Furniture Journal January 2018

JANUARY 2018

DESIGN & DÉCORS EDITION

ON THE COVER: Paul Mullings on the Swiss advantage Décors: 36-page Special Designer hardware from Salice Guaranteed by Häfele Fabulous Finishing: SCM success Holz-Her, Biesse & Kleiberit talk Edgebanding

INSIDE New FREE Furniture Journal interactive app - see page 2

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JANUARY 2018

Contents 2

On the Cover Paul Mullings, Export Sales Director at Swiss Krono, on what investment at the panel and décor specialist means for you.

Story: pages 4-7.

Furniture Journal goes Interactive

Videos, more information, the right contacts… they’re all at your fingertips and just a tap away with the brand new, FREE Furniture Journal app

4

The Swiss Advantage

Many of Britain’s biggest manufacturers have already discovered the Swiss Advantage – but now even the smallest workshops can reap the benefits.

8

The Six Pack 2018

Interprint’s new Six Pack 2018 makes its debut, and the design team has identified four trends that define the moment.

12 Be Different

Saviola introduces three more new décor designs with exciting textures – trend- setting ideas from a company with a mission to help you be different.

14 Get a feel for Egger

Editor: Melvyn Earle email: Melvyn@FurnitureJournal.co.uk Direct Tel: 01502 733438 Assistant Editor: Olena Earle email: Olena@FurnitureJournal.co.uk Circulation: Marie Earle email: Circ@FurnitureJournal.co.uk www.furniturejournal.co.uk

Available in 22 décors across six different structures, Egger’s Feelwood allows you to create a higher-value range with an authentic look and feel.

16 Classics with a Twist

12 brand new décors are announced by Finsa as the company launches the third edition of its trendbook.

18 Magic from the Mine

The lure of Cu has been irresistible since prehistoric times. It’s now the trend leading metallic for décor products.

20 Accolades for Surteco Please note: points of view expressed in articles by contributing writers and in advertisements included in Furniture Journal do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in Furniture Journal, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for incidents arising from use of information published. All rights, including moral rights, reserved.

COPYRIGHT: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publishers.

Copyright CPC Ltd, 2018.

ISSN 13653-8969 Readers should note that a charge may have been made by the publishers to cover the cost of reproducing some colour photographs in this publication.

The decorative surface and edging specialist Surteco has been collecting prizes from all quarters for its innovative, new products.

For décors that define spaces, take a closer look at the latest ideas from Benecke-Hornschuch Surface Group.

22 Defining Décors

Origination: CPC Ltd Published by: Craftsman Publishing Company Ltd, Landings House, Lound Road, Blundeston, Suffolk, NR32 5AT, England. www.craftsmanpublishing.co.uk

Four new edging collections from the edgebanding specialist, Ostermann.

34 Indefatigable Döllken

Used Look 3D, Digital-Edge Core-design, 3D-Space-Wave and new flow-through Aqua-Stop technology from the edgebanding specialist, Döllken.

36 Sculptured Panels

Custom-made, Solomon & Wu’s beautiful panels make unique worksurfaces as well as splashbacks and wall panels.

39 Designer Hardware

Often novel and ground-breaking, always functional and stylish, Salice’s ideas will add value and enhance your furniture designs.

43 Satisfaction Guaranteed

Anthony Haworth, Supply Chain Director at Häfele, talks to Furniture Journal about a new development from the fittings specialist.

47 Cornering Design

Furniture Journal talks to Claus Sagel about the challenges involved in designing storage solutions for corners.

51 Success at Felder

The 60.06L edgebander makes its debut at Felder’s busy in-house show.

52 Fabulous Finishing

Jake Solomon is pushing his custom-built DMC System T4M sander to the max, producing subtle surface finishes on pioneering panel products that include resin, cement, rock and wood.

56 Streaming Colour

Most manufacturers acknowledge the advantages of using PUR, and now Biesse has made colour changes easy for industrial users with its new Stream B edgebander.

24 In a Glass of its own

60 Kleiberit for the Edge

26 Décors Galore!

62 Making the Switch

Printing: Barnwell Print

32 Ostermann’s new Quartet

If you want the look of glass without the weight, Senosan has several new products you’ll want to get your hands on.

Woodgrains, painted décors with deep textures, concretes, metallic and matching edgebands – all from one source.

28 Schattdecor on Show

Décor trends are developing and maturing rather than changing at a rate we once saw and Schattdecor’s recent show presentations reflect that.

There’s no point in using fabulous décors and not edging them properly. Kleiberit offers everything you need for perfect edges.

Get consistent quality - and take advantage of the latest adhesive technology - with fast change-over from Holz-Her.

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Touch any picture displaying a link sign and you’ll be taken immediately to a YouTube presentation, a video, or more information.

Furniture Journal goes Interactive Videos, more information, the right contacts… they’re all at your fingertips and just a tap away with the brand new Furniture Journal app – and it’s absolutely free!

H

ave you ever wished you could read about a machine or a product and be taken straight from the printed page to a video that shows you how it works without having to search for it? That’s exactly how Furniture Journal’s new free app works.

Using the app on your tablet or smartphone, you’ll be able to access all the pages of your Furniture Journal at any time and from anywhere – absolutely free. Swipe left or right to turn a page. Use double tap or pinch and spread to zoom. Touch any picture displaying a link sign, or any advertisement, and you’ll be taken immediately to a YouTube presentation, a video, or more information. And if you want to contact the featured company by email, just touch an email address. Easy!

Simple, convenient and fast, this service will be an integral part of every Furniture Journal magazine published from this edition onwards – and from January 2018 we’ll be keeping every edition live for two years so you can browse back issues, search for topics we’ve written about in previous editions and even get the most up-to-date information months after an article has been published. As an online reader, you’ll be able to download the most recent edition on publication date – and that means you’ll have access to features and contacts while the printed edition is still in the mail, putting you ahead of the game.

So how do you get the free Furniture Journal app and how easy is it to use?

Search for ‘Furniture Journal Magazine’ in the Apple App Store (iPad or iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android device) and download the app. Just like any other app, the icon will appear on the desktop of your device.

It will show as FJ Magazine. Tap it to launch.

On the app home page, you will be presented with the covers of all the available

issues (just January 2018 to begin with but more as we publish other editions through the year). Tap on the cover to view more details, or press the download button at the side of the issue you want to look at and start reading. Swipe left or right to turn the page, use double tap or pinch and spread to zoom.

As you browse, you’ll notice small link signs on some of the pictures. These are the interactive images. Tap on an interactive image and you’ll be linked immediately to a video, or more information from the manufacturer. Go back, or close the browser to return to reading. If you want to send an email, tap on the email address we’ve highlighted in blue at the end of every article. Tap once on the screen while you’re reading to bring up the menu, or use the back/home button on the menu to return to the home page.

So what are you waiting for? Download it now and enjoy the industry’s first ever fully interactive magazine! It won’t cost you a penny and there’s no catch! Give it a go and if you find it useful, spread the word!

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4 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Swiss Krono’s range of 2,500 décors and 100 different texture plates have been condensed into “One World”, a collection of just over 300 melamines with accompanying texture plates.

The Swiss Many of Britain’s biggest manufacturers have already discovered the Swiss Advantage – but now even the smallest workshops can reap the benefits.

A

sk anyone to name a Swiss product and great brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Longines, Cartier and Breitling will probably roll from their lips. Now ask what it is that defines the Swiss and the stereotype would probably be so clichéd it would make a Gruyère blush. The inescapable facts are the Swiss love quality, accuracy and attention to detail. They’re almost national obsessions. Even when they’ve reached the zenith, they push the boundaries still further, refine and improve endlessly. It doesn’t matter what the product is – and Swiss products encompass the extremes of watches, knives and woodworking machines to pencils, cheese and chocolates – it has to be the best and they’ll spare no expense to make sure it is. But then they have to go further, invest a little more and make sure it’s just a little bit better simply because, well…they’re Swiss.

The problem for most of us price conscious Brits is that most of us are not on Swiss salaries and, if you don’t look at the bigger picture, that tends to make Swiss products expensive. Is a Patek Philippe expensive? The price tag might look like a telephone number, but it will give faultless service day in, day out and outlast the ten lesser models you’d otherwise have to replace it with in your lifetime. Ergo, it’s not expensive if you look at the bigger picture. Besides, if you’re a connoisseur as well as a chronometrophile, the aesthetics, not to mention the kudos, are going to give you decades of pleasure that can’t be measured in mere numbers.

And so it is with Swiss décor products.

Whaaat? I hear you cry. Has he lost his marbles? Let me assure you, my marbles haven’t taken off for some far-flung corner of

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Swiss Krono’s investment includes a unique, custom-built Wemhöner press.

The new Dieffenbacher chipboard line.

A giant Schelling line ensures you get exactly the board size you need.

Advantage the universe. I’m still in full possession. In the last couple of months, I’ve seen the massive 80 million Swiss Franc investment the panel and décor specialist, Swiss Krono, has made in yet another brand new, state-of-the-art chipboard manufacturing line. I’ve learned how Swiss Krono and Dieffenbacher worked together to develop a chipboard line that not only produces products that meet the E1 and FSC requirements demanded by the UK, it also meets the regulations of 50 other countries, including Japan, China and the USA – and it can swap production over in record time from one to the next. And I’ve discovered how, in the best Swiss tradition, this line uses less glue, less energy, fewer chemicals and offers a lower carbon footprint, cutting the cost of the raw board so if you only ever compare prices without looking at the bigger picture, Swiss Krono products are pretty much on a par with

other fully compliant boards on the market.

But to compare one apple with another is to miss the real Swiss advantages: Swiss Krono board is made of 100% virgin timber from the local forests and that means no metal and no stone so your sawblades last longer and your downtime, like your rejects, plummet. Add to that the massive investment in a Schelling cutto-size line that enables Swiss Krono to raw cut six metre sheets into the individual panel sizes you need to minimise waste when you are nesting your components and maybe the parallels with the Patek Philippe will start to become more apparent. It’s not just the price you pay for your board that matters, it’s all the added-value benefits that ride on the back of it that affect your bottom line.

So, let’s turn our attention to the aesthetics for a moment, and the practicalities of how you get your hands on the Swiss

Paul Mullings

6 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018 Background: The Concretes Collection.

Left: A selection of the new Unicolours.

Right: Stromboli Concrete.

Below Right: Warsaw Oak. Far Right: Helsinki Oak.

Krono product. Perhaps surprisingly with such a facility to draw on, raw chipboard and MDF are history for Swiss Krono. They no longer sell them. Export Sales Director, Paul Mullings, explains: “We’ve invested in adding value to our product,” he says.

