The Start SOMA Art Gallery in San Francisco, Calif., wanted artists and designers to think big. So the gallery partnered with large-format printer LTLprints, Philadelphia, Pa., to publish and distribute a collection of BIG WALL GRAPHICS by selected artists. LTL (which stands for Larger than Life) offers standard and custom wall graphics up to seven [...]

Birdair Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., has an impressive portfolio of custom lightweight roofing, shading and tensile fabric structures, designed for malls, stadiums and airports. For customers seeking Birdair’s soaring designs on a smaller scale or with a limited budget, the company offers pre-engineered modular systems that “cost-effectively visually transform ordinary landscapes and streetscapes,” says Michele Roth, [...]

Most vacationers don’t need an enticement for lounging in a poolside cabana, but for those who want more than good looks, Solade Concepts, Corona, Calif., has a bright idea. The Solar Cabana is topped with eight solar power panels that can produce 1,260 watts an hour, enough to power small appliances, ceiling fans, an LCD [...]

The new guy down the hall drops by your “open plan” office cubicle for a chat and chew, followed by the guy who tells off-color jokes, the woman complaining about her boyfriend and a whole co-worker barnyard horsing around. How are you supposed to get work done? The Cubicle Message Barrier, a 2.6-inch-wide retractable banner, [...]

AirPal® PTS Inc., Center Valley, Pa., claims to build a better line of air-inflated products for transferring ill or injured patients—and is willing to back its claims with a limited five-year warranty. “Traditionally manufacturers in this product segment have offered one-year warranties,” says company president Jim Weedling. The AirPal Platform line consists of inflatable patient [...]

In 1787, Northern and Southern states at odds over slavery fought over whether slaves would be counted as persons for tax distribution and apportionment of representatives to the U.S. Congress. The compromise: only three-fifths of slaves would be counted. Documentary filmmaker and high-school teacher Eric Williams saw a teachable moment in the election of President [...]

The ZR Series of water-cooled, oil-free air compressors, manufactured by Atlas Copco, Stockholm, Sweden, are the first to be TüV certified for zero net energy consumption. In specific conditions, 100 percent of the electrical power used to run a ZR 55-750 can be recovered in the form of heated water. Industries that require large amounts [...]

The employees of Firestone Textiles Co., Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, produce nylon resins and yarns for tire manufacturers in the U.S.—and they do it without the on-the-job accidents that increase production costs. The company announced that employees had reached one million man hours with no lost time injuries, which are injuries that require recuperation away from [...]

To better serve the textile lamination and performance apparel industries, Argotec Inc., Greenfield, Mass., will concentrate on “better matching our film extrusion capabilities, technical expertise and resources with the applications of our customers—strength to strength,” says Bruce Wilby, president and CEO of Argotec. The company’s thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film and sheet works well with textile [...]

When Teijin Limited, Tokyo, Japan, purchased the monofilament business of Johns Manville in 2000, it expected the market for paper machine clothing (covers for paper-making rollers that improve machine performance) would be strong. Losses at Teijin Monofilament U.S. Inc., Spartanburg, S.C., resulted from changes in the PMC market, the lackluster economy and customers relocating production [...]