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THE SHAPE OF GREEN TO COME?

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OLD VALUES – NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOLIOT FURNITURE'S WESTERN EXPANSION STAYING ALIVE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE 2010

10/20/10 11:00 AM

BRINGING SURFACES TO LIFE NICE TO MEET YOU! We may be new to you but for over 60 years we have been producing high pressure laminate in Canada.

We can’t wait to see the things you will create with our surfaces.

More than 200 patterns and colors are waiting for you. www.arborite.com — 1.800.361.8712

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Necessity In preparing for this issue and the Decorative Surfaces Conference I’ve been exposed to many innovative ideas. It’s got me thinking. The great author and philosopher Plato said, “Necessity, who is the mother of invention,” 2,400 years ago. And the astuteness of his observation remains relevant to this day.

Let me draw two very different scenarios that illustrate why Plato’s wisdom is timeless. One is related to a high speed train and the other to a simple bookshelf.

THE TRAIN

The federal government “awarded” the state of Wisconsin nearly $1 billion to build a high-speed train between Milwaukee and Madison. No detailed studies or needs analyses were commissioned to determine the necessity of such an enormously expensive project. The federal government decreed that the money can only be used for this specific project. If Wisconsin fails to follow this order the money will be given to another state … most likely for something equally unnecessary. A train ride between Milwaukee and Madison will cost somewhere around $45, twice the cost of driving a car. Not only that, but the train arrives on a set schedule and only at a set location. In neither Milwaukee nor Madison are there any issues finding low cost or free parking. Now, the people in the suburbs on Chicago’s north shore understand the necessity of train travel into the city. For them, there is real value in avoiding the parking lot that is the Edens expressway, the exorbitant parking fees in the city and the stress of commuting. Plus it saves time. The necessity is obvious. For the Milwaukee to Madison train the necessity is not obvious.

In that case, politics is the mother of invention.

The moral is that invention born out of necessity, like lightweight panel, will lead to success, but invention born out of hyperbole will eventually derail.

THE BOOKSHELF

In my office is a 4-feet-wide by 9-feet-tall by 14-inches deep bookshelf made from 1-inch-thick particleboard and laminated with Brazilian cherry veneer. It’s beautiful. I wish I had a larger 10-feet-wide, floor-to-ceiling version. But the larger it gets the heavier it gets, and a few problems emerge. First, it becomes nearly impossible to move. My smaller version weighs over 300 pounds, so you can imagine what a 10-feet-wide, floor to ceiling version would weigh. Next, as furniture designers are well aware, the heavier the product the more unstable the joints become. And a larger piece is far more susceptible to shipping and installation damage. That’s why products this large typically become custom projects fabricated and constructed on site, not mass produced in a facility. Clearly there is a need for “lightweight panel.” Just consider some of the advantages of lightweight panel as it relates to my desired floor to ceiling bookshelf … an overall product twice the size of the one I have now made from panels twice as thick, weighing less than half as much but twice as strong. Lighter, stronger, thicker … some very good product attributes. Engineers will look at lightweight panel and think … multiple cost saving opportunities. The designers will think … endless design possibilities. The entrepreneur knows that all of the above are true.

The moral is that invention born out of necessity, like lightweight panel, will lead to success, but invention born out of hyperbole will eventually derail.

To see how the development of light weight panel has been vertically integrated and taken to another level of viability, read the story of ECOR Global and its founder, the fascinating and impressive Dr. Robert Noble. “The Shape of Green to Come?” feature begins on page 8.

Or come see for yourself. Dr. Noble and ECOR Global CEO Jim Torti are two of the innovators presenting at the TCM Americas Decorative Surfaces Conference in Montreal, October 26 through 28. What needs in your market are just waiting to be satisfied?

All the best,

John Aufderhaar Publisher, Surface & Panel • jaufderhaar@surfaceandpanel.com surface&panel

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AUTUMN 2010

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PUBLISHER

John Aufderhaar Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-206-1766 FAX: 920-206-1767 jaufderhaar@surfaceandpanel.com www.surfaceandpanel.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Suzanne VanGilder/Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 608-698-0375 FAX: 920-206-1767 svangilder@surfaceandpanel.com

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The Shape of Green to Come?

Prototype designs with ECOR advanced environmental composite lightweight panels display flexibility and strength.

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Jim Sherbert: Executive Perspective Jim Sherbert, CEO of Bush Industries, recently shared his insights regarding the current state of the secondary panel processing industry.

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Start the Presses!

S&P tracks the progress of Schattdecor’s new (and first) North American production facility.

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Old Values – New Opportunities Sauder Woodworking innovates with micropaper-laminated panels to fill gaps in new markets.

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Munksjö Executives Address State of the Market Munksjö CEO Jan Åström and Managing Director of Sales & Marketing Norbert Mix discuss the global economic crisis and the decor paper market's future challenges.

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Surface Design Guide 2010 Industry designers share their insights on fashion trends, emerging surface designs and applications. Preview a sampling of what is new heading into 2011.

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Foliot Furniture’s Western Expansion For Foliot Furniture, “continuous improvement” is more than a vague concept. It is a practice that gives the company a definite advantage in the competitive market segments of hospitality, residence hall and military furniture.

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Staying Alive Funblock, Inc. owner Michael Crane reconnects with his company’s roots after diversifying his components manufacturing capabilities to compete.

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CIRCULATION

Michelle Bruhn/Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-674-6943 FAX: 920 206-1767 mbruhn@surfaceandpanel.com

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Hall of Fame Decorative and Industrial Laminates Hall of Fame inducts four for 2010.

MARKETING

Alycia Schulz, Director of Marketing Surface & Panel Magazine 1063 East Paces Lane, Atlanta, GA 30326 PH: 406.610.4780 FAX: 920-206-1767 aschulz@surfaceandpanel.com

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Ryan Wagner, National Accounts Manager Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-262-2080 FAX: 920-206-1767 rwagner@surfaceandpanel.com

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Underutilized, readily available post-consumer waste and agricultural material sources are born anew in ECOR a three-dimensional engineered molded fiber (3dEMF) lightweight panel products.

2010 International Tour of Technology Hosted by Stiles Machinery, this tour was an infusion of ideas. Participants had the opportunity to see and learn from different processes, applications of technology and organization.

DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Laura Rowlett/Surface & Panel Magazine 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 317-417-6624 FAX: 920-206-1767 lrowlett@surfaceandpanel.com DESIGN/PRODUCTION

Karen Leno - KML Design, Inc. 923 Forest Edge Circle, Coralville, IA 52241 PH: 319-430-5108 kmldesign@mchsi.com C O M P O S I T E PA N E L A S S O C I AT I O N MAIN OFFICE

19465 Deerfield Avenue, Suite 306 Leesburg, VA 20176 PH: 703-724-1128 FAX: 703-724-1588 Toll Free 1-866-4COMPOSITES www.pbmdf.com CANADIAN OFFICE

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73 Lawson Road, Leesburg, VA 20175 PH: 703-724-1128 FAX: 703-724-1588 www.itcclab.org

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Throughout the issue, keep an eye out for this “web extra” icon, an invitation to more information available at www.surfaceandpanel.com.

While you're there, check out the community site, where you can connect with industry experts and weigh in on discussions.

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3 From the Publisher 54 Continuing Education Unit 3D laminates are a versatile surfacing material for today's environments.

57 Advertiser Index 58 From the Editor

Surface & Panel is published bimonthly by Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, Wisconsin 53098, telephone 920-206-1766, fax 920-206-1767. John Aufderhaar, President, Christine Aufderhaar, CFO. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical without written permission from the publisher. Subscription policy: Individual subscriptions are available, without charge, to manufacturers who engage in panel processing, qualified service providers and suppliers. Publisher reserves the right to reject non-qualified subscribers. One year subscription to non-qualified individuals: U.S. $50, Canada/Mexico $75, all other countries $100, payable in U.S. funds. Single issues are $15, and must be prepaid. Bedford Falls Communications, Inc., does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. Printed in the U.S.A. Postmaster: Send address changes to Surface & Panel, 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098.

Please direct all subscription questions and mail to: Surface & Panel, 1617 Country Club Lane, Watertown, WI 53098 PH: 920-206-1766

10/17/10 7:28 PM

ANCHOR

BOISE CASCADE FIXTURE GRADE

ANCHOR (Surface&Panel) 10-2010 OUTLINE.indd 1 SandP_Autumn2010.indd 5

10/6/2010 3:46:05 PM 10/17/10 7:30 PM

�

�all ll Of �ame DECOR ATIVE AND INDUSTRIAL L AMINATES

INDUC TS FOUR FOR 2010

The Decorative and Industrial Laminate Hall of Fame was established in 2004 to recognize leadership and service activities that have significantly and demonstrably contributed to the advancement of the laminate industry. TCM-Americas is honored to induct four influential individuals in 2010 at the Decorative Surface Conference in Montreal, October 26 through 28.