“Predominantly, our offer starts as a particleboard or fibreboard product. From these we create a range of thicknesses and sizes, but then we combine them with a range of decorative surfaces and textures. We offer 2,500 décors combined with 100 different texture plates. In a commercial world, however, that range is too big so we’ve reduced it to a manageable collection of just over 300 melamines with accompanying texture plates and we deliver those in 7-10 days to the UK – but that’s 7-10 days from us to IDS. IDS stocks 146 décors in the UK and is offering small to medium sized manufacturers next day delivery with one board, ten boards or, if they want it, even a

truck load. We back that up with massive stock in our high cube facility (3,500 bays, each with two tonnes of product) and that’s available on a just-in-time basis.

“In addition, we have a Red Express service that enables customers who want specific board sizes to specify any size from a single cut off a six metre board down to an A4. Middle and smaller size customers, especially those in the office market, like boards that are raw cut three ways so they can get three desktops out of each, but Red Express is also ideal for smaller customers who produce fewer kitchens and want a board size that will work better with their nesting programs. It’s all about reducing waste.” Interestingly, Swiss Krono’s Red Express service has also benefitted manufacturers servicing the contract sector who have been able to accept larger contracts, knowing they’ve got the back up of additional cutting capacity when they need it.

During my tour of the Swiss Krono factory, I’m suddenly struck by the presence of a massive Wemhöner press line that seems out of place and query what it’s being used for. “I wanted to be able to make a piece of HPL at the same time as pressing the melamine paper onto the board,” Paul explains. “It wasn’t possible with a normal press because of the pressure and the temperature required. After many trials, Wemhöner came up with a melamine press that would enable us to create a two-sided kraft paper with either a nonregistered or a registered, textured embossed finish that comes up to the recognised HPL standards. This is our LB 03, LB 05 and LB 07 product. LB stands for Laminated Board. The number denotes the thickness of the laminate.” It’s an amazing product but with yet another leapfrog in technology, Swiss Krono has eclipsed even this: Imagine a product that’s fire-resistant, water-resistant, environmentally friendly, easy

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 7

to machine, easy to handle and doesn’t need edging. It’s perfect for use in student accommodation, prisons, washrooms, underground stations, airports and many more contracts you might have shied away from because, at 1,000 kilos per cubic metre in density, it’s almost bullet proof. It can be whatever colour you want it to be on the outside but because it’s black all the way through, even producing a j-pull involves no finishing. And the name of this wonder product? It’s called Compact Density Fibreboard, or CDF. “This is a product that really opens doors for our traditional customer base,” says Paul. “Using CDF, customers who make domestic furniture can now make commercial grade furniture without doing anything to their machines. It enables KBB manufacturers to get into the hotels, airports and schools markets very easily and it can be finished with any of the décors and any of the textures we produce.”

CDF has already caught on in a big way in Russia, in America and in Saudi. I have an idea when word gets out, it won’t be very long before we start seeing its widespread use over here, too.

With around 15% of its total sales to the UK, Swiss Krono’s 30-year partnership with IDS is blooming. Until now, it has been very much a product for the larger user – not so much because it’s Swiss and they want the kudos of the Patek Philippe of panel products, but because they’ve worked out the costs all the way down the line and the advantages it offers mean they can’t afford not to use it.

Those advantages are now available to you.

Thanks to IDS, even if you only make a kitchen or two a week, you can buy at competitive prices in small quantities on next day delivery; you can cut your waste by ordering the exact size of board that works best with your nest; you can benefit from increased tool life and decreased downtime

by machining a board that’s made from virgin timber; you’ll have access to other products that could widen your market considerably and you’ll be able to sell on the added kudos a Swiss-made finish could bring. And like Patek Philippe, Rolex, Cartier, and the other great brands that have helped to make Made in Switzerland a mark of quality, you’ll very probably be able to command a premium if you use it in your marketing.

If you’d like to see the full Swiss Krono offer on line, please download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information on your chosen product.

Alternatively, touch info@idsurfaces.co.uk to send an email or call IDS on 08457 298 298.

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k a O n a s i Art

Six Pack

The

2018

Interprint’s new Six Pack 2018 makes its debut, and the design team has identified four trends that define the moment.

J

anuary marks the launch of Interprint’s new décor collection, the Six Pack 2018, and as always, the focus has been on creating designs that have international market appeal.

The look of the six on-focus décors – Delios, Artisan Oak, Hansen, Garbo,Aurora and Grid – has been inspired by a wide range of materials from wood and concrete, to stone and steel.

Delios was inspired by an old larch from the Alpine region. Smoked, rough, cracked and planked, this rather special décor has been finished with a white oil treatment that gives it a unique colour effect. Note the natural and handcrafted influences that have been retained to give it added value.

The material that inspired the second design in the collection,Artisan Oak, was timber framing wood. The goal of the design team was to bring out the character of old wood and in Artisan Oak you’ll find a warmth and authenticity that contrasts well with the cool, industrial look.

Scandinavia is famous for its blondes and in Hansen you’ll find a fine blonde wood with distinctive Nordic style. A typical Scandinavian feature is to reduce materials to the essentials.

Cut flowers and a variety of striped features support the simple look.

Interprint’s design team describes Garbo as “A walnut interpretation of a fruitwood.” Soft

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Delios

Grid core and sapwood elements give this timeless and universal décor its elegant look. It harmonises easily with styles ranging from modern Nordic to traditional Italian.

Following the metal trend but looking for an original interpretation? Take a cold-rolled steel plate with traces of the grinding process, add metallic effects and a cool look reminiscent of the northern lights. That’s Aurora. And it’s also available in a brass look.

In Grid you’ll find a décor that’s perfectly at home in urban spaces. A material mix with the look of concrete and stone combined with the geometry of a grid that reveals floral details up close, Grid is a flexible design in

both function and style. It can be cut any way and used anywhere.

No décor development would be complete without trend analysis. The Interprint design team sees four trends for 2018: The first trend has been named up/cycling – The second life and its essence comes from the need to re-use. Natural resources are more valuable than ever. Sustainability matters. It’s great when materials experience a second or even a third life cycle. When a backpack is made from recycled paper – or a kitchen front from old PET bottles. Up/cycling means appreciation, not only for people and the environment, but also for diversity and creativity.

Co-working, co-creation, co-living are the buzzwords of a world in which ‘together’ creates more value than ‘alone’. The second trend, co-everything – The strong WE, embraces togetherness and the free exchange of skills and knowledge that working together brings. The trend is still going strong: co-everything – living and working in creative cooperation.

Imperfection rather than perfection lies at the heart of the non_conform – Imperfect by design trend. With everything being digitised, we want things left imperfect. Even industrially made furniture and accessories appear ‘made by myself’ and show individual

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Aurora

Garbo

Hansen traces of use. Interior design and furnishings remain imperfect on purpose.

Our fascination with surfaces can be seen clearly in smart_material – The new materiality. Whether fashion, industry or living, smart materials are shaping our lives. Specific features like changing colours, intensive feels, or special effects create a unique look. New materials are emerging from new technologies.

“With the Six Pack 2018, Interprint has launched a new collection that is incredibly flexible,” summarised Salvatore Figliuzzi, Director of Marketing & Design at Interprint.“It shows authenticity and naturalness just as much as the smart materiality of the future. We are pleased that the collection allows us to present six design statements for current home trends to our customers and partners.”

For more information, download the free Furniture Journal app from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). Open the app and touch any picture in the digital magazine displaying a link sign. This will take you straight to more content on your chosen product. Alternatively, call Interprint on 0049 2932 9500, touch info@interprint.de to send an email or visit ZOW, hall 20, stand D029.

12 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018 Pecan with Sand Oak texture

Be Different I Saviola introduces three more new décor designs with exciting textures – trend-setting ideas from a company with a mission to help you be different.

Saviola invites Sicam visitors to Be Different.

n a market where décor can make all the difference between a unique product and a ‘me too’ product, being different matters.

And being different is at the very heart of what the décor specialist Saviola is all about. From a Sicam stand that encouraged visitors to open their minds to new ideas in décor design - and provided the inspiration to enable them to offer something unique to their clients - Saviola launched three key new décor combinations under its stand theme, ‘Be Different’.

Blanket is a brand new product that was launched at Sicam, but like many of Saviola’s designs, it’s an original interpretation of a simple idea with an added twist. “There is a

strong trend coming from the 60s and 70s,” Designer, Daniele Merla, told Furniture Journal. “We have been working with textiles for a while, but with Blanket, now we have a décor that allows us to bring this kind of texture to carcases and fascias.” Blanket is a new patchwork of old pieces of textile – but by combining it with a texture that is intentionally out of register, or different from the tactile effect you might expect from the textile you’re looking at, Saviola has turned a simple idea into something quite surprising.

On the stand, Blanket was shown with Tangere, a brand new textile texture, and the feedback was very positive.

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Modern Buckeye.

Blanket with Tangere texture.

For its new décor, Modern Buckeye, Saviola drew inspiration from Scandinavia. “It is our interpretation of Scandinavian timber,” said Daniele. “It’s a light, natural wood with rustic details; basically a natural light wood that has the look of a birch. In combination with Artwood, which is one of our best selling textures, it’s been very well received.” Modern Buckeye was introduced at Sicam and has so far only been sold only in the German and Italian markets. Two colours are available.

If you are looking for something that’s a bit different to oak but you don’t want to stray too far from the look, Pecan with Sand Oak texture feels like an old friend with a fresh,

new interpretation. “It’s a hickory - an American oak,” Daniele confirmed. “We launched it at Sicam as an alternative to oak.

It’s quite strong in the structure with no rustic elements but with full cathedrals. It’s intentionally quite natural and combined with Sand Oak, which is a new texture that plays very much on the contrasts between matt and glossy to give extra depth, it’s quite striking.

There is also a pearlescent effect in the design, and this is one of the stories for next year.

There’s a lot of potential in this design.”

It’s not just the designs and the way of working that’s different about Saviola. Saviola’s mission is to help your products stand out and

be different by providing you with original ideas and design-orientated textures. “We’re all about personalising and creating something different. We don’t aim to substitute your collection; instead, we want to add value to it.”

For more information on Saviola’s offer, download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information.

Alternatively, touch paul@buildarocket.co.uk to send an email.

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New three-layer edging completes the solid wood look.

Get a feel for Available in 22 décors across six different structures, Egger’s Feelwood allows you to create a higher-value range with an authentic look and feel.

Tobacco Gladstone Oak H3325 ST28 with Saffron Yellow U140 ST9 used as an accent.

W

ith customers scouring the internet and saving details of their dream kitchen to the likes of Pinterest before even visiting a showroom, it is more important than ever for UK manufacturers and retailers to offer stand-out products. That’s why Egger, the KBB sector’s biggest supplier of wood-based panels and laminates, tore up the rule book when it launched its successful new collection last year.

