The SpinFix™ design story: turning manufacturing waste into a circular fixing solution

With circularity and waste reduction central to every part of the business, Autex Acoustics® began exploring alternatives to conventional adhesives that would better support recycling at end of life. What emerged was SpinFix™—a purpose‑designed panel mounting solution developed by Autex Acoustics’ in‑house design team that enables acoustic panels to be removed, separated, and reused when a space changes or reaches the end of its life cycle.

“Traditional adhesive methods make removal at end of life difficult, and often contaminate the product, which complicates recycling efforts,” says Luke Walker, Autex Acoustics production design lead.

“Additionally, adhesives often require vacant spaces for installation, which isn’t always practical. These challenges prompted a rethink of how we attach our products to surfaces and ultimately led us to design SpinFix.”

When setting the brief for an alternative fixing solution, Luke and the Autex Acoustics team established clear performance requirements. The solution needed to function without traditional adhesives, be quick and simple to install on site, utilise waste generated internally, and allow panels to be dismounted so materials could be recovered at the end of their life.

“The early design phase was hands-on and experimental,” Luke explains. “Initial prototypes resembled plastic jar lids; simple forms to test whether welding solid plastic to a panel surface was viable. From there, we mapped out installation scenarios and refined the design based on real-world use. Mechanical testing helped us determine optimal surface area and an effective relief profile to facilitate a strong mechanical bond, with the right part tolerances to meet release strength targets.”

Achieving genuine circularity required careful consideration of materials. The SpinFix clip is manufactured from RePET—a material produced via an advanced pelletising process that converts production off‑cuts into pellets. These pellets are then injection‑moulded into components such as SpinFix, End Caps, and Vicinity™ Workstation Clamps. Because the clip and the acoustic panel are chemically identical, they can be welded together without introducing adhesive contamination, allowing the complete assembly to be reclaimed at the end of its life.

One of the most significant technical challenges was finding a way to connect the clip to the panel without relying on adhesives.

“We knew that mechanically connecting a clip to a panel was possible, but it would require additional fittings and could be time consuming on site. Pocketing a panel and screwing a clip into the pocket was also possible but would require specialised installer tools. With the clip material predefined, welding the clips was the obvious choice.

“All you need is heat to weld parts together—which is something we already do with some of our panel products—however, welding on-site using an external heat source was ruled out. Using friction to generate heat was the answer.”

A standard power drill proved to be the ideal tool for this process, generating sufficient friction while remaining familiar and accessible to tradespeople on site.

Compact form, flush fitting, and ease of installation were also critical considerations during development.

“Essentially, time on site equates to dollars spent, so if our product is quick to install, it’s more likely to be specified. Thanks to our friction-based solution for installation, we didn’t need to add pockets to the panels, making it flush-fitting. This also has the benefit of creating a small air gap between the panel and the wall, which increases the acoustic performance. Prototyping and testing with our installers was an important part of this process.”

Luke sees SpinFix as more than a fixing system—it represents a practical shift in how products are designed for their full lifecycle.

“By specifying SpinFix, designers are endorsing a future where closed-loop material cycles are the norm, not the exception. It’s a signal to manufacturers that circularity is no longer aspirational, it’s essential.”