As a leading global manufacturer of ethically produced, premium grade outdoor furniture, ScanCom International is very proud of the innovative, environmentally friendly materials produced in-house that are used in our products. Recognised as an industry leader in the areas of sustainable production and CSR (we won the prestigious CSR Abroad prize a couple of years ago, awarded by the Danish ministry), we ensure our Duralife® range of materials is completely sustainable and meets the highest international standards for durability and compliance.

Innovation and ongoing improvement are central to our vision of “Doing Business the Right Way” and the premium-quality materials that our Research and Development Department formulate are a clear demonstration of the desire for improvement. In today’s world of disposable culture we understand how important it is to manufacture products that are made to last in an outdoor space as well as being environmentally friendly and sustainable. For that reason we have invested huge amounts of time and money into developing Duralife®, a range of materials and processes, which enhance the durability, strength and functionality of our products.

The Duralife range of materials includes the synthetic wicker Petan® and Duresin® which is specially formulated virgin resin and both materials can be seen throughout our collections. Formwood® is ScanCom’s unique material that is the result of bending eucalyptus wood into shapes using lamination techniques, making the material more than 30% stronger than standard hardwood.

We also have premium-quality weather-resistant coatings for steel and alumninium products and components: Durasint and Duracoat respectively. For our wood furniture we have developed a number of finishes (Duratone®, Duragrain®, Balau) that enhance the natural beauty of the timber while also providing superior protection from the elements. We also have Duraseal®, a specially formulated paint for our wooden furniture.

For table tops that are weather and scratch-resistant and virtually no maintenance we created Duranite® and Duraboard®, two composites that use recycled sawdust from our factories. The former is a perfect, lightweight yet stable alternative to natural stone and the latter is now available in widths of up to 110cm.

For seating we use Weather-net®, a finely woven PVC-coated yarn that is maintenance-free, and our Strap material is made from high quality polymer thread which offers both strength and elasticity.

Weather-tex® is ScanCom’s material for cushions and fabric covering and is available in 3 weights: Lite, Classic and Premium.

All of our Duralife® manufacturing processes are highly integrated and a dedicated Quality Assurance department track and monitor the supply chain at every stage to ensure that the final product meets the highest quality standards for use with outdoor furniture. All Duralife® materials are completely safe for the environment and can be recycled, a fundamental of our aim of “Doing Business the Right Way” – the ScanCom way.

We are confident that our Duralife materials are some of the most durable and weather-resistant currently available and that is why all of our products and components made of Petan®, Duresin®, Durasint®, Duracoat®, Duraseal, Duranite and Duraboard come with a 5-year warranty, and our Duragrain® and Duratone® finishes are guaranteed for 2 years as are our seating materials and fabrics.

ScanCom’s founder Boje Bendtzen has been integral to many of these developments and is proud of the reputation both ScanCom and its in-house materials have within the industry. The final words are his: “Innovation and excellence in design have always been central to my vision but of course, for mass production, the materials used to make those designs need to be understood. Improvement and advancement come from knowledge, and the development of our own in-house materials is based on years of experience and expertise from all over the company. As a designer, it is important to know the limitations and properties of the materials you are using and therefore, the quality of those materials has to be high and consistent. By producing our own Duralife® materials that are specially formulated for use in outdoor furniture, we can be sure of the quality and sustainability and that is reassuring for both our customers and ScanCom as a manufacturer. Years of research have allowed us to fine tune the properties and composition of certain materials in order to provide the best end product possible.”

For more information about ScanCom’s range of Duralife® materials please visit us at www.scancom.net/duralife