“With the Egger 2017-2019 Decorative Collection we introduced 44 new designs and two new textures, making it our biggest ever portfolio of décors, comprising 170 MFC boards and 144 with a matching laminate,” said Head of Décor Development, Elliott Fairlie.

“But, importantly, we also went for a totally new approach based around the needs of our

manufacturing customers. This involved moving from a five-year collection to three years, and making more products available from stock.”

One of the most talked-about new product introductions has been the company’s Feelwood range, which brings together a carefully-curated collection of melamine-faced chipboard panels with the look and feel of rustic raw timber. Since the introduction of these realistic Feelwood décors, demand has soared in the furniture and interiors sector for a product with the characteristic knots and cracks of real wood.

With a high-quality finish that looks and feels even closer to the original, Egger’s Feelwood textures represent a revolutionary development in the area of wood-based materials. The texture is synchronised with

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 15

Ceramic Anthracite F311 worktop and splashback provides a dramatic contrast to the White Cape Elm H3760 ST29.

Dust Grey U732 used with H3309 ST28 Sand Gladstone Oak.

Doors in Natural Halifax Oak H1180 ST37 give a clean modern look.

Egger the décor image and provides wood reproductions with an authentic touch. As a result, the finished material is nearly indistinguishable from solid wood. However, the reproductions are a more durable alternative to the real thing, with advantages such as a longer service life, easy care, and greater fade-resistance.

Feelwood is available on chipboard and MDF boards, on Eurolight lightweight boards, worktops and hardwearing laminate. Matching edging, including a new three-layer edging, completes the authentic solid wood appearance.

Available in 22 décors across six different structures (ST), Feelwood allows the development of a higher-value range or new pieces of furniture with an authentic look and feel. In the UK, manufacturers can choose from

A White Fleetwood H3450 splashback and Light Grey U708 PerfectSense Matt doors contrast with a darker Feelwood décor.

ST27, ST28, ST29, ST36, ST37 and ST38 – they all have different woodgrain characteristics bringing choice and flexibility to any project.

From a trend point of view, neutral décors such as white, blue and grey – in both cool or warmer tones – are becoming a dominant force in the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and furniture sector. It is here that Egger’s supersmooth PerfectSense Matt and PerfectSense Gloss MDF boards also come into their own, both as an accent or for frontals. The recently-launched Topmatt laminate can then provide an even tougher, matching surface for horizontal applications such as tables, work surfaces and shelving. Many of Egger’s new Feelwood finishes have been developed with these neutral on-trend décors in mind – with harmonising blue tones and woodgrains an

increasingly popular combination.“Blue works really well when used as an accent with authentic and natural-looking woodgrains – an area in which Egger has long been an industry leader,” concluded Elliott.“And unlike many other solid colour accents, which are more trend-orientated, blues have longevity, as they are a little more subtle and tend to complement other parts of the design.”

For more on Feelwood décors from Egger, download the free Furniture Journal app from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). Open the app, and touch any picture in the digital magazine displaying a link sign. This will take you straight to more content on your chosen product.

Alternatively, call Egger on 01434 602191 or email marketinguk@egger.com

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Background: 72Y-Mármol Blanco Super Mate

89Y-Terrazo Mix Soft III

Classics with a Twist 12 brand new décors are announced by Finsa as the company launches the third edition of its trendbook.

F

insa has added 12 brand new décors to its Gama Duo range of melamines.

These new designs complement décors in the collection and increase the possibilities of interior design. The colours and textures have been carefully selected and follow the trends in Finsa’s new trendbook for 2018-2019.

Developed in collaboration with the prestigious ‘Colour Hive’ trend agency in London, Finsa’s new trendbook is the result of analysing the evolution of our lifestyle and buying habits, and aims to understand how cultural and social changes affect and define us. This guide takes into account the most significant advances in technology,

architecture and interior design and identifies trends and key factors that provide a framework for the application of decorative surfaces in modern living spaces.

In this third edition, developed by Finsa, four states of mind are identified that are present in the creative process. The trends are named after these and the surfaces that are inspired by Mind & Matter are presented in the trendbook. Each state of mind has a different source of inspiration and, therefore, a different colour palette mirrors its essence.

These colour palettes include different prints and textures and suggest possible combinations for the new Finsa Gama Duo melamines that follow the highlighted trends.

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40Y-Mineral Grey Soft III

73Y-Selene Gris Nude

86W-Verde Talco Soft III

80Y-Roble Hércules Atlas

From dusty colours to luminous stones and rustic deep textured woodgrains, the new additions take melamines to the next level. The range includes a terrazzo melamine, which is one of the trend-leading patterns at the moment. This classic tile-style melamine has a neutral tone, which makes it possible to combine it with most of the wood species.

Finsa’s Nude texture, inspired by leather, is also included in some of its new melamines.

The grey tone of Selene Gris, together with the silky leather finish of the Nude texture, create the perfect combination for a neutral, yet intense interior decoration.

Marble is still on trend. Finsa introduced a black marble in 2016 and has now added a

85W-Malva Talco Soft III

white marble to its range. The supermatt finish of this melamine ads realism, while the grey cracks on the marble give character to a luminous stone that has proved to be a favourite for many interior design projects.

The more authentic a woodgrain is, the more attention it attracts. Finsa’s Atlas texture highlights the natural character of the wood in a subtle, yet effective way. Its versatility makes it perfect for many applications. Roble Hercules is a good example of a natural oak, which, when combined with this deep finish, shows a rustic character that can be seen in high quality veneers.

The trendbook and the new melamine range will be the main focal points on Finsa’s

stand at the Surface Design Show in London, taking place in the Business Design Centre from 6-8th February 2018.This is the only event in the UK that focusses solely on interior and exterior surfaces, connecting innovative and exciting materials with an audience of architects, specifiers and designers.

For more information from Finsa, download the free Furniture Journal app from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). Open the app, and touch any picture in the digital magazine displaying a link sign. This will take you straight to three videos. Alternatively, call Finsa on 0151 651 2400 or touch uk@finsa.com to send an email.

18 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Magic

The lure of Cu has been irresistible since prehistoric times. It’s now the trend leading metallic for dÊcor products.

from the Mine

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 19

Stainless Steel

A collection of shimmering pearlescent décors

Pearlescent Grey

T

hroughout history, man has been working copper, hammering it into sheets, shaping it and polishing it. It’s been revered since prehistoric times. The ankh symbol, used by ancient Egyptians in their system of hieroglyphs, represented eternal life.

In the Middle Ages, maps were produced using engraved copper plates. We’ve cooked in pots and pans made from copper, made jewellery from it, used it to conduct electricity, enjoyed its heartwarming glow in our fireplaces – and today, the lure of Cu as a decorative material is as irresistible as it ever was. In the rising trend of metallic décors, copper is king.

With four brand new copper décors and two new golds arriving in stock for January 2018 (all available as single rolls on three-day delivery), Plasfilms is promising to inspire at KBB with a presentation of irresistible magical metallics showcased in furniture and fascias. Ideal for 1D and 2D lamination or

profile wrapping, the 0.25mm thick, 1300 wide PVC rolls offer high scratch and mar resistance and are available in polished as well as brushed and satin finishes. The Italian-made collection from Bonlex also includes brushed and polished stainless steel options.

Complementing the pure coppers, golds and steels, Plasfilms is also introducing a new collection of pearlescent finishes in 0.4mm thickness that show different aspects of their colour spectrum as the light changes.

Reminiscent of advanced automotive finishes that change from one colour to another as the light strikes the curve of each panel at a different angle, the 3D pressing range includes several options, among them anthracites that sparkle with golds, and greys that turn to blue or red. “These are aimed primarily at the contracts market, though some of them could be used to good effect in kitchens or bathrooms,” commented

Plasfilms’ Chris Green. “The pearlescent Anthracite is a new take on the flat greys that have been around in the market for quite a while now. The pearlescent effect gives a real lift to a flat colour.

“Bonlex has long been known for its outstanding quality gloss foils, which feature market-leading UV, stain and scratch resistance whilst offering the processor the best possible finish. Recent years have also seen embossed and super soft touch finishes for tactility and painted door effects. This range features the same properties as the gloss foils and adds an added dimension to the range”, says Chris. “All products will be available to view on stand Z120 at KBB.” To find out more about Plasfilms’ magic metallics, call Plasfilms on 01530 560560, or download the free Furniture Journal App, touch the picture with the link, or sales@plasfilms.co.uk to send an email.

20 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Accolades for Surteco The decorative surface & edging specialist Surteco has been collecting prizes from all quarters for its innovative, new products.

Tecofoil D40 digital print with abstract surface texture.

S

ince Interzum, the accolades have just kept coming for the decorative surface specialist Surteco. Presenting a wide variety of surface and edging products Surteco impressed the Interzum jury with its holistic service concept and abstract imagery and walked away with a prestigious Red Dot Award.Then German Design Award competition saw Surteco take an award in the Winner category for its exhibition concept and a Special Mention to add to the Red Dot Award it received for its Edition Co-Equal – a collection of décors based on three printing cylinders that combine materials in unusual and very striking ways.They are indeed very unusual with combinations of herringbone and

Gislaved copper designs Rome Sirius & rough oak

marble, Portuguese tiles and the wood-look, ethnic design and concrete.

In addition, Surteco is also ringing in a new era in digital printing, combining décor design with synchronised texture – and it’s very impressive. Using a process developed inhouse, Surteco’s Haptronic décors achieve effects that open up new perspectives for digital decor printing. A diverse range of tactile and visual effects is possible, such as antifingerprint finish, metallic effect, duo gloss with an impressive interplay of matt and gloss, lacquer from super matt to shiny, decorsynchronised woodgrain and other décor designs.The spectrum offered by the new system encompasses paper based and plastic

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 21

Digitally printed and perfectly synchronized woodgrains Ulme Lodi, Scandic Pine and Tibidado over Noce Rinaldi.

Surteco’s Haptronic décors combine digital printing with synchronised texture.

Co-Equal.

substrate with potential to print veneer – and of course, being digital, practically anything is possible. Customised innovations are available in small lot sizes (as little as 80 square metres) and in widths from 325mm to 650mm.

At Euroshop, Surteco demonstrated the simplicity and effectiveness of yet another brand new and very innovative product that’s designed to make life easier for interior refurbishment projects.Tecosmart is a selfadhesive décor product that, because of the unique way the glue is applied to the back of the finish foil, enables it to be applied without risk of bubbles – and it can be removed, repositioned and reapplied many times. Simple to apply to most flat solid vertical surfaces,

Tecosmart will hide as easily as it will wrap a column or cover a door. It is perfect for use in shopfitting applications, exhibition stands and interior projects where speed is imperative.