�ill �plittgerber During 29 years of service at Wilsonart,

tinguished service with Coveright,

eled the world and helped Wilsonart

Ramon Guivernau’s career journeyed

from

Splittgerber

Commendable for 33 years of dis-

trav-

expand

Will

�amon Guivernau

North

from the original Th.Goldschmidt to

Carolina and then internationally.

Texas

to

Coveright. His career is marked with

Splittgerber’s dedication to preserv-

consistent success and opportunity

ing the same high quality standards

for cultural exploration.

in all venues of Wilsonart’s world-

In 1973, he worked for 11 months

wide production makes him a leader

at the Th.Goldschmidt headquarters

in his field. His career at Wilsonart

in Essen, Germany, before moving

began with summer employment

back to his native Spain to start a

there in 1978. The following year,

new branch in Mollet/Barcelona. A

the company hired him as a qual-

successful start there drove the

ity control analyst in the computer

then-owner, Casco Nobel, to send

processing control systems depart-

Guivernau and his family to Canada

ment, and he later moved into testing and lab management. Between

to establish a North American presence. Guivernau became President

1989 and 2007, he held positions as Director of Quality Assurance

of the North American Division. Eight years after founding the Coburg/

and Director of Product Quality.

Toronto business, the company was ready to purchase a U.S. company

Splittgerber’s

many

professional

highlights

include

acting

in Blythewood, S.C.

as Technical Director of the North American Laminate Flooring

Th.Goldschmidt was a leading developer of aminoplastic resin

Association (NALFA), for which he published the first standards.

bases for low-pressure laminates. The American division was able to

He was also a U.S. representative of the laminate industry for the

go beyond these products and developed new applications and new

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and a chairman

chemistry to improve these materials and others. When Guivernau

for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).

Since his retirement January 1, 2008, Splittgerber has traded world travel and the challenges of quality assurance and technical

retired in 2006, Coveright was the largest company in the world for surfacing materials with nine companies in nine different countries worldwide.

�

agreements for the opportunity to tend a corn and wheat farm that his family founded 1883 and has been in continuous operation since 1891. Working alongside his family near Temple, Texas, he’s converting some of that farmland to native grasslands.

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�

�eland �wen�

�urinder S. �hurana

Leland (Lee) Owens spent 23 years

Surinder S. Khurana (d. July 26,

in the decorative paper industry

2004) is remembered as a pioneer

and is well-recognized for influential

of the laminate flooring industry.

leadership. In 1968, Owens earned

Khurana was engaged in the wood-

a Bachelor of Science Degree with

based panel and lamination industry

an International Marketing major

since the 1960s, when he devel-

and understudies at the School of

oped a dense particleboard that

Forestry from the Business School

enable direct lamination. From 1970

at Syracuse University, where he was president of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and a member of the hockey team.

Professionally,

Owens

gained

management, sales and marketing experience with Mobil Oil Corporation, Columbia Pictures and Strathmore Paper Company in the ‘70s and ‘80s. He joined Arjomarie (now Arjo Wiggins) of Paris, France, as Sales Manager for North America in Decorative Laminate Papers in 1988. From 1995 until 2000, Owens

to 1990, he was in technical management for Wirus (now Pfleiderer), where he met his wife, Helga. In the Wirus Lamination Division, he took one of the first short-cycle presses into production.

Khurana contributed much to the development and continuous improvement of low-pressure (direct) lamination, which became the most-applied process in Europe. Together with Vits in the 1980s, he

was Vice President of Sales for North America in Decorative Laminate

worked on enhancement of the two-bath saturation by use of gravure

Papers at PWA Dekor (now Munksjo Paper Company).

roll in the intermediate impregnation equipment leading to higher qual-

He was Chairman of the TAPPI European Plastic Laminate Forum in

ity and cost-saving advantages. He earned the Wirus Award in 1984

Heidelburg, Germany, in 1995. This marked the first TAPPI Symposium

for development of a new impregnation process. During Khurana’s 19

in Europe for this division of the paper industry. Two years later he

years with Wirus, his knowledge of particleboard, saturation, resin

chaired the first TAPPI Asian International Laminate Symposium in

and lamination led to important advancements and later to technol-

Hong Kong, China.

ogy transfer to Asia and Australia.

As Sales Manager for Printed Designs for Suddekor, GmbH for

Throughout the 1990s, Khurana worked from his office in

seven years and Sales Manager for Munksjo Paper Inc. for two years,

Gutersloh, Germany, as Director of European Sales and later Director

Owens cultivated professional relationships with an international cli-

of International sales for Mead Specialty Paper, USA. During the

ente but resided in the Eastern U.S. throughout his career. He retired in

early years, he made more and more companies enthusiastic about

2009 and enjoys deep sea fishing, walks on the Atlantic beaches and

laminate flooring. Khurana worked closely with colleagues at Mead

involvement on the Board of Bel Air, a division of Lauderdale By The

Specialty and customers on continuous developments and perfor-

Sea, Fla. He continues to consult as a facilitator to many international

mance enhancements of wear resistant overlays, leading to increased

industries and global contacts.

popularity of laminate flooring. In 1993 Khurana received the Mead

�

“Getting to know and work with all the people in this industry through

the many years has been greatly

rewarding. It's all about the journey.”

Award for Tenacity of Purpose and Persistence in Performance. He shared his expertise via several symposia presentations in the mid’90s and active EPLF involvement.

Credited with helping MeadWestvaco develop high abrasion-resistant overlays for use in direct lamination of laminate floors, Khurana left his position as Senior Director of Strategic Business Development there in 2002 to focus on consulting in impregnation and laminating within the laminate flooring industry.

s& p

LEL AND OWENS

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Prototype Designs with ECOR® Advanced Environmental Composite Lightweight Panels Display Flexibility and Strength.

THE SHAPE OF GREEN TO COME? B Y

EARL WALLS (RIGHT), FORMER ENGINEER AND LABORATORY DESIGN CONSULTANT, IS AN INVESTOR AND ADVISOR TO ECOR. HONEYCOR (BELOW) IS MADE BY GLUING TOGETHER STRIPS OF WAVECOR (ABOVE), A THREE-DIMENSIONAL ENGINEERED MOLDED-FIBER (3DEMF) PANEL PRODUCT.

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n the 1960s, engineer and laboratory design consultant Earl Walls pushed manufacturers of wood laboratory casework from their old face frame techniques into frameless lab cabinetry with melaminesurfaced, high-density particleboard boxes.

He later did much the same with steel laboratory cabinets. “I think there was a price on my head,” jests Walls, whose celebrated career includes collaboration with icon Frank Gehry and awards for work with Louis I. Kahn on the Salk Institute. “I had to watch who was sitting behind me on an airplane.”

At the time, most commercial-grade casework was made the same way with much unnecessary labor in both wood and steel. So Walls began incorporating new materials and composites to value-engineer his designs. Now, on the horizon of a new era in materials technology, he’s embracing a promising sustainable lightweight panel called ECOR® as an investor and advisor. “I could build a 3-foot cabinet I can pick up

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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FURNITURE AND POINT-OF-PURCHASE DISPLAYS CALLED E-STANDS ARE INHERENTLY LIGHTWEIGHT, EASILY CUSTOMIZABLE FOR BRANDING PURPOSES AND COMPATIBLE WITH VARIOUS DECORATIVE SURFACES.

with one hand,” Walls says. “I just wish I was younger. The future is so exciting.”

If you ask ECOR® creator Robert Noble, the future is now, and there’s no looking back – unless to reflect on his path here. An ecopreneur, inventor and visionary, Noble sees architecture in simple terms of problems and logical solutions. In 30 years, he’s developed several lightweight structural panels from readily available waste materials: a wall system from wheat straw suited for easy construction in third-world villages, a recycledfiber product called Gridcore® developed in the early ’90s with the USDA Forest Products Lab in Madison, Wis., and ECOR® NatureEngineered Composite Panels from Noble Environmental Technologies Corporation (NET), also with the USDA. The most recent, ECOR® panels, incorporate waste into value-added materials through a wet process that requires no binders or additives but only the hydrogen bond of cellulose fibers under extreme heat and pressure similar to paper-making. Old corrugated cardboard (OCC), and water are the primary ingredients in the hydro-pulp that’s reduced in a mold. Adding old newspaper (ONP), Bovine Processed Fiber (BPF) from cow manure or other natural and synthetic fibrous materials to the stew customizes the result for aesthetics, performance and/or price. “We are transforming $50-per-ton raw materials into $50,000-per-ton finished products. It’s sort of ‘value add’ on steroids,” Noble says.

