material + technik möbel Special 02/2013 - Quality Inside

P R O F E S S I O N A L M A G A Z I N E F O R M A N U F A C T U R E R S O F K I T C H E N S , C A B I N E T, O F F I C E A N D S E AT I N G F U R N I T U R E A N D F O R I N T E R I O R F I T T E R S A N D D E S I G N E R S 路 W W W. M AT E R I A L -T E C H N I K . D E 路 3 0 8 3 5

The magazine for furniture production and related fields

Quality Inside

Special 02 | 13

The right solution for you – our global presence can make it happen!

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Quality Inside

Vade mecum for the European markets

Title: At the interzum, the “CookingAgent” from Kesseböhmer (Germany) impressed visitors with its cheerful colours, functionality and flexibility.

Photo: Kessböhmer

For furniture manufacturers and suppliers to the furnishings industry, the present annual special “Quality Inside – made in Europe” published by the trade magazine material+technik möbel is a genuine enrichment and adviser, enabling readers to inform themselves in a short time about the furnishings market in Western Europe. With 30 years´ knowhow and experience as a specialist magazine for the furniture industry and related fields, we present, in the present English-language issue, brand-new information serving to put the furnishings trade in the picture about the economic development in Western Europe and current trends.

On the following pages, we not only show in compressed form the highlights of the world leading fairs Ligna and interzum, but we also report on forecasts for the economic development and consumer trends in Western Europe. In addition, we show you, which colours, woods and hardware are or will be popular in Europe in the years 2013 and 2014.

Last but not least, we inform the readers of “Quality Inside” about innovative products and machinery “made in Europe”, with which furnishing products

Richard Barth, Editor-in-chief

can be made in better quality. The range of useful information offered in this issue is supplemented by news concerning European companies engaged in the machinery and supplier industry.

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Content Editorial.......................................................................................... 3 Slow economic recovery in Europe............................................. 4–7 Market development in opposite directions................................ 8–9 interzum – innovations for better furniture............................... 10–11 Intensive structures..................................................................12–13 No more compromises.................................................................. 13 Technology with nicer packaging..............................................14–16 Nicer looking organization...............................................................17 Systems for use with heavy doors and narrow rails...................... 18 High mechanical strength combined with reduced weight........... 19 Global challenges are finding a local solution................................ 20 Furnipro Asia 2014 introduces new elements................................ 21 Electricity and data in the lounge.................................................. 22 No screws or glue needed............................................................ 23 In Europe, colour is coming into play....................................... 24–25 Increasing dependence on exports ........................................ 26–27 Ligna: solutions for efficient production ................................ 28–30 Manufacturing workshop for high-tech scanners ........................ 31 Optimal use of hides..................................................................... 32 Producing furniture more efficiently ............................................ 32 The wood materials industry faces up to new challenges ............ 33 Positive trend reversal for AWFS................................................... 34 News: Blum, Bürkle, Egger, Homag, Schattdecor, Surteco..... 36–37 European furniture and supplier-fairs 2013/2014............................ 38 Imprint.......................................................................................... 16 Partners of the furniture industry............................................... 35 ­m aterial+technik möbel – special 02|13 3 M_mt0212_Anz_Kuris.indd 1

05.04.12 11:02

Quality Inside

Slow economic recovery in Europe Europe’s economy is only slowly showing signs of recovery. In 2013, economic growth will continue to be rather weak. Economic experts don’t expect the economy to pick up further in Western Europe until 2014.

The differences among the various countries are still great.

In 2013, Europe grew just a little.

This summer, Croatia joined the 27 members of the EU as the 28th member country. But only 17 of those countries have the Euro as their common currency. In West­ ern Europe, the countries Great Britain, Denmark, Norway and Sweden continue to have their own currencies. In the face of the Euro crisis, that is not likely to change soon.

As far as economic development is concerned, the member countries of the EU will not be able to pre­ sent good results for the current

year. The Ifo institute in Munich (Germany) is expecting a decline in the gross domestic product (GDP) of 0.1 percent. In the 17 Euro coun­ tries, the decline will be even stronger and is predicted to reach 0.4 percent. The economic re­ searchers don’t expect economic growth again until 2014, when they predict a growth rate of 1.4 percent for the EU and 1.2 percent for the Euro area.

Unemployment continues to pose a problem with big differences among the various member coun­ tries. The unemployment rate rang­

­­­4 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

es between 5.2 percent in Germa­ ny and almost 29 percent in Greece. The average for the 27 EU countries is 11 percent and for the Euro countries 12 percent. It is ex­ pected to sink in 2014.

Austerity policies put the brakes on consumption Due to the high levels of national debt in individual member coun­ tries, the governments of the af­ fected countries have enforced strict austerity measures in the past years and in the current year, which have had a negative effect

on consumption and have also in­ creased the unemployment rate. In 2013, consumer spending in the Euro zone will shrink by 0.9 per­ cent and in the 27 EU states by an expected 0.4 percent. At the same time, there are big differences among the individual countries: In Greece, a decline of 6.9 percent in consumer spending is expected, but it is predicted to rise by 3.3 percent in both Latvia and Estonia.

The low level of consumer demand will slow down inflation in the member countries. For the entire year, an inflation rate of 1.8 percent

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Economic development in most of the European countries is still slow in 2013, but in 2014 the economy is supposed to pick up again.

Photo: EU-Commission

in the EU and 1.6 percent in the Euro currency zone is expected.

The situation will not change much in 2014, according to the prognoses of economic research­ ers, and the rise in prices will probably be between 1.5 and 1.7 percent. At the same time, con­ sumer spending is expected to rise: in the Euro zone by 0.7 per­ cent and in the EU 27 by 1 per­ cent.

Decrease in home construction A big stumbling block for eco­ nomic development is the cur­ rent development in home con­ struction. In the summer of this year, the sector association Euro­ construct announced its progno­ ses for 19 European countries.

They predict that the number of finished homes in Europe in 2013 will probably sink by 2.8 percent.

Instead of 1.425 million homes, only about 1.3 million homes are expected to be finished in the current year.

Euroconstruct doesn’t expect the home con­ struction sector to pick up again until 2014, but predicts that it will reach a satisfactory level again in 2015. The differences among the individual countries will remain: By 2015, development in home construction in Norway, Switzer­ land and Germany is expected to be significantly better than in Por­ tugal and Spain.

In Germany, for example, 200,500 homes were finished in 2012, thus surpassing the num­ ber in the previous year by al­ most 10 percent. The nearly 240,000 building permits issued this year give reason for hope that the number of finished homes will climb to 210,000 in 2013. In Great Britain, an increase of 12 percent in new home con­ struction to 126,000 homes is ex­ pected. In France, on the other hand, new home construction ac­ tivity has declined by 6 percent and only 320,000 homes will be built in 2013. In the Netherlands and Belgium, 2 and 6 percent fewer homes, respectively, are expected to be built. In Italy, the number of finished homes will shrink to 121,500.

Development by country The following description of the economic development in several European countries is based on information from various eco­ nomic institutes such as the Ifo Institute in Munich (Germany), from banks, from the EU Com­ mission and from the economic ministries of the respective coun­ tries.

Germany Of the European countries, Germany is doing best in the summer of 2013. However, during the year ­m aterial+technik möbel – special 02|13 5 96x275_mt_juni13.indd 1

26.06.2013 13:13:31

Photo: Fotolia/K.F.L.

the economic outlook has become a little cloudy, so the economic in­ stitutes have lowered their expec­ tations slightly. On the sunny side, there is still a good consumer cli­ mate, which is better than at any time since 2007, according to a study. A low unemployment rate and a low increase in consumer prices are stimulating consump­ tion. Since 2012, the unemploy­ ment rate has remained stable at 5.2 percent and the rate of price in­ creases will decline from 2.1 to 1.7 percent in 2013. Last but not least, the historically low lending rates have led to a decrease in saving and an increase in spending on the part of German consumers, par­ ticularly for apartments and hous­ es. The poor economic situation in important customer countries is having a negative effect. Therefore, the German Federal Bank is ex­ pecting economic growth of only 0.3 percent for 2013, while the Ifo Institute predicts 0.6 percent.

In 2014, the growth rate is expect­ ed to be between 1.5 and 1.9 per­ cent, depending on the institute making the prediction.

Italy Italy is still receiving poor grades from the economic researchers. Its eco­ nomic development in 2013 has remained weak and has led to fur­ ther decline in consumer spending and investment. The real gross do­ mestic product, i.e. the economic performance of the country, will probably sink by an additional 2.3 percent in 2013. In the face of an unemployment rate of 12.3 per­ cent and the raising of the VAT­­ by 2 percent on 1 July 2013, the researchers predict that purchas­ ing power will sink further. Howev­ er, a compensating factor is that prices are not rising so quickly; the

rate for 2013 is estimated at 2 per­ cent and for 2014 at 1.7 percent. In 2012, prices rose by 3.3 percent.

The prognoses for 2014 are more positive. The industries that are strongly dependent on exports should profit from the increase in worldwide demand, so the GDP is expected to sink by only 0.6 per­ cent. Unemployment will probably remain high at a predicted level of 13.3 percent.

France France has not been able to avoid the re­ cessive tendencies. The year 2013 will not receive especially good grades, according to economic re­ searchers. However, the effects of the weaker economic situation have not been very severe so far.

That could change during the rest of the year, however, because of tax increases. So far, private con­ sumption has been relatively sta­ ble, according to economic ex­ perts, which is certainly also due to the moderate rate of inflation, which is expected to be 0.9 per­ cent on average for the year. Due to these factors, the predicted de­ cline in GDP is only 0.2 percent for the current year. In 2014, it is even expected that there will be an in­ crease of 0.8 percent. The high un­ employment rate is still problemat­ ic; it will climb to 11.3 percent in 2013. In 2014, it is expected to be 11.7 percent.

Spain Spain is one of the problem countries in Europe again in 2013, along with Greece. The economy is now in a recession for the third year in a row and not much is expected to change in 2014. One of the biggest problems meanwhile is unem­ ployment, which will be 26.9 per­

­­­6 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

cent in 2013, according to official data, and is even expected to reach 27.6 percent in 2014. Due to the high unemployment rate and shrinking discretionary income, a decline in private consumption is expected, which will also have a negative effect on imported prod­ ucts. That development will only be slightly cushioned by the con­ currently declining inflation rate, which is expected to be reduced to 2.0 percent for 2013 and 1.1 per­ cent for 2014. The real gross do­ mestic product will sink by an addi­ tional 1.9 percent in the current year after declining by 1.4 percent in the previous years. In 2014, the decline is expected to be 0.6 per­ cent.

Portugal The highly indebted EU country wants to stimulate the economy by sinking the corporate tax from 25 to 19 percent beginning in 2014. This measure is meant to attract do­ mestic and foreign investment and thus create more jobs. In order to avert a bankruptcy of the state, Portugal has been following a strict austerity course since 2011, which has led to rise in unemployment to 18 percent. Economic experts ex­ pect the gross domestic product (GDP) to decline by a further 2.6 percent in 2013. It already sank by 3.2 percent in 2012. In 2014, the decline is expected be reduced to 0.2 percent. The unemployment rate, however, will remain high and, due to low consumer de­ mand, the rise in consumer prices is expected to be limited to 0.3 percent.

Great Britain In Great Britain, the government has done everything to promote con­ sumption and investment. Making it easier for private persons and small companies to get loans has contributed to relatively stable do­ mestic demand in 2013. For this reason, the “Funding for Lending” credit support program that was introduced in 2012 was recently extended. A relatively low unem­ ployment rate, 7.8 percent in 2013.

That is not expected to change in 2014, has led to stable consumer spending. The real gross domestic product will therefore grow slight­

ly by 0.8 percent in the current year after growing by only 0.3 per­ cent in 2012. In 2014, economic development in Great Britain is ex­ pected to pick up more and lead to economic growth of 1.6 percent for the country. The other side of the coin is an inflation rate, which is expected to be 2.7 percent in 2013 and only slightly lower at 2.3 percent in 2014.

Greece Greece is one of the European countries that are most deeply in debt. For several years now, the country has registered economic decline.

However, the decline is no longer as strong as it was in 2012, when GDP sank by 6.4 percent. For 2013, a decline of 4.8 percent in total economic performance is ex­ pected. In 2014, there should be a decline of only 1.2 percent. The high unemployment rate acts as a brake on consumption and that is not likely to change much in 2014 either. While 24.3 percent of work­ ers were unemployed in 2012, the rate will probably be 28.5 percent in the current year and rise to 29.7 percent in 2014. Accordingly, con­ sumer prices are declining and are expected to sink by 1 percent in the current year and by 0.4 per­ cent in 2014.

Netherlands The Netherlands has always been one of the EU countries that were rela­ tively unaffected by economic slowdowns. But that has changed in the past years. Since 2008, house prices have fallen by almost a third, resulting in enormous pri­ vate household debt. Over the past five years, the purchasing power of the populace has sunk. After a de­ cline in GDP of 1 percent in 2012, the country will have to endure a further decline of 0.8 percent in the current year. The economic re­ searchers expect the economic sit­ uation to get better and the coun­ try to experience 0.8 percent growth, but not until 2014. The re­ cession in the former Euro model state has led to an increase in un­ employment. The unemployment rate in 2012 was 5.3 percent and will rise to 6.6 percent in the cur­ rent year. In 2014, it is even expect­ ed to reach 7.3 percent. Converse­

Quality Inside

ly, the consumer price increases are lower. In 2013, the rate was 2.7 percent, but it is expected to sink to 1.3 percent in 2014.

