Posts Tagged ‘materialstesting’

Gravity Wins

Posted by

P1070496

Back in October last year, we installed a new sign in front of the shop with a technique that printed on a sustrate that was then bonded to glass. We heard great things about the technique so thought we'd try it out in Duluth.

A couple months into the test, we noticed some discoloration in the white areas of the sign. Some browning was happening, but structurally it looked o.k.

This Spring we noticed some areas starting to delaminate, where the printed substrate was pulling away from the glass. Last week the sign disappeared--clear glass was all you could see. The printed substrate had completely separated from the glass. Gravity wins!

We will be looking for more robust methods of printing on glass when we travel next month to Glasstec, the biannual global trade show for all things glass in Düsseldorf, Germany.

P1070500

A New Sign for Meteek & Co

Posted by

Sign_01a

This week we installed a new sign in front of our building. The sign is made out of 1/2" glass printed with our name and logo, set into an aluminum u-channel and mounted on a boulder.

The printing was done in Minnesota. We have not used this company or system before, so we thought we'd give it a whirl and see how it responds to our climate.

Sign_01
Sign_02

“Hot Box” for Materials Testing Co-Developed with UMD Students

Posted by

11_04_29_01

The performance of windows and wall sections has been our focus with projects that we build, remodel, or supply. With an annual temperature variance of at least 120°F,  our climate challenges the best materials on the market. When we can't find a material that will stand up to conditions, we create solutions to fit the job.

Working with five students in Civil Engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Meteek offered the assignment of buidling a "hot box" to test the thermal qualities of window and wall sections, as well as individual materials. These students took the idea and ran, building, wiring and writing the programming for this testing instrument as their combined senior projects. 

11_04_29_02

We attended their project presentation this week and were treated to a demonstration. The material to be tested is clamped into place. A program runs a freezer on one side and an oven on the other create the thermocline necessary for the test. Results are recorded for each testing cycle. 

A win-win project, the Hot Box was a success for the students who built a "real-life" project for an actual client, and a success for Meteek to continue innovating solutions for our tough climate. Congratulations!

11_04_29_03