To find out more about the products on this spread, please download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information. Alternatively, call Surteco UK on 01282 686850, or touch info@uk.surteco.com to send an email, for Tecosmart touch info@tecosmart.de

Digitally printed brick décor on Tecofoil S40.

22 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018 Perfect Touch

Defining Décors For décors that define spaces, take a closer look at the latest ideas from Benecke-Hornschuch Surface Group.

W

ith its high-quality skai materials, the Benecke-Hornschuch Surface Group has a product range that’s known the world over for creating the ultimate in comfort and cosiness.

Both the two-dimensional and threedimensional formable furniture films and the upholstery materials from the Weissbachbased company are impressive due to their variety of uses, their performance, and their toughness. In hotel suites, in restaurants, on chairs, on floors and on walls, skai sets new standards with its superior characteristics and sophisticated design.

The refined and elegant coated surface of skai Perfect Touch makes this collection the gold standard in the area of matt plains.

Recognised for its purity and clarity, the skai Perfect Touch collection has a very pleasant feel. Not dull, but warm, it presents a pleasing tactile experience.The surface invites you to touch it. It begs to be experienced with the senses. Soft and delicate, Perfect Touch reinforces the visual impression of a high value product.The film is easily formable and wellsuited to use in combination with different designs and materials.

With the amazingly natural looking Legno oak embossing, plain coloured furniture films look high quality and elegant, gaining an unconventional twist. With a metallic colour, the Legno emboss radiates a fine shimmer that creates contrasts in modern furnished living and contract areas. In the Colore Magic

Structure Collection, the Legno embossing is available in the shiny metallic shades of steel silver and pearl. This impressive structure looks like a solid oak front with multiple layers of varnish. The pores modulate, appearing and disappearing in the light, sometimes deep, sometimes shallow. The structure can be very striking or filled and smooth. This embossing is best experienced by touch.

In skai Oxid you’ll find a strong representative of materiality with a stoneconcrete-quartz look, or with a metal look.

Smart home and digitalisation on one hand, materiality on the other. Where many things are no longer tangible, the feel of the material becomes important. Here, stone and metal trends enjoy a symbiotic relationship.

Materials can be mixed as desired, often with wood designs as a cosy counterpart.

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 23 Riviera Oak

Oxid

Characterised by a very natural overall appearance, skai Riviera Oak has typical oak detailing combined with a subdued rustic look that includes elegant reflections and distinctive rays. Stripes and cathedrals alternate harmoniously to form a subdued plank pattern.

The attractive design with the very natural looking Rustico embossing is available in classic and modern oak colours ranging from very light and untreated shades to almost brown colours.

For more information, download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information.

Alternatively, call 01327 877646 or touch m.f.s@m-f-s.co.uk to send an email.

Perfect Touch

LEGNO Metallic

24 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

In a Glass of its own If you want the look of glass without the weight, Senosan has new products you’ll want to get your hands on.

T This page: TopX Acryl Glass and the new TopX Acryl Glass Clear (above right).

he Austrian décor specialist Senosan has made quite a name for itself in the field of high gloss. But for 2018, the company has launched brand new surfaces to add to its portfolio of glass-like surfacing products in thermo-formable acrylic, and not all are high gloss.

Now available in eight new colours and both gloss and matt options, Senosan’s senosan® TopX Acryl Glass has a 90 GLU (gloss units) and a scratch resistance of 1.1 Newton, equivalent to IHD-W-466 Class 1.

The eight colours are available from stock in

2mm thick sheets of 2,800mm x 1,300 mm.

The 2mm thick material gives the optical appearance of glass, which can be improved further by grinding and polishing the edges to provide additional light and shadow effects. In order to avoid any balancing problems during lamination, Senosan is providing colour-matched backing material, senosan® Glass RS, in the same thickness and with the same physical properties.

TopX Acryl Glass is protected with a polyethylene film to ensure it remains flawless during machining.

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 25

This page: senosan TopMatt

The second new product to make its debut is a modified version of Senosan’s matt acrylic surfaces with a new, very smooth matt surface - senosan® AM1800TopMatt AF. The stain and soil-resistant material can be produced in various colours from the existing Senosan colour range. The smooth surface is claimed to have excellent anti-fingerprint properties, and combines deep matt colour effect with a pleasant velvety surface feel. The gloss levels of these coextruded films are below 6 GLUs. The scratch resistance is 2.0 Newton (according to Erichsen).

The third new introduction is the innovative new senosan® TopX Acryl Glass Clear, a product that is available in 500 microns gauge films (sheets and rolls) and as 2.0mm clear sheet. Senosan® TopX Acryl Glass Clear opens new interesting opportunities for the application of decorative surfaces, for example screen printing or direct lamination on various décors. Senosan® TopX Acryl Glass Clear is a coextruded material made from 100% PMMA (transparent Acrylic) with a hard lacquer coat that provides high scratch

resistance (1.1. Newton according to Erichsen) and a very high chemical and UV resistance. This material is supplied with PE protection film on both side.

For more information from Senosan, download the free Furniture Journal app from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). Open the app, and touch any picture in the digital magazine displaying a link sign. This will take you straight to more information. Alternatively, call Senoplast on 01952 243999 or touch richard@senoplast.co.uk to send an email.

26 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Décors Galore!

Woodgrains, painted décors with deep textures, concretes, metallic and matching edgebands – all from one source.

B

9 isn’t the catchiest of names but it’s a décor product that will get your attention from afar.This remarkably realistic oak woodgrain texture – one of many striking décors from LG Hausys - brings the painted look alive, and unlike many textured finishes, the distinctive grain effect can be seen clearly from several feet away. Stocked by David Clouting Limited in Porcelain White, Ivory (Alabaster), Mussel, Cashmere, Stone Grey, Light Grey and Graphite Grey, B9 can be supplied ex-stock in rolls of 1450mm wide x 200m long (0.4mm thickness), or in whatever length you require. Alternatively, choose your own colour with David Clouting’s Make-toOrder service, available with minimum order length of 2,000 linear metres. Ideal for both membrane pressing and flat lamination, B9 is fully FIRA certified.

Deep glosses and supermatts in soft tones, through to more eye-catching colours can be found alongside stunning metallics, concrete, wood-look décors and more in the David

Clouting décor collections. Developed in conjunction with Pfleiderer, who supply matching MFC and MDF, and using papers designed by Schattdecor, three vinyls are making a real impression on the market: Dark Springfield Oak, Light Springfield Oak and Natural Chalet Oak. Light and Dark Springfield Oak share the same print but provide very different impressions by using contrasting colour tones. All three combine well with the latest unicolours, especially the cooler greys.

Also now in stock are two K9 Concrete décors, Light Grey (KADR4-K9) and Cashmere (NCAB4-K9). Both colours have already found success in the door collections of market-leading manufacturers as solid colour vinyls. Combined with the new K9 concrete texture, both are ideal for creating a contemporary feel to kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms.

Newest of the new are David Clouting’s flat lamination grade metallic décor foils.

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 27

These have been specially adapted for application to MDF and match those used on appliances from the market leaders.

Along with matching edgebands, David Clouting Ltd has introduced two embosses in four colours. The embosses are exceptionally realistic brushed stainless steel effects, one with stratified brushing that is perfect for emphasising the vertical or horizontal lines in your furniture designs, and a second with shorter, more random brush strokes.

A vast collection of edgebands is available to match the products of mainstream décor producers and board manufacturers, including gloss and matt plains, woodgrains and special twin-edge options. The twin-edge edgeband collection includes on-trend colours like Cappuccino, Alabaster, Black and White alongside Orange, Red, Burgundy and Aubergine - all set against a brushed steel effect – while high gloss and super matt edgebands in Mussel, Oyster, Light Grey,

Alabaster, White, Cashmere and Pale Cream are recent additions to the company’s collections. All are available ex-stock and can be supplied in rolls, or to special order. You’ll also find plenty of woodgrains including popular wood-look finishes with embossed grain effects, like Beech, Oak and Walnut in various shades to match popular décors.

Carbon Marine Wood, Fireside Select Walnut and Barley Blackwood have particularly beautiful grain detail.

To find out more about the products on this spread, please download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information. Alternatively, call David Clouting Ltd on 01282 686861, or touch marketing@davidclouting.co.uk to send an email.

28 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Schattdecor Décor trends are developing and maturing rather than changing at a rate we once saw and Schattdecor’s recent show presentations reflect that.

F

urniture Journal readers who visited the décor specialist, Schattdecor, at Interzum in May 2017 will have noticed that, alongside the new décors on show, the company was showcasing its digital printing capability as well as its presence on social media channels, notably through Instagram (@schattdecorgroup). By the autumn, the successes of Interzum, the textures and the composite foils the company had showcased in the Kölnmesse, were again being shown at Sicam - but this time as established décors for specific markets.

The Sicam stand encapsulated the four trend concepts launched at Interzum: the dark colours of the Ageless Living theme, contrasted with lighter shades that define Community Zone, Smart Home and Micro Housing. The trends themselves are developing and maturing rather than changing at a rate we once saw and Schattdecor’s presentation reflected that.

“Wood colours aren’t heading towards an extremely light, cool look,” commented Claudia Küchen, Executive Creative Director Design, Marketing & Communications. “This Scandinavian colourway was all the rage a few years ago. There’s now a return to somewhat warmer, light tones. The key thing is that we aren’t showing many plain colours at the fair.

Wood looks are also important in the furniture sector. This isn’t a given in kitchen design, but wood is still the most important component even in this segment. Additionally, we have stone textures, while graphic or fantasy textures are somewhat less prevalent.

Natural materials are much more popular at present. A wood look gives the fixtures a cosier, more natural and warmer appearance.”

Claudia Küchen confirms the most discussed décor at Sicam was Jackson Hickory from the rotogravure printing collection. It represents an alternative to the oak-look trend and has a

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 29

on Show notable natural appearance. It’s also perhaps an early sign that the irrepressible oak has competition as the market for décors becomes more varied.“There is a growing trend toward décor customisation,” she says.“Against this backdrop, we offer digital printing that provides individual solutions and are creating new opportunities for our company and the whole industry – fast, flexible and efficient. We see digital printing as the perfect complement to rotogravure printing. Of course, this theme was one of our highlights at Sicam.”

“What has been really gratifying is to have entered into more in-depth discussions on digital printing with furniture manufacturers.

Things that we were considering at Interzum have really come into focus. Our stone décors were a good talking point in discussions with furniture manufacturers about our approach to digital printing. There was a lot of interest in trying things out and working with us. We

distributed our digital printing brochure, fresh off the press, to Sicam visitors, who were excited about the potential of digital printing.”