FlatCOR™ single and multi-ply sheets

and WaveCOR™ corrugated boards comprise what Noble calls the proton and electron for constructing ECOR® atoms and molecules. These two basic shapes can be used independently of one another, married in stress-skinned Environmental Structural Panels (ESPs) or used with composite cores or laminate surfaces. For example, the honeycomb-panel HoneyCOR™ product is made of strips of basic WaveCOR™ glued together with water-based PVA white glue or Titebond GREENchoice adhesive. HoneyCOR™ sandwiched between sheets of FlatCOR™ is called HoneyCOR™ ESP, which has a particularly high weight-to-strength ratio. A new HoneyCOR™ PLUS offers increased rigidity and strength for even higher-performance applications.

Throughout his education at Berkeley, Harvard and Cambridge and his entire architectural career, including his years as CEO of Tucker Sadler Architects in San Diego, Calif., Noble was passionate about environmental technology. He outfitted his Envision Solar International photovoltaic-array company with ECOR® -constructed office furniture. “As an architect dealing with environmentally responsible materials, it was very hard to get those kinds of products throughout the decades because they’re expensive to develop and manufacture initially,” Noble says. “The building industry is slow to assimilate and accommodate new materials, and the cost can’t go down until the scale of production goes up, which depends on high demand.”

ABOVE: USED TOGETHER, FLATCOR AND WAVECOR OFFER LIMITLESS DESIGN POSSIBILITIES. AN EXAMPLE IS THE FABRICATED MULTI-PLY ENVIRONMENTAL STRUCTURAL PANELS (ESP) IN STRESSED-SKIN ASSEMBLIES (BELOW).

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PROTOTYPICAL ECOR DESIGNS INCLUDE E-LECTERNS (LEFT). RENDERINGS DISPLAY ARTISTIC AND STRUCTURAL USES FOR ECOR, INCLUDING BENCHES (RIGHT) WITH MULTIPLY ESP WITH LAMINATE SURFACES.

“Materials have to be costeffective, attractive, highly versatile and differentiated and must reflect positively on you and your organization, but more importantly, you want to tell a great story, something about who you are and what you really care about.”

As panel products go, ECOR® won’t be a commodity – at least not at first. Building the “Line 1” facility and later “Line 2” is part of a plan to start full-scale production of 4-by-8-foot boards. A three-pronged ECOR® scalable business model will license ECOR® plants in specific markets and locations near abundant agricultural sources, forest industry offal locations and urban areas where clean post-consumer waste is available. The Pilot Line starts at $1 million, a fully automated single opening line is $5 million and a five-opening line is $10 million.

Capital investment for 10 or more openings depends on location, product lines, desired market focus and other variable requirements of licensees. “We have the patents pending

and know-how,” Noble says. “It’s an adaptive reuse and revitalization model for the U.S. to create industry with readily available resources and a process that’s not futuretechnology dependent. This is right now.”

For example, facilities in the agriculture sector will produce panels from cellulosic BPF extracted from anaerobic digesters that break down manure. The biomass from a dairy farm of 3,500 cows produces enough methane gas to generate about 2 megawatts of power a day when burned. A farmer could essentially harvest enough BPF and power to operate a co-located, self-sustaining plant that creates jobs. A forest industry company could share staff and facilities with its ECOR® line. The urban model offers clean technology that is scalable and can be located anywhere at low-cost. ECOR®, therefore, is a forest product, an urban product and a farm product all rolled into one.

ROBERT NOBLE

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Specify

™

E-Gen

Performance through-and-through.

Innovation on

the inside

Low/zero-emitting resins for wood panels • ULEF capable • CARB compliant • LEED contributing • Customizable for every operating window

Innovation on

the outside Ultra low-emitting decorative melamine overlays • Distinctive designs • GREENGUARD for Children & Schools SMcertified

• FSC-certified materials and manufacturing

• Customizable • Delivered on demand

Arclin’s E-Natural™ and E-Sorb™ resins and decorative melamine overlays. E-Gen™-designated for compliance and sustainability.

Customer-preferred for superior product and supply chain performance.

One solution — inside and out.

One source. Arclin.

Arclin’s E-Gen™-designated products meet or exceed industry standards and help our customers meet market demand for green-certified products. More at www.e-gen.com.

Bonding & Surfacing Solutions for Commercial & Residential Building, Agriculture & Natural Resources Applications 1.919.542.2526 ext. 3020 info@arclin.com • www.arclin.com

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Planting a Seed

B

“Why disregard valuable raw materials that still make up more than 50 percent of landfills when they have great possibility?” says Jim Torti, ECOR CEO in San Diego, Calif. With that in mind, the ‘YourCOR’™ and ‘ReCOR’™ programs turn paper and packaging at the bottom of the waste cycle into panels a company can use – and reuse. For instance, displays containing ECOR® from brand-specific print collateral build a highly sustainable corporate image. Offices, waste-management facilities, amusement parks, and public spaces with abundant paper waste are excellent candidates that should be motivated to add incremental and diversified revenue to their business through an economically and environmentally sustainable model.

altix Sustainable Furniture in Long Lake, Minn., is self-proclaimed abnormally green.

It creates office workstations and contract furniture with environmentally favorable materials. Locally produced BioSurf soy-and-corn-based thermofoils and Forbo linoleum work surfaces with corn-based BioEdge edgebanding are a few. It’s latest design is a prototype Greenlite table with ECOR® between a thin SierraPine Arreis Sustainable Design Fiberboard (SDF) top and bottom.

President Chuck Lodge says clients interested in greening up also ask for lightweight contract furniture because rooms are reconfigured often in university, commercial, hospitality and institutional spaces. That not only requires manpower but is tough on hardware connections to a substrate. The Greenlite prototype has an aluminum alloy base, weighs about 10 pounds and is 40-percent lighter than any comparable product currently available.

Baltix expects to offer the new table in early 2011.

“Six years ago, we were silly early,” says Lodge, describing how in the very beginning, everyone thought “green” meant granola-looking, low-performing and unaffordable. A testament to the changing tides is Baltix’s growth by 22 percent in 2009 and reaching last year’s sales

by July this year. “The beauty of this is that the evolution of American manufacturing and suppliers of these materials has really revved up. It’s gliding right into our belief system.” ■

LEFT: A COLUMN FROM WRAPPED WAVECOR DISPLAYS VERSATILITY. BELOW: A RENDERING OF AN ECOR DIVIDING WALL ILLUSTRATES POTENTIAL CREATIVE USES FOR ADVANCED ENVIRONMENTAL COMPOSITE LIGHTWEIGHT PANELS.

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Unfinished Business “Architects and designers are seeing themselves as stewards more now than ever,” says David Lasher, who founded Sustaining A Green Environment (SAGE) in Design 18 months ago. The Vista, Calif., company provides competitively priced, environmentally sound retail furnishings and contract furniture.

Lasher’s outreach to store developers and furniture designers spurred ECOR® projects with Thread Collaborative and Lacey Campbell, a Savannah College of Art & Design graduate and new hire at Sauder Woodworking. “Designing with ECOR provides the flexibility of metal with the warm quality of wood,” Campbell says. “Jim (Torti) and David (Lasher) presented the opportunity to use this amazing material in a collection that pushes the idea of public seating but doesn’t sacrifice style or intent.”

Sustainable-brand specialist and Thread LEFT: OVERHEAD SIGNS AT A WHOLE FOODS MARKET EMPLOY WAVECORE ESP Collaborative founder Kevin Foster O’Donnell AS SUBSTRATE AND DECORATIVE SURFACE. first used ECOR® last month in a Whole Foods BELOW: LACEY CAMPBELL CREATED A COLLECTION OF PUBLIC SEATING FURNITURE Market in Huntington Beach, Calif. WaveCOR™ FOR SAGE IN DESIGN. ESP functioned as both substrate and decorative surface. The overhead signs feature intentionally exposed edges, meaning channels of light are visible through vertically oriented WaveCOR™. Aisle markers display a hand-written message.

Using water-basked inks, O’Donnell printed directly on the FlatCOR™ to bleed color into the hydroscopic boards and also over a white-printed layer for higher contrast. “It’s very unusual for this client to do everything in a way that looks unfinished,” says O’Donnell. “It’s really kind of dynamic for what would normally be boring wayfinding information.” ■ LEFT: CERNO INDUSTRIAL DESIGN GROUP BEGAN EXPLORING ECOR FOR LIGHTING APPLICATIONS AFTER AFM SAFECOAT INTRODUCED ITS OWNERS TO ECOR IN JUNE AT THE DWELL ON DESIGN CONVENTION IN LOS ANGELES. “IT JUST MAKES SENSE FOR US FROM A ECOLOGICAL STANDPOINT TO USE SOMETHING RECYCLED,” SAYS ARTIST NICK SHERIDAN, WHO DESIGNS WITH EXCLUSIVELY HIGH-EFFICIENCY, HIGH-BRIGHTNESS LED LIGHTS.

