A revolution of construction material manufacturers with fiber cement innovation from TPI POLENE at Architect’23
For a company with a long-standing history of design and construction as TPI Polene Public Company Limited, exhibition of its products at Architect’23 would certainly be something to look forward to.
Khun Prasert Boonyang, Manager of Digital Printing Department, TPI Polene Public Company Limited, let us into the TPI kingdom, recounted the history of the company’s product development and explained in detail about fiber cement innovation that revolutionizes the furniture and artificial wood stone industry and virtually all corners of the construction materials manufacturing.
Discover each product from TPI before visiting this “one-stop service for construction” booth at Architect’23.
Revolutionize the furniture industry with FURNITURE BOARD “Superior Wood for Furniture”
You can forget the traditional materials used in furniture manufacturers because TPI Furniture Board is an innovative fiber cement board developed to solve every problem, for customers to have better features and better value.
“In the past, the materials used in the furniture industry were wooden frames and framed plywood. Later, MDF board, Particle Board, or HDF and Plywood, etc were invented. These materials do have a downside of swelling when exposed to water, which causes damage. To solve this issue, we invent board furniture to replace these materials,” said Khun Prasert.
With knowledge of fiber cement from TPI Polene’s years of experience, TPI Furniture Board is an innovation to solve all same-old annoyances, whether swelling, warping, flammable, containing volatile substances, prone to fungi and termite and decay easily. “Furniture board is a low-density version of fiber cement. Fiber cement for construction usually has a density of 1,350 kg/m2, which is hard and brittle, suitable for construction. TPI therefore comes up with an innovation to contribute to the company and solve the problems of consumers from the knowledge that we have. The result is a low-density version of the board, reduced from 1,350 kg/m2 to 800 kg/m2, making it lightweight and neither hard nor brittle.”
Notable features of TPI Furniture Board range from being lightweight, having realistic wood-like tough texture, can be drilled and cut into easily with tools for general furniture, clean edge and surface, and most importantly, not swell nor flammable. The board is mold-resistant and even when exposed to moisture, is termite-free. “Other furniture boards in the market may swell around 10-20%, but ours is only 0.32%, which is not visible to the naked eye. This ensures that the decorative surface on our product will not swell, crack nor break. In a city with frequent flooding as Bangkok, TPI guarantees that with furniture board, even after months of being soaking in floodwater, the furniture will not be ruined. This is considered our strong suit that other furniture boards don’t have, resistance to swelling.” “There have been some attempts in the market to develop waterproof boards, but the progress is only the moisture-resistant HMR board, which expands by 4-8%, and plastic boards, despite being waterproof, still contain flammability and durability issues.”
Another issue that TPI Furniture Board has successfully dealt with is fireproof property, performance guaranteed with UK’s standards.
In addition, TPI Polene also attaches great importance to product development with consideration for environmental friendliness and consumer’s health. “Boards available on the market are made from wood chips or sawdust mixed with glue and its extrusion produces formaldehyde, which is toxic to humans, has a pungent smell and is carcinogen. Such leads to the classification of these products according to level of formaldehyde, with E1 and E2 containing a small amount of formaldehyde and E0 is very safe as it contains a very low level of formaldehyde. TPI Furniture Board is at the level E0, meaning that it is extremely safe.” TPI Furniture Board can be said to solve a variety of problems that consumers have to face in the Thai furniture material market.
In terms of usability, TPI Furniture Board is suitable for making furniture that must be waterproof, such as furniture in the kitchen and bathroom. For instance, under sink base cabinet which needs to be durable, waterproof and fire-resistant. Even in rooms that are not exposed to moisture, this furniture board is still a great choice. For example, the bedroom, while not exposed to moisture, there is still termite issue. Choosing TPI Furniture Board for the whole house, there is no need to worry about termites at all. The board is also mold-resistant, making it a perfect choice for furniture in the hospital.