Throwing a spotlight on its décor collections, Schattdecor presented 36 décors from its Hybrid Classics and Digital Visions collections, drawing a clear distinction between them: “Hybrid Classics are comprised of rotogravure and digitally printed décors, available in at least four collection colours,” explains Claudia Küchen.“Whether as a wood imitation, stone look, or fantasy design, all of the Hybrid Classics décors come in coloured versions. While rotogravure printing offers a maximum of fourcolour printing, digital printing allows for décors in up to ten colours. The material mix is another plus when it comes to digital printing: this process allows different materials to be combined as required.” The Madalena décor, shown at Sicam, is a prime example that combines end-grained wood elements and

stone textures. The Digital Visions collection complements the current range with a series of décors that are exclusively digitally printed.“For this collection, our designers have developed especially creative décors, exclusively available in colourways that are optimally suited to the décor. Thanks to industrial digital printing, all of the décors in the Digital Visions collection are now also available in large quantities.”

If you’d like to see the full Schattdecor offer on line, please download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information on your chosen product. Alternatively, call 0049 8031 2750, visit www.schattdecor.de/en or touch www.instagram.com/schattdecorgroup to follow Schattdecor.

32 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018 Ostermann’s new Texwood edgebands

Ostermann’s Four new edging collections from the edgebanding specialist, Ostermann.

new Quartet T

From top: Texwood, Stamp, Fiberwood and Hahnentritt

he edgebanding specialist, Ostermann, has introduced four new products that could add a real lift to your furniture designs.

The new edging, Stamp, was inspired by the ancient technique of stamp printing.

Uneven, intricately stamped rectangles in monochrome overlap in a décor that has a pearly finish. The result is a graphic décor with a metallic shine that changes its appearance in the light. Ostermann is delivering the new collection of edgings in black and white from a length of one metre.

You might well ask why an edgeband might be printed to mimic particle board.

According to Ostermann, it’s natural and visually appealing – and adds its own special colour and texture to furniture. The new Fiberwood edgings were designed by Ostermann for use with fibreboard surfaces that, left untreated, are unsuitable for all but the most specialised furniture making applications. Ostermann’s Fiberwood edgings work with the colour scheme Catch of the Day from the new Pfleiderer collection and come in blue, brown and black. They are

offered in sizes of 23, 33, 43 and 100 x 2 mm, starting from one meter of length.

Another match to Pfleiderer’s colours this time its Pink Houses scheme - is the Ostermann edgeband, Houndstooth, a décor based on checked patterns from the fashion world. Available in grey and rust, they provide an accent for other plain colours in a room setting, imparting a timeless, elegant look. Made from ABS, Houndstooth is available in 23, 33, 43 and 100 x 2 mm in lengths from one metre.

With its Texwood edgings, Ostermann has combined both textile and wood in an ABS edgebanding. They match Pfleiderer’s collection and are available in five colours: brown, black, white, mauve and grey. In addition to the standard dimensions at thicknesses of 1 and 2mm, these ABS edgings are available in any width up to 100 mm.

For more information from Ostermann, download the free Furniture Journal app and touch any picture in the digital magazine displaying a link sign. Alternatively, call Ostermann on 01905 793550 or touch sales.uk@ostermann.eu to send an email.

Service, diversity and speed

Length.

Width.

Thickness.

Made to measure!

Ostermann delivers the matching edgings for more than 70 board suppliers, from 1 meter and within 24 hours.

www.ostermann.eu Ostermann UK Ltd π Droitwich UK: Phone 01905 793 550 – sales.uk@ostermann.eu IE: Phone: 0044 1905 793 552 –sales.ie@ostermann.eu

34 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018 Main image and inset: Used Look 3D.

Indefatigable

Döllken

Used Look 3D, Digital-Edge Core-design, 3D-Space-Wave and new flow-through AquaStop technology from the edgebanding specialist, Döllken.

3D-Space-Wave

D

o you want exciting and unusual structures in edgeband design? Are you looking for an on-trend theme and an eye-catching element? Do you want a combination of used and elegant? Maybe it’s time to discover the warm metallic tones of the Used Look 3D edgeband collection from Döllken. The copper, gold, aluminium, stainless steel and bronze tones add a touch of glamour and are unique in their appearance, while the second-hand steel surface finishes are particular eye-catchers thanks to their special colour structure. Straightforward, simple, yet diverse, Used Look 3D edgebands make an impressive accent – but they are only one among many novelties from Surteco Group member, Döllken.

Döllken’s digital printing capabilities are well known and with its Digital-edge “Core-Design”, already the winner of the Pro-K Design Award 2018, Döllken has introduced an even more

inspiring novelty. By printing two different décors in best quality at the same time onto an edgeband, the décor of a splashback and kitchen fascia can be simultaneously incorporated into the core of the edgeband. Imagine tiles used as splashbacks, or combinations of stone and wood. Include both in the design of an edgeband and the result is a subtly linked, harmonious, yet contrasting edge. New opportunities in worktop design result from the combination of stone and wood. A Travertine premium-gloss worktop with wood core takes away the cold “feel” of the flagstone and therefore makes the worktop seem warmer. Using end grain and long grain for the core of the worktop makes it absolutely unique. Digital-Edge “Core-Design” is available as ABS and PP edgebands as well as ABS and PP Fusion-Edge.

Another Döllken product that’s well known is the Aqua-Stop-Pen. It’s been around for

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 35 Digital-edge Core-Design.

Aqua-Stop-Coating.

several years and is great for manual sealing and waterproofing of edges. However, working in conjunction with a major client, Döllken’s technicians have now developed a process for edgebanding machines that makes flowthrough application of the Aqua-Stop-Coating possible. By using special Micro 3 spray nozzles produced by Krautzberger, Döllken has developed a contact-free application process that involves spraying minute quantities of Aqua-Stop onto the corresponding surfaces.

Just 0.05 g (or 0.1 g/linear metre if coating both sides) is required to achieve the required waterproofing effect and protect wooden elements that might otherwise swell on exposure to moisture. Döllken’s Head of Application Technology, also points out a further benefit: “There is another benefit when it comes to application units as minor processing faults are consistently covered,

Aqua-Stop application system.

meaning that there is no abrasion of chain conveyors,” he says. He also confirms the Aqua-Stop-Coating can improve results for EVA media-based adhesion and the results of water testing of laser-cut components with the use of PUR media. Similar improvements can be seen in the results of tests of water vapour permeability and in alternating climate testing.

No mention of Döllken’s most recently launched products would be complete without reference to 3D-Space-Wave. These edgebands are real eye-catchers and have a number of special features. The wave patterning embedded in the band surface creates a remarkable impression of depth that’s enhanced by a high gloss surface finish. They can be used to create an illusion of increased space but they also have easy-to-clean surfaces.

Smooth front and back surfaces mean that milling, particularly when it comes to fitting and

corner pieces, is unproblematic. 3D-SpaceWave edgebands can be supplied from stock in stainless steel, titanium, old bronze and aluminium, and in 23 x 1.3 mm (ideal for fronts) and 43 x 1.5 mm (ideal for worktops) and 29 x 2mm for office applications and production goods. Copper is new to a range that extends from high gloss to “noble” matt.

To find out more about the featured products, please download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information on your chosen product. Alternatively, call Surteco UK on 01282 686861, or touch info@uk.surteco.com to send an email.

36 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Sculptured

Panels Custom-made, Solomon & Wu’s beautiful panels make unique worksurfaces as well as splashbacks and wall panels.

Flios Copper

Cracked Iron

Stalactite Bronze

J

ake Solomon’s love of sculpture and plasterwork has had a strong influence on the unique panel products his company, Hertfordshire-based Solomon & Wu makes.

Created from resins that have been carefully combined with other materials and transformed into unique formulations, Solomon & Wu’s panel products are truly outstanding - and if different is what you’re looking for, you won’t be disappointed. Perfect for wall panelling, splashbacks, wet rooms, even work surfaces, these works of art have been used by top flight architects for prestigious contract applications and have even found their way into designer furniture.

Solomon & Wu produce three different types of panels: panels that are made from resin mix and combine colours in patterns, either over a ply substrate, or without a substrate; panels with a cast decorative surface, some of which include a genuine metallic surface made from metal powder encapsulated in the resin; and stencilled designs that involve laser cutting a stencil and pouring resin around it. Among the most unique are those Jake and his team have developed using plasma rock, or

Lunar Shanghai

wood chips encapsulated in the surface to create random patterning – though Jake was keen to point out, because resins catalyse in different ways, poured panels create attractive markings quite randomly and that in itself makes every panel absolutely unique.

“When you encapsulate materials in the resin, each panel develops its own identity,” he says. “But we’re not producing surface finishes, we’re producing materials that can be made into furniture, or used in other ways. They are moisture resistant, some are even fire resistant.

We can put a product on a substrate, or we can make it solid so it can be used like a solid surfacing material. It’s possible to make beautifully milled solid surfaces out of it and because it’s cast, we’ve even made basins.”

For more information on Solomon & Wu’s products, download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, then simply touch the picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign.

Alternatively, call 0170 770 7423 or touch contact@solomonandwu.com to send an email.

Typical STARlite application.

We found that when customers specified thicker profiled panels, the end product was often heavy to manoeuvre and cumbersome to build on site.

Starbank developed the solution: The STARlite® Composite Lightweight Panel. Our unique composite core eliminates significant weight from the panel, without any loss of capabilities compared to standard cores on the market. We offer STARlite panels in thicknesses of 36-60mm with all commercial laminates available to use for the decorative face as well as PURedge® edgebanding as standard. For other thicknesses please talk to our sales team.

Bringing Value To The Surface®

The weight per m² is on average 40% less than traditional methods.

For more details please visit our website or call and speak to our sales team.

01925 223 965

www.starbank-uk.com

sales@starbank-uk.com

ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, FSC®, PEFC®, Q-Mark® Certified

Driven by Innovation The perfect edgeband for all of your projects.

Individual variety direct from stock or made specially for you.

• Significant

Perfect match collections

• Stunning

From Supermatt to Mirror Gloss

• Sensory

A variety of textures give the right feel

• Shattering

FUSION-EDGE, DIGITAL-EDGE, 3D-SPACE & endgrains

• Special

Express production

For more information: www.doellken-kv.com

Döllken-Kunststoffverarbeitung GmbH · Beisenstr. 50 · 45964 Gladbeck · Germany Tel.: +49 2043 979-0 · Fax: -630 · info@doellken.com · www.doellken-kv.com

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 39

Designer Hardware Often novel and ground-breaking, always functional and stylish, Salice’s ideas will add value and enhance your furniture designs.

T

here’s no doubt that Italians know good design. From Ettore Sottsass’s whimsical Memphis furniture to Gio Ponti’s sleek wares, Italy has been a leader in innovative, beautiful, and high-quality furniture design for decades.