Noble and Torti are discovering ways to bring ECOR® to market even while producing batches of 2-by-8-foot sheets. Target markets are point-of-purchase displays, trade show booths, lighting fixtures, commercial signage, dimensional installations, RTA furniture and uses where its light weight, flexibility and environmental attributes are important. It makes sense for designers seeking green solutions that are highly adaptable for their specific intent. (see sidebars) Torti plans to launch an ECOR® e-commerce site, www.ecorstor.com, and says the company is working on exterior finishes with AFM Safecoat® as a strategic partner offering panels finish-treated with 100-percent environmentally friendly coatings including stains, high-gloss paints, lacquers and other water-proofing solutions that can be tailored to specifications. Other customized solutions include molding for automobile interiors, hydroforming and post-forming.

“The impact and implications of what we’re doing are so vast that the possibilities can be hard to imagine,” Noble says. “It starts by reducing the concept and scaling it back to problems and solutions. From my point of view, there are always solutions to problems. You just have to have the perseverance, patience and time required for industries to change.” s&p 14

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2010SnP_

OMNOVA Solutions’ Harmony program facilitates design and color matching across multiple OMNOVA product constructions - Paper, Flat, and 3D Laminates including surf(x)® 3D Laminates. The program provides the best application of laminate based on cost and functional requirements.

Benefits of the Harmony program include: • Enables uniform design for furniture and fixtures with coordinating laminates

866.332.5226 laminates@omnova.com www.omnova.com/laminates

• Reduces development time and improves speed to market for new products • Simplifies supply chain, eliminating need for multiple vendors • Controls end product cost by using a range of constructions based on functional needs To learn how OMNOVA Laminates can make a difference in your cabinetry, furniture or fixtures, contact us today! Or visit our online Design Center to see our broad offering, obtain additional information and order samples – www.omnova.com/designcenter.

Top photo courtesy of Hallmark Cards Inc. Bottom photo courtesy of Hussmann Corporation.

SURF(X) is a registered trademark of OMNOVA Solutions Inc. © 2010 OMNOVA Solutions Inc.

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6/22/10 5:20 PM 10/17/10 7:40 PM

Jim Sherbert, CEO of Bush Industries, recently shared his insights regarding the current state of the secondary panel processing industry with Surface & Panel magazine.

Jim Sherbert:EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE S&P: What is your general view of the economy?

JS: I think that the days of easy money that we had three years ago

BUSH BUSINESS FURNITURE OFFERS SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL AND MID-SIZED BUSINESSES.

16

are gone. I don’t think that we are going to see that kind of availability of borrowing plus cash and liquidity come back. Perhaps, even more importantly is that the situation had a negative impact on the confi dence of both lenders and consumers and so as a result we are in a stalemate economy. I think the reality is that this is going to continue for a while. And certainly that affects furniture because it is a discretionary purchase. In particular, it impacts business furniture for small and mid-sized businesses because they simply don’t have the confi dence to invest. The unemployment figures kind of bear that out.

However, I do believe there is a fair amount of pent-up demand in small businesses where you have a need that has actually been thwarted simply because there is not the confidence to be able to go out and invest. And I think small business tends to lead economic recovery. Once that starts to free up it will start to get better. In talking to a couple of significant banking institutions recently, I learned they are experiencing a lot of pressure to start to lending to mid-sized and small businesses. Bank Of America, for example, has a category of $50 million dollars of revenue on down that they consider small businesses, and even though they don’t generally pursue that market, there is a lot of pressure being put on them by board of directors and shareholders to start to pursue that market to free up liquidity. Liquidity plus confidence equals growth. I don’t think it is imminent, but I do think that it is going to start to edge its way up. So I am very optimistic for the industry, and particularly for Bush Business Furniture. Our approach is to support the small and mid-sized business commercial consumer. We’re well positioned to take advantage of what is happening in the marketplace.

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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S&P: What are you doing differently now considering the state of things?

JS: We have launched a new line of Bush Business Furniture under the banner of BBF to really truly differentiate it from any of the other Bush brands. So by making a BBF brand we are able to push that brand awareness into the marketplace and talk about how to really create solutions for these small and mid-sized commercial consumers who are looking for ways to change the existing paradigms of how supply chains are managed. The market has not been particularly effective in supplying the small and mid-sized business customer. Our approach is better logistics and products designed to fit to the market. Whether it is an individual working at home, a small business with a satellite operation, or a mid-sized business that is looking to expand without a large contract. All those things are really right in line with what BBF is designed to be able to do.

S&P: Bush Industries is known for its capability to build customized orders but also for its distribution system. Does that carry over into BBF?

JS: Yes it does. And the BBF model is designed to be able to provide the end user with the most efficient and useful means of fulfilling their needs. That could be through a dealer, designed through an architect and then direct shipped with some third party for installation, or in the casegoods arena where product is just taken in, drop-shipped to an individual location and the people there do the work themselves.

It is a pretty diverse operation that allows us to fulfill these needs on a large scale or a small scale. Efficiency and timing drives product fulfillment. s&p

Read more installments of Jim Sherbert’s perspective on CARB regulations, U.S. manufacturing in a global economy, China, materials innovation, how to convey a sense of value to a busy marketplace and the challenges and opportunities facing the industry in the Web Exclusives section at www.surfaceandpanel.com.

surface&panel

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AUTUMN 2010

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Visit the news section of Surfaceandpanel.com for regular updates on the progress of Schattdecor's first North American facility.

Start the Presses!

Schattdecor’s New North American Production Facility

At the 2008 IWF show in Atlanta, Ga., Reiner Schultz, CEO of Schattdecor, and Tom Drazen, head of Schattdecor in the United States, announced plans to build Schattdecor’s first décor paper printing facility in North America. Now, shortly after IWF 2010, 26 containers and crates carrying an entire printing press and all the necessary tools for installation are en route to St. Louis, Mo. With the completion of the project, slated for first quarter 2011, Schattdecor will have 12 production locations worldwide.

Ground was broken for the facility in 2009, and despite economic uncertainty, work on the building began as the weather cleared in early 2010. Schattdecor hosted a party at the most recent IWF where Schultz told a group of customers and suppliers that the Schattdecor group worldwide was having a record year in 2010 and were well ahead of projections. This was one of the reasons why they felt confident going ahead with the building project in St. Louis when other companies might shy away from making such an investment.

The new facility, referred to as Schattdecor Inc., offers many benefits to customers. One obvious advantage is lead time. Because Schattdecor Inc. will no longer have to ship containers of paper overseas, North American customers will receive product three weeks faster than the current delivery time. The facility’s close proximity to resources also makes it easier for Schattdecor Inc. to participate in special projects for customers and to fulfill rush orders.

Meet Me in St. Louis

Choosing St. Louis as the location for the new works was an obvious decision for Schattdecor.

In addition to being centrally located for easy distribution throughout North America,

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Schattdecor’s presence in the market essentially grew up in St. Louis. Tom Drazen started working for Schattdecor as the North American sales manager 15 years ago, when he was literally selling paper out of his basement in St. Louis. But Drazen and his team’s dedicated efforts, combined with the high quality of paper and service Schattdecor provided, helped North American sales to increase every year. “If you have a good team of people who have been living in a certain area for many years, it makes no sense to tear them out of their accustomed surroundings,” says Schultz.

“We will be printing the standard Schattdecor saturating-grade paper in St. Louis. This is the decorative paper that can be used in HPL, TFM and laminate flooring,” says Margie Drazen, marketing manager for Schattdecor Inc. “There is a possibility in the future we will print our foil papers here and do some digital printing, which Schattdecor currently does in Germany. We are installing one press, and we will print the basics to get the ball rolling.”

In the past six months, Schattdecor Inc. has more than doubled its staff and is expected to eventually total about 200 employees, a nice boon to the local economy. s&p

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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Meersburg Ahorn Meersburg Maple

look

touch

feel

LOOK S LIKE RE AL VENEER – FEEL S LIKE IT TOO Our Smart- and Postfoil finish decors not only look convincingly real, they provide furniture surfaces with a discernible texture too.

