In both healthcare and education projects, flexibility is a prime concern. Design professionals are often being asked to utilize casework products that incorporate modular features. Features that allow casework to be reconfigured to meet the evolving needs of healthcare and educational end users. Design professionals need a reliable casework resource to address these design challenges.
Most casework today is manufactured for a permanent installation. Even with an AWI Premium or Custom grade casework, cabinets are not usually designed to be reconfigured. This puts a huge constraint on the design professional who needs to provide for future end user flexibility. Reinstalling casework that is not meant to be reconfigured can cause product damage and may even void the casework warranty.
To minimize the above issues, ASST has now partnered with TMI Systems as a dealer for their line of casework. Based in North Dakota, TMI is a leader in quality plastic laminate and wood modular casework fabrication. Their modular casework products feature rail-mounted overhead cabinets and forward-thinking reconfigurable base cabinets. With the new TMI/ASST alliance, design professionals can now provide solutions that truly evolve with end user needs. With newly created Autodesk BIM models for all cabinet types, all of the specifier tools are available to facilitate the design process. Because of ASST’s depth of experience, we can provide a wealth of knowledge for your next casework project. We can share creative ideas and best practices on incorporating solid surface into your next project. Whether you are looking for solid surface vanities or plastic laminate casework, ASST can help. We can provide you with the project inspiration and technical details to make your project a success!
Let us assist you with your next casework project! Whatever you need, ASST can build it to your exact specifications, in a safe manner, and to the quality standards you expect. Contact us now online or call us at 717-630-1251.
Solid surface countertops and vertical surfaces continue to be popular when durability and maintenance are a high priority. It is only natural that design professionals and end users alike now want that durability in casework. Healthcare and public spaces require solid surface fixtures that can withstand the rigors of heavy use.
Design professionals have found though that specifying casework with solid surface can be a budget balancing act. Solid surface seems to be a “value engineering” item even on large healthcare projects. Although solid surface countertops may remain on a project, the end result unfortunately is that the actual cabinet is changed to a plastic laminate surface.
Thankfully solid surface manufacturers today are continuing to innovate. For example, Avonite ® Surfaces manufacturers an 1/8” “skin” material that can be wrapped around casework boxes made with FSC certified wood fiber materials. Suitable for only vertical applications, these “skins” provide enhanced performance and help with infection control when used in healthcare settings. We have found value in providing a more innovative comprehensive solution for our customers. ASST has now partnered with TMI Systems Corporation as a dealer for their line of casework. Based in North Dakota, TMI is a leader in quality casework fabrication. They are an excellent reputable resource and ASST looks forward to working with them on many future projects. With this new alliance, ASST can perform work with wood veneers, plastic laminate, Trespa®, stone, metal, glass as well as all brands of solid surface and resin plastic materials. Our innovative team of estimators, planners and project managers collaborate and deliver project results in a way few competitors can. We look forward to working with you on your next project!
First impressions always count. Be sure to call us for your next solid surface casework project! Whatever you need, ASST can build it to the exact specifications, in a safe manner and to the finest quality standards you expect. Contact us now online or call us at 717-630-1251.
Just anyone can build casework right? Well, in a word no. At least not for healthcare and educational project applications. The quality has to be excellent and the service extraordinary. Rigorous requirements for LEED ® certification and FSC materials are further limiting the options available in the marketplace. General Contractors are also under pressure to bring to the table excellent casework subcontractors that prequalify well and limit risk to themselves and the Owner.
There are numerous ways of constructing casework but few can withstand the rigors of a healthcare or educational environment. Typical problems can include the use on non-moisture resistant MDF or particle board. Some fabricators do not follow AWI quality casework standards in their construction means and methods. They instead substitute with low cost materials and finishes that do not meet the Architect’s specification.
To address this issue, ASST has found value in providing a more proactive comprehensive solution. A “one stop” solid surface/ casework/millwork custom solution incorporating a wide variety of finish materials. ASST has now partnered with TMI Systems Corporation as a dealer for their line of casework. Based in North Dakota, TMI is a leader in quality casework fabrication. They are an excellent reputable resource and ASST looks forward to working with them on many future projects. With this new alliance, ASST can perform work with wood veneers, plastic laminate, Trespa®, stone, metal, glass as well as all brands of solid surface and resin plastic materials. Our innovative team of estimators, planners and project managers collaborate and deliver project results in a way few competitors can. We look forward to working with you on your next project!
ASST is uniquely positioned to fulfill all aspects of your project. Whatever you need, ASST can build it to the exact specifications, in a safe manner and to the finest quality standards you expect. Even our EMR safety rating is outstanding at .793! We look forward to Going Beyond to address your exciting project challenges. Contact us now online or call us at 717-630-1251.
Last week we touched on how Architects and Designers are creating innovative forms to satisfy the branding requirements of their Clients. Design Professionals are increasingly integrating client brand identities with dramatically backlighted translucent solid surface. LED lighting is leading the way with these amazing innovations as fixtures get smaller, more efficient and more precise.
Machining intricate logo patterns can create complex problems. Fabricating solid surface in a cost effective manner is the primary goal, however exorbitant labor costs can result from utilizing inefficient power hand tools. Maintaining a high standard of quality when duplicating multiple parts by hand can be difficult. Creating a “wash of light” with vertically installed translucent solid surface is also a challenge with older lighting technologies such as halogen and fluorescent.
