Smith & Fong Company, manufacturer of Plyboo bamboo architectural panels and flooring products, has launched The Living Hinge Collection, a line of flexible acoustical panels made from carved bamboo plywood. The collection was developed to tackle design challenges with walls that don’t conform to right angles. Utilizing CNC technology, these panels can bend around a corner to provide visual continuity—and sound-reducing performance—for non-standard interior walls.
By definition, a “living hinge” is a thin flexible hinge (flexure bearing) made from the same material as the two rigid pieces it connects. Utilizing the movement and strength associated with a CNC-enabled flexible hinge, Smith & Fong engineered an otherwise rigid material to flex into a 24" radius. The Living Hinge Collection is available in various colors, including Natural and Amber Fog, Noir and Storm. The panels receive a noise reduction coefficient up to 0.7. Panels can be backlit and used in various applications. Standard dimensions are 0.5" x 47.75" x 95.75", and the design patterns are matched so the design lines up side to side, top to bottom, panel to panel allowing the assembly of a wall or other surface of any size or dimension.
Produced in the U.S., Living Hinge panels can contribute to multiple USGBC LEED credits, including Certified Wood and Low-Emitting Materials. These panels come standard with a Class C fire rating, but can be specified Class B or in some cases, Class A. FSC 100-percent-certified bamboo can also be specified with any of the designs. The Living Hinge line is part of Smith & Fong’s carved panel product range, which also includes the Reveal, Sound, Linear and LinearSound collections.