Look, touch, feel ...

www.schattdecor.com

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OLD VALUES New Opportunities

Sauder Woodworking Innovates with Micropaperlaminated Panels to Fill Gaps in New Markets B Y

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L A U R A

R O W L E T T

A

t Sauder Woodworking in Archbold, Ohio, the more things change, the more they stay the same. But status quo is a good thing when continual innovation for 75 years is your way of successfully doing business. Founder Erie Sauder established a corporate philosophy that’s about thinking beyond today and trying to anticipate what might be changing tomorrow.

Beginning in the early 1930s, Sauder first made simple chicken crates, then built church pews and soon found a use for his hardwood scraps in side tables. By 1951, his ingenuity manifested into the first flat-packed, “knock-down” tables. The company expanded to manufacture low-pressure polyester-laminated components and in 1980 introduced the look of “real wood” in designs with fully laminated and wrapped raised panels. From there, the Sauder family established its name as a company recognized today as a pioneer in affordable engineered-wood RTA furniture.

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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“To be a leader, you’ve got to be always looking out on the horizon of what’s happening in the country and the world,” says Erie’s son Myrl Sauder, former vice president of engineering and research and development. “My father was an innovator and inventor who always looked for the better way to do it. He said, ‘It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t know it can’t be done.’”

At Sauder Woodworking, innovation groups brainstorm, research and test with a relentless pursuit of new and improved ideas. In recent years, it has introduced its 30-gram micropaper-laminated panels to new channels to extend the value of its RTA designs to the funeral and building materials markets. Its advantage as a flat-panel processor for 50 years has allowed positioning new products to succeed in a time of economic recovery. “It’s tough to compete with us from an efficiency standpoint,” says Tom Warner, new market development specialist who championed Sauder caskets nearly four years ago. “We were looking at products that would diversify us. We saw an opportunity in the funeral industry because of a substantial change in families making informed choices about funeral expenses. The economy has forced people to make more value-conscious decisions about everything, including caskets. And that plays into our product.”

In a focused factory with dedicated woodworking staff and equipment, Sauder Funeral Products manufactures fully assembled caskets each week with the same micropaper-laminated panels and wrapped moldings used in furniture. Currently, Sauder supplies caskets as well as EverSheen top-coated biers and memory tables through independent distributors primarily in the Midwest. Myrl Sauder says representation by the 100-plus distributors nationwide is ideal. To do that, distributors must educate funeral directors, who have long-standing relationships with hardwood and metal casket manufacturers, about the value in modern engineered-wood products. That can require counseling about how to preserve sales profits in offering a casket that looks as nice as solid wood but can be as much as half the price.

“What I really like about the Sauder products, is that it’s absolutely a traditional burial product that can sell at a more reasonable price to lower the cost of the funeral bill,” says Lenny Ball, owner of Paragon Casket Inc. in Richmond, Ind., the hub of U.S. casket manufacturing.

As a distributor, Ball is charged with conveying the engineered-wood value message to his clients. “This industry in particular has a history of making less-expensive caskets not look appealing in color or interior fabric choice. Sauder has really offered an affordable price with tremendous aesthetic appeal.”

HERITAGE (BELOW) AND HERITAGE II (ABOVE) ARE AVAILABLE IN GOLDEN CHERRY AND OAK. THE ESTATE AND HOMESTEAD MODELS HAVE A GOLDEN CHERRY FINISH. HERITAGE II IS IDEAL FOR CREMATION BECAUSE IT INCLUDES MINIMAL DECORATIVE HARDWARE.

"The economy has forced people to make more value-conscious decisions about everything, including caskets. And that plays into our product.”

TOM WARNER, NEW MARKET DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST FOR SAUDER

With a rise in funeral pre-planning, comparative shopping and logical purchasing choices replace decisions made in a time of grief and desperation. It’s likely that the baby boomer generation will extend an appreciation for Sauder RTA furniture’s classic woodgrains and affordability to a casket purchase. In addition to price breaks for consumers, Sauder has created additional value to funeral directors by engineering for better performance. Warner says Sauder adapted hardware from its furniture designs for the knee brace that holds open a casket lid. The mechanism improves function and prevents damage from repeat use in a showroom.

Availability in three sizes accommodates a population that’s larger than ever before. If preserving wood resources is important to a buyer, composite panel construction is a practical choice. A dome lid achieved through new thin-panel laminating capabilities adds value to the product. Sauder’s rounded base moldings are unique to the industry and enhance the look of a casket raised off the floor. Yet another improvement is replacing the usual metal lift system that is used to raise and lower a body and is not cremation-friendly with a plastic system that is.

An increase in cremation -- often with a casket -- creates potential for Sauder Funeral Products to provide lower-priced caskets when families choose a funeral with a viewing but not a burial. At about the same price, they’re an alternative to hardwood rental caskets that hinge open to remove a liner that’s cremated with the body. In cremation, Sauder caskets produce less ash than solid wood.

“We’re the new kid on the block in the funeral industry, and we bring a fresh perspective to a business that hasn’t changed much,” Myrl Sauder says. “There’s always opportunity when things are changing rapidly. There’s endless opportunity for those who want to zero in on those changes and be an agent in that.”

SUPPLIERS AT A GLANCE: ■ DNP decor paper ■ Flakeboard, Sault St. Marie or

Temple-Inland MDF for moldings ■ Primarily Roseburg particleboard ■ Georgia-Pacific OSB for casket bottom

surface&panel

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“What Sauder has always done has made wood-looking things on a value proposition. A ceiling product was a good fit.”

Marv Burnett, senior R&D engineer and inventor of WoodTrac

before WoodTrac

after WoodTrac woodtrac Cove moldings in abbey oak finish with abbey oak panels

Just this year, Sauder Woodworking entered the building products market by introducing another new micropaper-laminated panel product, WoodTrac ceiling system. “What Sauder has always done has made wood-looking things on a value proposition,” says Marv Burnett, senior R&D engineer who invented WoodTrac. “A ceiling product was a good fit.”

Providing an aesthetic that’s warmer and richer than basic mineral-fiber acoustical tiles, WoodTrac is the first ceiling product to fit a standard dropped ceiling grid. The system has six basic components: perimeter, runner and cross tee moldings as well as panels, light kits and clips. With the molding pieces measuring shorter than 4 feet, WoodTrac is designed for easy transport and installation. It’s also about five-times less expensive than other dimensional wood ceilings on the market today at about $4 to $5 per square foot.

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Abbey Oak and Bank Alder designs are laminated on either side of each 3/16-inch high-density fiberboard panel, so tiles are reversible and resist warping. Burnett says he selected the two for their smallscale woodgrains that closely resemble the look of larger-grain oak in popular Sauder furniture. A white, textured version and a paintable paper surface are also options. Colonial, Cove or Tear Drop wrapped MDF moldings snap onto a standard frame with special clips to uphold the tiles. The cross tee moldings are slightly smaller than the longer pieces so to not require profiled edges.

Burnett managed electrical engineering at Sauder for 13 years before joining Vice President of Engineering Dan Sauder’s innovation group three years ago. Understanding the company’s machines and automation systems allowed him to envision new possibilities for existing resources. “There’s not a huge capital investment in this because we are doing something so similar already,” Burnett says. “For us it’s an easy venture to go in a new direction.”

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

> On this day, On this day, we will listen, we will ask, we will see the future, we will create, we will find a way, we will succeed, we will break new ground. > On this day, we celebrate 25 years of days like these.

Interprint, Inc.

101 Central Berkshire Blvd., Pittsfield, MA 01201 413.443.4733 www.interprint.us

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SynDeco

SUPPLIERS AT A GLANCE: ■ Toppan decor paper ■ Clarion Industries MDF

for moldings ■ Clarion Industries or

Unilin HDF for panels

after WoodTrac

WOODTRAC COLONIAL MOLDINGS IN ABBEY OAK FINISH WITH KNOCK-DOWN PANELS

before WoodTrac

After Burnett enlisted Sauder employees to recreate his prototype in their own homes, he considered their feedback and tweaked his design. To get additional input, he and Jonathan Zublena, WoodTrac product manager, created displays at six regional home shows so far this year. The Sauder name on an “RTA ceiling” provoked interest and surprise from contractors and homeowners.

Sauder brings its furniture to market through mass retail, so it only makes sense that it first offered WoodTrac through eight superstores in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. But shoppers in search of shelves are rather unlikely to throw in the matching ceiling. “We’re trying not to go with the traditional RTA angle,” Zublena says. “We’re using our company’s core competencies but are trying to establish it in a distinct category as a building material.” To that end, Burnett says marketing WoodTrac through builders and basement remodeling companies is a logical next step.

“It’s like a perfect storm is coming together with economy, consumer mindset and the information age,” Myrl Sauder says. “Those are the kinds of things that drive us to continually look for ways to go beyond.”

