Build your own sustainable home with tempex panels

Showing people that it’s possible to build your own home in a high-quality, sustainable and affordable manner. That’s the mission of Bouwzelfeenhuis. A shining example is this sustainable loft in Oosterwold. Together with the homeowner, the innovative construction company from Utrecht laid the foundations. They also installed the prefab structure for which De la Roy supplied the EPS panels. The homeowner installed all technical installations personally and finished both the interior and exterior of the house.

Saving time with a smart idea

We often find ourselves cutting fifty 10mm boards from a single block of EPS with our foam cutters in just a single pass. To do so, we have to position all those 50 wires at exactly the right distance from each other. When done manually, this takes about an hour. Thanks to a clever idea from one of our employees, though, we can now save a lot of time. This cutting rack has been pre-strung with wires at exactly the right intervals. What’s more, it just takes a few minutes to place and connect this handy attachment.

Technical tempex: a handy flatpack

It started with a client’s hand-drawn sketch. The end result was a set of two large seating elements made of tempex and MDF sheets for the offices in the World Trade Center in Utrecht. When preparing a product like this, we not only take its purpose into account. We also consider the practical aspects, such as transportation. Given the dimensions and the combination of materials, and in consultation with the client, we opted to supply these seating elements as a flatpack. Each part was given a unique number, which made assembly on site child’s play.

Avoid damage in transit with tempex

A scratch on a varnished panel. Mangled edges. Furniture can suffer all kinds of damage on the way to a client. You can prevent that with sturdy packaging made of tempex for extra protection. Like this packaging for Verschuren Interieurbouw in Eindhoven, for example. We cut a total of 2640 corner profiles in three different sizes out of EPS 60 with our contour cutting machine. They formed part of a simple but effective solution for the shipment of their cupboards.

Group milestone: the Hendrik van Dijk Fonds

In 1994, the Van Dijk Groep wished to support a worthy cause to mark its silver anniversary. That ended up being the construction of the children’s department of Sumve Hospital in Tanzania. Hendrik van Dijk – founder of the Van Dijk Groep – established a fund to finance the project. Since then, the mission of the Hendrik van Dijk Fonds has been to make a tangible and measurable contribution to general purpose building and infrastructure projects in third world countries. To find out more about the fund, see the Hendrik van Dijk Fonds website.

Say it with tempex letters

We love summer, which is why we love to rewatch this 2013 Qmusic video from Belgium. We are proud of our important contribution to the clip - we produced the letters featured. We created them using EPS 200 and applied a polyurea coating finish.

A blow-up made of tempex

Want to draw extra attention to your products at a trade fair? Then do something your visitors cannot miss. How? Have a blow-up, an enlargement, made out of polystyrene. Like this ball valve we moulded for Georg Fischer N.V., a supplier of plastic piping systems in Epe. With a polyurethane coating finish in the appropriate colours, this one metre tall show element looks exactly like the real thing.

Technical tempex: from 2D to 3D

When you translate a 2D logo into a 3D object made of tempex, the logo comes to life. An example of that is this tree: the symbol for Kingspan Moulding, to visualize freedom of design with tempex. This 3D object made of polystyrene is used as decor for their trade fair stand. The object consists of two halves. It can therefore be placed in a space as a complete tree. Or the two halves can be used as wall decor.

Summer closure

We will be closed in week 32 and 33. In week 31 we are working with a very small staffing. We are in week 31 available by phone.

Launch of Flexspecialisten’s H.I.E.R. 2.0 concept

HIER. Four letters of one metre in height and four metres wide together. We cut those out of EPS100 with our contour cutting machine and applied an orange coating. The letters are now on display at the entrance of Flexspecialisten’s head office in Oss. They represent the core values of the recruitment agency that specialises in the food and logistics sector. The agency wanted to draw those values to the attention of all employees once again. The Flexspecialisten marketing department therefore rolled out the H.I.E.R. 2.0 concept. Four employees presented the letters at a special launch event.

Delft art!

