The Styrene Cushion-Frame Repair Process
The styrene cushion-frame repair process
Don’t replace your patient chair, just for a broken cushion frame!
Heat-formed, pop-moulded styrene cushion frames are widely present in the industry. They are typically a mere .060 (1/16 “) in thickness. While they are designed with ribbing and reflexed perimeters, to enhance rigidity, rigidity does not equate to strength, quite the contrary! As a result, under the repeated flexure of patient load, the frame is prone to fracture and tearing. And frequently the manufacturer’s available replacement part is. . . a whole new chair!
Alternatively, we can rebuild your cushion frame(s) to stronger-than-new condition, giving your chair many more years of attractive, hygienic, useful life.
First we completely remove the foam core, and rasp/brush the plastic clean, for good adhesion, as shown in progress, above.
Then, we reassemble the fractured frame, using heat-formed, conforming ABS and PVC bandages, solvent-welded. (Figure 1)
Figure 1
Next we reinforce with ¼” cross-ply maple boards, affixed with copious quantities of construction adhesive. (Figure 2)
Figure 2
Figure 3
And, finally we zip up the entire assembly with metal threaded fasteners. (Figure 3)
Result: a stronger-than-new cushion core, ready for years of continuing service.
Figure 4
Completed KaVo patient chair, following extensive repair of badly fragmented seat frame. (Figure 4)
The ADEC 511 kit rebuild
We eliminate the panel-sectioning seams on your 511 upholstery!
A minimally seamed, optimally configured and properly tensioned patient chair cover is greatly facilitated by rigid cushion-core framing.
Installation of such a cover on the 511 seat is a straightforward design process, as the seat cushion frame is superb! Possibly the best on the market.
The 511 back cushion is a different matter entirely. Not only does it lack a rigid frame: as a discrete component, it doesn’t even exist! Instead, it is merely the front face of a cover, solvent-welded directly to the vinyl back frame of the chair. It must be chiselled off to effect removal.
Any attempt to fit an unsectioned panel to this design would result in a sagging mess of wattled wrinkles. A properly framed core is required.
As an outgrowth of our capabilities with sheet styrene, we have a proprietary molding process which results in a properly framed core. It mounts invisibly, and is easily removable.
The molded core is flexible, but firm enough to enable a correctly tensioned, non-sagging cushion panel.
An illustrated exposition of the complete process is available upon inquiry.
Figure 5
The completed 511 kit, with framed back cushion core, and unsectioned cushion panels. (Figure 5)