Just as Erie Sauder’s mid-century RTA tables were once a first in furniture design, a modern Sauder Woodworking introduces its now familiar panel product to entirely new markets. True to its founding philosophy, the company is thinking ahead to meet and inspire the demands of tomorrow’s consumer. s&p

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1 2 3 4

1. HANGING THE PERIMETER MOLDS IN PLACE USING THE WOODTRAC PATENTED HANGER SYSTEM. 2. GRID CLIPS SNAP INTO PLACE ON LONG GRIDS . 3. CROSS MOLDINGS SNAP INTO PLACE ON GRID CLIPS. 4. PANELS DROP INTO PLACE.

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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SynDecor_S&P_9x10875:Layout 1

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SynDECOR®-based overlays: The next great thing in decorative laminates!

SynDECOR®, a biaxially-oriented polypropylene (OPP) based film, provides cabinet and RTA furniture producers an exciting, cost-effective alternative to today's laminate substrates. This thin, strong barrier film is UV-stabilized and modified to chemically bond to glues for lamination.

SynDECOR is surface printed and e-beam or UV-coated

by AET Films converter customers.

No more water or moisture issues Because SynDECOR is an OPP-based film, it has all of the water resistance your applications will ever need. Meeting 24-hour test requirements is no issue, whether the laminates are based upon our 23, 32, 41 or 56 gsm products.

Its “Living Hinge” is ideal for miter-fold construction Unlike most materials, polypropylene actually strengthens when it is flexed. This inherent, high resistance to flexural fatigue, combined with SynDECOR’s high resistance to tear-initiation, allows and inspires product designs that include foldable backs, v-grooved cabinet carcasses, lightweight panels and shelving. Furniture and cabinet producers can now improve product design and appearance while reducing the overall costs.

IF water-resistance, living-hinge and versatility are not

enough to convince you, then also consider these additional SynDECOR benefits: • consistent chemical bonds with today’s commonly used glues • superior print fidelity • converter-applied coatings that deliver exceptional mar, scratch and abrasion resistance • formaldehyde and melamine-free • polyolefin-based construction, widely considered the most sustainable of all plastics

Wrapped profiles and five-piece doors MDF and SynDECOR-based overlays are made for one another. The thin, yet strong SynDECOR-based laminate will highlight the intricate detail of routed products.

Five-piece doors can now be produced with one substrate and one print surface, delivering consistent design with improved durability. The functional surface of SynDECOR chemically bonds to the PUR or water-based glues.

The Hidden Advantage™

www.SynDECOR.com For more information on SynDECOR, call 1.800.688.2044.

AET is a proud member of the CPA and we truly believe that SynDECOR - based laminates are an “Innovative Product for a Sustainable Future.”

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Munksjö Executives Address State of the Market Even before the global economic crisis, the decor paper market was in a state of upheaval. Munksjö CEO Jan Åström and Managing Director of Sales & Marketing Norbert Mix discuss how the company reacted to the fast-changing demand situation and how they are structured for the future challenges. Material & Technik magazine in Germany originally published the interview.

Jan Åström

You became CEO of the Munksjö Group about two years ago at a time when the market was difficult. What have been some of the most important events during this time period?

Åström: The global economic crisis also left its mark on Munksjö. At the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, we had to cope with a deep market downturn of up to 20 percent. Munksjö responded to this on multiple fronts. First, by reducing capacity and simultaneously implementing internal measures, Munksjö was able to bring costs down to a sustainable level. Secondly, we negotiated a new financing structure.

Early on, Munksjö reacted to the emerging weakness of the market with the reduction of capacity. Overall, do you think closing plants was an appropriate decision?

Norbert Mix

Mix: The mill closures were a heavy emotional burden for the employees affected as well as for the company, however this was the only way to eliminate our loss areas. With respect to worldwide over capacity, this decision was correct because Munksjö took 70- to 80,000 tons off the market by doing so. We made our contribution in stabilizing the market. Other market participants will have to realize any further reduction in capacity; still an overcapacity of 80- to 100,000 tons remains. In the long run, supply and demand need to be balanced in order to achieve acceptable margins. This is true for the entire value chain.

Is this a view your North American customers share?

Åström: The closure of our U.S. plant in Fitchburg, Mass., surely led to a temporary local supply shortage. Based on the high operating costs, the Fitchburg plant will now be permanently closed. In order to set up new 26

production capacities in North America, the pricing and quantities will have to be justified, and a long-term recovery period must be visible. An under-supply of 40 percent is unacceptable in the long run, however, our customers will get a secure supply from Europe for the time being.

Speaking of recovery, how is the market situation today?

Mix: In 2008 the overall market without China was 675,000 tons; in 2009 it was 560,000 tons. For 2010 we estimate an overall volume between 625,000 and 650,000 tons.

This could even be greater considering the extremely high demand at the present time.

During the market downturn at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, the Asian and the South American markets showed only a moderate decrease and therefore have recovered a lot faster. Today, these markets already exceed the 2008 figures. Both the Eastern and Western European markets experienced a sharp drop, and the demand from both markets is now almost reaching that in 2008.

Only the North American market shows a clear weakness that will take a long time to recover.

How does Munksjö explain the sudden change in the market?

Mix: In our opinion, the increased demand for decor paper at the end of 2009 through the beginning of 2010 is not driven by the end consumer but rather by the rebuild of a too-heavily depleted stock level, by the overall raw material shortage and by increasing paper prices.

Therefore, we assume a normalization of demand on a somewhat lower level by the end of this year and expect that the order backlog, which is currently 12 to 16 weeks, will level out to six to eight weeks.

What further plans do you have to position Munksjö more strategically?

Åström: We will continuously optimize our costs and, through well-directed investments, extend our existing capacity up to 140,000 to 150,000 tons. Growth through consolidation within the decor industry is a possible further step that will put Munksjö in a stronger position.

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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10/17/10 7:53 PM

Innovations are part of guaranteeing the future. What are your plans in this regard?

Mix: We look at innovation as a combination of product development and development of service-related processes. Product-development processes must be strongly oriented toward our customers’ needs and should focus on reducing costs and increasing efficiencies for both the customer and the supplier. We are aware of the trend toward resin-saving papers, so it is a high priority in our strategic planning.

The same is true in the field of pre-impregnated papers. However, many of our developments regarding the increase of impregnation speed or square footage have reached a stage where cost-intensive rebuilds of paper machines are necessary. The weak profit situation today and in the past years makes it difficult to justify the costly investment and represents a high risk to the company. Nevertheless, we are certainly aware that a leading decor paper producer can not ignore these developments, and we will therefore take these trends very seriously.

Everyone is talking about sustainability.

The wood-based panels industry demands FSC/PEFC-certified decor papers. How does Munksjö Decor respond to this trend?

Mix: Our production sites in Unterkochen (Germany) and Tolosa (Spain) have been certified according to both standards and Fitchburg

(U.S.) for FSC. We are able to assure delivery according to the standards of PEFC and “FSCcontrolled wood” for our customers. Due to the present pulp supply, decor papers with the status “mixed credit” are only able to be delivered in exceptional cases.

For almost six years, Munksjö has belonged to EQT. This is quite a long time for a private equity company. Are there plans for an exit scenario?

Åström: Munksjö is a well-positioned company with excellent products. We are optimisticabout the future. Regarding an exit scenario, there are different options; an IPO (initial public offering) could be one.

Munksjö increased prices at the beginning of 2010. How would you evaluate the price development for the second half of 2010?

Mix: Our price increases during the course of this year have only covered the increased cost of raw material. The fact is that the margins of our entire industry are way too low for the companies to stand on solid ground. Writing barely positive figures when running with full capacity is a very disappointing situation. In the last 20 years, our industry has developed a topquality product with a high level of innovation.

Unfortunately, this is inadequately rewarded.

The balance between supply and demand

throughout the entire value chain is an important aspect and absolutely necessary. At the same time, we need to enhance the image of laminated surfaces through quality, service and design.

Actually the cost fraction of paper in furniture is probably extremely small.

Mix: A simple calculation exemplifies the precarious situation of our industry: The cost of paper in a kitchen cabinet is as low as $1.88 (1.3 EUR). If this proportion would be increase by just a few cents, the margin would be back on solid ground; it is highly unlikely that this would have any negative influence on consumers’ behavior. Other industries demonstrate daily that it is possible to be sustainably profitable from the beginning of the value chain.

Our industry still has to catch up in this regard.

So, if costs continue to rise, we will have to announce another price increase at the end of the third quarter, and we count on the support and understanding of our industry. Currently we experience slightly decreasing pulp prices, but titanium dioxide (TiO2) prices continue to rise. At the end of the day, our industry needs a healthy supply in order to bring top quality products into the market. s&p

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surface&panel a u t u m n

2010

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Surface f Desiign B Y

S U Z A N N E

V A N

G I L D E R

GUIDE 2010

Each year Surface & Panel asks industry designers to share their insights on fashion trends, emerging surface designs and applications. The following is a sampling of what is new heading into 2011.