Belgium So far in 2013, Bel­ gium’s economy has not developed as hoped. Instead of low economic growth, zero growth is now predicted for the country. In 2012, the country regis­ tered a decrease of 0.2 percent in GDP. While domestic demand is declining, Belgium has been able to increase exports. After a level of 7.6 percent in 2012, the unemploy­ ment rate will rise to about 8.4 percent in 2013. Economic experts predict economic growth of 1.2 percent for the country in 2014.

But the experts do not predict a higher employment rate and they expect an increase in prices of 1.4 percent following 1 percent in the current year.

Austria Austria has proved to be very robust so far as regards economic development.

Economic growth was already reg­ istered in 2012 and a further in­ crease in GDP of 0.4 percent is ex­ pected for 2013. In 2014, the eco­ nomic performance of the Alpine country is even expected to in­ crease strongly, by 1.6 percent. A relatively low unemployment rate sustains the domestic market. In both 2013 and the coming year, economic researches expect the unemployment rate to remain at 4.9 percent. And at the same time, consumer prices are rising only moderately. The rate was 2.6 per­ cent in 2012 and is expected to be 1.9 percent in 2013 and in the com­ ing year as well.

Switzerland In the middle of the year 2013, the Swiss

propensity to buy is undiminished.

Domestic economic activity is thus sustaining the Swiss economy to a great measure, because the devel­ opment in exports is not satisfac­ tory. Government economic ex­ perts are predicting economic growth of 1.4 percent for the cur­ rent year. In 2014, they believe the country should be able to profit from export activities that are re­ duced at the moment and be able to register an increase of 2.1 per­ cent in GDP. However, the major Swiss bank UBS is not quite as op­ timistic. It is expecting slightly low­ er economic growth of 0.9 percent in 2013. In the coming year, the in­ stitute is predicting growth of 1.3 percent in GDP. Finland Finland is very de­ pendent on exports and was affected by the world­ wide economic crisis in 2009

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more than other industrial coun­ tries. The continuing weak de­ mand in important sales markets is reflected in the development of the GDP. After a decrease of 0.2 percent in 2012, the GDP of Fin­ land will sink 0.8 percent further in 2013. In 2014, the expected im­ provement in the world economy should enliven exports and bring economic growth of 1.2 percent to Finland. However, that will not change the employment situation much.

The number of unemployed work­ ers is rising constantly. After an unemployment rate of 7.7 percent in 2012 and an estimated rate of 8.3 percent in 2013, a rate of up to 8.6 percent is expected for the coming year. There is some relief in the level of price increases.

Consumer prices are rising by 2.2 percent in 2013 and in 2014 the rate is expected to be only 1.8 per­ cent.

Richard Barth

Quality Inside

Market development in opposite directions Worldwide furniture production climbed to 420 billion dollars in 2012, which corresponds to 317 billion Euros. Europe’s share of that was about 25 percent. Germany and Italy are the most important production countries in Europe. Together, their share of worldwide furniture production is 12 percent.

For some years now, however, the furniture markets in the two countries have been developing in opposite directions.

In its latest “World Furniture Outlook”, the Italian market research institute CSIL (Milan/Italy) reported that worldwide furniture production for 2012 was worth roughly 420 billion dollars at factory prices, which corresponds to 317 billion Euros. According to the institute, that figure is double what it was in the past ten years. For 2013, the market researchers predict further worldwide growth of 3 to 4 percent, but this will be based on growth outside of Western Europe. In Western Europe itself, CSIL expects a decline in furniture production.

Slump in Italy This decline will hit Italy particularly hard because the debt overload in

the country is meanwhile affecting the furnishing industry. The government’s austerity measures have made the Italian consumers less willing to spend, which has led to declining sales in the furniture industry. The furnishing sector has never really recovered from the worldwide economic and financial crisis of 2009 anyway. In the past five years, sales in the wood and furniture industries have shrunk by about 37 percent, according to information from the sector association FederlegnoArredo, which corresponds to a loss in turnover of about 15.4 billion Euros. This has had effects on the structure of the sector. In the period under review, the number of companies has sunk by 18.4 percent, the number

of employees has decreased by 12 percent to 373,000 persons, which means roughly 51,000 jobs have been lost.

So far this year, the downward trend has continued. The sector association expects a further decline in production sales of 4.5 percent for the entire year 2013. The reason is that sales on the domestic market continue to be weak.

The sector expects another domestic sales decrease of 10.6 percent. Since 2007, the wood and furniture industries have lost a total of 45.6 percent of their domestic sales. So the importers are having a hard time as well: In 2013, they will have to face a decrease of 5.8 percent. Since 2007, import sales have sunk by a total of 20.7

percent. But not only the domestic market is worrying the Italian industry; for years now, the figures for exports have also not been as good as usual. Formerly, furniture producers could balance out slumps on the domestic market with success in foreign markets.

In recent years, that has no longer been possible. Since 2007, sales have decreased by a total of 8.3 percent. Only the exports to Russia showed positive development in 2012. With an increase of 9 percent and sales of 888 million Euros, Russia has become the fourth largest export country for furniture. Therefore, the sector expects an increase of 5.2 percent for total exports for the first time again in 2013.

In 2012 the wood and furniture industries in the country had sales of only about 28 billion Euros. Back in 2007, sales totalled 42 billion Euros. The number of companies has declined by 10,000 since then to just about 70,000. Fewer than half of them (31,400) produce home and office furniture and lights.

Their sales sank in 2012 from 20.29 billion to 18.17 billion Euros because the Italians spent less on furnishings. The calculated domestic sales shrank in comparison with 2011 from 13 billion to 10.4 billion Euros, which is a decline of 20 percent. In the year 2007, Italy’s furnishing companies still had

Italy: Furniture production turnover (incl. lights) 2007–2013* in billion Euros 30 26.5

25.4

20

21.3

20.9 17.4

20.3 18.2

16.4 14.4

14.1

17.2*

13.0

10

10.4

9.8*

0 2007

2008

■ production ■ domestic furniture sales**

­­­8 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

*prognosis CSIL, **production – export + import Source: FederlegnoArredo

Quality Inside

sales of 26.5 billion Euros, of which 12.2 billion Euros were exports. In 2012, the sector exported furniture and lights with a value of only 10.48 billion Euros, but was able to hold the sales level of the previous year.

The decline in demand for furniture on the domestic market has also affected foreign providers. A decrease from 3.17 billion to 2.8 billion Euros in imported furniture was registered.

State helps furniture sector Since the summer of 2013, the furniture industry has been hoping for positive impulses from a governmental sales promotion measure. Since the end of June 2013, consumers have been able to deduct 50 % of the costs for any furniture bought in connection with expansion or renovation from their income tax. The upper limit for eligible purchases is 10,000 Euros; to begin with, the measure will be in effect until 31 December 2013.

The sector is expecting additional sales of 1.2 billion Euros by 2015 from this measure, which, however, will not be enough to make up for the declines of the past years.

The market research institute CSIL is still predicting a decrease in domestic furniture sales of 6 percent for 2013 and a decrease in production of 3 percent. The researchers do not expect the downward trend to end until 2015, when they predict that growth rates will be registered again.

Germany: Stable domestic demand While the Italian furniture industry has been experiencing a downward trend for years now, the German furniture industry was able to register a slight increase in sales again in 2012, which was particularly due to the stable domestic demand. All together, the furniture producers had a turnover of 17.08 billion Euros, which was an increase of 1.3 percent in comparison to 2011. Domestic sales were 12.27 billion Euros (an increase of 1.2 percent), foreign sales were 4.81 billion Euros (an increase of 1.4 percent).

However, the annual results for 2012 were very different in the individual segments: Kitchen furniture proved to be the locomotive

Germany: Sales development of the furniture industry January – May 2013 broken down by segments (change as against previous year in %) –4.0

■ total turnover ■ foreign market ■ domestic market

furniture industry total*

–1.4 –5.0 –7.1

home furniture

–1.3 –9.3 –10.3

mattresses

–12.1 –10.0 –2.0

kitchen furniture

–4.0 –0.9 –1.7

office furniture

–3.1 –1.3 –12

–10

–8

–6

–4

–2

0

*The Association of the German Furniture Industry has not released numbers for the upholstered furniture industry in 2013 yet.

Source: Verband der deutschen Möbelindustrie (“German Furniture Maker’s Association”)

for the sector and achieved an increase of 3.9 percent in sales (with sales of 4.2 billion Euros for the year). Domestic sales with an increase of 5.9 percent (2.71 billion Euros) were stronger than foreign sales with a weak increase of 0.5 percent. The problem child was the upholstered furniture segment with a decline of 6.3 percent (1.53 billion Euros): The decline in foreign sales was dramatic at 31.3 percent and a value of 197.8 million Euros. The other segments in numbers: Office and shop furniture achieved an increase of 0.7 percent (3.62 billion Euros), mattresses an increase of 1.1 percent (801 million Euros), and home furniture an increase of 1.8 percent (6.94 billion Euros). In this segment it is striking that foreign sales increased strongly, in contrast to the general tendency in the sector (an increase of 8.4 percent to 2.11 billion Euros), while domestic sales declined slightly (a decrease of 0.8 percent to 4.83 billion Euros).

While sales are sinking in the traditionally strong German export countries such as France (1.39 billion Euros, decrease of 5.4 per-

cent) or the Netherlands (721.9 million Euros, decrease of 12.1 percent), German furniture is quickly becoming more and more popular on the Asian and North American markets. In Germany itself, on the other hand, every second piece of furniture is meanwhile imported; the kitchen furniture market is the only segment, in which imports play no significant role. The leading importer is Poland (2.23 billion Euros, increase of 2 percent), ahead of China (1.51 billion Euros, increase of 9 percent).

Slowdown in 2013 The beginning of the year 2013 initially brought a decline for the German furniture industry, but it diminished as summer approached.

From January till May, sales in the furniture industry sank by 4 percent in comparison with the same period a year earlier to just about 6.7 billion Euros (not including upholstered furniture). For the first time, these sales figures do not include those for upholstered furniture because the VDM (Verband der Deutschen Möbelindustrie; German Furniture Maker’s Associ-

ation) no longer finds the official numbers plausible. VDM has internal ordering statistics, which it says cover 75 to 80 percent of the companies in the segment. According to those statistics, the value of the domestic orders in the first half of the year decreased by 0.9 percent, the value of the foreign orders by 5.8 percent.

Development in the other furniture groups is very diverse: Shop and contract furniture increased by 9.7 percent in comparison to the same period in 2012 (with sales of 624.3 million Euros), office furniture sank by 1.7 percent (793.7 million Euros) and kitchen furniture by 2 percent (1.7 billion Euros). The losses in home furniture with a decrease of 7.1 percent (3.2 billion Euros) and in mattresses with a decrease of 10.3 percent (302.5 million Euros) were more severe.

Outlook In view of stable consumer spending in Germany and continuing construction and renovation activity, the sector hopes it can still manage to at least achieve roughly the figures of the year 2012 by the end of this year. ba/uk

­m aterial+technik möbel – special 02|13 9

Quality Inside

interzum – innovations for better furniture As a world leading fair for the furniture supplier industry, the interzum truly lived up to its name.

The organizer and the 1.512 exhibitors had done everything possible to make the event a total, all-round success for the 53,000 visitors from all over the world.

The interzum in Cologne (Germany) is considered to be the biggest furniture supplier fair worldwide. In May this year, it was held for the first time after the Ligna in Hanover. Both events take place at two-year intervals. Previously, the specialist fair for woodworking machinery had always opened its doors after the interzum. In 2015, the two fairs will revert to the old order of sequence, so that the next interzum will be held 5–8 May 2015.

High degree of interest from foreign countries At this year‘s edition, with approx.

53,000 visitors, the interzum was

able to continue the success of the previous event. The international quality of the interzum is evident from the high proportion of foreign visitors, which this year amounted to roughly 70 %. Approximately 35,000 visitors came from 148 countries worldwide.

Top marks for the supplier fair were awarded from almost all product segments. This positive assessment was also due to the new growth levels in the number of exhibitors (+7 %) and the larger exhibition area (+6 %), so that on this occasion, an especially wide range of products and services awaited international visitors.

Some exhibitors attracted the in-

­­­10 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

terest of visitors with stands of spectacular design. Worthy of special mention here, above all, is the stand designed as an authentic Westphalian hunting lodge for the hardware supplier VauthSagel, with the aim of signalizing its production location Germany. ­A homely ambience was evident in the two-storey “Casa Salice”, with which the Italian company presented itself. The German hardware specialist Häfele had divided its stand into two sections: on one side, technical innovations were presented to the public; on the other side, the interplay of the supplier products in built-in furniture was on display.

International event With a total of 1,512 exhibitors – 1,121 of them from 62 countries – the interzum once again asserted its claim to internationality. Germany was present with 391 exhibitors, Italy with 266 companies, followed by Turkey with 101.

