Client Background
As a leading glass flower vase exporter, Mosteb has been a reliable partner for an independent interior-décor brand from Portugal who came to us with a need for unique vases to elevate their boutique renovation projects. Their preference was for a hand-cut geometric relief pattern that was smartly coupled with a brushed-brass collar ring, thus an object that would be both the highlight yet a subtle architectural accent of the space. They decided on Mosteb because we are known for our export-grade craftsmanship of consistent quality, we have stable lead times and we are capable of dealing with complex multi-region compliance requirements for premium décor items.
Challenges
- Regulatory Label & Material Compliance Differences:The requirements for heavy-metal thresholds, recyclable-material logos, and outer-packaging mandates changed in North America, the EU, and the Middle East, thus procurement complexity increased significantly.
- High-Gloss Surface Durability vs. Scratch Resistance:The ultra-gloss finish that the client wanted was naturally vulnerable to micro-scratches occurring during long-distance container shipping, hence, there was a need to find a new balance between high-end appearance and export-grade durability.
Cause Analysis
Our technical team performed surface-stress mapping, coating-adhesion tests, and packaging-compression simulations, leading to the discovery of the following two core problems:
- The relief cuts made the surface of the wood very sharp, hence a different polishing process had to be used to prevent the thinning of the layer of paint;
- The traditional PE foam in export packs caused small scratches on the mirrored surfaces due to the shaking that accompanied the transport.
We worked closely with the client on these solutions, exchanging drafts, digital renders, and test lab results at every step so that the end product would be visually indistinguishable from their original design concept.
Solution
- Implemented a dual-stage ion-polishing procedure to not only maintain the gleam but also to make the surface more resistant to wear.
- Upgraded to anti-friction air-cell wrapping and strengthened the inner frames to both lessen the impact of the abrasion that came from vibration and reduce the vibration itself.
- The brass collar was re-designed with a low-lead, RoHS-compliant alloy to meet the required regulations of different markets.
- The institution of region-specific label layouts and carton symbol sets was aimed at facilitating the customs clearance process for the targeted markets.
Result
The end product, in terms of scratch resistance, was 28% better than before, managed to pass all the regional regulations in a single submission cycle, and was delivered to the client two weeks ahead of the schedule. The interior décor brand decided to feature the vases in their flagship showroom which brought about an aesthetic upgrade that was both cohesive and led to a repeat order for their upcoming hospitality project.