It’s here, our pride and joy, a 12-metre tall tulip vase pyramid along the A13 motorway. In other words, the largest tulip vase in the world! We made the base of this artwork from EPS, before coating it with a smooth, protective layer of polyurethane. Afterwards, the parts were shipped off the Delft, where Royal Delft’s artists painted the vase. It took them three weeks to transform the white styrofoam into this Delft blue masterpiece. It was an exciting project, because we did not know whether our tempex parts would fit the steel structure, which was manufactured elsewhere, until the vase was actually assembled. Ultimately, it was an ideal fit, like a tulip in the perfect vase!

Land Art Delft and Royal Delft partnered up to develop the Tulip pyramid was developed as part of this year’s theme ‘Delft and the Golden Age’. The municipality of Delft, Delft Marketing and various business associations also contributed to this project. The project was the brainchild of Paula Kouwenhoven.

Delft art!

Available now: the tempex sanitising station

Disinfecting your hands with hand sanitiser before entering a shop or office building is part of the new normal. De la Roy has developed two types of sanitising stations with special slots for hand sanitiser and paper towels.

The standing station is 950 x 380 x 380 mm and costs € 100. The table station is 360 x 380 x 380 and costs € 75. All prices mentioned are exclusive of VAT, accessories and shipping costs. Because our sanitising stations are made entirely from recyclable tempex, they are lightweight and highly portable. If you’re interested in our sanitary stations or would just like some more information, please call us on +31 (0)492 370 067.

Blow-up of power formwork

We are not the only ones who recognise the wonderful benefits of Airpop. For example, IsoBouw uses tempex as a base material for insulation products in the construction sector. So it was not surprising that the company asked us to produce power formwork out of EPS100 for a construction expo in Utrecht in 2019. The power formwork – strong foundation formwork – consists of numerous elements created with our 3D-milling machine. We also produced the letters for the wording ‘we are circular’ above IsoBouw’s exhibition stand. We cut them out of sheets of EPS200 with our 2D-contour cutting machine. The client coloured the letters themselves, which made them a striking sight at the expo.

Mega filling blocks made of tempex

These mega blocks made of EPS60 are on their way to a contractor in Rotterdam. And this is only 20 percent of the blocks we produced. There are four more loads totalling 300 cubic metres. These filling blocks are lighter than the blocks usually used for concrete foundations. By using lighter blocks, the contractor saves time and can pour the concrete for the walls and ceiling at the same time. Another added benefit: these blocks will eventually be recycled into new products. We are circular! We pre-cut and glued these filling blocks into a mega block. It was certainly a colossal task.

A compelling sight

Ten of them stood in a row on the Malieveld in The Hague on 20 May. We used our contour cutting machine to cut the identical 1.80 metre tall figures out of EPS100. An assignment on behalf of photographer and artist Sanja Medic for her Dit zijn onze Helden project. Each figure symbolises a vital occupation in our society. The height of the pedestal gives an indication of the salary. A compelling sight according to many passers-by.

Easter eggs in Eindhoven

Easter egg painting, but at expert level. Thirty artists embellished these sanded polystyrene eggs with colourful, artistic paintings. De la Roy made the eggs for B-TOO on behalf of Kunsteindhoven. The eggs, made of EPS 60, were temporarily on display in glass cabinets in Eindhoven city centre.

Technical tempex: art in public spaces

More and more artists are making use of our services. We translate their projects into tempex objects. These can also be exhibited as artworks in public spaces. We use a steel frame to anchor the artwork into the ground. The object is then extra secure and can withstand the elements and wind.

Dancing piano for Marco Borsato

Did it make the performance even more spectacular? We thought so! As far as we are concerned, the high-gloss white piano with stylish stool was one of the highlights of the series of performances put on by Marco Borsato at the end of May and start of June in De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam. Decor builders Stagebrothers from Amersfoort asked us to model the organic showpiece out of EPS for Marco’s pianist. Finished in a polyurethane coating, the two-metre-wide and almost three-metre-long piano played a leading role for five nights, after which it went on to shine at Pinkpop with Marco, Davina Michelle and Armin van Buuren.