All supply segments were suitably represented. In most cases, all the market leaders were “on board”. In the hardware and surfaces segment there were hardly any gaps to be seen. Among the decor printers, only Interprint had preferred to make its appearance at the “Design Post Köln” exhibition centre rather than at the interzum.

From the wood materials industry,

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With 1,512 exhibitors and 53,000 visitors, the interzum in Cologne was a showcase for furniture supplier products.

Photo: Koelnmesse the renowned European suppliers Pfleiderer, Egger, Kronoswiss and Kaindl as well as the Gruppo Frati were “on board”. Exhibitors of lighting technology, and from the fields of foam products, leather and cutting technology completed the wide presentation range of the Cologne supplier event.

Even more functionality The focal point of interest were innovative solutions, with which the quality of furnishing products can

be further improved in terms of design and function. Products and processes were demonstrated, which represented a more cost-effective alternative. In many cases these included innovations designed to improve the utility characteristics of established products and secure other fields of application for the products. As “Xtreme HPL”, the German wood materials manufacturer Pfleiderer presented an innovative solution, with which the already high utility characteristics of HPL can be enhanced, with the help of an innovative new development from the German decor specialist Süddekor. Yet the product developers concerned themselves not only with the utility

More exhibitors and a larger exhibition area ensured an extremely wide range in all product segments.

Photo: Koelnmesse

The Vauth-Sagel stand at the interzum was an authentic Westphalian hunting lodge.

Photo: Vauth-Sagel

characteristics, but also supplied ideas of how the design of the products could be improved and the built-in technology integrated as discreetly as possible. Thanks to synchronous pore technology applied on both sides of the decor panel, furniture can in future cut a good figure. Haptic pore characteristics help to ensure that surfaces of melamine or finish foil appear even more authentic, and resemble real veneer more and more.

The interiors of the furniture still offer surface specialists a considerable degree of design potential, and hence compensation for the shrinking dimensions of today´s furnishing products. The German decor printer Schattdecor presented visions of how surfaces could be designed to be more functional and more “authentic”. In future, thanks to innovative digital printing technology, there will be hardly any limits to the individual designing of surfaces, as many exhibitors at the interzum were able to demonstrate.

Concealed technology HiTec may be highly valued in functional hardware, but in future, technology should no longer spoil the homely atmosphere. With hinge covers adapted to the interior, the Italian hardware specialist Salice ensures that the elegant design of the furniture is not spoiled.

The housings of lift fittings are being further minimized not only so that they do not reduce storage space or visually disturb, but because they can as a result also be used in bathroom furniture. In terms of comfort, no wishes are left unfulfilled. E-motor support elements for opening and closing are available for lift doors, sliding doors, drawers and pull-outs. But, since recently, comfort is also available completely without electrical power, because mechanical solutions have been so much further developed and perfected, that they offer the same degree of comfort as electrical elements.

The Austrian hardware specialist Blum presented the prototype of a handle-less drawer, which opens completely under slight pressure, and closes silently with a slight push. Until now, such a smooth solution was not available on the market. ba

Quality Inside

Intensive structures On the occasion of this year´s interzum, almost all known suppliers of surface products participated, presenting to visitors genuine woodgrain repro­ ductions with haptic effects.

1 1| Synchronous pore struc­ ture was the motto chosen for the surface materials.

Photo: Kronoswiss 2

2| With its 3D effect, the decor “Pacific Pine” from Impress appears even more authentic.

Photo: Impress 3| Coniferous woods as trend setters: “Sibiu Lärche” by Schattdecor.

Photo: Schattdecor

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4| Authentic split-wood look is achieved with the thermo­ plastic foil “Inedito Oak” by Renolit.

Photo: Renolit 5| Natural and authentic – the white oak decor „Barents Oak“ from Süddekor.

Photo: Süddekor

At the interzum supplier fair in Co­ logne (Germany), haptic effects played the major role. Although among the decors no new wood trends were to be seen, visitors to the fair were able to see for them­ selves the rapid technical develop­ ments achieved in the highly au­ thentic designs of surface prod­ ucts. By means of synchronous pore structures and sophisticated scanning technology, manufactur­ ers have been successful in repro­ ducing genuine wood surfaces of even more authentic quality.

Among all surface products, the haptic structures have at the same time become even deeper and more realistic, whether pre­ impregnates or melamine-coated panels are concerned. As shown at the fair by the Austrian wood materials manufacturer Kaindl, this technology can now be applied to both sides of the panel,

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Quality Inside

6| Used look: “Bobs Pine” by Interprint.

Photo: Interprint

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so that the fur­ niture panel almost resembles a veneered product. At the Sandvik stand – a German manufacturer of struc­ tured press plates and endless press bands – synchronously pressed structures were in fact a priority theme. In the creation of such structures, Sandvik had in­

vested in a digi­ tal printing system.

This in particular ensures precise transfer of the structure geometry onto the press plate.

Vintage “light” At the interzum, the woodgrain decor oak consolidated its domi­ nant position. But this time, the

new reproductions were more el­ egant, and no longer revealed over-prominent features such as saw-cut marks, planing marks, cracks and holes. However, surfac­ es in vintage or used look are ap­ plied not only to oak decors. Conif­ erous woods, for example pine or larch, with scratches, traces of weathering and sanding marks were also to be seen. Other de­ cors having the appearance of the dilapidated sheet-iron roof of a beach hut or rusty metal were on view among the other new pres­ entations.

Still popular is walnut, although now frequently interpreted with traces of rustic use and weather­ ing marks. Also to be seen at the interzum were reproductions of elm, chestnut, ash and maple, while decor printers presented an­ other furnishing trend – the cur­ rent split-wood look – with an as­ tonishing degree of plasticity.

Textiles and concrete Among the worktop decors, the favourite was concrete. The furni­ ture industry is also using con­ crete decors more and more fre­ quently in furniture fronts. The number of abstract designs on show was relatively clear, although this area is visibly being en­ croached upon by digital prints.

Unchanged but still popular were reproductions of textile structures and leather.

Light or dark Colour effects were rich in con­ trasts. On the one hand, visitors found light wood reproductions, which had been influenced by Scandinavian furnishing styles. The woodgrains frequently revealed lime pores, or were lacquered white, or were reproductions of bleached woods. On the other hand, dark colour effects were to be seen, for example Thermo Oak and Thermo Walnut as well as smoked woods.

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No more compromises Modern furniture design attracts attention not only by its form and decor, but also – increasingly – by the structure of the surface. That is to say, the added value is due to the combination of haptic and visual perception, when experiencing the surface characteristics.

With its six lacquer structures, Kröning (Hüllhorst/Germany) offers the opportunity of feeling what is visible. By means of an innovative development in surface finishing, Kröning is now able to offer – matching deeply textured structures of decorative particle board and deep-drawn foils – the equivalent structure in melamine edgebanding and wrap-around foils, which have the same decor and are free of metamerism.

Clear advantage: For authentic surface pores, exactly matching melamine edge-banding is now available, including soft quality. There are no limitations to the decor: Every woodgrain decor and every

trendy solid colour can be supplied. The decor is printed to the customer’s master and then treated by means of the new UV-cured lacquer system. As a result, the foil or edge-banding develops a

particularly high resistance to moisture. This relief lacquer is available in horizontal and vertical versions; no compromises are necessary in crosswise or lengthwise decors. as

The latest generation of lacquer surfaces is obtainable from Kröning in six variations.

Photo: Kröning ­m aterial+technik möbel – special 02|13 material+technik 02|13 13

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Technology with nicer packaging In addition to the fine-tuning of existing functional fittings, visual aspects played an especially large role in the fittings segment at the interzum supplier trade fair. Convenient opening technology for hinges and sliding door fittings is meant to be as invisible as possible and to harmonize better with the furniture design in the future.

­­­14 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

In many cases, the mechanisms of the fittings for lift-up kitchen fronts have been made more compact and equipped with visually appealing covers. As regards fittings for sliding doors, the elaborate technology, that acts as a brake on the doors when they open and close, disappears behind the track. And innovative pivot sliding door fittings allow doors to disappear into the sides of the cabinet.

Covers for hinges Cup hinges are offered in colors that go better with the cabinet interior or are given decorative plastic covers that are often available in a wide range of colors. The Italian producer Salice, for example, presented a cup hinge in titanium look, whose dark color harmonizes

with dark furniture, as well as the “Lapis” decorative hinge covers, which are made out of ABS plastic. Creative aspects also played a role in the new developments by Kesseböhmer (Germany). The “CookingAGENT” floor cabinet solution for storage space around the cooking area was introduced with colorful functional parts in Cologne. And the various plastic containers for the new “Linero MosaiQ” niche system are also available in a range of bold colors. Colorful covers could also be found on the lifting systems of the “FREElift” collection. The Austrian producer Grass made its design-oriented “Vionaro” drawer solution the center of focus; it is available in aluminum design and in a steel version. The drawer sides, which

Quality Inside

1| Samet displayed colorful covers, with which fittings can be coordinated with the inside of cabinets.

Photo: Koelnmesse 2| Chic technology: a colorful cover for a flap fitting by Kesseböhmer. Photo: Barth 3| The trend towards narrow gaps and thick doors is easy to implement with the new Sensys profile door hinge from the “Sensys” hinge assortment. Photo: Hettich 4| Fitting light: Häfele’s “Free flap” is also available with LED lighting. Photo: Häfele 5| Harmony inside the cabinet: coordinated colors for the “Lapis” hinge covers by Salice. Photo: Barth

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are only 13 mm thick and jointless, are placed on a “Dynapro” slide that is easy to pull out, can bear up to 60 kilograms of weight, and is three-dimensionally adjustable.

Especially for doors that are as thin as 14 millimeters, Blum (Austria) has developed a new hinge with an opening angle of 107 degrees that has a low cup drilling depth of 11.5 millimeters and can thus be used for living room wall units as well. The existing mounting plates have not been changed.

Hettich (Germany) has reacted to the new trends in furniture construction with its new “Sensys” profile door hinge, which is designed in a way that makes it possible to implement the trend towards narrow gaps and thicker doors particularly well. The advantages of the new wide angle hinge with integrated “Silent System” are apparent in cabinets, which require a large area of access. Inner

drawers can be fitted without spacer profiles and with zero protrusion, thus preventing trapped fingers no matter what position the door is in.

Convenience without electricity Despite the enhanced looks seen at the interzum trade fair, the highest level of high tech continues to be maintained in the functional fittings. As a concept study, for example, Blum presented two kitchen cabinets whose interiors can be raised and lowered with the press of a button. One of them was equipped with an “Aventos” lift-up flap and the other with doors. Both of them have a second unit inside that can be moved up and down so that stored goods on the top shelves can be reached by small people as well. At the same time, the front can also be closed. Both solutions allow the design of kitchens with higher wall units.

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Quality Inside

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6| “Vionaro” was the center of focus in the Grass presentation.

Photo: Grass 7| As a concept study, Blum presented a kitchen cabinet, whose interior can be raised and lowered at the press of a button.

Photo: Barth

In general, the running properties of drawers and pull-outs have been further improved and can now bear higher weights as well.

Electric motors for opening and closing provide optimal convenience, but are often no longer necessary because the newly developed mechanical solutions offer almost the same convenient functions.

Blum, for example, presented the prototype of a handle-free drawer

that opens almost all the way out at the touch of a finger and closes again smoothly, quietly and without noticeable resistance. Until now, such a convenient function for handle-free drawers has been possible only with motorized solutions – the Blum “Servo-Drive”.