Italian furniture component manufacturer Salice has developed a high quality product range that both references Italy’s design history and maintains a fresh aesthetic, whilst always offering innovation. The Salice team includes highly qualified technicians who are constantly developing new and more sophisticated products and pioneering ideas that help manufacturers cater for the demands of an evolving market. Highprecision, high quality, technologically advanced solutions are in constant demand for modern homes and workplaces and furniture is playing an increasingly important role in making life simpler for all of us.

Especially in the kitchen, consumers have come to expect innovation and design-led solutions, and it’s here that many of Salice’s most imaginative ideas can be found.

One of Salice’s latest developments is Pin, a revolutionary display storage system that allows the most flexible and creative arrangement of bottles, knives and shelves.

It’s hard to imagine a more elegant, designoriented solution than Pin, a simple but effective idea that offers streamlined aesthetics and easy, quick and intuitive assembly. The Pin brackets can be moved easily and positioned anywhere with an ingenious fixing system that is extremely strong and stable. Pin is available in steel and titanium finishes. Comments Walter Gosling, Salice UK Branch Director, “Pin offers everything that is interesting, different and clever about good modern design. It is simple, yet functional and aesthetically appealing.”

Well known for its hinges, Salice claims to have been the first to launch a concealed hinge and a clip-on hinge and the first to introduce an integrated soft-closing hinge to the UK market. More recently, the company introduced the Air hinge, which is one of the first in the market that is recessed into the top and bottom panels of the cabinet – a clear

The Pin wine and Pin shelf (top).

40 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Split in the kitchen.

The Salice Air hinge.

design advantage for manufacturers who would rather put the emphasis on the furniture and keep the interior of the cabinet free of any opening mechanism. The broad portfolio of hinge designs offered by Salice is matched by an equally broad palette of colours and finishes, including a Titanium finish that works beautifully with darker carcase boards.

Such uniquely Italian design flair, combined with reliable engineering, provides a competitive edge in a market that increasingly values aesthetics and demands product differentiation.

Living in a smaller space shouldn’t have to mean feeling cramped. Multifunctional transforming furniture is a smarter way to live more comfortably in an apartment, town home, or family home, or when you frequently have guests. Salice offers innovative furniture solutions for any space, all of which boast both stylish good looks and smart engineering.

Designed for sophistication but built for functionality, Salice’s Eclipse pocket door system, which is widely recognised as a market leader, features an assisted soft-close door return

The Eclipse pocket door system.

mechanism and a safety door opening device. In addition, it has been designed to offer simple fitting and adjustment and can be installed, adjusted and inspected in situ, as all three movements are adjusted from the front of the cabinet in a simple, intuitive way. With modern, clean, smart lines, Eclipse looks just as good open as it does closed - and it is suitable for use in kitchens, bedrooms and offices.

Clutter-free kitchen worktops are always desirable. They open up the space in a kitchen and make for easier food preparation. Hiding smaller kitchen appliances like food processors and kettles in tall larders, and pans in deep drawers and other intelligently designed storage solutions, adds both style and functionality to a kitchen – and helps create the wow factor. For consumers with smaller kitchens, internal functionality of cupboards and drawers is especially important, and with this in mind, Salice’s designers have come up with a number of practical solutions that add both style and value. Salice’s new Split dividing and storage compartment system, which is

compatible with its Lineabox drawers, has been designed to provide personalised organisation of drawer interiors. Split can be easily integrated into living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms.

Salice’s new Mover Flat downward sliding door creates concealable spaces on bookcases, office furniture, kitchen cabinets and anywhere where objects need to be hidden behind a sliding panel. The compact mechanism, which moves on vertical runners, fits perfectly with applications where space is restricted, or where conventionally-opening doors would be unworkable.

For more clever ideas to enhance both the functionality and the aesthetic appeal of your furniture designs, take a closer look at the Salice portfolio. Download the free Furniture Journal app (FJ Magazine) from your app store and touch any picture with a link sign on the online magazine. It’ll take you straight to more information on your chosen product.

Alternatively, call Salice UK on 01480 413831 or touch www.saliceuk.co.uk

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JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 43

Satisfaction Guaranteed H

äfele is perhaps best known as a distributor of kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture and fittings, developing partnerships with some of the most respected brands in the field. But the Rugby-based firm is also a manufacturer in its own right, with a pedigree dating back to 1923.

Now, Häfele is introducing a lifetime guarantee across its own-brand product range and we caught up with Anthony Haworth, Supply Chain Director at Häfele to find out more about this latest development.

FJ: Häfele has been distributing products for a long time, why the decision to offer a guarantee now?

AH: “We have been distributing products on behalf of some of the most respected manufacturers in the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom field for many years. But we also have well-established manufacturing sites of our own in Germany and Hungary. We are extremely proud of our own-brand product ranges and our new Lifetime Guarantee

reflects the enormous confidence that we have in our own solutions.”

FJ:Will customers be familiar with your product ranges?

AH: “Industry specialists will be aware of one or two solutions that we offer but as a manufacturer, our own brands cover a wide array of products across the spectrum of the furniture fittings and design industry. Our Startec brand encompasses door furniture; Free flap fittings and MX soft-close drawer systems offer our own product ranges for lifting and sliding requirements and across the Sliding Door Gear market we offer our Slido brand of products. We also produce Loox – a plug-and-play LED lighting system and under our IxConnect brand we manufacture furniture connectors, fittings and shelf supports, predominantly for the ready-toassemble furniture market.”

FJ: How does Häfele ensure that the quality of its own products matches that of the highprofile solutions that the company distributes?

Anthony Haworth, Supply Chain Director at Häfele, talks to Furniture Journal about a new development from the fittings specialist.

Anthony Haworth

44 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

AH:“The great thing about being a distributor and a manufacturer is that we have a truly holistic view of the marketplace. We know quality, and we only work with partners whose products meet our quality expectations.

Additionally, with a wide range of customers in the UK market, we are also able to use our customer knowledge to enable us to spot gaps in the market as we look to innovate to provide solutions for these.

“We also have a comprehensive new product development process, which involves market and benchmarking analysis, followed up with in-depth design and prototyping processes and rigorous testing. Once a product has gone into production, it follows a very streamlined and efficient manufacturing process – something we pride ourselves on as a company, because this offers us greater flexibility when working with customers on production quantities.

“To provide some idea of scale regarding the knowledge we hold as a manufacturer in

the furniture fittings market – we invented the concept of the minifix connector back in 1983 and today our Berlin plant produces over 1 billion IxConnect range items each year.

FJ:What levels of guarantee are you offering?

AH: “All products that carry a Häfele Lifetime Guarantee have met our quality standards and have been tested according to the relevant industry certification, to the point that we are now happy to guarantee that the product will function as intended with no loss of operating quality, for the guaranteed lifetime period of that product. The guarantee covers the expected lifetime of the product in a noncommercial environment. This ranges from 7 years for our Loox lighting range, up to 25 years for products such as IxConnect or the MX drawer system.”

FJ: How can a customer claim?

AH: “Our Häfele lifetime guarantee logo will feature in our catalogues and on individual products to let the buyer know that the

product is covered and the period for which it is guaranteed. It’s easy to make a claim against our guarantee. The holder of the product invoice can simply e-mail hafeleguarantee@ hafele.co.uk with details of the invoice, the fault and supporting photography, and our team will handle the query from there.

“We’re extremely proud of our product range and we fully expect the introduction of this guarantee to encourage more professionals to choose Häfele own-brand solutions.”

For more information on Häfele’s full product range, download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information. Alternatively, call Häfele UK Ltd on 0800 171 2909, or touch info@hafele.co.uk to send an email.

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To find out more about our Lifetime Guarantee, please visit www.hafele.co.uk/lifetimeguarantee

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JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 47

Cornering

Design F

J. When Vauth-Sagel set about designing its new Cornerstone Maxx, what was the design brief?

CS. With the Cornerstone Maxx we wanted to develop a completely new and unique corner storage system that not only meets the highest demands with regard to comfort, but is also convincing with a new design language.

FJ. What was the biggest challenge you faced?

CS. With regard to design, we are guided by the principles of universal design right from the beginning of every product development.

Part of our new design concept is that the products, appliances, the environ­ment and systems are designed in such a way that they can be used by as many people as possible without further adjustments or specialisations.

Here, the user is at the centre – our entire product development is focussed on that.

FJ. Which aspects of the design took the most time and what was involved in the process?

CS. A special challenge was our own requirement to embed the unique new

technical aspects of the Cornerstone Maxx in a perfect design experience. The new technical aspects are straight-extending kinematics with energy storage support, floating design with wide, stable shelf surfaces and simple installation. All had to be perfectly designed.

FJ. How do other companies deal with the design challenges in this type of product and what makes the Vauth-Sagel product different?

CS. The leading product in the market has already been around for many years and has become quite outdated with regard to convenience and design. With Cornerstone Maxx, we’re now offering a real alternative.

Cornerstone Maxx offers perfect design, both in the system and the baskets; greatest comfort through PAM - Power-AssistedMovement; and user-friendly layout – there’s just one system for three different widths, and Cornerstone Maxx offers easy installation in three steps. All these features have been perfectly combined into a new system component.

Furniture Journal talks to Claus Sagel about the challenges involved in designing storage solutions for corners.

The Pin wine and Pin shelf (top).

Claus Sagel

48 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Cornerstone Maxx could be your ideal corner solution.

Easy fitting in minutes.

Change from left-handed to right-handed operation at the flick of a switch.

FJ. Did you have to design the product to a specific price point and, if so, how did you achieve this?

CS. Our mission is to create high-quality system solutions for living spaces – for all people. This means we have to know our customer chain well, and product developments must be tailored exactly to their needs – both the finishes and the price.

FJ. How long was Cornerstone Maxx in testing before it was launched and which tests were performed on it?

CS. Our new developments, like Cornerstone Maxx, undergo elaborate and inter­nationally highly recognised tests. Among other things, the Cornerstone Maxx had to go through 120,000 cycles (that’s how often the complete motion sequence of the system solution was performed), which corresponds to the average lifetime of a kitchen.

FJ. How did you choose the materials and finishes and what options are now available?

CS. The entire material composition was selected for its high-quality and offers vari­ous options. For example, there are three differently designed basket versions available. Our flagship here is the style Curve, which is perfectly tuned to our basket version Planero. Planero is a purist, very filigreed and design-oriented storage variation that we offer across all programme families. This way, our cus­tomers can have a completely new and unique look of system components and enjoy a perfectly designed kitchen even behind the doors.

FJ. Did you develop the colours and finishes at Vauth-Sagel?

CS. All product developments, as well as the material selection, are done by our own experts. Included here are also the requests from our international sales team and from customers.

