Creating solutions in aluminium, tape and textile

In February, Sapa Profiler in Sweden and 3M organised a workshop in Stockholm in collaboration with the design network "Raw Sweden". The participants were selected designers and product developers with a special interest in materials.

The one-day workshop was held at Materialbiblioteket (the Material Library) in Stockholm, and was well-subscribed with 40 participants. The participants explored unusual material combinations comprised of aluminium from Sapa Profiler, tapes from 3M and textiles from Raw Sweden’s materials showroom. This was the fifth workshop organised by Sapa Profiler and Raw Sweden. It provided a rewarding opportunity to make new contacts with designers and discover new possibilities.

Aluminium+Tape+Textile

The day started with a presentation of the different materials and their functions. Peter Richter and Anders Helander from Sapa Profiler discussed aluminium and several case studies. Roger Hagen from 3M spoke about tape and gluing, and Johan Heinerud from Raw Sweden concluded with a presentation of textiles and their different properties.

Aroused curiosity

The group's task for the day was to invent a design incorporating the three different materials, with the theme ”sitting”. Aluminium, tape and textile aroused the participants' curiosity and were well-suited to the theme.

Kersti Liss, participant: ”I find Raw Sweden’s concept very exciting. I've got my own design company, so I've been in contact with them before. My company, Kräm Industridesign, is always in need of new information on different materials. We're currently involved in an EU project where we test different markets and materials. This workshop ties in perfectly with the project.”

Kersti and her group came up with several good ideas, and aluminium, tape and textile proved ideal materials for creating a temporary design.
”Because the project's theme was ’sitting’, we invented a solution for bars which facilitates cleaning, among other things. L-shaped aluminium bar stools are suspended on a rail, which they can be slid along. Their seats have removable covers held in place with velcro tape from 3M. My group were very pleased with the solution,” she says.