The original idea started with an enquiry from the Australian Museum about the projection chamber in the Sharks Exhibition. They were thinking about cladding the whole structure, and due to direct contact with the public, it needed to be clean, solid and modular. They left the beautiful powder-coated truss structure primarily exposed in the exhibition. However, it made us realise the market gap for this product.
Initially, the idea was to combine the existing Global Truss panel clamps with a coupler, but after researching the market and studying the customer requirements, we opted for a different design. Consequently, we continued developing the coupler based on our popular existing product: the light-duty coupler. Low and high-fidelity prototypes were built to test the usability of the coupler. The design was finalised after a few iterations and multiple tests.
While minimal, the final solution benefits from a multi-functional design that satisfies a lot of application scenarios. The coupler serves every use case, whether clamping panels using the integrated slot, connecting them using screwing or using Velcro or adhesives to stick on the boards. The threaded M4 holes on the clamp are positioned precisely 25mm from the edge, which makes it a breeze to pre-drill the panels before connecting them using the supplied M4 screws.
Below are some of the application scenarios for the new versatile cladding coupler:
- Truss climb prevention in public spaces: Transparent acrylic sheets can be used to achieve this functionality while maintaining the look of the truss.
- Architectural cladding to hide truss: Different types of boards and panels can be used in cladding to hide truss when needed in semi-permanent architectural setups.
- Set installations: Suitable for connecting MDF boards and acrylic sheets to quickly achieve seamless look in set installations.
- Signage and point of sale: Perfect for holding up signage and cladding to the truss in efficient and clean way for POS and commercial space designs.
- Temporary barriers: Create temporary barriers around truss installations by using the cladding coupler to create barriers and walls.
- … and many more applications!
The new Cladding Coupler was launched at the Entech Show 2022 and received highly positive feedback. At Design Quintessence, we believe that great design makes for great solutions, and we want to provide a solution that gives you a piece of mind and allows you to focus on your projects’ creative or time-critical parts. The Cladding Coupler is the latest graduate of our R&D department and is now in stock.