FJ. Are there different versions of the product for different applications, or market segments?

CS. The Cornerstone Maxx is placed in the premium segment. It offers the greatest comfort, the best design and easiest installation – this must make the Cornerstone Maxx the best corner system solution at the moment. Positioned just below this is our Cornerstone, which also offers completely new kinematics and design language in a different price category. That is what we mean when we develop system solutions for living spaces that are affordable for everyone.

For more information on Cornerstone Maxx, please download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information, or a video. Alternatively, call Häfele on 01788 542020, or touch customer. service@hafele.co.uk to send an email.

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JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 51

Success at Felder I

t was 2.45pm on the first day of Felder’s November in-house show when I dropped in to see how things were going. “I’m shattered,” admitted Managing Director, Matthew Applegarth after a hectic start.

“We’ve seen 55 customers already and we’ve sold a lot of machines - all the way through from bandsaws and edgebanders to Format 4 standard machines and a CNC machine.”

Taking centre stage and making its UK debut was the new 60.06L edgebander, a machine that offers 60mm height and applies up to 6mm edging tapes. “We’re increasing the Format 4 edgebander range,” explained Matthew. “We had hoped to have the new Advantage hot air system here as well so we could demonstrate how we can combine the hot air system and a glue pot on the same machine to turn it into a multi-functioning machine but we couldn’t get it over in time.”

The 60.06 is Felder’s middle-of-the-range machine and to accompany it, there will soon

be a 400 series in the Format 4 range for applying up to 4mm edging. “What we’re seeing is the need for high volume machines at a more competitive price,” said Matthew.

“There are a lot of companies that need an edgebander to work a full single shift or a double shift. They don’t always need a big machine to do that. From Felder, they can get an edgebander with a compact footprint for £30-60,000 that will run at 12-18 metres a minute. They are great value machines and they’ll apply edging with PUR or EVA.” For more information, download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information. Alternatively, call Felder UK Ltd on 01908 635000, or touch sales@ukfelder.co.uk to send an email.

The 60.06L makes its debut at Felder’s busy in-house show.

52 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Fabulous Finishing Jake Solomon is pushing his custom-built DMC System T4M sander to the max, producing subtle surface finishes on pioneering panel products that include resin, cement, rock and wood.

S

olomon & Wu make some of the most remarkable panel products I’ve ever come across. Cast in a mould using a water and fire-resisting mix of cement and resin, they can include anything from metal powders or woodchips to recycled plasma rock. And as you might imagine, calibrating a panel that contains cement, resin and rock is far from easy, especially when the panels can be up to 3.6 metres in length and over 1600mm wide. By hand, it’s a long, hard job that has to be done in stages and takes many hours. By machine it’s faster, but getting the right finish when the surface is peppered with materials of different densities and the natural cracks and crazing that form in the resin need to be retained is pretty much impossible for a typical calibrating sander. But, after months of searching for a machine that would cope with the extreme demands of finishing his pioneering materials – and preserve their allimportant character - Managing Director Jake Solomon has a smile on his face. He’s taken delivery of a new, purpose designed and built DMC System T4M 1650 from SCM,

and he’s absolutely delighted with the results it’s giving him.

“When we make a panel, we can do it in several ways,” explains Jake. “Sometimes we take a substrate like ply (or we can start without a substrate) and we pour a pattern onto it. It’s never going to be a controlled pattern because resins catalyse in different ways, but that’s the beauty of it. The liquid panels are just cured resin that we have to sand through and finish. For the cast panels, we make a mould and pour the mix in. If we use metal powder, the metal drops through to the face so when you flip the panel over and put it through the machine, you get a sanded and polished metallic surface with lots of character.

We also have stencil designs where we laser cut a stencil and pour resin around it.”

Solomon & Wu’s inventiveness is no respecter of traditional boundaries. If a client wants a particular effect, Jake and his team will set about creating it.“We recently bought an industrial level bandsaw to cut wood and a chipper to chip it so we could create panels using wood chips to create the design, then we

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 53

Solomon & Wu’s custom-built DMC System T4M sander.

designed a binder to hold it together. We create a slurry of resin with wood chips or other materials, pour it on the board, vibrate it on a vibrating table, push out the air bubbles and sand it. We’re also using plasma rock in a mix of resin and cement. The problem is, resin is soft, plasma rock is hard. It’s immensely difficult for any machine to sand the two together, and nearly impossible to do so without losing the surface character.

“The problem with most of the sanding machines we saw is they’re great for sanding flat things that need to be perfectly flat, whereas a lot of our stuff doesn’t need to be flat, it just needs to be done properly. What drew me to this particular sander – the DMC SYT4M – is that Fabrizio and Bruno in Italy didn’t try to sell us an off-the-shelf machine. They took the time to understand our materials and what we wanted to achieve, then they created a machine that would allow us the flexibility to finish a large range of materials. We sent 12 full-size boards over to Italy, then another eight later on.

It always looks different when you test a section, so I wanted to see full size boards going

through. When I went to Italy, Fabrizio Pigato [from DMC’s technical lab in Thiene] gave me a really good understanding of what the different units are designed for and how we could adapt them to use with our products. He was fantastic to work with, very knowledgeable, and his advice was invaluable.

“The problem is we don’t want too much pressure, or too much finishing. With the DMC, the calibration roller can lift and become a pad sander and we also decided on a superfinishing unit. We have planetary sanders that can be brushes or sanding discs. The spongy pads don’t put too much pressure on the material and they ride the surface rather than making it totally flat.

That’s perfect for our kind of work because we want to retain the texture. With our metallic panels, we want to clean a couple of millimetres of relief, so we put two longitudinal brushes on.

The pad sanders then go into the crevices and bring out the grit, polishing the interior and the top so the product is much cleaner than we could ever have achieved by hand with a blue wheel and drill. Two passes and it’s a million times better than we could ever do it.

Jake Solomon

54 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Jake ordered a few other extras, like double vacuum to deal with bowing in boards and a brush system in the planetary sander.

Everything Solomon & Wu needs is built into the machine and operated from the program.

“We had the machine specially widened to 1650mm to cope with our larger panels and opted for the heaviest calibration system we could get on the wider machine. We also had a few other extras, like double vacuum to deal with bowing in boards and a brush system in the planetary sander.” Jake also added a cross belt and two Tynex brush attachments to the final specification, which, he admits, delayed the delivery, but now it’s installed and working, he’s delighted with the finish it’s producing and the ease with which he can change from one finish to another.

“The really great thing about the DMC is we don’t have to take units out and change things over, it’s all in there. Everything we need is built into the machine and operated from the program. We can pull the planetary sander out and change the brushes or the sanding pads if we want to and, of course, from time to time we need to change the belts, but that’s all.

It takes only minutes to set the machine up, or change over from sanding one type of material to another, whereas the other systems we saw had removable heads that cost £15,000 each and we’d have had to move them in and out manually to achieve the same effect. That takes time. I want my people making beautiful things not working as engineers. With the DMC, everything stays in the machine all the time, unless it’s worn out.”

With such an extraordinary range of materials to finish, it was always going to take a while and a lot of experimentation with the different combinations the DMC incorporated before Jake and his team would be fully versed in the best way to set the machine up. “When Adolfo came over from Italy to train us, he was fantastic,” recalls Jake.

“He told us why things do what they do and how you can play with the machine to achieve different results. He managed in seconds what

we still take much longer to achieve but we’re getting there. Ultimately, we have to play with it. It’s a machine with a huge amount of potential. It’s made a massive difference to our business.” In fact, it’s made so much difference to both the finish of his products and his company’s production capacity that Jake is already talking about buying a second DMC so he can ramp up his production still further.

To find out more about the DMC System T4M, please download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to a video of the machine in action, or link you to more information.

Alternatively, call SCM on 0115 977 0044, or touch info@scmgroup.com to send an email.

56 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Streaming

Colour

Most manufacturers acknowledge the advantages of using PUR, and now Biesse has made colour changes easy for industrial users with its new Stream B edgebander.

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 57 The Biesse Stream B (below) can take two differently coloured 2kg PUR slugs (left) simultaneously and offers rapid change from one to the next. It uses a special 2kg block of cleaner.

W

ith so many fabulous décors on the market, and a range of finishes that encompasses deep embossings through to glass-like high gloss, it’s perhaps no wonder that most manufacturers will go to great lengths to minimise, or preferably obliterate the glue line between the face and edge of their furniture panels or fascias. And let’s face it, when you’ve gone to great expense to get rid of dust and contaminants, and bought the best machinery you can afford to ensure your décors are applied faultlessly, no one wants to see a fat, unhygienic glue line running between the décor and the edgebanding, especially a glue line that doesn’t match.

Using EVA, the options are a bit limited.

EVA is a high viscosity product. It doesn’t press into the substrate when an edgeband is applied, so more of it remains beneath the edgebanding material, making the glue line thicker. Worse, every time you reheat EVA, it loses power and gradually, over time, it starts to discolour. A clear EVA can very soon become a yellowed EVA, and that’s not going to look great if you’re running white panels, and in hot or steamy conditions it could quite simply fall off if there isn’t enough holding power left in the adhesive. Not good.

“It was laser edging that created the fascination with glue line,” Biesse’s Robbie

O’Neill told Furniture Journal. “Everyone has had to raise the bar on quality since laser edging arrived on the scene. It’s brilliant but it’s much more expensive to buy the technology to apply laser edgings, so manufacturers want an alternative. They know EVA isn’t the right adhesive for furniture manufacturing because it can delaminate and it has really low ingress protection, but they are fearful of changing to PU, even though a PU glue line is a third smaller and provides a watertight bond between the surface and the edge of the panel. It’s the clean-down that’s the big issue, especially if you’ve only got one gluepot on your edgebander. If you want to run two colours, you have to go through the whole clean-down process.”

If your company is a large-scale panel processor with an industrial edgebanding line that’s running pretty much 24/7, you’ll know very well the problem when a colour change is called for. If you’re running PUR continually on a machine with a single gluepot, normal maintenance might dictate you could get away with a clean down once a week, but for a colour change when you switch to a different décor, the clean down has to be done before the next colour can be run. If you have a Nordson system, or a nitrogen tank and a spare gluepot, it becomes easier. But if you haven’t, just switching over from one colour

to the next could involve removing the premelter, taking off the support tables, cleaning the pot, removing the glue from the pot as much as possible and heating the gluepot to 200 degrees Celsius for 12 hours before you can pour the residue away. Then the bench work begins – and cleaning of the glue roller.

It’s an all-day job.

“Imagine you’re running white or alabaster and using a PU to get the best glueline,” continued Robbie. “They’re the current best-sellers. You’d need two colours, either white or clear.

