Kaynemaile

Market position

Kaynemaile positions its RE/8 mesh as a patented innovation in architectural mesh, supported by design and engineering awards including honoree status in Fast Company's 2024 Innovation by Design Awards, two 2024 Architizer A+ Product Awards, Architectural Record's Record Products of the Year, the NYCxDesign Best Architectural Product award, an iF Material Award, an Architecture MasterPrize, a DesignEX Best New Innovative Product award, a Yearbook of Engineering Achievement Award and a New Zealand Plastics industry Gold Award for Building Material.

Differentiators cited by the company include the patented seamless-ring liquid-state manufacturing process, use of certified bio-circular polycarbonate feedstock, low weight and fast installation, joinless screens of unrestricted size, high airflow combined with solar heat reduction, multi-jurisdiction fire ratings and a 10-year warranty on standard products.

Technology

The mesh is produced by a patented liquid-state assembly process that forms interlinked polycarbonate rings without a weak joint, using high-grade engineering polycarbonate — specifically ISCC PLUS certified bio-circular Makrolon RE from Covestro. Stated performance characteristics include a weight of 3 kg per square metre, a single ring load capacity of around 50 kg, approximately 80% airflow through the cross-sectional open area, reduction of radiant and conductive heat transmission by up to 70%, non-corrosive and scratch-resistant behaviour, and screens producible to any height or width without joins. Fire performance includes NFPA 285 pass, ASTM E84 Class A, NZPA 286 pass, NFPA 268 pass, AU ISO 9705 1s standard and BS EN 13501 B-s1-d0.

Go-to-market

The company markets through project case studies, architectural specification resources (CAD/Revit libraries, tech sheets, fire compliance documents, brochures and sample requests), design awards and press coverage, and sells via direct enquiry plus a network of territory agents and an Australian distributor.

Architects, designers, developers and building owners specifying facades, solar and privacy screening, parking garage cladding, utility enclosures, ceiling features and interior partitions across commercial, institutional, transport and residential projects.

Geography

Global corporate headquarters and manufacturing base are at 109 Nelson Street, Petone, Lower Hutt 5019, New Zealand. The company operates toll-free sales lines for the USA and Australia, is distributed in Australia by Austaron Pty Ltd (Moorebank, NSW), and works with US sales representatives covering Texas and Oklahoma; Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin; Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia; Washington, Oregon and Alaska; and Southern and Northern California. Referenced projects are located in New Zealand, Australia, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

History

The mesh originated on the set of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, where Kayne Horsham worked as artistic director in the Creatures, Armour and Weapons department at Wellington's Weta Workshop and produced a polypropylene chainmail substitute to reduce weight for the films. Actor Viggo Mortensen coined the name 'Kayne's-mail', which became the company name. After the films, Horsham continued working on the weakness of the ring link in traditional chainmail and patented a liquid-state assembly process to produce the mesh. The business subsequently moved from film into architecture and design, and by 2024 was described as having moved beyond startup mode, being self-supporting for several years and winning architectural awards in the United States.