Making Tanning Beds

Production

Tanning beds were originally invented by Friedrich Wolff, a German scientist studying the effect of ultraviolet light on athletes. Wolff was interested in finding a way for people who didn't spend as much time outside as athletes to get the same tanned hue to their skin. He later created the tanning lamps and tanning reflector system that characterizes most of the tanning beds popular in Europe and the United States. The tanning bed components that Wolff pioneered are known as the Wolff System.

The Wolff System is licensed to a number of companies for tanning bed production and is considered the best tanning system available. The licensed manufacturers (some of which include Montego Bay, Sun Industries, Inc., and Sunal) all utilize Wolff brand lamps and feature the four essential parts of the Wolff System: the reflector system, the lamp, the bed and the acrylic shield.

Aspects

The four parts of the Wolff tanning bed system each have their own particular features for optimum tanning. The tanning lamps are quartz and use low-pressure ultraviolet light (lamps) or high-pressure ultraviolet light (bulbs) to cause skin tanning. Reflectors are rounded arcs of polished aluminum that are placed around the sides and back of the tanning lamp to prevent ultraviolet light from being diverted away from the person tanning. The acrylic shield is the surface the tanning person lies on in the tanning bed. The bed is made from an ultraviolet transmitting Polymethyl Methacrylate that keeps the tanner from being burnt, while still allowing maximum exposure. The tanning bed frame itself is equipped with a timer and cooling fans.

Developments

In recent years, tanning bed manufacturers have made an effort to create more environmentally sound tanning products. The Wolff System has recently begun using tanning lamps that contain low levels of mercury and have successfully passed the government's TCLP (toxicity characteristic leaching procedure) test. The TCLP test determines whether a product should be considered hazardous waste or solid waste when it is ready to be disposed. Because the new lamps have passed the test, they can be recycled and/or disposed of without the special hazardous material procedures and conditions being met.

References

• Wolff System homepage

Resources

• This site provides detailed information about tanning beds.