ASST has addressed these problems by harnessing both our in-house CNC machining capabilities as well as our research to identify the most innovative LED lighting products in the marketplace. LED lighting is by far the best way of creating an even wash of backlight without hotspots. LED lighting advancements offer the benefit of energy efficiency, reduced heat and overall maintenance costs. We even address the practical issues of maintenance providing hidden panels for convenient lighting access. 5-Axis CNC machining technologies will no doubt continue to indirectly impact LED lighting and we will be there to ASsiST you with your projects every step of the way!
ASST is uniquely positioned to fulfill all aspects of your project. Whatever you need, ASST can build it to the exact specifications you require and the finest quality standards you expect. We look forward to Going Beyond™ to address your exciting project challenges. Contact us now online or call us at 717-630-1251.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) approximately one in 25 hospital patients acquire at least one infection during their stay. These findings are alarming and have triggered an urgency to address the issues surrounding patient acquired infections. Facilities managers and infection control practitioners (ICPs) are aware of how bacteria and mold grow in and on horizontal and vertical surfaces. It wasn’t until recently that sinks, countertops and wall cladding were studied as potential sites for the spread of disease.
Plastic laminate finishes on healthcare casework and wall cladding have seams and exposed edges that can harbor bacteria. Laminate is actually compressed paper; while it is dense and may appear to be non-absorbent, it is porous and will absorb moisture over time. If caulking around a sink or other seam location deteriorates, water will penetrate into the laminate and the substrate below. The substrate is usually wood or particle board. Wet wood will harbor bacteria, especially Aspergillus fungi.
A solution to these problems can be found by utilizing solid surface which inherently inhibits bacterial growth. By creating a seamless, nonporous surface where pathogens can’t grow, solid surface can help with control issues and maintenance. Solid surfaces such as Corian, Avonite, LG or Krion can survive the impacts, nicks and cuts that ruin most wall surfaces. It is renewable, repairable and reusable. If the solid surface is damaged it can be repaired onsite, saving labor costs and resources. While warranties may vary from manufacturers, some will guarantee the material for as long a ten years.
Solid surfaces have proven superior performance in healthcare applications such as wall cladding, casework, countertops and more. Let us ASsiST you protecting the health of others with our custom solid surface fabrication. Contact us today for a quote.
Today, healthcare designers have “raised the bar” with regards to design. The use of textured solid surface for wall protection is becoming a popular choice with many health systems. More hospitable than hospital. Controlling the spread of infectious disease with solid surface countertops has become the standard in healthcare. Vertical textured solid surface applications are also a smart way to incorporate a unique aesthetic that is durable, attractive and easy to maintain.
The installation of textured solid surface panels can be challenging. Mounting alignments for patterns can be difficult, especially around corners. The reverse textured sides of panels do not have a level surface to mount against a wall. To solve these issues we created a proprietary solid surface “leveling puck” and mounted z-clip system which allows for precise adjustments in the field. Panel patterns are able to be aligned with ease and installed according to architect specifications.
To learn more about our innovative Sculptcor® textured wall panel system, visit www.asst.com and click on the products tab. Cut sheets are available for download. Autodesk Revit files are also available upon request. Call us today with your next healthcare project. 717.630.1251 x305
At some point in your childhood your parents probably told you “to sit up straight” or “don’t slouch”. Although these are well-intentioned instructions, our spines are anything but straight even at birth.
Newborns are in a “Primary Curve” C-shaped fetal position upon birth and for the first few months of life they do not yet have the muscles to support their head. Research has shown that keeping an infant’s spine straight is not a sound physiological position and in addition to stressing the baby’s spine it can also negatively influence the development of a baby’s hip joints. (Dr. Evelin Kirkilionis, University of Freiburg, 2002)
Ergonomics is the study of designing equipment that conforms to the human body and its movements. Although there has been much written about adult ergonomics, there has been little innovation and/or product development addressing ergonomic solutions for newborns.
ASST first became aware of the need for an innovative baby bathing bowl solution while working with the labor & delivery team at St. Joseph Medical Center in Baltimore. The nursing staff had become frustrated with the bathing bowl that had been recommended for a new project at the hospital. In response to the St. Joseph nursing team’s request, ASST began the design development for an ergonomic baby bowl. The new bowl design needed both a sloped bottom that conformed to the C-shaped spinal curvature of a newborns body as well as be fabricated in seamless solid surface. With the creation of several baby sink mockups, the teams collaboratively worked to test and critique the final design. The final result was the Cradle Baby Bowl ® that supports both a newborn’s head and back during bathing. The seamless connection between the bowl and the adjacent solid surface counter also eliminated corners that could pose an infection risk during bathing. A design that is a true blend of both form and function, the Cradle Baby Bowl ® has to date been installed in hundreds of leading edge health facilities and daycare centers throughout North America, Australia and Africa.
The Cradle Baby Bowl ® is fabricated in all brands of solid surface. Call us today at 717-630-1251 x 305 for a competitive price quote! To see more of the exceptional products we manufacture please see our Products page.
