Articles

The Benefits of Durability

One aspect of these more environmentally-conscious times is a growing interest in extending the service life and serviceability of products. This can be seen taking form in many areas; ‘Right to Repair’ legislation guiding electrical goods manufacturers to design-in for a level of user-repairability from the outset.  Car manufacturers extending the factory warranty cover on new vehicles; in some cases, as far as 100,000 miles or 10 years. The recent growth of Repair Cafes across the UK (now numbering 800no, a 500% increase over the last 5 years!) All are indicators of a migration away from the ‘casual-disposability’ mindset of the past 50 years, across to a more enlightened approach that fully respects the value of resources. There is a social and ecological responsibility coming forward that should ultimately shape the future. The responsibility doesn’t need spelling-out as that is all too obvious, the objective is ensuring wise and efficient use of key resources (materials & energy) as society moves forward. Planned obsolescence may itself become obsolete! Durability is key to this, it is the best means to steer away from inadvertent waste I.e., the unnecessary use of resources that otherwise go into the early-replacement of ‘short-lived’ products. The role of durability is best summarized by the eco-design pioneer Victor Papanek, who back in 1971 identified that ‘true durability is an ethical necessity rather than just a physical property’. Establishing ‘durability’ by design and through choice of materials is pivotal, however by also observing durability in ongoing ‘real-time use’ the learnings can be channeled into a feedback loop by which the item’s durability can be further refined. Ecoflex pavement signs provide an excellent example as a case-in-point: As pavement or forecourt positions can be a demanding environment, and signs can potentially be in use 24/7, then a low-maintenance lifespan alongside long-life performance is de-rigueur. The Ecoflex design factors-in for such demands by using a resilient aircraft-grade aluminium display panel. The panel’s inherent flexibility yields to wind gusts and impacts which in turn ensures the sign remains foot-sure in it its sited position. In addition, the high-density recycled-polymer sign base provides a low centre-of-gravity contributing to exceptional sign stability. The Ecoflex assembly fastener is provided in polycarbonate and is effectively unbreakable. The sign’s total component count is just three highly-robust parts. Overall durability is the sum of these high-performance materials working in unison. Further-more all materials are selected to be fully recyclable so available for future ‘second-life’ applications. Ecoflex signs can be readily updated at any stage by just changing the panel only across to a new panel design = reduced transport volume and emissions vs. the alternative of replacing a complete sign. Stage-posts in establishing Ecoflex durability; Ongoing 24/7 field testing at the isle of Lewis - the UK's windiest location as listed in The Guinness Book of Records Wind tunnel testing in the UK and Canada In-house QUV accelerated weather testing of inks Real-time observation:With many thousands of examples in-situ an Ecoflex can often be dated by panel artwork and sign-base features... a 12-year+ performance is not uncommon. The principal benefits of durability; Less maintenance Increased life span Effective return on investment (ROI) Less long-term expense Reduces wasteful use of materials and energy Contributes to reduction of C02 emissions Further sources of information & reference Accelerated weather testing movie Victor Papanek - Design for the Real World. ISBN-13: 978-0500295335 Ecoflex signs, plus a large range of equally durable pavement, forecourt and poster sign solutions can be seen at The Sign Show, NEC, Birmingham - 29th Sept to 1st Oct 2026. We will be located on stand no. S240 - Come and say hello!