Duo Form was awarded twice in an annual parts competition during the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Thermoforming Conference held in late October.
The event spotlights the exchange of advances in thermoforming, where the newest techniques and latest trends are unveiled, the company said.
Commenting on the awards recognition, Duo Form President Shelly Ditmer said, “It was a major honor to win not one, but two Thermoforming awards. We are thankful for the recognition by the SPE Thermoforming Division. At Duo, we are committed to continuous innovation and these two awards combined with last years’ Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Award, is a great tribute to our hard work and dedication to innovate for our customers.”
The first item Duo presented was the Twin Sheet Door that won Silver in the “Cut Sheet Heavy Gauge Twin Sheet” category. The utility door includes value-added assembly with the inclusion of latches, hardware and windows. The door was designed by Duo and was provided as part of an overall solution to eliminate metal fabrication, which in turn increased the customer’s capacity. With a 71-pound weight savings, the new twin sheet door gave Duo’s customers the ability to promote less fuel consumption, increased fleet efficiency and a decreased environmental impact, it said.
The second item shown was a Truck Camper Wet Bath. This product won Gold in the “Production Parts from 3D-Printed Tooling” category. The Wet Bath is formed with ABS material with a 90% regrind ratio for sustainability. The Wet Bath is both printed and coated in-house with thermoformable ink and a hard thermoformable coating, to achieve a residential marble look for the bath, the company said.
Duo’s Vice President of Operations Mike Gonser said, “Staying on top of new technology is a priority for us at Duo. 3D-printed tools, printed decorative applications and custom coatings are just the start of Duo’s innovations. Winning the Gold for these full-service solutions, solidifies that we are on the right path for our customers.”