Low-voltage LED lighting and miter folding are key parts of a new store fixture design that is designed to deliver flexibility to retail customers.

T.C. Millwork, Inc., a Bensalem, Pennsylvania, retail store fixture manufacturer, is developing some new and innovative products. Smartwall is a UL-listed display and perimeter wall system that uses thin line wall standards and brackets to power shelves that incorporate low-voltage, high-quality LED lighting.

The shelves are not connected to the standards by wires, so the retailer has the opportunity to rearrange them anywhere along the wall without having to plug in or unplug them. This has been installed in major retail stores such as J.C. Penney and Macy’s as well as Whole Foods, Pier 1 Imports and Clarks.

“These shelves are wireless to the end user, so there are no visible connections,” said Jeff Kubach, creative director at T.C. Millwork. “The standards are powered, so the person that is merchandising can configure the shelves in many positions. It’s also very energy efficient. A 56-foot section can be powered by one standard duplex outlet

“Another key is our miter folding. Every shelf is seamless because we have the ability to laminate film onto any surface, even a lightweight aluminum composite, which is then folded as one piece instead of five separate pieces.

“Then our LED lighting is incorporated into the shelves, whether (they are) puck lights or our new light strip with an integrated reflector to maximize the beam spread at over 800 lumens per foot. Another advantage to our LEDs is that they are rated at a 93.5 color rendition on the black body curve. This brings out the true colors of the merchandise.

One of T.C. Millwork’s newest products is the OLED lit shelving system. The horizontal panel wall system incorporates light panels less than 1mm thick into transparent glass shelves. These shelves can also be arranged anywhere along the standards without having to be connected with wires. The OLEDs emit over 90 lumens per watt and produce virtually shadowless lighting.

Every shelf is seamless because we have the ability to laminate film onto any surface, even a lightweight aluminum composite.

Smartwall’s frame is shipped to the retailer prewired in increments of 4 feet wide. Included in the shipment are wall panels, shelf brackets and lit shelves. The frame, which includes the powered standards, is mounted onto the store’s existing walls and plugged into a nearby outlet. That is covered by wall panels. After that, brackets are placed in the grooves of the wall standards. The shelves are lit when they are placed onto the brackets

Kubach said that Smartwall is different from other displays not only because it is wireless to the end user, but because of the quality of the lighting. The shelves are manufactured from aluminum composite material.

T.C. Millwork is also using light fixtures that incorporate reflectors to maximize the beam spread of the lighting. Kubach said that the company is also the first and only manufacturer to incorporate OLED light panels into its shelves.

“The best application for Smartwall is any store that wants to bring the light directly to the product, as opposed to using overhead lights to showcase the products,” Kubach said.

Pier 1 Imports, for instance, is constantly rearranging their shelves to fit their products. With Smartwall there is no need to reset the overhead lighting when the items are moved. The only step is rearranging the lit shelves, with no wires to connect or disconnect. TC Millwork, 215-245-4210   www.tcmillwork.com