9 Jan 2019

Pittsburgh-based smartphone accessories maker KerfCase releases a wireless charging pad that takes advantage of an advanced composite technology developed by Covestro.

A smartphone wireless charging pad made of wood and carbon fibers composite

Available for pre-order on the KerfCase online store, this wireless charging pad will be featured at the Covestro booth at CES 2019 for the first public viewing.

An homage to quality materials
Wireless charging pads aren’t a new invention, but not all chargers are made equal. Featuring a rare combination of natural wood and composites, the KerfCase Wireless Charging Pad is designed with quality materials at its core to enhance the everyday experience of consumers. Natural wood provides an ideal rest stop for a smartphone, while a composite molded unibody made of Maezio Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic (CFRTP) composites elevates the device with elegance and beauty. It features 10W fast charging, a USB-C port and is compatible with all Qi enabled smartphones.

“Material is at the core of all the design choices we make. The materials we work with are a reflection of ourselves,” says Ben Saks, founder and lead designer of KerfCase. “With a natural unidirectional carbon texture, Maezio composites share common aesthetic properties with wood. At the same time, they are extremely light and strong with a metallic effect, making them a perfect complement to the natural materials that KerfCase is exclusively focused on.”

Sustainable by nature
It’s more than beautiful materials that brought the two companies together. KerfCase is devoted to sustainable materials and manufacturing. Their products are made from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified wood as well as reclaimed, local wood sourced from storm-damaged urban trees. Committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Covestro puts sustainability at the heart of its corporate strategy, working on products and technologies that reduce the impact on ecological systems. Maezio composites are no exception: At the end of their life, they can be reground and used in an injection molding process for chopped fiber composite materials, making them a sustainable material choice in an increasingly disposable world.

A new take on premium consumer products
Following their entry into consumer appliances industry, Maezio composites continue the advancement of carbon fiber from industrial and aerospace applications into high-end consumer facing products to create and reinforce the notion of “premium” for consumers. They were utilized, for example, in a high-end air conditioner to house the air conditioning units.

“Composites bring a new premium material and exciting new design opportunities for next-generation products,” says Paul Hassett, market development manager in North America, Covestro. “Through our collaboration with KerfCase, we’ve demonstrated once again the potential of composite technologies in enhancing everyday consumer experience and we can’t wait to see where they will take us in the future.”

» Publication Date: 09/01/2019

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