What sets our garage system apart from the competition? Aside from high quality and precision engineering, as well as over a decade of R&D, Triton Garage carries unique advantages. Our exclusive steel rail system was designed solely for Triton. It is screwed into the walls rather then stapled assuring we hit a stud. With that being said, the cabinets are suspended off the floor without the need for unsightly legs on the bottom. Suspended cabinets also keep the unit from being damaged by moisture and prevent a potential habitat for small pests and bugs to live. Designed with 1'' shelves for strength and using our custom aluminum extrusion on the door fronts not only make this garage system strong, it also makes it beautiful. Our cabinets are built to last using only the highest quality of material, the toughest of hardware and a decade of engineering to make any install easy for YOU!
Triton also offers a computer design software program to make any consultation easy. With the units already imputed, you just click and drag and you can design a garage in minutes. Garage Cabinets Photo Gallery
Article written by Great Garage's CEO, featured in Closets Magazine
A Solution That ‘Sticks'
February 18, 2008
When garage cabinet manufacturer Great Garage! in Arizona was having delamination problems due to the area's extreme heat, it switched to using PUR adhesives and found a viable solution.
The intense heat of an Arizona summer takes its toll on everything and garage cabinetry is no exception. Thus, it can be a challenge for any manufacturer to warranty its cabinets, knowing the extreme heat is inevitable and widespread.
One company looking for a solution to this quandary was Great Garage!, located in Phoenix, AZ. President and founder John DeGraaf initially went into business for himself as a furniture manufacturer more than 20 years ago. After nearly a decade of meeting the needs of the masses, he decided to switch his focus to making a higher-end product. He also decided to look for new market opportunities that could benefit from his company's expertise in furniture production.
It was fortunate timing, as in the mid-90s there was a significant shift in the perception homeowners had of their garages. Until then, garages typically were haphazard storage areas; whatever spare shelving or cabinetry was lying around was used. Cabinets were typically “leftovers” from kitchen or bath construction or renovation. But as housing costs were rising and space was becoming more of a premium, the look and functionality of garage storage began to increase in importance.
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| Triton Garage and Closet Systems is the third generation of cabinet development by John DeGraaf. The inset photo shows a closeup of a cabinet produced using PUR adhesives to apply the edgebanding. |
DeGraaf recognized the emerging market for cabinets designed specifically to function in garages. By 1998, Great Garage! was in full production. It was such a success that the furniture manufacturing was sold off and garages became the sole product for DeGraaf.
Hot Climate Takes Its Toll
While Great Garage! cabinets looked and functioned at a high quality level, the extreme Arizona heat took its toll on the EVA adhesive used to secure edgebanding. EVA is heat-activated, and high air temperatures soften it and allow edgebanding to delaminate from the cabinets. So delamination was a common occurrence in the summer months. As a premier supplier, Great Garage! stands behind its work, and it was compelled to fix the delamination issues. The problems were exacerbated by the fact that homeowners often clean their garages by hosing them down and water would migrate into any exposed wood.
Considering that the company was installing hundreds of garage cabinets each month by the early 2000s, having up to 200 delamination calls in a given summer wasn't excessive. But still, warranty claims are time-consuming and not profitable, so eliminating the need for edgebanding repairs was important and DeGraaf began searching for a solution.
One possibility was to use T-molding instead of edgebanding. However, T-molding is not really a comparable alternative. The use of a rigid plastic piece is noticeable and, when compared to edgebanding, has a less finished look. Also, T-molding can be easily dislodged in daily use and it doesn't provide a barrier seal to moisture ingressing into the wood.
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| A Nordson EB60V slot applicator applies a thorough coating of PUR to board edges before edgebanding is applied. |
So without a viable alternative to the edgebanding itself, DeGraaf looked at how the edgebanding was affixed. He consulted with equipment dealer Mark Scates of Scates Machinery in Glendale, AZ, about other adhesives. Since traditional hot melt adhesives provide the bond by cooling, DeGraaf felt that most would result in the same problems as the EVA when subjected to the extreme heat of a garage during an Arizona summer.
So he decided to try a polyurethane (PUR) hot melt adhesive. PUR adhesives form an initial bond with the substrate from cooling, but exposure to moisture in the air sets off a chemical reaction that causes crosslinking. The bond established by crosslinking has higher temperature resistance and improved chemical/water barrier properties. To accommodate the PUR adhesives, he also started investigating new edgebanding machinery. After seeing what was on the market at the 2005 AWFS Vegas Fair, he purchased an IDI edgebander from SCM Group, equipped with a Nordson EB60V adhesive slot applicator and BM 20 bulk melter. Purchase and installation was completed in early 2006.
After a brief learning curve, production was running relatively smoothly and finished cabinets looked good leaving the plant. But the real test approached as the high temperatures arrived with the start of summer 2006. Fortunately, the new system provided the success DeGraaf had hoped for; that summer, delamination calls to Great Garage! dropped by 50% to around 100. By the summer of 2007, after having additional time and experience using the system, and because of the increased number of PUR edgebanded cabinets installed, there was a further 95% reduction. There were only around five delamination calls, all on pre-PUR produced units.
With the delamination problem solved, DeGraaf turned his energies to developing the next generation of garage cabinets and expanded into closet systems. He also is working with a North American distribution network to handle the new line of cabinets, called Triton Garage and Closet Systems. The new line will be on display at the CLOSETS Expo in West Palm Beach, FL, Feb. 28-29. For additional information, contact DeGraaf at 480-456-6667. DeGraff also will share his experiences with PUR adhesives.
This article was submitted by Nordson Corp., a supplier of adhesive and coatings application systems. For information, visit www.nordson.com
When is the Right Time to Become Your Own Manufacturer?
John DeGraaf, president of Triton Garage & Closet Systems, offers advice to retailers who are interested making their own products. |