Low-cost alternatives Most of the suppliers presented low-cost alternative solutions for some functions, which allow the

Imprint m+t Ritthammer Publishing GmbH P.O. Box 3850, 90019 Nürnberg, Germany Andernacher Straße 5a, 90411 Nürnberg, Germany Phone: +49 911 95578-80, Fax: +49 911 95578-78 www.material-technik.de E-mail: info@material-technik.de • Publisher: Verlag Matthias Ritthammer GmbH, Nürnberg • Managing directors: Klaus Ritthammer, Franz Schäfer, Andreas Müller-Buck • CEO: Klaus Ritthammer E-mail: k.ritthammer@ritthammer-verlag.de • Editor in chief: Richard Barth, Phone: +49 911 95578-87 E-mail: barth@material-technik.de • Editorial department: Arnd Schwarze, Phone: +49 5222 2397987 E-mail: schwarze@ritthammer-verlag.de Ulrich Krug, Phone: +49 911 95578-83 E-mail: krug@material-technik.de Astrid Wolf, Phone: +49 911 95578-81 E-mail: wolf@material-technik.de • Advertising: Kristina Lehmann, Phone: +49 911 95578-86 E-mail: lehmann@material-technik.de Thomas Michl, Phone: +49 911 95578-84 E-mail: michl@material-technik.de • Sales and distribution: Johanna Schreiter • Graphics department: Jürgen Kroll (head of department), Manfred Krompaß (deputy head of department), Uta Fischer-Kroll, Tanja Schwarz

­­­16 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

kitchen producers to offer a range of prices and to win new customers. The “Aventos” lift system assortment by Blum has been expanded to include the inexpensive “HK-XS” flap solution, which is suitable for installation above a refrigerator or supply cabinet. Instead of an elaborate lift system, cup hinges are used to hold the front panel on the top and a simple scissor hinge on the side. At Kesseböhmer (Germany), the “Tan-

International representatives: • North-West Germany, Bad Salzuflen: Arnd Schwarze, Begastraße 3, D-32108 Bad Salzuflen, Phone: +49 5222 23908-07, Fax: +49 5222 23908-08, Mobile: +49 163 3160974, e-mail: schwarze@ritthammer-verlag.de • North-West Germany, Bielefeld: Helge Scheibner, Föhrenstraße 2a, D-33649 Bielefeld-Ummeln, Phone: +49 521 1647544, Fax: +49 521 77019391, Mobile: +49160 6112502, e-mail: scheibner@ritthammer-verlag.de • South Germany: Gerrith B. Horndasch M.A.,Max-Planck-Straße 31, D-78713 Schramberg, Phone: +49 7422 970497, Fax: +49 7422 970428, Mobile: +49 177 4377484, e-mail: horndasch@­ritthammer-verlag.de • Netherlands: Publicitas BV, Henriët Baas-Seinen, Sales Manager, Postbus 22876, 1100 DJ Amsterdam-Zuidoost, Phone: +31 20 3119710, Fax: +31 20 3632823, e-mail: henriet.baas@publicitas.com • China, Hong Kong: Oceania & Publishing Media, Ms Nancy Yu, Room 1804, Building 1, No. 1 Xujiahui Rd., 200023 Shanghai, P.R. China, Zip Code: 200023, Phone: +86 53010479, Mobile: +86 13636530900, Fax: +86 21 33300371, e-mail: nancy@oceaniamedia.com • Taiwan: D & K ARTS INT I. INC., 8f-4, No. 98, Sec. 4 Hsin Yih Road, Taipei, Taiwan, Phone: +886 2 27036098, Fax: +886 2 27036086 • Thailand, Malaysia: Haishangshan Art + Exhibition, Ms. Lydia Yin, Room 1615 No. 361, HongZhong Rd., 201103 Shanghai, P.R. China, Phone +86 21 51570612, Fax: +86 21 51570697, e-mail: lydiayin7@gmail.com • Japan: Kagu-sangyo-shuppansha Co., Ltd., 5-3-4, sotokanda, chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101, Japan Prices: Single copies € 9.– plus postage plus VAT, annual subscription € 49.– plus postage plus VAT

dem solo” made its debut, a lowcost version of a pull-out for tall kitchen cabinets with a width of 45 or 60 cm. Instead of two-part shelving, six trays are pulled out as the hinged door is opened. But it offers almost as much storage space volume as the “Dispensa” pull-out for tall cabinets by the same provider.

Additional features At Häfele (Germany), functional fittings have been equipped with additional features. For example, the hinge-free “Free flap 3.15” flap collection was presented with integrated LED lighting. In addition to convenient opening, the fitting also provides lighting for the interior of the cabinet. ba

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Quality Inside

Nicer looking organization The “CookingAgent” impressed visitors at the interzum trade fair with well-conceived functionality and flexibility. The small base unit pull-out provides a surprisingly large, individually organizable, and – if desired – brightly colored storage area assortment.

The “CookingAgent” by Kesseböhmer (Bad Essen/Germany) takes up only 25 by 46 centimeters of floor space and holds all kinds of kitchen tools and ingredients right next to the cooking area – saving space and ready to hand. The smooth-running, laterally stable rails are available in two versions for mounting on the bottom or on the sides. The “CookingAgent” can be integrated in any production process; the installation of the rails can take place before the cabinet assembly. The bottommounted version is also suitable for installation in existing kitchens. The basis of the modular “CookingAgent” system is a vertical carrier element made of powder-coated steel wire, which is placed on the guide rails. The functional elements can be placed on both sides of this base and variably and individually positioned. Kitchen owners can create their own personal “CookingAgents” and adapt them to meet changing needs.

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Flexibly usable Kesseböhmer has created special functional elements to ensure that all kitchen utensils are always ready to hand: A flexibly usable insert made of sturdy, washable plastic slats serves as a knife block. Bottles are held by a stable railing and additional dividers, boxes with small parts can be taken out. A cutting board can be stored away in a space-saving upright position. Special holders and hanging bins are used for cutlery and other utensils. The standard material for the containers, trays and shelves is light gray plastic. However, kitchen producers can also choose other customized and exclusive colors. In this way, the cabinet interior becomes a highlight in any kitchen showroom. The plastic parts meet the German standards of quality and hygiene, have been tested as suitable for use with food and are easy-care. uk

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3 1| Practical, customized and – if desired – colorful: The “CookingAgent” by Kesseböhmer can be adapted to meet the individual requirements of the kitchen owner.

2| Example of a possible configuration for the modular “CookingAgent” system.

3| In this picture, the “CookingAgent” runs on rails mounted at the bottom. This version is also suited for retrofitting in existing kitchens.

Photos: Kesseböhmer ­m aterial+technik möbel – special 02|13 17

Quality Inside

Systems for use with heavy doors and narrow rails The fittings specialist Simon relies upon diversification and further development of existing proven systems. At the interzum, the prototype of a mechanical fitting, which exerts a damping effect in both directions attracted a great deal of attention. And for the Sicam, the company, which is based in Aich­ halden/Germany, has further innovations to present.

Simon has completely revised the construction of its proven “Slidix TA” system. New: the “TA II 60” and the “TA II 80”, which combine an improved damping effect with unchanged compact dimensions. At the approaching Sicam at the latest, an important addition to this model series will be shown, explains a speaker in Aichhalden: work is already in progress on the “Slidix TA II”, previously the strongest item, which will permit sliding-door systems in applications with door weights in excess of 100 kg.

roll retainer. Additional drill holes in the furniture doors are no longer necessary. “Slidix TD” offers uniform closing performance; the closure path of this particular model is 100 mm long. The “TD” series will probably be available during the 4th Quarter of 2013.

The smaller version of “Slidix TD” is designated “TE” and is suitable for use with weights up to 40 kg.“Slidix TE” has a closure path of 50 mm and is suitable for use in rail systems or in furniture corpuses.

Filigree design The “Slidix TD” series includes a carrier traveling from the center to the end of the fitting. The fittings are incorporated into rails, which can be mounted either in or on the furniture corpus.

The filigree design of the fitting enables it to be installed in extremely narrow rails, so that the person using the furniture has complete access to the available space volume of the corpus. A further advantage: The necessary activator can be simply mounted on the back of the

Two-sided damping The product innovation “Slidix TF” is able to damp in both directions – integrated into a single, compact and mechanically operated fitting.The prototype demonstrated at the interzum is reported to be designed for door weights up to 80 kg. The system was conceived for narrow doors or flat, narrow rails, which just do not offer enough space for the installation of two dampers.

The “Slidex Centro” has been designed for

­­­18 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

The “Slidix Centro” system, shown here installed, is used for damping and center­ ing.

Photo: Simon Beschlagtechnik

automatic closing and centering of middle doors, and is extended right and left either by “Slidex TB” for doors weighing between 60 and 80 kg, or “Slidix TC” for doors weighing between 15 and 40 kg. But “Slidix Centro” can also be installed in single-run rail systems, for example in order to elegantly move a single sliding-door in a TV cabinet front simply with a movement of the hand.

In the field of push-to-open systems, too, Simon will be offering something new to visitors at the Sicam: the “Push-Push” series for opening handle-less furniture fronts and damping the retraction of drawers has also been given a more compact design. “Push-Push” can be installed optionally left, right or centrally, or underneath the drawers.

uk

High mechanical strength combined with reduced weight

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Quality Inside

“Kaurit Light” technology from BASF is the basis for the lightweight construction panel jointly developed with the Krono Group of Switzerland. The new panel, which was introduced at the Ligna 2013, is manufactured by Kronopol, the Polish subsidiary of the Swiss group.

To combine a significant weight reduction with accustomed process reliability: That was the aim with which BASF, the worldwide operating company from Ludwigshafen/ Germany, and the Krono Group of Switzerland (Menznau/Switzerland), one of the leading manufacturers of woodbased panels in Europe, jointly developed a lightweight panel. At the Ligna 2013, the two companies presented their lightweight product, which can be up to 30 % lighter than a conventional particle board.

The new product is available in thicknesses from 28 mm, and is suitable for numerous applications in the furniture and decorative sector.

by the same means as an ordinary particle board, because particle boards based upon “Kaurit Light” technology are classified under the same coding (A2) as conventional furniture panels. Both material and thermal utilization are possible.

The panels can be mixed with conventional particle board.

“Innovative and of high quality” “In ‘Kaurit Light’ technology we have come up with a convincing lightweight solution, which enables,

at one and the same time, a considerably reduced weight and a high degree of panel stability. As a result, we can now for the first time offer our customers an innovative and high quality lightweight construction panel,” explains Prof. Dr. Joachim Hasch, managing director of Kronopol Sp. Z.o.o., the Polish subsidiary of the Krono Group, which is based in Žary. It is here that the lightweight construction panels are manufactured. Wolfgang Gutting, Vice

President Business Management for glues and impregnating resins at BASF, stresses the combination of sustainability and cost efficiency: “The “Kaurit Light” technology developed and patented by BASF contributes to further conservation of resources, from which, above all, furniture manufacturers can clearly benefit: Thanks to the reduced weight of the product, cost savings can be achieved in transport and packing materials.” uk

Foamed polymer The new panel owes its low weight to the “Kaurit Light” technology developed by BASF: Under a covering layer of fine wood chips is a light panel core consisting of coarse wood chips, a bonding agent and a foamed polymer. This ensures that the panel is up to about 1/3 lighter than a conventional particle board, but can still be processed with conventional machinery, utilizing standard furniture hardware. Other than in honeycomb technology, it does not include hollow spaces or zones of lower mechanical strength.

Conventional recycling Being a woodchip product, the new panel is suitable for use as a basis material for furniture manufacture and can be upgraded with various types of coating. Furthermore, the panel can be recycled

The new lightweight construction panel from the Swiss K rono Group, utilizes “Kaurit Light” technology developed by BASF. Photo: BASF ­m aterial+technik möbel – special 02|13 19

Quality Inside

Global challenges are finding a local solution Emissions standards and compliance testing requirements can often be difficult to navigate as they vary from country to country. UL Eco-Institute with it’s new testing lab in Cologne-Mülheim provides global environmental expertise and individualized services.

From Cologne to Chicago, from Montreal to Shanghai, consumers want to know that their office panel systems, tables, casegoods and seating are not just beautiful and functional, but also won’t negatively impact their health. The unseen health hazards of product emissions affecting Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) are well-documented and

can include respiratory infections, asthma, nosebleeds, headaches, nausea, just to name the more common complaints.

Health and sustainability As awareness around these health risks grows around the world, German manufacturers aiming to meet the health and sustainability

requirements of customers not only in Europe but in markets overseas face some challenging hurdles.

What is the most flexible way to address a variety of environmental sustainability or emissions requirements while also navigating a challenging manufacturing process?

Which standards should the product aim to meet? What claims should

be validated or emissions should be tested? How can manufacturers meet specific requirements from building rating systems like LEED, BREEAM and DGNB? How can the manufacturer best prove to the purchaser or end-user that environmental claims can be trusted? How can testing be incorporated into the production process in the most cost-effective, comprehensive manner?

Cost and time savings UL Eco-Institute, a part of UL Environment since 2012, is a local, ­European-based customer-service oriented resource that can help navigate these questions and provide global environmental expertise. Building upon a century-long legacy of trust and knowledge of the North American market while leveraging global reach and regional know-how, UL Environment empowers manufacturers in transforming their environmental stewardship into significant market competitive advantages.

The individualized services are tailored to a manufacturer’s specific needs and can help every step of the way, from testing and certification to guidance on how to best leverage the achieved certification marks with the target audiences.

Sending products out-of-country for testing can be a financial and logistical headache and can slow down the manufacturing process.

UL’s new testing lab in CologneMülheim offers a convenient location with testing capabilities for an entire room of furnishings in testing chambers of up to 30 sqm in size. As the first Greenguardcertifying laboratory in Germany, UL Environment has a range of capabilities and is equipped to provide analysis and certification to Ecologo standards, as well as BIFMA x7.1, Blue Angel, California Section 01350, M1 of Finland, French VOC Regulations and others.

Manufacturers can gain cost and time savings by testing in Germany, even for products destined for overseas. uk

Chair in a stainless steel test chamber in Cologne-Mülheim, UL’s new testing lab.

Photo: UL Environment ­­­20 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

Quality Inside

Furnipro Asia 2014 introduces new elements

Networking and meetings To bring in quality buyers from the region, Furnipro Asia will once again collaborate with AFIC (the ASEAN Furniture Industries Council) to organise buyers tours and work with exhibitors for its hosted buyers program. Business matchmaking services and facilities will also be available.

Conferences and seminars established in cooperation with AFIC will provide an additional resource for professionals looking to keep updated on the latest issues, developments and trends in the industry. The annual meeting for AFIC will also be held in parallel to Furnipro Asia 2014, ensuring that the presidents and key members of the association will be present at the fair.

The 2nd edition of Furnipro Asia, the regional trade fair for the woodworking, furniture and panel production industries will be held at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, from 5 to 8 November 2014. The new Furnipro Showroom will gather the latest state-of-the-art furniture production solutions.