Most importantly, the material which solves all problems whether moisture, fire and durability, also helps save costs. TPI Furniture Board is a one-stop product that is worth the price. TPI would therefore like to recommend this revolutionary furniture board to designers and customers to be widely used.
Twins of fiber cement boards for exterior and interior application: TPI FAÇADE and TPI DECO BOARD
“These two fiber cement boards differ only in density” to cater to different application requirements. TPI Façade is a building cladding material which offers higher density than conventional fiber cement boards for toughness and durability, while TPI Deco Board is suitable for wall, ceiling and decorative work, both interior and exterior, even with low density but still preserves high quality.
The necessary properties for exterior cladding boards are high durability, density and wind resistance. “We can produce fiber cement boards with density up to 1,600 kg/m2 due to our presses. With solid texture comes fiber cement with low shrinkage and low permeability when exposed to water. This board is also much more durable when compared to other boards of the same thickness. So, it is suitable for applications that require durability such as building façade, especially in the earth tone color style design.”
These two fiber cement boards are colored by adding pigments to the fiber cement texture during the production process. No matter which angle is cut, the shade is exactly the same. Most importantly, it eliminates the problem of color fading due to UV rays, as well as dust, from Clear Coat. The boards come in Earth Tone color style, popular in European and American designs.
TPI Façade is also armed with the following properties: high durability, low shrinkage, water and fire resistance and can be customized to any color or shape. The façade supports all designs and is available in both visible and invisible mounting, whether reinforced with knot, bolt or secured with a metal or wooden frame. At Architect’23, TPI will showcase how the different types of mounting system look like.
Like TPI Façade, TPI Deco Board contains the same color technology. Apart from having a variety of color tones to choose from, the boards also come in two different styles: Classic, with smooth, even surface, and Loft, with uneven surface that looks cool even when not painted and requires low maintenance. TPI Deco Board is durable, termite-free, fungi-free, and resistant to impact, heat, humidity, and water, like other fiber cement boards.
Customized wood and stone pattern with floor and wall decoration: TPI DIGITAL BOARD
When the strong durability of Fiber Cement Board is combined with high-quality digital color printing system that creates vivid colors and natural, the result is TPI Digital Board, floor and wall panels that create a new dimension in building decoration.
“TPI Digital Board is another design with high density at 1,500 kg/m2. It’s a specialty of fiber cement industry because other products normally have the density of only 1,350 kg/ m2. We made it high-density to make it durable and then polished for a smooth finish, before undergoing the process of priming, printing and glazing, which we can coat up to 10 layers.”
“Normally, high-density fiber cement means that the paint does not permeate into the texture well, the color fades easily and the result is often dusty. Ours, however, uses know-how from Europe. The first layer is for the paint to permeate deep for the color to stay vivid and then print the photo on digital print system just like an office printer. After that, anything is possible. It depends on the image file. We are known for our made-to-order and customize designs.”
Whether the latest trend of stone pattern, or rare and expensive wood, TPI Digital Board can create for you. When combined with the outstanding properties of fiber cement board which is strong and durable and can also be produced in large sizes, TPI Digital Board can meet any expectations from designers.
“Mainly we make wood and stone pattern because we know that rare wood is expensive, just like stone and marble. The highlight is that if a new trend, a new theme, a new year comes, we can just print the image file.”
Whether it’s teak wood, padauk wood, Black Pearl stone, Persian stone or other wood and stone pattern, TPI is able to create all. The pattern can be edited in any image editing program, which solves the problem of defects in wood or stone patterns found in natural materials. Designers can consider which patterns to use and most importantly, the digital board can be as high as 3 meters. It can be used to decorate the wall of hotel lobby, with seamless appearance and not as heavy nor expensive as genuine stone.
“Coating is just as important. Our products come in matte, semi-gloss, and high gloss finishes. The matte finish, we actually call it Extra Hard. In terms of durability, we have a variety of scratch test standards. TPI’s boards can be used as flooring and tabletops as the surface can be customized to be sandy and unpolished to reduce slippiness when turning wet. For wall, it is up to the customers to choose matt, semi-gloss or high gloss surfaces.” The coating also makes TPI Digital Board resistant to concentrated bathroom cleaners, non-flammable, and most importantly, the paint used are all European standards. “We are environmentally-friendly and health-conscious. We do not use the paints with heavy-metal-like pungent odor. We use the European products.”