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www.surfaceandpanel.com

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LEFT: FORMICA'S SCULPTED COLLECTION IN FOSSIL / ABET LAMINATI'S DIGITALLY PRINTED, GREENGAURD-CERTIFIED LAMINATE. RIGHT: ARBORITE'S SUGAR CANE SERIES.

HPL ABET LAMINATI www.abetlaminati.com Abet Laminati’s digitally printed, Greenguardcertified laminate gives designers the opportunity to create durable, sustainable surfaces that meet any design intent. These designs were created for Hot Italian, a retail space and eatery developed in Sacramento, Calif., to capture the true essence of modern Italy. Hot Italian was chosen as one of only 75 participants in the LEED Pilot Program for Retail: New Construction, and is the first LEED-certified restaurant in Sacramento, Calif., With digital technology, Abet Laminati allows specifiers to have unique design without sacrificing environmental objectives. ▼

ARBORITE www.arborite.com/en Arborite introduces its Sugar Cane series available in three colorways. The style is linear and natural with a hint of exotic. Where flexibility, light weight and strength are required, these qualities all speak to the easy-going grain of the Sugar Cane series.

The new Refined Matte finish adds both realism and texture while providing the versatility and ease of laminate. More than 200 Arborite patterns and colors are available. ▲

FORMICA www.formica.com Global collaboration, qualitative research with nearly 60 designers and a quantitative survey of hundreds of industry professionals identified the following trends that drove the HPL design development: WOOD Ranked as the top trend, the Architect and Design community considers wood laminate as a realistic and functional design choice.

MENSWEAR Classic and highly usable, subtle optical solids and classic patterns are workhorses with the ability to be mixed and matched in many ways.

WEAVE A modern introduction of woven patterns, whether manmade or organic, is in high demand.

GRAPHIC Focused mostly on architectural and organic elements, these inspirational patterns grab attention, communicate from a distance and are simply fun.

COLOR + TEXTURE Texture is key to achieving the dimension and realism that the A&D community desires, adding drama and depth to an otherwise flat color.

SOLID COLOR EXTENSION Seven “Newtrals” new neutrals – in complex shades of chameleon browns, beiges, greens and grays, reflect the emerging “less is more” attitude. Efforts to be more conservative and make color selections for the sake of longevity are becoming more prevalent. These seven “Newtrals” are available in Matte, Sculpted or MicroDot finishes. Each of the solid colors is the foundation of the Colorbox Concept – where solid colors coordinate with optical solids, accent patterns and complement woodgrains. ▲

LAMIN-ART www.laminart.com/us/

▼

The Pearlescence collection of high-pressure decorative laminates by Lamin-Art allows specifiers to create the perfect surfaces for their interiors by mixing and matching 50 colors and six finishes. With their iridescent shimmer and unique finishes, Pearlescence colors add a touch of glamour to hospitality and retail environments, but they are subtle enough to be used in healthcare, educational, and corporate settings.

surface&panel

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AUTUMN 2010

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2010 SURFACE DE SIGN GUIDE

LAMITECH www.lamitech.com.co/portal/

▼

Lamitech, the largest exporter of highpressure decorative laminates in Latin America, introduces four new collections including Granites and Marbles: large patterns reflective of natural and traditional stones; Woodgrains: rustic and distressed or lineal and textured; Oxides: rusty steels in natural colors with a neutralizing design and Solid Colors: calm, tranquil and trendy hues. Warm and inviting, these four new collections are perfect for both commercial and residential markets, for furniture, countertops, backsplashes, shelving and wall coverings.

WILSONART'S WOODGRAIN LINEARITY

WILSONART www.wilsonart.com Always pushing the “standards”, Wilsonart HPL leads the way with highfidelity, dimensional design, rich texture and high-performance surfaces, including AEON Enhanced Performance providing increased scuff, mar and wear resistance. Wilsonart HD High Definition Laminate introduces luxury looks, an affordable step up from conventional laminates, while Wilsonart Premium Laminates with glistening Gloss finish and AEON technology withstand normal abuse much better than their predecessors. Design continues to push reality in updated interpretations of stone and wood, as well as new finishes like Linearity and FineGrain.

Wilsonart HD and Premium Laminates are also FSC-certified, an HPL industry first. ▲

fuze. /fyooz/ verb The blending of two or more innovative products from Northern Contours to create a singular statement. Gloss accents and rich woodgrains fuzed with metallic frames define a new level of design possibilities.

Contact us today.

866-344-8132 www.northerncontours.com Blonde Maple RTF, Olive High Gloss RTF, and Metallic Frames on display.

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SURFACE DE SIGN GUIDE

2010

3D Laminate AMERICAN RENOLIT www.renolit.com/America/index.htm

â–ź

Driftwood comes to life with its streaky and slightly moving wood structure. The vivid effect of the design is based on contrasting change of brighter with darker areas and the use of effect pigments.

The trend to a more natural look is highlighted when combining the wood design with the Melinga embossing, which yields an excellent depth.

Driftwoods are available at American RENOLIT in three different colorations from light to dark.

BOLTARON www.bolatron.com Boltaron Performance Products introduces a new Sand Surface texture of PVC/acrylic sheet for thermoforming, fabricating and membrane pressing.

Developed initially for aircraft interiors requiring a non-glare surface that is attractive, resistant to soiling and easy to clean rapidly, the texture is now offered as a standard on all Boltaron sheet products utilized for mass transit interior components, industrial parts and building products, as well as aircraft components.

The new texture and other standards, including Coarse Matte, Felt, Haircell, Levant, Mesa and Suede, are said to retain their three-dimensional appearance during vacuum forming and membrane pressing operations. Also available is an unlimited selection of custom textures with low minimums. â–˛ surface&panel

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SURFACE DE SIGN GUIDE

2010 DACKOR www.dackor.com

TALAS CHERRY a warm, brown-colored wood grain produced with a very low-gloss finish and embossed with a soft ticking creates a beautiful 3DL. Talas Cherry has a perfect Flakeboard TFM match, allowing for design harmony for closet systems, cabinetry, and institutional casework. ▼

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DACKOR 3D Forming Laminates introduces Leather White Alligator into its North American Stock Collection. The color can be combined with in-stock frosty-white melamine and edgebanding. This color enables closet companies to offer an upscale design while using affordable stocked white board. The color is designed to work in transitional home interiors and is not limited to contemporary or modern interiors alone. DACKOR stocks Leather Brown, Leather Black and Leather White Alligator currently and will add Leather Snake Python and Leather Latte as well as a line of seven ultra-matte solid colors straight from the German Stock Collection.

ARCTIC RIBBON features a white background covered with serpentine lines with varying gray coloration, embossed with a deep textured finish that creates an unbelievable linear 3DL design. Arctic Ribbon creates a visual attraction that is perfect for architectural wall panels, cabinetry and fixtures.

SSI NORTH AMERICA www.ssinorthamerica.com Klöckner Pentaplast proudly introduces two new designs, Arctic Ribbon and Talas Cherry, to the Pentadecor 3D laminate film line.

These designs are available to North America exclusively through, SSI North America.

www.renolit.com www.laminatefinder.com info@laminatefinder.com (973) 706-6912

FIND IT

Décor Paper INTERPRINT www.usa.interprint.com Interprint’s Design team is encouraging new ways of thinking about laminate and how it should fit into the larger world of Decor in general. Always in favor of laminate for laminate’s sake, the design team is developing materials (the softer-grained wood species, for example) that have previously been a challenge for printing. But with laser engraving giving a high degree of clarity, capturing either subtle or striking colorplay and detail, Interprint’s focus nowadays is on breaking away from the usual, and toward a wider view of what’s possible. ▼

INTERPRINT'S JOUBIN LEATHER

INTERPRINT'S WATER PEAR

Finding the right Laminate the easy way www.laminatefinder.com is the fast and easy solution for finding Laminate matches, properties, endless colors & designs, with all possible textures. RENOLIT laminate finder is the smart way to find the Laminate you need.