Building on the success of 2012 On a floor area close to 5,000 sqm 84 exhibitors from 20 countries including Germany, Turkey, the United States of America, China, Taiwan and Singapore, just to mention a few, displayed their machineries, technologies and materials at the inaugural show. Most global players were present and two conferences – The Green Forum and Investment in Myanmar – were held. The 2012 trade fair and its colocated seminars were attended by 2,152 visitors from 27 coun-

Furnipro Asia 2014 continues to offer exhibiting segments in furniture production materials, components and machinery. And, in light of the growing panel production industry in the Asia-Pacific region, Panelpro Asia, a new sub-brand featuring the panel production sector, will make its debut in 2014. It will feature sustainable and technological innovations relating to wood-based panel, veneer and plywood production.

A holistic presentation Aside from a wider range of products on showcase, choice exhibitors will also participate in the Furnipro Showroom – a new concept unique to Furnipro Asia 2014. Instead of having individual showcases for each product, the Furnipro

German know-how in the field of edging and surface technology was an eyecatcher for visitors to the Furnipro Asia.

Photos: Furnipro Asia Showroom is a holistic presentation of the latest state-of-the-art furniture production solutions. It will display the conversion of three product groups – Machinery Technology, Tooling & Auxiliary Machines and Materials & Components. Where necessary, cross sections of the product are shown, in order to demonstrate product characteristics with more precision and detail.

Visitors can expect to see solutions from well-known companies such as Siempelkamp, IMA and Schelling. Aside from their wide

range of products showcased at their booth, they will also be involved in the setup of the fair’s kitchen section to demonstrate their full range of solutions for the kitchen production industry.

tries. With positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors at the inaugural edition, Furnipro Asia 2014 is expected to attract more than 150 exhibitors and 4,000 visitors. uk

­m aterial+technik möbel – special 02|13 21

Quality Inside

Electricity and data in the lounge More and more people use smartphones, tablet PCs and notebooks when they travel, during breaks, with friends, colleagues and business partners. A. & H. Meyer (Dörentrup/Germany), a company that specializes in electrification solutions for furniture, takes up this trend with its new lounge concept.

In 2013, A. & H. Meyer presented its lounge concept at the leading German trade fair for furniture industry suppliers, the interzum in Cologne. of lounge furniture. “Meet” links the conference situation to the design concept of furniture, for example with electrification by means of the “Netbox Meb-K”. The classic domain of the products by A. & H. Meyer can be found under the motto of “Work”: Since spacesaving connection solutions ideally disappear into the table top, the products are made to fit the classic 80 mm measurement of desks.

In the office world, electrical and data connections in furniture are already widespread: With the help of integrated connections, users can conveniently recharge their mobile equipment such as notebooks, smartphones, MP3 players and tablet PCs. A. & H. Meyer shows how waiting areas, lounges and meeting points can be turned into modern communication platforms. Flexible work areas like that, where people meet in small groups quickly and uncomplicatedly, are part of the digital future.

visitors to the A. & H. Meyer stand saw four situations, in which such solutions can be used. “Wait” demonstrated how travellers can make optimal use of waiting times and recharge their electronic devices on a bench equipped with electrical connections (for example in a waiting area at an airport).

Many areas of use In 2013, at the leading German trade fair for furniture industry suppliers, the interzum in Cologne, Connection boxes can be integrated into a waiting area like this. ­­­22 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

“Relax” showed various ways to provide access to electricity, data and communication connections in lounge furniture, for example with cushions equipped with the new “Netbox Point-Q” or by means of the “Netbox Dome”, an elegant tower that can be moved to various positions along a piece

Custom tailored solutions A. & H. Meyer offers electrification systems for furniture all over the world. The extensive switch and socket assortment meets the international safety regulations for electric devices. For special areas, A. & H. Meyer works together with its customers to develop customized solutions. The company has a network of sales partners in Europe, the Middle East, South America and the Far East. The Asian market is served by the subsidiary A. & H. Meyer Sdn. Bhd. with headquarters in Malaysia. uk

Space-saving connection solutions for table tops.

Photos: A. & H. Meyer

Quality Inside

No screws or glue needed At the leading trade fairs Ligna and interzum, Lamello (Weil am Rhein/ Germany) presented its self-clamping furniture fitting “Tenso P-14” to the trade visitors for the first time.

The innovation convinced the jury in charge of the interzum award as well, who granted the new de­ velopment by the Swiss joining system specialist the additional distinction “Best of the Best”.

The “Tenso P-14” fitting remains invisible but reveals its advantages in several respects: It can be used as a gluing aid without clamps or presses, it simplifies storage and transport of components with premounted fittings, and it enables assembly without tools. The “P-System” profile groove for the connector can be machined either with modern CNC technology or with the “Zeta P2” power tool by Lamello. That groove in turn ena-

The self-clamping “Tenso P-14” furniture fitting; one half can be inserted so it is flush with the surface.

Photo: Lamello

bles form-locking anchorage of the fitting without screws or glue.

The “Tenso P-14” also scores points with the high clamping force that is created during the assembly process and enables a tight connection between the two components. In order to meet the high requirements for strength and long-term reliability in a small space, Lamello uses high-quality, fiberglass-reinforced plastic. Two integrated alignment studs stop torsion and make additional positioning aids superfluous. The design of the furniture fitting allows one of its halves to be inserted in a work piece so that it is flush with

the surface, which reduces transport volume.

The “Tenso P-14” has been tested by selected customers and opti-

mized and is scheduled to be launched on the market in the autumn of 2013. A worldwide patent is pending for the product. uk

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­m aterial+technik möbel –10.07.2013 special 02|13 23 11:23:44

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1| Sudbrock chose vivid colours for its chest of drawers range “Cubo.”

Photo: Sudbrock 2| Wide reclining furniture, such as these items by Ugo Meroni, often meet the taste of the Russian market. Photo: Meroni 3| In Milan, the Italian Casamania company presented its chests of drawers in powdery pastel colours.

Photo: Casamania

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In Europe, colour is coming into play During recent months, top fair events such as the Salone del Mobile in Milan, the imm Cologne and the Rooms in Moscow reflected the furnishing trends in Europe. Together with smaller fair events in UK, Sweden and France, they offered an overview of the most popular forms, colours and woods. ­­­24 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

The furnishing trends in Europe can best be seen at the two leading furniture fairs – the imm Cologne (Germany) and the Salone del Mobile in Milan (Italy). With their enormous number of exhibitors, both fairs offer a panorama view of the development of the furniture market in each country. In terms of time, every year in January, the imm Cologne begins the course of events. In addition, this year was held the LivingKitchen, which provides an overview of kitchen trends every two years. It alternates with the Eurocucina in Milan, which during the even-number years, parallel to the Salone de Mobile, reflects the Italian kitchen segment.

At the double fair event in Cologne, the almost 100,000 visitors, 42 % of whom were from foreign countries, were able to inspect the products presented by 1,050 exhibitors of residential furniture and 200 exhibitors of kitchens. The approx. 550 German exhibitors ap-

peared in Cologne with a comprehensive mix of colours and materials. Woods and wood decors were often combined with solid colour surfaces. However, no obvious trend colour was evident. The range ran from warm, earthy tones to signal colours. Among the colour tones, curry, pistachio green, blueblack and vivid red were up front. Manufacturers of high quality furniture ranges differentiated themselves with metallic lacquers in warm colour-tones.

Among woods and wood reproductions, the dominant decor was oak, mostly in “Vintage Look”. The array of colours ranged from a light version to dark variations, for example smoked oak. Very popular among the wood reproductions were haptic surface structures, which were also designed to give consumers the impression of genuine wood. In furniture ranges produced for the German market, the demand is not only for a wood-effect. Matt or high-gloss lacquered

Quality Inside

surfaces and coloured glass fronts also play an important role in furniture manufacture in 2013.

Milan is the trendsetter Trend barometer and crowd puller both – such is the Salone del Mobile in Milan (Italy), which takes place in April each year. With 1,140 Italian exhibitors, the Salone offered the 285,000 specialist visitors a splendid insight into the taste trends prevailing in the Italian market. Admittedly, the 300 nonItalian exhibitors gave the event an international touch, but were unable to demonstrate the trends in the other European countries.

The Salone confirmed the signals transmitted from the Cologne Furniture Fair, showing a great deal of colour as well as haptic surface structures. By means of synchronous pore technology, an authentic wood-effect was achieved among the decorative surfaces. Contrasting colour tones faced one another even more impressively than in Cologne: pastel colours on the one side, pop colours on the other.

Among the pastel colours, visitors found pink, blue, mint and light yel-

low. The range of vivid colours included many neon colours, but also subdued colours such as Bordeaux or forest green. Among the woods and wood reproductions, thermally treated woods, such as smoked aak and thermo oak, dominated. Oak in any case played the leading role in Milan. The second most important wood was walnut, which visitors found in several different versions. Other popular kinds of wood were elm, ash and larch, also to be seen as veneers and decors. In many ranges of domestic and kitchen furniture, marble, metal and wood were used in combination. However, furniture fronts were also covered with textile material, synthetic leather or real leather, giving them a more homely effect. Matt lacquered surfaces had gained ground against high-gloss surfaces.

Eastern Europe values Italian products Italian design defined the furniture fairs in the growth markets of Eastern Europe. In Kiew (Ukraine) at the “Interior Mebel” (17,482 visitors, 206 exhibitors) in February,

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the motto of the fair was, quite simply, “Italy”; and last May, the “Rooms” in Moscow (367 exhibitors and 21,120 visitors, mainly from the GUS countries) showed the preference, which Eastern Europe has for period furniture from the southern part of the Continent.

Evidently affluent customers, whose taste determines the tendencies in furniture exports into the GUS countries, consider precisely the preference towards solid materials like glass or marble, and also the extremely sweeping forms to be best catered for by Italian manufacturers. And yet, their own Russian design is beginning to establish itself, and is forming an antipole to the expressed austerity and clear lines, which dominate in Western and Northern Europe.

Contrast and transparency In March, Austria‘s biggest housing fair “Wohnen & Interieur” attracted 500 exhibitors and 82,653 visitors to the Vienna exhibition centre. There, the fair organizers identified four categories of current furniture design: “Mix &

Match” – contrast-oriented style and colour combinations; “Back to Nature” – high quality furniture of real wood; “Sustainability” – ecologically inspired furnishing solutions; and the “Used Look”, which creates the appearance of age by means of the most modern materials.

In February, the “Stockhold Furniture & Light Fair” was dedicated to the combination of light and furnishings. The highlight of the industry in the Swedish capital attracted 730 exhibitors and 37,000 visitors. The trend to a greater degree of lightness and transparency, and rich solid colours also and particularly in the living area, which determines the scene in Western and Northern Europe, was clearly visible here.

76,149 visitors (roughly half of these from foreign countries) came to the “Maison & Objet” in Paris (18–22 January), while UK‘s biggest specialist fair for interior furnishings “Interiors UK” (Birmingham, 20–23 January, was attended by 19,824 visitors and 519 exhibitors.

ba/uk

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4| Vintage-Look, here shown as driftwood from Team 7, is highly popular in Europe.

Photo: Team 7

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5| In 2013, kitchens were only to be seen at the LivingKitchen in Cologne.

Photo: Alno 6| Thermo oak, here seen in combination with Marble, played an important role at the Salone.

Photo: Lema ­m aterial+technik möbel – special 02|13 25

Quality Inside

Increasing dependence on exports In the year 2012, the German and Italian producers of woodworking machines were clearly number one and number two again respectively on a generally slightly shrinking world market. The sector in both countries registered declines in sales in 2012.

A minus sign stands in front of the key indicators for the two biggest export nations in the woodworking machinery sector for the year 2012.

While in Italy exports have declined only slightly and have to cushion the effects of a severe decrease in domestic demand, domestic consumption and exports in Germany have declined about equally when viewed as percentages. However, different statistical methods for data collection make it difficult to directly compare the two countries because the Italian sector association Acimall also includes tools in the production values. The entire German production value of stationary woodworking machinery sank to 2.35 billion Euros in 2012; that is a decrease of 6.5 percent. If tools were also included in that amount, as is usual in Italy, the figure for production value in Germany would be about 2.75 billion Euros, as the value of tools is estimated - due to a lack of statistics – at 400 million Euros by the German sector association VDMA.

Russian exports boom German export sales for stationary woodworking machinery shrank by 6.2 percent in 2012 to 1.77 billion Euros. Domestic consumption decreased by 5.4 percent to 919 million Euros (of which 339 million Euros were spent on imported machinery).

Since the summer of 2012, the demand on the German domestic market has declined significantly despite the continuing construction boom, according to the VDMA. Positive impulses came above all from exports to Russia in 2012: That country bought German woodworking machinery valued at 198.6 million Euros in 2012, which was an increase of 12.7 percent in comparison to the year before.

And in the first quarter of 2013, the trend continued: With orders valued at 62.3 million Euros so far, the value of exports rose by another two percent in comparison to the same period a year earlier. In some important markets, signs point to recovery in the first

months of the year 2013. For China and Brazil, the figures for the first months showed significant increases in comparison with the values of the previous year: During the first four months of the year, machines valued at 97.5 million Euros were exported to China (same time period last year: 39.6 million Euros) and machinery valued at 50.3 million Euros went to Brazil (same time period last year: 21.5 million Euros).