TPI Digital Board can replace marble, granite and wood board because it can be produced from 4-20 mm thickness and in large sizes.
Exhibits at Architect’23 will demonstrate that TPI can produce stone and wood patterns like new trends each year to showcase that stone substitutes can be as beautiful as genuine stone and the price is affordable and less expensive.
Fiber cement door frame and fiber cement door: TPI DOOR FRAME & TPI DOOR
For frames and door panels which are mostly solid wood, TPI also developed fiber cement products to replace them. “Originally, the door frame in our house was made of hardwood. As the wood is aged, its texture is strong. Nowadays, hardwood trees are rare and expensive. Most furniture is made of wood from small trees which are soft woods and only a few years old, which is a feast to termites and insects.”
“TPI has developed a specific formula for door frames. Many brands have manufactured frames, but they are still thick and brittle, which leads to problems when cutting, drilling or fixing screws.” Based on these problems, TPI has developed a fiber cement formula to make the frames tougher. No pre-drilling is required because the frames are not hard and brittle. No worries about stripped screw thread.
The highlight of TPI Fiber Cement Door Frames and Door Panels is that they can be used with woodworking tools like hammers, chisels, screws, nails, etc., but at the same time, they eliminate all issues of woodwork such as buckling, swelling and shrinkage when being wet, which usually complicates the use of door. The door frames also feature outstanding properties such as being termite-free and fireproof due to the properties of fiber cement.
Fiber cement doors can be used as a bathroom door or any door that opens to the outside which is exposed to the sun and rain like the back door.
TPI WOOD FLOOR: “Replacement material for wood. Fireproof for more than 2 hours.”
TPI WOOD FLOOR comes in one-inch thickness, just like the size of wooden floorboards in the past. But the difference is that fiber cement can be used on the exterior.
What makes TPI Wood Floor different is the process of printing patterns onto fiber cement boards, creating a beautiful pattern, not limited to just solid color. There is no need to repaint because no matter how scratched it is, the texture bears the same color, which is the color of the wood. It’s called Color THROUGH flooring.”
Compared to other wood substitutes such as mixing wood and plastic, TPI WOOD FLOOR is more cost-effective. For plastic materials, when exposed to a lot of UV light, they will be crispy.
TPI also features TPI Floor Plank, wood flooring product with realistic natural pattern like genuine wood, but even stronger.
“Plaster in the morning, paint in the afternoon, move in the evening”: TPI NANO PAINT for the interior and exterior
TPI also produces paints, including cement-based primers. When the plaster is completed, the surface can be painted right away as it blends well with the cement and it requires no drying time. The moisture in the plastered wall can also evaporate through the primer, which leads to the slogan “our primer breathes”.
“Our top-coats are 100% pure acrylic, ensured with no pungent smell that is common among other products in the market. Our color schemes can be used both for the interior and exterior. The properties of TPI’s top coat are not dusty, can be cleaned easily, are fungi-free and moss-free. When applied on the exterior, the paint offers UV protection, keeping the house cool. Above all, our color is certified with Green Label with no pungent smell and heavy metal substances.”
At Architect’23, TPI Polene will showcase a virtual living space in the design of a condominium unit with kitchen set and water-resistant samples and demonstrate how these products can be used in your house. Visit TPI, one-stop service for construction and interior decoration, at booth No. D310 in Architect’23, the 35th ASEAN’s Largest Building Technology Exposition during 25- 30 April, 2023 at Challenger Hall, IMPACT Muang Thong Thani.
For those who are interested in space reservation, please visit our website at https://architectexpo.com/2023/en/about-the-expo/#space-reservation, or contact us at 02-717-2477 and Email: [email protected]