Sit comfortably

Nozzle chairs. They were given that name by exhibition stand builders So Expo in Venray. We moulded these nozzle-shaped seating elements out of EPS200. Steel elements made the seating extra sturdy. And the polyurethane coating gave the seats a shine. They provided seating for visitors to the TeeJet stand at Agritechnica in Hannover and Polagra in Poznan.

The use of tempex in sustainable innovation

Floating debris, the waterborne version of litter. Engineering consultancy Tauw in Deventer developed an innovative system for cleaning this type of pollution. Their Shoreliner officially became operational on 3 May in the port of Stavoren. A sail was fixed to a floating tube of approximately sixty metres in length, which guides the floating debris into a receptacle. How the tube remains afloat? Thanks to the 27 XPS cylinders inside, which we made. We thus contributed to a more sustainable environment. Impressive, isn’t it?

The art of cutting polystyrene

Staffa, a Scottish island that consists entirely of basalt, was the inspiration for John Breed’s wall sculpture of the same name. The artwork is 1.6 metres in diameter and is covered with 6,000 to 7,000 sheets of champagne-coloured gold leaf. All done by hand! The artwork has a tempex base. We supplied the XPS sheets, which the artist then cut into the desired shape himself. In this video, John works on Staffa and talks about his artwork.

Better grip, with the focus on spikes

At the beginning of this year, Adidas introduced the new Predator Mutator, a football boot with 406 rubber spikes. Not under the sole, but spread across the toe, instep and sides of the boot. How do you bring this new technology for greater ball control to the attention of visitors to Adidas stores in Amsterdam? APS Group requested our assistance with a creative marketing solution. We cut 110 spikes out of EPS100 in three different sizes for them. In fitting red, they were a striking sight in the stores, shopfronts and the promotional trailer.

Tempex cars

A car made of tempex. For a presentation, or as decor. We have already produced several for different clients. Like the stylish Cabrio in this video. We first produced a rough shape with our milling machine. Phase two consists of finishing. We then polished the rough edges until they were smooth. And we can naturally supply the car in any RAL colour desired.

Technical tempex: a gigantic barbecue

Tempex is not the ideal material for making a real barbecue. It is however suitable for making a gigantic model of the original. We did that for a vendor of Big Green Egg, the popular green egg-shaped barbecues. We followed three steps for this assignment:

1.       Precise measurement of the original.

2.       Digital drawing and enlargement.

3.       Moulding in the desired quality of EPS.

The client uses the tempex barbecue as an eye-catcher during events.

Sit comfortably on a boulder

Every year, the Salone del Mobile is held in Milan, city of fashion and design. Dutch designers and artisanal manufacturing companies exhibited their work in the centre of the Italian city at an exhibition entitled Masterly – The Dutch in Milano’. Carpet manufacturer Van Besouw presented this stylish seating solution. Due to its size of two by at least three-and-a-half metres, the boulder looks impossible to lift. But nothing could be further from the truth, because we moulded the polygon out of EPS. The carpet weaver from Genemuiden upholstered it themselves with strips of carpet. A Masterly feat of design.

We are stronger together

Of course it’s wonderful when you get a positive response to a campaign. But it’s really about all those healthcare providers in the region who are in the frontlines in the battle against coronavirus! It is impossible to thank them all personally. We therefore produced these huge thumbs-up models in collaboration with Kingspan Unidek, Spuiterij Mosman and MKG Koeriers and placed them at a number of hospitals in North Brabant and Limburg. But they are just as much a message to all healthcare providers in the Netherlands: we are proud of you and grateful for the work you do!

Technical tempex: packaging for sunroofs

Polystyrene is 98% air. It thus offers a high level of shock absorbance. One of our clients therefore asked us to develop packaging for the transportation of automotive sunroofs. We developed the packaging from start to finish in close consultation with the client. It consisted of different EPS components, a cardboard box, inlay sheets and a pallet, amongst others. We supplied the complete product, but not before the prototype was tested extensively during a test drive.

Technical tempex: refractory bricks made with polystyrene reverse moulds

Did you know that EPS is also exceptionally suitable for reverse moulds? For example, for pouring concrete for refractory bricks. We design the polystyrene moulds with the aid of computer aided design (CAD). These are then filled with the material of choice, for example, clay. Once the clay has hardened, the tempex mould can be removed. They can therefore only be used once.

