About us
Reinforce After Forming Technology was first thought about in 1998 by Ben Bendien, a manufacturer and inventor who has spent his life in the art and interiors industry. Ben’s innovations include synthesising Ivory (Ivorine) for which he was commended by the US Government for helping preserve and protect wild life. Ben also reverse engineered Oleography ( reproduction of oil paintings on canvass), inventing the modern process which is now used extensively worldwide.
Ben then applied his reverse engineering ideas to develop RAFT, a technology that would enable him to re-create 3D surfaces, perfectly replicating the original, to produce high quality products such as frames, doors and paneling in a far more efficient and environmentally friendly manner than any conventional manufacturing process today.
He spent the next few years working on this idea successfully proving the concept in his lab. Twenty nine patent applications later and having won the DTI C2V Initiative out of 400 manufacturing submissions, the RAFT process was endorsed by PERA, Production and Engineering Research Association and awarded a comprehensive feasibilty report - their "gold seal" of approval.
The RAFT Process has prompted interest and approval from the likes of:
Sir John Harvey-Jones MBE – Former Chairman of ICI who commented “The RAFT process has more potential than you can imagine, it is beautifully simple.”
Mr John O’Connell – Ex Deputy Chairman MFI who said he believed “In product terms RAFT has the potential to be the biggest manufacturing advance over the last 20 years in the furniture industry worldwide.”
Bill Rolfe – Manufacturing Management Consultant FIRA (The Furniture Industries Research Association) who stated “To say we were impressed with your concept proposals would be an understatement.”
Professor Brian Willoughby – RAPRA (Rubber and Plastics Research Association) who said “It is my opinion that this project is very worthwhile and has potentially important implications with regards to the plastics manufacturing industry in the UK, and indeed worldwide.”
The reason experts, whether interested in quality, cost or the environment, are all so impressed with this process is that RAFT overcomes some fundamental flaws existing in conventional processing methods.
Its innovative design hugely reduces waste, manufacturing footprint and energy consumption whilst utilising quality materials that are comparably better in tolerating heat and moisture than those currently used in conventional processes. Products produced by RAFT offer greater design flexibility, a better quality of finish and are considerably more durable in environments such as kitchens and bathrooms.
In order to maximise the potential of RAFT and successfully launch it into the market place, Ben came to Wales in the summer of 2009 to meet a group of entrepreneurs, all with huge amounts of business experience in various market sectors. Recognising its potential to offer benefit to a wide range of applications such as kitchen and bedroom doors, mirrors and picture frames, internal and external doors, bed headboards and ornamental fascias this highly skilled and focused team joined together to form PBC RAFT. The goal is to establish RAFT as the standard method of producing product for the furniture market.