Overseas tendency This development fits in with the general tendency that became obvious in 2012: The largest share of exports from Germany still went to countries in the European Union (675.6 million Euros, increase in comparison to the previous year: 4.9 percent), but the markets in Eastern Europe that do not belong to the EU and those overseas are becoming more and more important: For example, in 2012 the USA (113.7 million Euros, increase of 13.7 percent) and Belarus (110.0 million Euros, increase of 192.6

Production and export of woodworking machinery in million Euros 3.000 2.500

2.520 2.215 1.890

2.000

2.350

1.770

1.568 1.500 1.000

1.542

1.632

1.571

1.278

1.231

2011

2012

1.067

500 0 2010

■ Italian production* ■ Italian exports* ■ German production ■ German exports * tools included

Source: Acimall/VDMA ­­­26 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

Percent) moved up to right behind France, the most important Western European export country (118.4 million Euros, increase of 4.7 percent), which is at number three behind China (170.7 million Euros, decrease of 7.1 percent) and the leading country Russia.

Viewed from the perspective of world regions, the export value in North and South America (129.4 million Euros, increase of 5.6 percent, and 124.0 million Euros, increase of 6.5 percent respectively) is meanwhile higher than in France.

Salvation in exports Today, the Italian industry for woodworking machinery has still not really recovered from the drastic crisis of 2009. That is the gist of the description of the situation by the sector association Acimall in summer 2013: The number of companies has decreased for the long term, plants are still not being used to capacity.

The continuing weak domestic market in Italy led to a stronger concentration on exports in the entire sector in 2012 as well: 78 percent of the total production value of 1.57 billion Euros (incl. tools valued at 200 million Euros) was due to exports in 2012. Of that sum, stationary woodworking machines valued at 1.15 billion Euros were exported. Together with tools, the total value is estimated – due to a lack of statistical data – at 1.23 billion Euros by Acimall.

While the total value of exports in the year 2012 declined by only 3.7 percent in comparison to 2011, the total production value decreased by 7.5 percent in comparison to the previous year. “More and more companies are registering export rates of just under the 100 percent level,” states Acimall in its annual report.

The most important buying country for stationary woodworking machinery (not including tools and

Quality Inside

Wolfgang Pöschl, Chairman of VDMA Woodworking Machinery and Chairman of the Board at Weinig AG (Tauberbischofsheim/Germany), announces the expectations for the sector for the year 2013 in Berlin.

Photo: Deutsche Messe

hand-held machines) is Germany for 2012. For the first time, Germany, with 104.6 million Euros, pushed France to second place (88.1 million Euros): In the past years, France was always ahead of Germany. Russia is in third place with 76.8 million Euros and rising (with an increase of 20.9 percent in comparison to the previous year) and the United States is just behind Russia with 73.8 million Euros (increase of 23.5 percent from the previous year).

The decline in demand on the Italian domestic market is dramatic: Italian companies bought machines for only 488 million Euros at home and abroad in 2012, which corresponds to a decrease of 13.7 percent in comparison with 2011.

Italians bought machines for 130 million Euros abroad. Of those, imports from Germany were worth 70 million Euros and imports from China worth 20 million Euros.

Mixed perspectives The German sector association VDMA sees both good and bad for German producers of woodworking machinery in 2013: It not only hopes that the risks and restric-

tions of the Euro crisis can be compensated for by good sales figures above all in Russia and North America, but also expects strong development in Central Europe in construction with wood and in energy-efficient building renovation.

So the VDMA is expecting low sin-

gle-digit growth in sales of stationary woodworking machinery for 2013. In Italy, on the other hand, the sector association Acimall expects further exacerbation of the situation: According to a sector survey, orders from January to March 2013 declined by 2.7 percent in compari-

son to the same quarter a year earlier. Half of the surveyed companies reported further decreases in production in the first quarter of 2013.

The bottom line: For the future, all of the hopes of Italian machine producers are based solely on exports.

Ulrich Krug

Major export countries in comparision 2012 in million Euros 200

198,6 170,7

150

118,4

113,7

100

95,2 76,8

88,1

73,8 61,2

50

38,8 0 Russia

USA

■ Italian exports ■ German exports

Brasil

China

France

Source: Acimall/VDMA ­m aterial+technik möbel – special 02|13 27

Quality Inside

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Ligna: Solutions for efficient production In order to achieve maximum added value through minimum consumption of resources, technical innovations are indispensable. The practical im­plementation of this insight was demonstrated by international machinery and machine tool manufacturers at the 20th edition of the Ligna.

At the Ligna in Hanover (Germany), 1,637 exhibitors from 46 countries presented their new and further developments on an exhibition area of 124,000 m². Compared with the previous edition, the recently held Ligna was somewhat smaller: In 2011, 1,765 exhibitors occupied an area of 130,000 m².

At this year‘s Ligna, 280 Italian machinery manufacturers formed the largest foreign contingent of exhibitors. More than 90,000 trade visitors, of whom more than 40 % were from foreign countries, came to Hanover to attend the 20th edition of the world leading fair for woodworking machinery.

Fair themes Efficiency was an important guiding principle of this year´s event. In the field of woodbased materials and veneer manufacture, leading suppliers demonstrated how the interplay of inven-

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­­­28 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

tive talent and hi-tech equipment results in higher competitiveness. “Cut your costs” was a frequently heard slogan at the fair against the background of omnipresent cost pressure.

Rising energy and raw materials costs necessitate careful investments in efficient production technology – not only for interior architecture and furniture manufacture, but also in wood frame and solid wood construction. Energy and resource efficiency are more and more becoming decisive factors of competition. In future, instead of maximum profits in return for minimum capital investment, the principle must be: intelligent production processes coupled with maximum added value and minimum consumption of resources. Besides the traditional economic factors “Time”, “Production Costs” and “Product Quality”, energy and material efficiency as well as low CO2 emissions must be targeted.

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Lot-size one manufacture Such realizations have led manufacturers to invest more strongly in flexible production in order to increase productivity. One example is panel size-cutting in furniture production. “Production quantity one” is the order of the day.

The machinery manufacturing industry has adapted itself to this principle. Homag (Germany) presented a panel-cutting line at Homag City, at the centre of which the Weeke manufacturing company (Germany) had installed its panel-cutting line “BHC 912” in gantry design.

Vertical spindles precisely cut out furniture elements from wood panels in lot-size one. At production levels of 1,000 to 1,500 elements per shift, this panel-cutting line develops an enormous potential. Precise cutting and separation of the workpieces ensure rapid material flow, while a smooth-running parts guidance system protects the surface quality in each case. Inte-

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grated as it is in the entire process, for example with a storage section and an edge processing line, this cutting line offers considerable advantages, especially with lot-size one production.

IMA (Germany) demonstrated its panel-cutting center “Performance-Cut” based on gantry design, with vertical milling spindle and flexible table. A milling cutter separates each single furniture element from a base plate, at high speed. By this means, IMA aims to reduce cutting costs even with small quantities. And in recent years, Schelling (Austria) has been applying its efforts to the theme lot-size one cutting, informing visitors to the Ligna about a high-flexibility cutting line for lot-size one production, from large size woodbased panels.

1| Saw-storage combination is the basis for just-in-time production. The panel sizing saw “fh 6” from Schelling is fed directly from the store.

Photo: Schelling 2| With its “Inert Coating” technology, the Italian company Cefla demonstrated an economical solution for high-gloss coating.

Photo: Barth 3| The “VEN DRY UV-LED” dryer manufactured by Venjakob was conceived for curing lacquers applied to 3-dimensional workpieces.

Photo: Venjakob 4| On the duplex formatting and edgebanding machine “Homag KFL 620”, both the support edge and decor edge of honeycomb boards can be glued in a single run, at a feed rate of 50 m/min. Photo: Homag 5| Kleiberit shows how a seamless and continuous decor between surface and edge can be achieved by means of the “HotCoating” process.

Photo: Kleiberit 6| The “InlinePress” by Wemhöner presses lightweight construction panels in throughfeed, the process heat being conducted into the workpieces via a microwave system.

Photo: Barth

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We shape the future

Improved tool geometries and improved coatings were the centre of attraction with the two German machine tool specialists Leitz and Leuco: In this way, manufacturers can avoid incorrect or multiple machining, and achieve longer service lives, which also contributes to resource conservation. Weinig (Germany) demonstrated improvements in the combination of tool and machine forces (for example with the “Power Grip” clamping system).

Edgebanding technology This year, a number of new developments were in evidence. One important development in particular is the competition between the various different edging technologies, in order to achieve the “zero joint” aimed for by furniture makers. Besides laser technology, the plasma process as well as the “AirTec” process – in which the function layer of co-extruded edges is reactivated by compressed hot air – are attempting to establish themselves in the market.

High-gloss Competition between the various technologies also extended to high-gloss surfaces. Here, machinery manufacturers were in search of more economical processes for producing such surfaces. In Hanover, as an alternative to the classical liquid coating method using lacquer, Kleiberit (Germany) presented its “HotCoating” process, whereas Cefla (Italy) and Bürkle (Germany) see an economical solution in the “InertCoating” and “Inert-Curing” methods respectively. Here, after the roller lacquering stage, a transparent foil circulating synchronously with the feed smoothes the still-wet lacquer surface. Curing by means of UV lamps takes place through the foil by direct surface contact.

Moving gantry design As far as the construction of the machine is concerned, the manufacturers are relying more and more upon moving gantry design; they believe that this concept will soon be standard procedure in professional furniture production.

An advantage of this type of design is the reduction of vibration, which improves machining quality. Furthermore, machining centres of

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moving gantry design require less installation space.

Operation The designers also kept the machine operatives in mind. The new generation of machinery is designed to be more operator-friendly, generally leading the machine operator intuitively through the different functions. Large touchscreen monitors and – for example, with Homag products – standardized control elements in all machines are designed to reduce operating errors. With “Virtual Reality”, Homag has also created a system, which not only simulates the machine but also virtually depicts the machine with all its functions. As a result, virtual operation of production lines is possible.

Entry-level solutions The crisis in some major furniture-manufacturing countries has resulted in exhibitors at the Ligna often presenting new machines at introductory prices. Admittedly, these offer operators a wide range of possibilities and functions, and are therefore suitable for small craftsmen‘s businesses that wish to automate their processes.

Digital printing Digital printing played an important role at the Ligna. Several suppliers offered industrial solutions, which had been improved in terms of speed and quality compared with previous years. Considerable progress has been achieved in the processing of digitally printed papers and also in the working widths, so that digital printing lines using a single-pass mode of up to 2,100 mm can by now be realized. In addition, large format digital printing lines using multi-pass mode were presented, with which a working width of 2,800 mm is possible.

Structures Apart from the appearance of surfaces, the haptic characteristics have also become an important factor. By means of new methods in the manufacture of press plates, deeper and – above all – synchronous pore structures can now be achieved. The current generation of belt sanding machines is able to produce surface ef­­­30 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

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fects such as the trendy “Vintage-Look” in a single run. It is even possible to produce a woodworm-finish of antique appearance with realistic, natural effects.

7| Under the designation “Bima Gx30”, IMA presented a portal machine with gantry drive that is extremely vibration-free.

Photo: IMA

LED-drying In the course of the energy saving measures, LEDs are being used more and more frequently in the drying sections of surface production lines. As an alternative to conventional mercury lamps, the “UV-LED” lamps developed for drying transparent and pigmented lacquers have led to a considerable reduction of operating costs. Advantages are: a longer working life and prompt availability. In addition, a considerable advantage is the low thermal stress upon the workpieces as compared with conventional radiator lamps.

8| With the “EasyScan”, a maximum wood yield can be achieved: One of the new presentations by Weinig at the fair was the combination of “EasyScan” with the cut-off saw “OptiCut 200”.

Photo: Weinig

Lightweight construction In a special area, the Ligna visitors could compare the common kraft paper honeycomb core technology with other approaches: BASF (Germany) achieves the weight reduction with foamed polymers (“Kaurit light”); the Latvian product “Dendrolight” with a core of several panels that are glued cross-grain with offset hollow spaces. SWAP (Germany) presented its

9| On the digital printing machine “Jupiter W 840”, Hymmen prints pre-impregnated papers in a single-pass mode roll to roll to roll.

Photo: Hymmen 10| Thanks to “UV-Lam-Inert-Curing” technology by Bürkle, lacquering lines can be designed to be shorter. Photo: Bürkle

“Sinuswaben” (sine honeycomb) system, for which each layer of cardboard is turned 90 degrees when glued to the next; the honeycomb cores by “ThermHex” (Germany), on the other hand, are made of polypropylene and are the basis for the “Gorcell” panel concept by Renolit (Germany). ba/uk/fr

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Quality Inside

Manufacturing workshop for high-tech scanners

dependently; only the circuit boards fitted with LEDs are supplied from a partner company. As a result of the removal, Cruse has become a genuine manufacturing workshop for high-tech products.

In 2013, besides the LED-illumination module, Cruse is putting a further innovation on to the market: A new type of gantry scanner permits samples up to 200 cm x 350 cm to be scanned in at a definition of up to 1,042 dpi true in every detail.