Technical tempex: architectural mouldings

Tempex as an application in construction. Insulation probably comes to mind. Or formwork for pouring concrete. A less well-known product in the construction industry is an EPS architectural moulding that gives the exterior of a home an attractive appearance. We provided a customised solution for a newbuild in Boekel. We translated the private owner’s measurements into a design and subsequently, a product.

3D-hashtag

Hashtag #vet. One-and-a-half metres high and three metres wide. It was the most eye-catching piece of decor at the first Vet Talks Inbound, a knowledge event about inbound marketing hosted by Bureau Vet in October. We cut the 3D-hashtag out of EPS100 for the online marketing agency in Boxmeer.

Hot air in print

A wonderful article with a heading that makes you smile. Our Creative Manager Henny de la Roy and Technical Sales Advisor Erik Franc gave an interview for the first 2020 edition of Eindhoven Business. And the result in the corporate glossy is impressive. In the article, Henny and Erik tell you all about our polystyrene products. So if you come across a copy … be sure to read it!

Moulds for concrete awning

A gigantic concrete beetle. That offers shelter on a rainy day, or when the sun is beating down harshly. That is what comes to mind when you see the concrete awning in the playground of Merlijn primary school in the Belgian city of Tongeren. We used our contour cutting machine to cut nine moulds out of EPS250, which were then finished with a gel coating. Our client, Clauwers Betonwerken, used them as components for the artwork. Each is four metres high, thirty centimetres thick and they vary in width.

Concrete-look letters

These letters with a robust concrete look adorned Cugla’s stand at the 2019 Betondag trade fair. It was only fitting that the manufacturer of concrete admixtures be represented at the trade fair at the Van Nelle factory in Rotterdam. Visitors could hardly miss the Breda company thanks to the one metre wide and half-metre high logo we made for them. We produced two sets with our contour cutting machine, with chipboard for stability and a latex coating on the sides and back.

Polystyrene blocks for HEMA

“Bij HEMA is echt alles HEMA” (“Everything at HEMA is authentically HEMA”). That is the opening line of the department store’s TV commercial. As the camera pans along all the products, our work comes into view too. As it happens, we supplied the blocks on which the products are displayed. At least 80 of these blocks, which vary in length from 30 to 150 centimetres, are integrated into the decor. Our client, Jelier en Schaaf in Amsterdam, gave the EPS blocks a pastel hue themselves.

Technical tempex: 3D-logo for Automotive Campus in Helmond

A logo in 3D comes to life. When you change your position, so does the view. We translated the 2D-logo into a 3D- design for the Automotive Campus in Helmond. An aluminium frame and footplate give the three dimensional design extra stability. The high-gloss coating produces an image appropriate for the sector in which the campus operates.

Technical tempex: awning

An awning made of tempex? Sure thing. We designed a canopy consisting of EPS around a steel frame for the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB). Thanks to the coating, the awning is sun, rain and wind resistant. We even fitted it with an alarm system and led lighting. And because we believe in full-service provision, we also installed the awning at the office in Hoogeveen.

Making a statement with polystyrene

In 2012, a gigantic gold pig rolled through the city of Antwerp. The animal was pulled along by people. Luckily, it was made of polystyrene. We moulded the animal on behalf of the artists who organised the Wij varkenland project. View the video and discover the story behind this project.

Polystyrene as pure art

There is a sleek white house in Mierlo. The modern architecture is the work of Nick Matulessy from @architectdirect. An artwork consisting of fourteen blocks of tempex makes for an appealing transition from the house to the garden. We made these with our contour cutting machine. The blocks are equipped with two or three screw-threads at the base for fixing in a layer of concrete.

Modern office stands

We designed a unique seating solution for the offices in the World Trade Center in Utrecht (WTC) in collaboration with Topcover, our client. Two sofas that can also be used as stands! Naturally, a matching standing table was part of the solution, so we moulded that out of EPS too. Topcover secured the stands with MDF sheets and took care of the finishing. The result is impressive; it suits the modern interior of the WTC perfectly.