Robbie O’Neill

58 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

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Traditionally, you could use a PU slug system that would make the change-over easier but you still have to clean the pipe and change the glue roller. That takes time and time is money. To solve the problem, Biesse has a glue system for the Stream B edgebander that is positioned above. Typically, it would be below, served by a linkage from the track.

The big advantage of being above is that the drive is independent. We’ve now created an edgebander with two independent drives for two different glue rollers mounted permanently on the machine. That means you can have one with white and one with clear adhesive and the changeover takes just seconds – essential if you’re moving towards Industry 4.0. You simply activate one and deactivate the other. In a production environment, that’s a massive advantage. The

machine will continue to keep the glue in the other pot at the right temperature and available, and if you’re not using it for a while, like all Biesse machines, the Stream B will go into sleep mode and restart when you put the next panel through.

“Biesse has had this proven technology for many years, but because of the recent increased awareness around the glue line, Biesse has found through needs analysis discussions with customers that the twin glue roller systems creates a very big advantage in both the improved glue line appearance (when multiple PUR glue colours are required) and when a low batch production method is adopted, as it promotes very small change over times for glue colour. Furthermore, the system reduces the possibility of glue colour/type cross

contamination, again improving potential quality, without any effect on the open time of the glue used in either the first or second glue roller. Because of the short distance between the two rollers, it produces only 0.75 of a second in the required time for application between each roller.”

If you’re interested to learn more about the Biesse Stream B, please download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information on the Stream B. Alternatively, call Biesse Group UK on 01327 300366, or touch info@biesse.co.uk to send an email.

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60 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Kleiberit: for the Edge There’s no point in using fabulous décors and not edging them properly.

Kleiberit offers everything you need for perfect edges.

A

fter 70 years in the business, and with a technology department that’s developed an impressive record for formulating cutting edge solutions, you can be sure whatever the décor you’re applying, the adhesives specialist, Kleiberit, will have the product you need. And when it comes to adhesives for edgebanding, Kleiberit supplies a choice of technologies in the colours you need, the cleaning and purging agents – all in a variety of packaging options that has been designed to suit your production levels.

“We have adhesive systems in specific packaging formats that enable us to supply all edgebander users with whatever technology

they need,” Kleiberit’s Bradly Larkan told Furniture Journal. “We can offer a choice of EVA, PO, or PUR reactive hotmelt. Depending on the system you want to use, we can supply in granulated form, as small 260g slug options, 400g foil pouches, 2kg slug options, 20kg packaging, 25kg packaging, pails and drums.

Whatever you need for your edgebander, we have the adhesive formulation and a packaging format to match.”

Within the EVA product range, Kleiberit offers five colour options: ivory, white, mahogany, black and transparent. In PUR, white, natural, transparent and black are available. “The choice of colour depends on

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 61

how closely you want to match your edging,” says Bradly. “Generally, if you’re running white, you’ll want to use a white adhesive, but for any other colour, or for a woodgrain, you’d normally want to run natural or transparent. If you really want to get the absolute best out of a zero glueline and match the edgeband perfectly with the surface materials, a clear will reflect the colour of the edgebanding and provide a better match. Clear adhesive will darken the glueline and, in most cases, it will work best with dark colours. If you’re using high gloss black, though, we have a black available in PUR and EVA for a 100% match.”

Allied to this, Kleiberit has formulated a range of cleaners and ancillary products that, again, can be supplied in quantities and formats to suit all makes of edgebanding machine, even some with quite specific requirements. “We have a liquid cleaner that dislodges burnt and charred EVA and we have a purge cleaner for PUR hotmelts,” says Bradly. “We also have a blue wax for use after purging the system to prevent any residual polyurethane from further cross-linking. On top of that we have speciality grease and sealing agents that are 100% moisture free and prevent moisture ingress.” Being 100% moisture free is essential when you are using PUR to prevent further

cross-linking at dosing unit seals, or slot nozzle units – and within each category, Kleiberit offers a full technology basket to both small and large users.

To find out more, please download the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information on your chosen product.

Alternatively, visit www.kleiberit.com, call Kleiberit UK on 01530 836699, or touch uksales@kleiberit.com to send an email.

62 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018

Making the Switch Get consistent quality - and take advantage of the latest adhesive technology - with fast change-over from Holz-Her.

Paul Nightingale

L

et’s imagine your company is manufacturing for the KBB sector. You’re not producing hundreds of the same design. Your customers order one kitchen, two kitchens – relatively small numbers – and you never know until the orders come in what styles, décors, colours or edging materials you’ll be working with. You’ve got all the flexibility you need for sizing and machining your panels and, for the most part, your workshop is running efficiently, but when it comes to edgebanding, things slow down.

Switching from one colour to another, or even worse, from one adhesive type to another, is a Royal pain, so you try not to do it too often.

And if bathroom panels have to be slotted between production of kitchens, you’ve either got to compromise on bond quality and glue line, take the risk and stick with EVA, or it’s clean down time. Then you have the other common problem: you start your edgebander in the morning, leave it to heat up, go to great lengths to set everything so it gives you the best glue line possible, and a few hours later the operator is tearing his hair out because

the quality it was producing in the morning isn’t something he can get close to in the afternoon. The rejects are piling up. What’s going wrong? And more to the point, what can be done to put things right?

Paul Nightingale, National Sales Manager for Weinig Group member, Holz-Her, is adamant that all of the above issues will melt away faster than a granule in a glue pot with even the most basic entry level models in the Holz-Her edgebander range – and it’s a range that runs right up to industrial models.“Our system, the GluJet, is a very simple, hybrid system that enables fast changeover from EVA to PUR, granules to slugs, or from one colour to the next – and by fast, I mean three or four minutes, tops,” he says.“It means manufacturers who want the benefits of a near invisible, perfectly sealed glue line can use PUR and be running EVA in a different colour five minutes later.”

Impressed? Let’s take a look at how the GluJet system works: If you are using slugs, for example, a slug of adhesive is dropped into the chute and when it reaches the bottom, it’s pushed against a ring

JANUARY 2018 | furniture journal 63 The GluJet system facilitates fast changeover in a small edgebander.

The ring heater only melts the part of the slug that’s being pressed against it.

heater, from where it rises up and is applied to the panel through a slot nozzle. It takes about three minutes to heat up. The ring heater only melts what’s being pressed against it, which means a part-used slug can be removed simply, safely and easily whenever you want to switch production over to a different board colour, or a different adhesive type. The slot nozzle is designed so it acts like a tracer, following the thickness of the panel you’re processing and automatically widening or narrowing the slot so you only ever put glue on the panel edge where it’s needed. Glue quantity is continuously checked by sensors that control the amount being melted so it matches demand and automatically feeds only that which is required. The key to fast changeover, however, relies not so much on the easychange chutes as the purge system that facilitates push-button clean down – and this is simply genius design. Remove the slug, pop the neutraliser in and press the purge button on the touch screen. Roughly speaking, it will take about one and a half 63mm cartridges of neutraliser to do a clean down. When the

colour coming out of the purge pipe has changed, you’re ready to move straight to the next colour, or change to a different adhesive type. Switch from EVA to PUR, or one colour to the next, in four minutes. Replace the slug chute with a granule chute (both are standard) and you’re ready to hop from one to the next in seconds. It’s a very, very clever system.

The infinitely variable slot nozzle also makes the GluJet system very economical: one kilo of glue is sufficient for 201 running metres of 19mm edging. And contrary to what some might have you believe, the nozzle doesn’t have holes that can block, it has a proper slot.

“Encrusted gluing stations, blocked nozzles, high energy consumption, poor heat up times and poor appearance are all things of the past,” says Paul Nightingale. “The closed GluJet system also prevents the escape of noxious vapours that are emitted unimpeded by a glue roller system, and the short heat up time means energy savings you can really measure.

A typical glue pot might use 6kW of energy; we’re using 2.3kW. A glue pot simmers away all day. When it’s on – and only when it’s on -

When the colour coming out of the purge pipe has changed, you’re ready to move straight to the next colour, or a different adhesive type.

Push-button clean down from the touch screen.

No one uses white PUR with black gloss but the glue line is so tight it’s only barely visible.

64 furniture journal | JANUARY 2018 Switch from EVA to PUR, or change colour in four minutes. Choose granules or slugs.

The slot nozzle applies glue in stripes that spread easily to create an excellent close to the joint.

you’re only using 2.3kW with a GluJet, and because the system only heats what you need, if you’re using EVA there’s none of the loss of power, or yellowing associated with aging to worry about. Holz-Her even provides a threeyear warranty on the glue system, which shows its confidence in the system.”

But what can be done about the other problem – the need to reset after a few hours? Well, there are two issues to consider: first, the length of time it takes to set the machine up in the first place; and second, how to ensure it is producing the same quality at the end of a shift as it does at the beginning.

“We have servos on most Holz-Her machines, even from the entry level in the range,” says Paul. “From the screen, we can change programs very quickly. Setup is governed by the glue station. We need to remember our settings if we’ve achieved the best possible shut line. We can do that via Adaptive Pressure, an option that allows the program to refer back to the pressure and heat settings. The dosing also needs to be

The slot nozzle.

changed. We can adjust that through pressure, through heat and also, because we can change the nozzle temperature, through the opening and closing inside the nozzle. If you don’t want to put glue on the first 5mm, you can set that. The rod simply opens late. We can half open, or fully open. If the radius isn’t right, or the profile scrapers are digging in slightly, you can change them on the controller without having to get in there and adjust things manually. Everything can be remembered in the program, then you just assign it a job name. Total repeatability.”

So, what makes an edgebander go out of set? “More often than not, with an edgebander, it’s the scrapers that are digging in because the frame has moved,” says Paul. “An imperceptible problem at one end becomes noticeable by the time it reaches the other. That’s usually down to how the frame has been made. Most manufacturers construct a frame out of cut, bent and welded components, which creates a lot of tension that has to be normalised by heating and cooling when it’s assembled. We

don’t normalise our frames. We cut from up to inch-thick steel using a plasma cutter. Using engineering calculations, we pocket out the steel to get rid of the stresses before it’s folded and welded. The result is there’s no stress in the frame. It stays in position and doesn’t move. You won’t find the frame of a Holz-Her changing during production. They just don’t.”

If you’re looking for an edgebander and want to see Holz-Hers equipped with GluJet technology in action,Weinig Group is hosting an in-house event from 21st to 22nd February.

You can also find more information by downloading the free Furniture Journal App from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play App Store (Android). Open the App, which will show as ‘FJ Magazine’ on your mobile device, then simply touch any picture on the digital magazine displaying a link sign. It will take you straight to more information or a video.

Alternatively, call Weinig Group UK on 01235 557600, or touch sales@weinig.co.uk to send an email.

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