of scientists and engineers to develop composite products for use ship construction. One of the most versatile and commonly used materials in interior decoration is paint. The pigmented liquid forms a thin solid film when applied to a substrate and can achieve one or a combination of three surface property changes onboard passenger ships: colour, protection and texture. Metalcolour produces a range of interior coatings, including its DOBEL F105 product, which can be applied to wall panels, ceilings, wet units, restaurant cars, security doors and more. Hesse Lignal specialises in clear and coloured coatings and Jotun offers a range of exterior coatings and expertise to match. While all these materials make for beautiful, practical and potentially long- lasting interiors on cruise ships, there is one substance that is the glue between them all: adhesives. These natural and synthetic non-metallic liquids or pastes form a bond between two or more surfaces to prevent them from separating. F. Ball and Co. creates adhesives specially formulated for specific floor coverings, such as carpet, vinyl, safety flooring or rubber. According to F. Ball, adhesives have certain performance characteristics, such as high initial grab and bond strength, the ability to cope with huge temperature fluctuations, and resistance to water and freezing conditions. F. Ball physically tests each adhesive with floor coverings from over 200 international manufacturers to ensure compatibility and offers adhesive recommendations for over 6,000 adhesive and floor covering combinations. Chemicals company Evonik also provides adhesives for composites and rubber. CFI REPORT Forbo’s Flotex FR flooring is made from a nylon derivative which resists everyday wear and tear