Nottingham-based Sign Up Systems has become an accredited installer and solutions provider for the Pongs Descor textile architecture system from CMYUK. It will now offer acoustic solutions to the corporate and consumer markets.
“We see Descor as an enhancement to our business. It allows us to offer our existing exhibitions and events customers new applications. It is also opening-up possibilities and potential partnerships in non-traditional sectors, which is very encouraging,” said Jon Bromhead, owner and MD, Sign Up Systems.
Sign Up Systems is currently in talks with a well-known hi-fi, home cinema and TV retailer to provide environments that reduce reverberation and excessive noise issues in home cinemas.
“To start with we’re talking about creating cinema rooms with night star-scape ceilings, and meter square acoustic panels that can be fitted onto the wall to bounce the sound. It may be that customers will want to create their own bespoke cinema room, and Pongs materials allows us to print stunning bespoke walls, ceilings and furniture for these home entertainment rooms,” added Bromhead.
According to CMYUK, textile architecture for interiors is a growth market that has tripled in the last decade, driven by the technological advances in materials, which is fuelling new applications. Pongs Descor is an easy-to-apply frame system for fitting one-piece textiles that are stretch-tensioned to appear as a solid wall or ceiling structure. It has a diverse range of parts, suitable for framing even complex wall shapes and fittings.
Sign Up Systems uses all of Pongs acoustic textiles including: Descor Premium Acoustic, a sound absorbing fabric that is ideal for floors and ceilings; Silencio, an acoustic fabric with a 3D honeycomb structure; and Akustiko, suited to curtains, ceiling sails, and for covering furniture with a sound-absorbing function. It is using these materials to test out new products such as soundproof pods, developed to create a better virtual meeting experience. “Taking this idea further, you can also really see how to improve the meeting rooms on stands at exhibitions,” said Bromhead.
He looked to launch Sign Up’s acoustic solutions over a year ago, but due to the pandemic had to put it on the back burner, though it used the time to create an acoustic showcase at its premises.
Bromhead founded Sign Up Systems in 2006 as a graphic tensioning supplier, convinced that this would be the route for displaying digital wide-format graphics. The company quickly grew to include design, printing, manufacture, installation, distribution, maintenance, de-installation and storage to its in-house services.
Fifteen years later, Bromhead believes acoustic textiles have the ability to impact the market significantly. “This is a massive positive to our ongoing business, and hopefully, we will emerge out of the pandemic as a stronger company,” he said.