BioFit 1Y Takes the Plunge to Fill Undersea Seating Role for NOAA
BioFit Engineered Products, an Ohio-based manufacturer and long-standing leader in the development of ergonomic seating, recently provided the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with a solution to a unique furnishing challenge it faced within its Florida Keys-based undersea research habitat.
Bowling Green, OH (PRWEB) January 10, 2009
BioFit Engineered Products, an Ohio-based manufacturer and long-standing leader in the development of ergonomic seating, recently provided the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with a solution to a unique furnishing challenge it faced within its Florida Keys-based undersea research habitat. As a result, NOAA aquanauts can now work comfortably at the facility's computer station thanks to BioFit's 1Y swing-arm stool.
The Aquarius underwater laboratory is owned by the NOAA and operated by the NOAA Undersea Research Program's Undersea Research Center at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Aquarius is deployed 3.5 miles offshore at a depth of 60 feet, adjacent to spectacular coral reefs. Scientists live in the underwater laboratory during 10-day missions and use saturation diving to study and explore the US coastal ocean. Limited space within the habitat means equipment and furnishings are closely scrutinized for size and functionality. Until recently, a folding plastic step stool served as the seating for the habitat's computer station. Then a NOAA researcher discovered the 1Y from BioFit Engineered Products.
The flexible BioFit 1Y features a swiveling base with a pivoting arm that can be securely mounted to any stable vertical surface, allowing it to swing out of the way while not in use and stay put while it is. The 1Y was designed to serve in a variety of environments where space constraints are a primary consideration, ranging from assembly lines, factories and other industrial settings to medical laboratories and classrooms. Another more innovative installation of the 1Y includes the sleeper cab of a truck. The 1Y is available in many chair and stool configurations, comes in a wide range of upholstery options, and is backed by an industry-leading 13-year warranty.
According to Craig Cooper, Operations Director of the NOAA Undersea Research Center, "We were using an old PVC step stool as the seat at our computer stations and knew we needed a more suitable alternative. A member of the operations team, Dewey Smith, found the 1Y online. In addition to providing a more comfortable seat for computer users, the swing-arm feature and small footprint make 'the Dewey stool,' as we call it, a good fit for the habitat." Cooper added that three more 1Y stools have been purchased and will be installed during a future dive in the main lock and laboratory stations of the habitat.
For additional information on BioFit 1Y seating, contact Liz Sworden of BioFit Engineered Products at 800-597-0246. For detailed product information or to get a quote, visit www. biofit. com.
For more information on the Aquarius underwater laboratory, visit www. uncw. edu/aquarius (http://www. uncw. edu/aquarius).
Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, BioFit Engineered Products is an industry-leading manufacturer of ergonomic seating, cafeteria and mobile tables, and carts for laboratory, office, industrial, educational, health care, bio - and high-tech, hospitality, and custom environments.
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