In 2010, the company set a milestone in the field of decor reproduction when it successfully developed the “Surface Detecting” system. With this supplementary module, samples can be 3-dimensionally scanned in at will, and the data then used to produce a haptic structure on decor surfaces. Until now, only optical 3-D effects could be achieved with the scanners. In 2012 the company scored again with a further innovation. With the “Image Stacking” tool, several scans can be compared on the computer and, by a combination of the various images, a completely individual interpretation of the sample can be created.

At present, authentic woodgrain reproductions with a haptic structure are fully in trend in Europe. They have become possible thanks to scanner systems from Cruse. For years now, the German company has been known worldwide as a market leader in this field, and recently more than doubled its production capacity.

Wherever perfect reproductions of samples are required, the furnishings trade cannot dispense with scanner systems made by Cruse.

During recent years, the company, which was founded in 1979, has not only made a name for itself among furnishing companies with the high quality and continuous further development of its scanner systems; with well over 500 systems installed, the company is meanwhile seen as a worldwide market leader. The customer database reads like a Who´s Who of the furnishing industry; here can be seen the names of wood-based panel manufacturers such as Egger and Kronospan, as well as the worldwide active decor printers Schattdecor and Süddekor.

Authentic scans But scanners made by Cruse guarantee perfect reproductions not only in the furnishing world. Famous museums all over the world, for example the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles or the National Archives in London also rely upon high-tech products from Germany. With a product share in excess of 70%, the decor business area is the most important division of the company. International manufacturers from the wall-covering, baseboard, flooring and door industries as well as decor printers rely upon the scanner technology “made in Germany”.

In early 2013, in order to meet the increasing international demand, Cruse moved to a new location in Wachtberg nr. Bonn (Germany).

The new premises comprise 2½ times as much area as the previous location, so that the company is well equipped for the needs of the future. In addition, generously

The “CS Synchron Table ST” is absolutely indispensable to the decor industry, and is now available with more powerful LED illumination. Photo: Barth dimensioned test and demonstration rooms have been built for the scanners. “With the larger production area, we can now manufacture almost all machine components ourselves. This means that we are in a position to react to special wishes and demands of our customers more quickly and flexibly than before,” emphasizes Jens Becker, CEO of Cruse.

tages compared to standard illumination with fluorescent lamps. By means of the optional “Power-Illumination”, the scanning process is up to ten times faster, so that up to ten times more samples can be scanned. Many years of development work and tests were necessary to ensure stable, colour-fast illumination in scans, and also to solve the problem of the enormous heat development in the up to 370 LEDs per module. The illumination units are therefore assembled in-

Expanding into the future In the future also, Cruse intends to cause something of a stir with innovations. Recently, the R & D department was extended, in order to be able to come up with further innovations during the next few months.

In the promising field of digital printing, it is intended that the new products should simplify the processes and make them more reliable.

Richard Barth After moving into its new production halls, Cruse can now react more rapidly and flexibly to enquiries from international customers.

Photo: Cruse

LEDs speed up the scanning process Cruse has achieved a further increase in quality and productivity of the scanner technology with the development of a LED high-performance illumination system, which gives the user considerable advan­m aterial+technik möbel – special 02|13 31

Quality Inside

Optimal use of hides For centuries, leather cutting has presented a very special challenge.

As long as every hide was cut with scissors, a pair of hands and a pair of eyes were always involved as well. The eyes recognized the problem areas and the hands could cut around them. But because that was not really efficient, Kuris (Deggingen/Germany) has been refining a system for computer-supported leather inspection for years now.

The cutting itself is not a problem; the most important aspect is being able to see, which part can be cut out of which place on the hide.

When used for a single hide, the calculation routines of the computers – and the computing power of the processors – offer only limited possibilities to increase efficiency: Whether a computer calculates three minutes for 89 % usage or six minutes for 92 % doesn’t really make that much difference from an overall perspective. But if the hides can be checked out as soon as they

are delivered or even while the supplier still has them, if the hides are completely registered and retrievable at any time, real efficiency gains can be achieved.

Together with its partner Gemini, Kuris has developed its software so that the advances in computer tech-

Kuris cutting machine for leather, which uses the software that was jointly developed with Gemini.

Photo: Kuris nology can come to bear both for production in workshop dimensions and for large-scale manufacturing.

That is possible because systems of different complexity are available:

from the optimal use of a single hide to the inspection and archiving of many hides as well as their storage and cutting according to order.

uk

Producing furniture more efficiently At the Ligna 2013, Leitz (Oberkochen/Germany) presented three tools that help to produce furniture more efficiently and more economically: the “WhisperCut Plus” jointing cutter, the “DT Plus” hogger and the “VectorCut” panel-sizing saw.

A distinguishing feature of the “WhisperCut Plus” is its reusable light metal body, which reduces wear on the spindle as well as the noise level due to its light weight. The diamond edges can be resharpened up to ten times. On the new

“DT Plus” hogger, enhanced resharpening zones on the edges even allow them to be sharpened up to twelve times. In order to keep the cutting width constant during the entire life cycle of the product, Leitz has developed a completely new cutting edge arrangement and cutting geometry. Gullets with uneven spacing and innovative tool body geometry have a vibration-damping effect: That reduces noise pollution and enhances the cutting quality. Thanks to their patented DFC technology, both the “WhisperCut Plus” and the “DT Plus” provide more efficiency in chip collection and ejection.

The new “VectorCut” panel-sizing saw blades achieve 30 percent higher performance times.

The innovative tooth shape reduces the abrasion between the saw tooth and the material and thus also reduces wear on the edges. Less abrasion means less energy is needed; on top of that, the saw blades can be resharpened up to 15 times. The revised geometry optimizes chip removal and reduces noise. uk

On the “VectorCut” saw blade, an innovative tooth shape reduces abrasion.

Photo: Leitz ­­­32 material+technik möbel – special 02|13 32

Quality Inside

The wood materials industry faces up to new challenges In Cologne, the Innovations Workshop of the Verband der Deutschen Holzwerkstoffindustrie (VHI, German association of wood material industry) was held for the 4th time. The focal point of interest was above all upon new kinds of woodbased materials and lightweight construction materials.

On the second day of the interzum, some 130 insiders from the industry assembled at the Congress Centre of the Cologne Fair to get the latest information from experts engaged in industry and research. At the start, Ulrich Bühler (Egger/St. Johann, Austria) discussed the economic environment of the wood materials industry: With the exception of Eastern Europe and Turkey, he declared, the construction outlook for Europe is critical. In Germany, the boom in new building projects is admittedly softening, but expenditure for repairs and renovations was on the increase. A source of concern for the industry was the announcement by the RAC (Committee for Risk Assessment), that formaldehyde is to be reclassified as carcinogenic and mutagenic: A solution for completely replacing formaldehyde in glues is not yet in sight.

New ingredients Dr Redelf Kraft (University of Göttingen, Germany) held a presentation on a research project, in which the recycling of softwoods instead of conventional coniferous woods in the manufacture of wood materials is under investigation. Softwoods can offer advantages both in terms of emissions and transverse tensile strength.

Dr Jens Assmann (BASF/Ludwigshafen, Germany) spoke about the „Superpan Star“ lightweight construction panel from Finsa, which comprises „Kaurit Light“ technology from BASF. Weight savings are achieved by the use of foamed polymers, which fill the cavities in the panel. Besides possessing the conventional processability characteristics, the lightweight construction panel can be recycled like ordinary particle board.

Claus Seeman (Pfleiderer/Neumarkt, Germany) discussed the

lightweight construction panel “Balance Board”, in which wood chips and biomass granulate based on industrial maize are combined.

The panel can be conventionally machined and is completely recyclable, and also scores points with low formaldehyde emission values,

entirely of longitudinal strands, which can be positioned at will according to the manufacturer´s requirements (the thickness of the covering layer determines the maximum possible strand spacing). As a result, during manufacture, the press time and glue consumption

Ulrich Bühler, marketing manager of the Egger Group, speaking to the 130 participants of the VHI Holzwerstoffkongress (VHI Wood Materials Congress).

Also on the stage as an attentive listener: VHI Chairman Hubertus Flötotto. Photo: Barth

which brings advantages for the LEED building certification.

were reduced. “Kettboard” is especially suitable for kitchen fronts and sliding doors.

Mikko Tilli (UPM/Helsinki, Finnland) presented the thermoformable wood panel “UPM Grada”.This panel offers manufacturers the advantage of a semi-finished product, which can then be formed in three subse-

quent simple steps. Tilli described them as “Heat – Form – Cool”. Forming operations that were previously difficult, were now possible while saving costs and using conventional machinery. The panel is free from formaldehyde emissions and recyclable, because it consists to 90% of wood. ba/uk

Individual requirements Peter Kettler (Kettler Consulting/ Ense, Germany) presented his lightweight construction concept “Kettboard”, for which a patent application is pending. The core layer consists

­m aterial+technik möbel – special 02|13 33

Quality Inside

Positive trend reversal for AWFS AWFS, the international trade fair of the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers (Anaheim, CA), took place in Las Vegas from July 24th to 27th. In contrast to the bigger IWF, which will call the sector to Atlanta again in 2014, the AWFS reaches above all craftsmen and smaller industrial companies in the western part of the USA. The stationary woodworking machines on display were mostly compact ones.

The official numbers of the AWFS have not yet been released, but some impressions and tendencies can already be reported. As could already be assumed by the number of reservations before the fair this year, the AWFS was probably bigger in 2013 than in 2011. 475 exhibitors displayed their products on a net area of 16,737 square meters in the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2011; 8,500 trade fair visitors were counted.

Before the fair, trade fair director Angelo Gango believed he could see a fundamental difference in the attitude of the exhibitors in comparison to the years before, when the trade fair seemed to be shrinking: “You can definitely tell there’s a much different mindset than we’ve had over the last couple of years. We don’t have any exact numbers, but we will have more exhibitors, and those returning have taken more space than they did a few years ago, which is really encouraging.” However, the numbers the trade fair was still able to achieve back in 2005 are probably unattainable in 2013:

17,045 visitors and 898 exhibitors were counted that year.

European major players A large number of major players from the European sector exhibited their products in Las Vegas, often with their American branches or distribution partners. In the machine segment, Weinig, Schelling, SCM, Biesse, Vollmer and Stiles Machinery, the distribution partner of Homag in North America, took part, and Leitz and Leuco were there as tool manufacturers. In the fittings sector, Blum, Grass, Häfele, Salice and Samet were present; surface specialist BauschLinnemann and adhesive experts such as Jowat and Kleiberit were other well-known exhibitors who have their headquarters in Europe.

Since the future hopes of the sector are pinned to some extent on the American market for machines and supply products, presence at the trade fair was apparently an attractive option in the year without an IWF, even though not many big industrial customers were in Las Vegas. The Marketing Director of

­­­34 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

the Homag Group, Alexander Prokisch, summed it up this way: “The expected visitor profile for the AWFS was known, so the fair was oriented to that clientele (as were the expectations). The AWFS 2013 was clearly better visited – quantitatively and qualitatively – than the AWFS 2011. The expectations of Stiles and also of the companies in the HOMAG group were fulfilled – for trade fair contacts, qualified inquiries and orders.”

Trade fair highlights At Blum, the Servo-Drive for the “Aventos” electronic opening system for lift doors was an eye-

catcher, Grass presented the “Vionaro” drawer system, which combines an extremely slender drawer side design with the “Dynapro” drawer slide technology.

Kleiberit offered Hot Coating technology with a gloss level of 90 points that can be produced with one application without interim sanding. Leitz attracted attention with an Internal Door (I-Door) combination carbide/diamond insert tooling: Replaceable diamond inserts at the top and bottom of the tool process the top and bottom surface laminates while standard carbide inserts process the softer core material, resulting in a smooth edge quality, which could otherwise only be accomplished by additional sanding. Last but not least, Vollmer convinced visitors with the “QXD250” erosion and grinding machine for processing PolyCrystalline Diamond (PCD) tipped tooling. The machine offers six simultaneously CNC-controlled axes with a new A-axis addition that enables complete machining in a single set-up.

Ulrich Krug

Homag’s distribution partner Stiles Machinery also showed products in Las Vegas.

