News

Judging kiosks by their covers

April 13, 2005

With all the work that goes into making a kiosk application enticing - the bright display, perfectly designed interface and appealing attract loop - it is sometimes easy to overlook the structure of the kiosk itself.

Kiosk enclosures have come a long way from the early days when the nickname "box" was not always that far off. Today's enclosure is as much about the form as it is the function - often visually striking, and frequently designed to make a full aesthetic circle with the surrounding retail space.

Choices for enclosure material are growing, with the increased affordability of materials like molded plastics, structural foam and glass. But the old standbys - metal and wood - are still the most common.

This story and all the great free content on Kiosk Marketplace is supported by: MetalFX

The long-standing school of thought has been to use wood when trying to keep costs down, metal when going for a more high-end result. But Gordon Short, president of enclosure manufacturer METALfx, said that the two price points are converging.

"Metal can be just as cheap as wood in the most efficient designs," he said. "And metal enclosures are the enclosure of choice over wood due to durability issues."

Short said that both wood and metal have seen some significant price increases over the past 15 months, but "it does not seem to have driven customer decisions."

For every enclosure material, there are manufacturers that champion it - but they usually agree that different situations call for different choices.

For the Ontario-based manufacturer and service provider G-NET IMKS, the materials of choice are steel and aluminum. "These materials are not only much more versatile than wood, but in many cases, lighter and thinner and more pliable, which allow for a more attractive design," said Shawn Gusz, chief executive officer for G-NET.

That said, he acknowledges that wood is an attractive choice for the budget-conscious. "I would still say wood is the most cost effective," he said. "Wood kiosks are easily built with CNC routing machines and general labor. Making a metal kiosk look good requires special work in stamping, laser cutting, welding and powder coating. But in the end, the design is much better than its wooden counterpart."

Irvine, Calif.-based manufacturer CeroView takes a number of different approaches to kiosk enclosure materials. In addition to standard choices like stainless steel and wood, it offers models crafted from glass and DuPont Corian, a versatile product often used for kitchen countertops. "Traditionally, metal has been the most cost effective," said Derek Fretheim, CeroView's CEO. "However, with the constant increase in the prices of metal, plastic and structural foam are becoming more cost-effective." He said his company offers an enclosure made entirely from glass.

While enclosures made with fabricated products may be on the rise, kiosk metallurgists needn't worry about the obsolescence of their wares. Demand for outdoor kiosks is high, and metal, preferably with a protective powder-coat finish, remains a dominant choice.