Innovate or die could be the state’s new motto for NH manufacturers, and plenty of them are rolling out products that are fueling business growth. Here we profile five intriguing NH-made products, including high-tech turnstiles, composite parts to protect rally cars and a tent designed for tall people.
VELCRO Brand Sticky Back for Fabric
Company: Velcro Companies, Manchester
Released: Fall 2014
www.velcro.com/products/for-fabrics
What it does: Sticky Back is a hook-and-loop fastener specifically designed for fabric. VELCRO Brand Sticky Back for Fabric creates a permanent adhesive bond to fabrics without sewing, gluing or ironing. The fabric bond withstands laundering and the closure can be reused hundreds of times. It is designed for use with cottons, polyester, poly blends, and nylon.
Target market/uses: It is designed for hems, shoulder pads, collars, sleeves, wardrobe gaps, costumes, personalizing fabrics with embellishments, accessorizing and attaching patches.
Cost: $3.99-$5.99
Vulkyn 650 High Temperature Lubricating Liner Systems
Company: NH Ball Bearings, Peterborough
Released: 2014
www.nhbb.com
What it does: Vulkyn 650 was developed by NHBB’s New Product Development Center to improve the performance and extend the operating life of customers’ airplane engine components. The Vulkyn 650, a high temperature fabric liner system for plain bushings and spherical bearings, raises the maximum operating temperature of NHBB’s high temperature self-lubricating liner systems for plain bearings by 75 degrees, providing reduced wear at 700 degrees of 0.006 inch after approximately 150,000 cycles. When tested at 570 degrees, the cycle count increases to 500,000 before liner wear reaches 0.006 inch.
Target market/uses: It is used in both military and commercial airplane engine applications where bearings are exposed to sustained operating temperatures above 350 degrees, including engine mounts, oil cooler mounts and variable stator vanes. The compounds that make up the fabric and bonding agents comply with REACH, a regulation in the European Union applying to all chemical substances and relating to protecting human health and environmental risks, which is important as many of NHBB’s customers supply product to European companies.
Wagontop 4P tent
Company: Nemo Equipment, Dover
Released: 2015
www.nemoequipment.com
What it does: This is NEMO’s first standing-height tent. The four-person tent is 6.5 feet tall. Most large tents on the market are difficult to set up because of their height, pole configuration and the fact that they require an inner tent that you set up and then an outer fly that is secured over the top. By using a durable, waterproof, single wall design with plenty of sealable windows for ventilation and privacy, and unique pole configuration, Nemo was able to maximize interior livable space and simplify set up. A walk-in entrance with removable vestibule allows campers to stand up when entering and while inside.
Target market/uses: Car camping, base camping for groups & families.
The tent is easy to set up to appeal to new campers.
Cost: $449.95
OBFG-E Optical Barrier Bi-Parting Full Glass Turnstile
Company: Orion Entrance Control, Laconia
Released: 2014
www.orioneci.com
What it does: These optical turnstiles keep people from walking unrestricted into a secure building or area. Orion’s beam scanning optical systems allow for faster throughput by continuously scanning the lane in both directions simultaneously without the barrier needing to reset itself between transactions. The lane’s ¼-inch detection allows for few false alarms while providing a high degree of security screening. The turnstile can be used with bar code readers, swipe readers, biometric readers or other access cards. It emits a chime and shows a green arrow when entry is permitted. The system uses patterns of movement to detect piggybacking on a valid entry, as well as crawl under or over attempts. Designed to provide secure access with a classic architectural look, glass barriers can be 4, 5 or 6 feet tall.
Target market/uses: Orion’s turnstiles are used daily in high rise buildings, corporate headquarters, government centers and education campuses. It was originally created for a multinational corporation before being released as a new product.
Composite Rally Car Panels
Company: Sandwich Tech, Littleton
Released: Summer 2014
www.sandwichtechskis.com
What it does: Composite Rally Car Panels are custom shaped panels that protect important parts of the vehicle, including the gas tank and exhaust, and are modified to meet the demands of rally racing. Rally cars race on unpaved tracks with several turns and bumps, sending dust and rocks into the underside of cars. Sandwich Tech’s composite panels include fenders, gas tank guards and running boards. The custom-shaped carbon parts are designed to reduce weight and look nice while Kelvar parts are designed to wear slowly and protect important parts of the car.
Target market/uses: Sandwich Tech, a ski manufacturer, recently diversified to make the composite panels for Team O’Neil Motorsport in Dalton. Team O’Neil sells rally cars, teaches rally car driving and maintains customers’ cars.
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