Photos: AWFS

Partners to the furniture industry Casters and glides

Melamine films for furniture and flooring

High precision tools

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BMK GmbH

Bröckinger Möbel Komponenten

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Contract textiles

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Trevira GmbH D-65795 Hattersheim phone +49-8234-9688-2333 fax +49-8234-9688-5342 treviracs.info@trevira.com www.treviracs.com

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Thaddäus Rohrer Unternehmensberatung • International consultancy • Personnel consulting Thaddäus Rohrer Unternehmensberatung • Personal-•und Nachfolgeberatung • in cooperation with

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Index of advertiseres Special Quality Inside 2013

INTERPRINT GmbH P.O. Box 17 70, D-59707 Arnsberg Westring 22, D-59759 Arnsberg Phone +49 (0) 2932 950-0 Fax +49 (0) 2932 950-109 www.interprint.com, e-mail: info@interprint.de

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Schoeller Technocell GmbH & Co. KG Burg Gretesch, 49086 Osnabrück Postfach 3667, 49026 Osnabrück Telefon: +49 541 3800-121, Telefax: +49 541 3800-152 Technocell@Felix-Schoeller.com, www.Technocell.com

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Leitz GmbH & Co. KG

A & H. Meyer GmbH, D-Dörentrup.................................................. 5

Lamello GmbH, D-Weil am Rhein......................................... 40

BASF SE, D-Ludwigshafen........................................... 7

Leitz GmbH & Co. KG, D-Oberkochen............................................ 29

Cruse Spezialmaschinen GmbH, D-Wachtberg-Villip...................................... 39

Schoeller Technocell GmbH & Co. KG, D-Osnabrück................................................. 2

eco-INSTITUT GmbH, D-Köln......................................................... 37

Karl Simon GmbH & Co. KG, D-Aichhalden.............................................. 23

Kesseböhmer GmbH, D-Bad EssenDahlinghausen.........................front cover, 17

Axel Wirth Maschinen GmbH, D-Oberkochen............................................ 38

12.04.13 10:42Kröning

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GmbH & Co., D-Hüllhorst.................................................. 11

Zimmer GmbH Dämpfungssysteme, D-Rheinau................................................... 15

Kuris Spezialmaschinen GmbH, D-Deggingen-Reichenbach........................... 3 ­m aterial+technik möbel – special 02|13 35

Quality Inside

Blum continues course of expansion The Blum Group (Höchst/Austria) ended the 2012/2013 business year with sales of 1.32 billion Euros, which was an increase of 4.4 percent in comparison to the previous year. On average, 5,749 persons (2011/2012: 5,459) were employed by the company worldwide during the year. “In Western Europe in general, flat development in sales was registered, while market regions such as Eastern Europe, North America and Asia developed positively,” reported the management of the fittings producer.

Total investments for the business year were 78.25

million Euros, of which 65.67 million Euros were in Austria. The technical center in Höchst and the expansion of the logistics center in Dornbirn were realized there. During the past business year, a branch was opened in Vietnam and Blum started construction on a new office and warehouse building in Mexico.

During the 2012/13 business year, Blum invested in the expansion of its logistics center in Dornbirn (Austria).

Photo: Blum

Homag with good level of orders The Homag Group (Schopfloch/ Germany) has already reported a new best level for the company in incoming project orders for the first third of 2013: The machinery building group surpassed the 100 million Euro mark. The order volume includes machines for the entire spectrum of the furniture industry – from serial production to batch size one production. In the first quarter of 2013, incoming orders rose by just about seven percent to 182.3 million Euros. The orders on hand on March 31st were worth 230.9 million Euros, the highest level for the end of a quarter since 2008. Sales declined to 176.7 million Euros in the first quarter; the value in the previous year was 187.7 million Euros. The executive board predicts a turnover of about 800 million Euros for the group in 2013.

Schattdecor invests worldwide

Surteco makes purchases in France The combined turnover of the Surteco SE Group (Buttenwiesen-Pfaffenhofen/Germany) was 99.2 million Euros in the first quarter of 2013, under the level of the same quarter in the previous year (107.3 million Euros). Sales sank by eight percent to 58.1 million Euros in the plastics segment and by seven percent to 41.1 million Euros in the paper segment of Surteco.

In France, the surface specialist is on a course of expansion: As of July 1, 2013, the group has taken over the plastic and veneer edge banding business of its competitor Topchant (Artigues-près-Bordeaux/ France). In 2012, Surteco France had already acquired the edge banding assortment of its French competitor Sodimo/Bohal. The Surteco location in Angers (France) has been expanded.

Bürkle increases productivity The Robert Bürkle GmbH (Freudenstadt/Germany) earned two-thirds of its yearly turnover of 92 million Euros for 2012 in the surface segment. Total sales were two million Euros lower than expected.

Bürkle is currently modernizing its internal structure: The machinery producer is changing to platform­­­36 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

based and modular construction in product development and to paced assembly in production. The productivity at the Freudenstadt and Mastholte locations has thus risen by more than ten percent, reports Bürkle. The company expects stagnating sales in 2013.

For 2012, the surface specialist Schattdecor (Thansau/Germany) reports sales of roughly 480 million Euros and a staff of almost 1,400. The first quarter of 2013 was successful: In all of the product segments, the numbers were at least as high as in the previous year.

The main focus of investment this year and next year is the expansion of production capacity in Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia and Brazil. Digital inspection equipment has been installed in Brazil, China and the USA. Production of “Smartfoil” products was started in Glucholazy in Poland. Coveright do Brasil was integrated into the Schattdecor Group and has been producing for the Latin American market since the beginning of the year with three impregnation lines and resin equipment.

Investments were also made in digital printing: Schattdecor and printing technology specialist Palis (Markt Erlbach/Germany) want to work together to develop a single pass inkjet printer with a width of 225 cm, which will be operated exclusively at Schattdecor to begin with.

Quality Inside

Egger: eleven percent sales growth The Egger Group (St. Johann/Austria) announced sales of 2.19 billion Euros for the 2012/13 business year. The increase in sales of roughly eleven percent in comparison to the previous year was above all due to the Russian particle board plant in Gagarin, the increase in volume of OSB products, and the additional capacities in the coating and laminate segments.

The EBITDA rose by 14 percent to 298 million Euros. In the 2012/13 business year, 7.3 million cubic meters of raw boards (particle board, MDF, and OSB), including sawn wood, were produced (2011/12: 6.7 million cubic meters). The production of impregnated material reached a level of 781.6 million square meters (2011/12: 711.8 million square meters). The production of laminates was 25.6 million square meters (2011/12: 23 million square

At the headquarters of the Egger Group in St. Johann (Austria), a new high rack warehouse and a new administration building will be constructed in the coming year.

Photo: Egger meters). Adhesive production rose by 22 percent in comparison to the year before to 489,500 tons. The number of employees increased by about 300 to just about 7,100.

Sales in the furniture and interior fittings segment (Egger Decorative Products) grew by ten percent and at 80 percent represent the largest share of the total sales of the group.

For the 2013/14 business year, Egger expects only slight sales growth. The group is going to invest in its existing locations: The Gifhorn (Germany) location, for

example, will receive new CPL equipment from the Hymmen company (Bielefeld/Germany) at the end of the year, which can also be used to create laminates in high gloss quality. In addition, three new coating plants will go into operation at the locations St. Johann, Brilon (Germany) and Gagarin (Rus-

sia) for the production of boards coated with melamine resin with synchronized pores on one or both sides. Further renovation and expansion are planned for the headquarters in St. Johann. In the coming years, a central raw board warehouse and a new office building in modular design are to be built.

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­m aterial+technik möbel 7/23/2013 – special3:18:34 02|13 PM 37

Quality Inside

European furniture and supplier-fairs 2013/2014 September 2013 01.09.–03.09. The Flooring Show, Harrogate, UK 01.09.­­­–03.09. DECOoh!, Brussels, BE 03.09.–06.09. HI-INDUSTRIE, Herning, DK 03.09.–06.09. MTM, Ostroda, PL 06.09.–10.09. maison & objet, Paris, FR 08.09.–10.09. spoga/gafa, Cologne, DE 10.09–12.09. MoOD, Brussels, BE 12.09.–15.09. MACEF, Milan, IT 14.09.–16.09. CADEAUX mit COM­ FORTEX, Leipzig, DE 14.09.–19.09. area30 – design. kitchen. technics., Löhne, DE 14.09.–20.09. Küchenmeile A30, East­ Westphalia, DE 16.09.–19.09. Texworld, Paris, FR 16.09.–20.09. M.O.W., Bad Salzuflen, DE 17.09.–19.09. Composites Europe, Stuttgart, DE 17.09.–21.09. BIFE SIM, Bucharest, RO 18.09.–21.09. 100 % DESIGN, London, UK 18.09.–22.09. Habitare, Helsinki, FI 19.09.–22.09. Kind + Jugend, Cologne, DE 22.09.–25.09. Decorex International, London, UK 24.09.–26.09. Fachpack/Printpack/ Log­Intern, Nuremberg, DE 25.09.–28.09. REHACARE, Duesseldorf, DE 27.09.–29.09. Dremasilesia – Mebeltech­ expo, Katowice, PL 28.09.–04.10. Hausmesse Süd Herbst, South Germany, DE 29.09.–02.10. Hausmessen Oberfranken, Upper Frankonia, DE

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October 2013 02.10.–05.10. MADE expo, Milan, IT 03.10.–06.10. Baltic Furniture, Riga, LV 05.10.–13.10. INTERCASA CONCEPT, Lisbon, PT 06.10.–08.10. The Furniture & Home Accessories Fair, Dublin, IE 06.10.–08.10. SUN, Rimini, IT 07.10.–10.10. Motek, Stuttgart, DE 08.10.–10.10. Lineapelle, Bologna, IT

­­­38 material+technik möbel – special 02|13

08.10.–12.10. HOLZ Basel, Basel, CH 13.10.–15.10. Abitare il tempo, Verona, IT 15.10.–17.10. eCarTec/MATERIALICA/ sMove 360°, Munich, DE 15.10.–18.10. Sicam, Pordenone, IT 16.10.–19.10. SAIE, Bologna, IT 16.10.–20.10. AMBIENTA, Zagreb, HR 16.10.–20.10. Caravan Salon Austria, Wels, AT 16.10.–23.10. K, Duesseldorf, DE 22.10.–24.10. parts2clean, Stuttgart, DE 22.10.–25.10. WOOD–TEC, Brno, CZ 23.10.–24.10. Architect@Work, Berlin, DE November 2013 03.11.–06.11. Brussels Furniture Fair, Brussels, BE 07.11.–09.11. viscom, Düsseldorf, DE 12.11.–14.11. Railway Interiors Expo, Cologne, DE 12.11.–14.11. SoFab, Poznan, PL 19.11.–21.11. METS, Amsterdam, NL 20.11.–23.11. MEDICA, Duesseldorf, DE 20.11.–21.11. The Sleep Event, London, UK 27.11.–01.12. Heim + Handwerk, Munich, DE December 2013 03.12–06.12. Euromold, Frankfurt a. M., DE 04.12–05.12. Architect@Work, Duesseldorf, DE January 2014 08.01.–11.01. Heimtextil, Frankfurt a. M., DE 11.01.–14.01. Domotex, Hanover, DE 13.01.–19.01. imm cologne, Cologne, DE 13.01.–19.01. Living Interiors, Cologne, DE 15.01.–18.01. Leben Plus Komfort, Essen, DE 18.01.–26.01. boot, Duesseldorf, DE 19.01.–22.01. Interiors Birmingham, Birmingham, UK 22.01.–25.01. CASA/TexBo, Salzburg, AT 23.01.–26.01. Feria del Mueble de Zaragoza, Saragossa, ES 24.01.–28.01. maison & objet, Paris, FR 24.01.–28.01. Meuble Paris, Paris, FR February 2014 02.02.–05.02. Intirio, Gent, BE 04.02.–06.02. Surface Design Show, London, UK 04.02.–08.02. Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, Stockholm, SE 06.02.–09.02. Bauen & Wohnen, Salzburg, AT

07.02.–11.02. Ambiente, Frankfurt on M., DE 10.02.–13.02. ZOW, Bad Salzuflen, DE 11.02.–14.02. Hábitat, Valencia, ES 16.02.–20.02. EuroShop, Duesseldorf, DE 18.02.–21.02. Interior Fair Home Decor/ Budma Interior, Poznan, PL 18.02.–21.02. Meble Polska, Poznan, PL 18.02.–21.02. Arena Design, Poznan, PL 25.02.–27.02. LogiMAT, Stuttgart, DE March 2014 08.03.–16.03. Wohnen & Interieur, Wien, AT 09.03.–12.03. Int. Eisenwarenmesse, Cologne, DE 10.03.–14.03. Cebit, Hanover, DE 12.03.–18.03. Int. Handwerksmesse, Munich, DE 20.03.–23.03. Pragointerier – New Design, Prague, CZ 25.03.–27.03. ALTENPFLEGE, Hanover, DE 26.03.–29.03. Holz–Handwerk – fensterbau/frontale, Nuremberg, DE 30.03.–04.04. Light + Building, Frankfurt on M., DE April 2014 01.04.–05.04. World of Furniture, Sofia, BG 08.04.–10.04. Aircraft interiors Expo, Hamburg, DE 08.04.–11.04. PaintExpo, Karlsruhe, DE 08.04.–13.04. Salone Internazionale Del Mobile/ EuroCucina, Milan, IT 09.04.–12.04. Technodomus, Rimini, IT 23.04.–27.04. MOBITEX, Brno, CZ 29.04.–30.04. küchentrends, Munich, DE May 2014 05.05.–07.05.

07.05.–09.05.

08.05.–11.05.

08.05.–14.05.

13.05.–17.05.

19.05.–23.05.

USETEC, Cologne, DE Proposte, Cernobbio, IT Medwood, Athens, GR interpack, Duesseldorf, DE Xylexpo, Milan, IT CeMAT, Hanover, DE

August 2014 29.08.–02.09. Tendence, Frankfurt on M., DE 29.08.–07.09. Caravan Salon Düsseldorf, Duesseldorf, DE 31.08.–03.09. hogatec, Duesseldorf, DE September 2014 04.09.–07.09. Int. Holzmesse, Klagenfurt, AT 06.09.–08.09. CADEAUX/COMFORTEX, Leipzig, DE 13.09.–19.09. Küchenmeile A30, East­ Westphalia, DE 16.09.–19.09. DREMA, Poznan, PL 16.09.–19.09. Furnica, Poznan, PL All information is subject to change.

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