Modern office stands

Formwork for concrete columns

The area around Goes station is being upgraded. The rail underpass is an important part of that. A number of concrete columns of different thicknesses and varying from 3 to 4.3 metres in length were integrated into the construction of a bicycle bridge, a concrete slab bridge and a trough bridge. Hakron in Nunspeet, the supplier of the formwork systems for this project, asked us to produce the formwork for the columns. Each formwork consists of two sections of EPS250. These can be placed around the reinforced concrete. Wooden beams on the outside lend stability to the reusable formwork. Bent triplex and a gel coating on the inside give the poured concrete a sleek and smooth appearance.

Technical tempex: stairs

Reverse moulds are often used in the construction industry for pouring concrete. Tempex is the ideal product for that, not just due to its minimal weight. We can also mould complex shapes out of it. Such as a bicycle ramp for stairs in a station. As you can imagine, such a mould is huge in size. In consultation with the client, and taking transportation into consideration, we therefore deliver the product in two sections. Once the concrete has hardened after pouring, the EPS is manually and mechanically removed in pieces. The reverse mould can therefore only be used once in this case. This is referred to as ‘lost formwork’.

Polyurethane coating in a mould

Polyurethane coating is a functional application for reverse moulds. The assignment we completed for K_Dekker Bouw & Infra is a good example of that. We modelled a reverse mould for a step out of EPS100 for this client. The contractor used these for the concrete stairs at the station in Castricum. By applying a polyurethane coating to the section for the bicycle ramp, the concrete came out of the mould ‘clean’. The other parts of the stairs were later covered with natural stone.

Customised packaging

Do you have a specific packaging requirement? We would be delighted to provide input. We developed special packaging material made of EPS200 that enables six Ford Kuga sunroofs to be packed into a crate or box. We then moulded the various parts for the prototype. Developing this new type of packaging from start to finish was an exciting challenge for us.

Production in the corona era

Making products out of polystyrene is not something you can do at home. But thanks to clear agreements, we can continue with production safely despite coronavirus. For example, the production area is only accessible to those who need to be there. And maintaining a distance of one-and-a-half metres and washing hands regularly is already common practice in our company. Things are quiet in our office. Only the director, planner and a sales representative are present. Additionally, everyone works from home as much as possible and we maintain contact with clients via telephone and email. Do you have any questions? Then just call or email us. And meanwhile: stay healthy!

Production in the corona era

A polystyrene river bed

As if she literally picked the river bed up and moved it. You see, this erratic shape is a cross-section of the Mississippi river bed. Artist Maud van den Beuken made a 3D-scan at the source in Minnesota for her One to One (Mississippi River) project. She did that using sonar technology in collaboration with an employee from dredging company Van Oord. Back in the Netherlands, we made a mould of the scan out of EPS100 on a one-to-one scale for her. In February 2020, it was on display as a free-standing piece at the Prospects & Concepts exhibition, part of Art Rotterdam, at the Van Nelle Factory.

How do you package a crane cabin?

Providing input for the packaging of an unusual product. And then executing that design for the client ourselves. That required specialist processes with end results of which De la Roy is proud. Merford Cabins BV approached us with precisely such a challenge. The cabin manufacturer from Gorinchem needed to send fifteen crane cabins to buyers across the whole world. But how do you pack a product like this in a way that it arrives at its destination without a scratch or a dent? In collaboration with Merford, we developed ten sets of customised elements made of EPS. We used our milling machine to model the pieces of tempex into the right shape. Together with the parts, the puzzle pieces formed a sturdy and easy- to-package unit.

Letters for Schiphol logistics centre

Construction company Aan de Stegge Twello B.V. was responsible for building Logistics Court Schiphol. It is located at Schiphol Logistics Park West in the municipality of Schiphol-Rijk. The construction company commissioned us to cut the letters out of EPS200 with our contour cutting machine. And thanks to the polyurethane coating, the seventeen metre long, one point two metre high text can withstand the elements and wind.

Puzzle solutions

See the images for a number of solutions to our De la Roy EPS puzzles.