Injection moulded long glass fibre-reinforced polypropylene is being used instead of metal, nylon and PBT to withstand the rigours of school furniture components in Germany. Parts for desks made by Vereinigte Spezialmöbelfabriken also save weight compared with alternative materials.
     The supporting frame of the desk in the picture is made of Ticona's Celstran LFT PP reinforced with 10 mm long fibres. This polypropylene gives structural components stiffness, strength and toughness, and eases manufacture through its low warpage characteristics.
     Use of LFT PP enabled the designers to dispense with more complicated, bulky and heavier metal components. Unlike other materials that have been used – steel, polyamide or PBT – the long-fibre material's comparatively low density enables weight to be reduced for transportation, storage and handling. This is no less important in the school environment (when stacking or transporting desk units, for example) than it is during desk assembly operations at the factory. Using Celstran has also reduced costs compared to previous materials.
     The colorability of Celstran LFT has enabled the desk components to match ancillaries such as a hook for hanging school bags.