Within our blog series surrounding the five furniture surface characteristics, we have shown that the most important aspects of healthcare furniture includes the following
- Durability
- Cleanability
- Inability to support microbial growth
- Surface porosity
- Absence of seams
These characteristics were defined by the American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) in collaboration with the CDC in the publication titled Using the Health Care Physical Environment to Prevent and Control Infection.
Our past blogs have covered why durability, cleanability, inability to support microbial growth, and surface porosity make a huge difference in healthcare, as well as why acrylic solid surface is one of the best choices in upholding these standards.
For our last post, we will be covering seamless healthcare furniture material. Though often standard with many materials used for creating furniture, seams can cause unnecessary stress in a healthcare setting by allowing bacteria to flourish in an environment that can be almost impossible to clean.
Using a seamless material allows more time to be focused on patients and their well-being instead of the surfaces around them.
Why Do Material Seams in Healthcare Furniture Cause Stress?
When you first think of seams, you may not consider hard building materials but, instead, fabrics like upholstery or vinyl. For these kinds of materials, a seam is when two pieces of fabric are brought together and connected with a stitch to create one larger piece of fabric. In hard building materials this idea is quite similar—two pieces of steel or other composite materials are brought together to bring a piece of furniture to life.
For many materials, creating a seamless finish within this process can be difficult, if not impossible. Due to the limitations on molding and shaping, there will always be crevices and places for debris, and bacteria, to hide.
As reported by AHE (Association for the Health Care Environment), “Joints and seams complicate effective cleaning, creating organism reservoirs that can further the spread of contact-transmitted-healthcare-associated infections.”
Joints and seams complicate effective cleaning, creating organism reservoirs that can further the spread of contact-transmitted-healthcare-associated infections.
What Material Keeps Healthcare Furniture Seamless?
Stainless steel, a common go-to for healthcare furniture, can often find trouble when having no seams is necessary, as the material can only be shaped to a certain extent. In order to mold stainless steel, it must go through a process called injection molding, where the material is melted down and placed into a pre-shaped mold. As the material must be molded from the outside and cannot be manipulated as easily on its own, this puts limitations on just how much of a seamless finish can be achieved.
Acrylic solid surface tends to be limitless in how it can be shaped. Solid surface uses a process known as thermoforming, where the material is heated to a certain temperature and then molded and trimmed into whatever form is needed. Due to its production process, creating a seamless finish is much less difficult, as well as much more cost-effective and time-effective for the producer and consumer.
As told by the Rodon Group, “Depending on a project’s needs, thermoforming can offer several distinct advantages, including: lower tooling costs compared to injection molding, quick product development and prototyping, bright color and texture options, and extreme adaptability and simple adjustments.”
Acrylic solid surface tends to be limitless in how it can be shaped.
Why Do Seamless Healthcare Furniture Materials Matter?
Crafting pieces that are aesthetic and functional for a healthcare setting can often be a losing battle. You may pick a material like laminate that looks nice in the beginning, but then degrades when it is put up against the spills and happenings of a hospital. Or, you may pick stainless steel that will hold up better but has minimal customization, is much more expensive, and often looks sterile.
There are many materials, such as wood, that cannot even be considered for healthcare furniture due to their porosity, and as such, it can often feel as though you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
With acrylic solid surface, your worries can fade with the knowledge that your furniture will look appealing and will stay that way while upholding the functionality that is necessary.
With the seamless nature of the material, cleaning doesn’t have to be a labor intensive task… and your costs can stay minimal.
Due to the use of thermoforming, you will be able to customize your seamless healthcare furniture however you see fit, without the worry that the customization will lead to more difficulty in cleaning and sanitization.
With the seamless nature of the material, cleaning doesn’t have to be a labor-intensive task, because you can see everywhere that needs to be sanitized, and your costs can stay minimal, no matter what gets thrown (or spilled) on the furniture.
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