INTERPRINT'S PENNFIELD 32

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2010 SURFACE DE SIGN GUIDE

SÜDDEKOR www.suddekorllc.com As the only North American manufacturer controlling every stage of process from inspiration through delivery – Suddekor brings an engaging authenticity to interiors with our latest collection. From sunbleached coastal cottages to weathered Vermont barns, this year’s rustics more realistically reflect their original incarnations thanks to new technologies and print fidelity. While on the other end of the spectrum, Suddekor’s dark exotics mirror more subtle nuances for richer, sophisticated tones. Overall authentic complexity evokes a closer than ever tie to real-life inspirations for a diverse collection brought more alive with finite details. ▼ SCHATTDECOR'S STEEL SKYSCRAPER

SÛDDEKOR'S BRAXTON MAPLE

SCHATTDECOR www.schattdecor.de/en/ Every year more of the world’s population is moving to major urban centers.

This trend recently became the basis for Schattdecor’s designer, Mark Smith, to develop a new color palette for wood grains, appropriately titled the “City Collection.” The palette was inspired by the unique colors of 16 cities like Seattle, Memphis, New York City and even St. Louis. Smith also developed a palette of solid colors to be used as a complement to the wood grain colors. ▲

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SÛDDEKOR'S SOMA OAK

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2010

BTD www.btdwoodpowdercoating.com

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BTD Wood Powder Coating is a contract manufacturer providing upscale finishes for customers’ components including: tables, cabinetry doors, casework, furniture, retail fixtures, point-of-purchase displays and OEM products. BTD powder-coated finish offers one of the highest-quality, durable wood finishes available in an assortment of textures including smooth, fine and coarse, pebble and veined. Colors are unlimited and gloss ranges from 5 degrees to 60 degrees. BTD CNC and powder coats on 100-percent recycled content, SFI-certified, CARB compliant MDF.

DVUV www.dvuv.com

Market opportunities for powder coatings continue to expand as consumers seek new materials and application technologies to improve their current processes and reduce cost. Powder coating provides excellent wear characteristics without having to sacrifice design innovation. The finish flows smoothly around curves, corners and edges, allowing for a 360-degree seamless finish. The process is environmentally friendly, containing zero solvents, PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) or HaPs (Hazardous air Pollutants). Designers are becoming more aware of the environmental importance of the materials they use in their products and displays.

With powder coating, overspray is reclaimed, and substrates can be specified to meet environmental objectives.

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Powder Coating

UV-cured powder coatings have many advantages including ease of material handling, durability, one-coat processing and unlimited color pallet. It is also environmentally friendly. Speed and efficiency are very important aspects when deciding on a finish. With UV-cured powder coating, parts can be coated in less than 20 minutes and provide a 40- to 60-percent energy savings when compared to other finishing processes.

The high speed of finishing and low substrate thermal exposure make powder coating an ideal finishing system for MDF wood and other heatsensitive substrates. The streamlined operation is extremely efficient and cost-effective, which is important for everyone’s bottom line.

fuze. /fyooz/ verb The blending of two or more innovative products from Northern Contours to create a singular statement. Gloss accents and rich woodgrains fuzed with metallic frames define a new level of design possibilities.

Contact us today.

866-344-8132 www.northerncontours.com Purple High Gloss RTF, Metallic Frames, Rosewood and Maple Veneer on display.

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"DITTO" BY 3FORM

High Gloss Finish

Specialty 3FORM

www.3-form.com

3form is a leading manufacturer of award-winning, eco-friendly materials and architectural hardware ssolutions for the A&D industries. The innovative Varia Ecoresin system encapsulates textiles, organic materials, textures and custom images within translucent resin panels. 3Form’s Ready to Go Solutions transform translucent material into walls, doors, suspended features, lighting elements and other innovative architectural solutions. In addition to sheets, 3Form’s modular product Ditto, allows designers to play with structure, shape and light. Bold hues, organic materials, soft neutrals and textiles define the 2011 offering. ▲

Riken is the World Leader in production of High Gloss 3-D Laminates. Architects and Designers across North America turn to Riken when spectacular gloss levels are desired in Kitchen Cabinets, Store Fixtures and Commercial Interiors. Riken 3-D High Gloss is stocked in New Jersey with distribution points in Miami and Los Angeles. A new short roll program is now in place to deliver Riken 3-D High Gloss anywhere in North America. The short roll program includes the introduction of hot new designs and colors. Riken’s 3-D High Gloss Laminates add value to any application. Call us today for samples of the new introductions.

NEW ITEMS

MOCHATINI HG

COCOA BLISS HG

PREMIUM EBONY

BUTTERSCHNAPPS HG

WENGE HG

www.riken-usa.com

FANCY RED

1702 BEVERLY ROAD BURLINGTON, NJ 08016 U.S.A. TEL: 609-387-2011 FAX: 609-387-4958

www.chemetalco.com

Design with a doubleshot of color.

Chemetal’s new Tints Collection of metal designs bring color and energy to interior design projects with 15 color choices. Refreshed with 11 new colors, the Tints Collection offers of-the-moment hues and updated palettes. Adding to this is the vitality, reflectivity, and threedimensional effects of 11 deeply brushed Chemetal design choices.

Because Chemetal produces the tints Collection in-house, the company can also create custom color tints by matching CMYK, RGB or Pantone colors from corporate identity systems or by matching customer samples. ▲

MATERIALS, INC. www.materialsinconline.com Materials Inc. introduces a collection of refined metals inter-layered to provide a unique median. Metal Mesh provides visual appeal, textural allure, and structural strength, which can be used in infinite combinations. The line is a collaboration of inherently tough elements combined with the delicate nature of textiles. This provides an enormous spectrum of applications between the contrasting mediums.

Metal Mesh is not limited to furnishing spaces or embellishing an interior but can become an integral part of any design or architecture. ▼

info@riken-usa.com

BRIGHT GREEN HG

VANILLA STIX HG

CHEMETAL

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SURFACE DE SIGN GUIDE

2010

KML'S EXCLUSIVE TFM DESIGN, BURNT BAMBOO

PANEL PROCESSING INC. www.panel.com Duplicate a veneered panel in printed woodgrain and save! Woodgrain-printing is produced in one to three color applications.

Many wood species can be matched in a wide range of colors and shades. These panels are ideal many projects such as bookcase backs, P-O-P displays and spinners, slatwall, office furniture backs and bottoms, and juvenile furniture applications. The panels are available in various thicknesses, cut-to-size, shaped, perforated, and screen-printed. ▲

TFM KML www.kmlcorp.com The technology of the printers and press plate companies combined with flexible innovative research allowed KML develop a durable product that is appealing to architects and designers. KML is using a 100-percent post-industrial recycled core, so combined with the attractive wood grain designs and finishes, is able to give customers the look and feel of real wood without cutting down any more trees.

Choose one of six classic neutral shades – Ecru, Flaxseed, Canvas, Silver Flannel, Tweed and Onyx. Or, select from any KML color or effect option to complement your designs. Let your imagination go. From high-fashion store fixtures to hospitals; from the kitchen to the workshop, the possibilities are limitless. Resembling flax spun cloth, KML’s Linen Collection’s richly embossed panels are equally matched for use with modern clean-lined applications or traditional elegant designs. ▲

The beauty and texture of linen is here.

MATCH YOUR MOOD AND STYLE with The Linen Collection of thermally-fused melamine from KML. Resembling spun linen, the deeply-textured finished panels come in six classic neutral shades. Or, choose from any KML color or effect option to complement your design and create a timeless impression.

Ecru Flaxseed

Canvas

The Linen Collection:

Naturally simple. Simply elegant.

Tweed

Request custom samples 1-888-358-5075 www.kmlcorp.com

Flannel

Onyx

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2010 SURFACE DE SIGN GUIDE

TAFISA

www.tafisa.ca

UNIBOARD www.uniboard.com The Uniboard 2010 product launch sets the standard in design and sustainability. Capturing the essence of natural beauty, earthy textures and soft natural fabrics, Uniboard presents the Elegantly Natural melamine collection, a luxurious collection of cool, neutral woodgrains, UNIBOARD'S VIVA WALNUT FROM THE 2010 ELEGANTLY exotic and linear designs that is versatile enough NATURAL COLLECTION to transcend market segments and geographical regions. The strength of this collection is its perfect balance between commercial and residential design that will rejuvenate all market segments. The new Bistro finish accentuates the linear wood designs and creates a natural wood texture. Matched exactly for moldings, Bistro creates a beautiful, six color five-piece door program that has taken off in the kitchen segment. All Uniboard melamine panels are manufactured using 100-percent recycled or recovered wood fiber (pre-consumer). For even greener solutions, Uniboard has launched Nu Green 2 and nu Green Zero NAUF particleboards that are FSC- and EPP-certified, meet and exceed CARB Phase 2 and can help achieve up to six LEED points. ▲

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Presenting two of tafisa’s 10 new designs from the Beyond Borders Collection for 2010-2011: PORTOBELLO Rich in nuances of bronze and charcoal. Perfect for today’s modern trend.

MONACO A blend of grey, charcoal and black for the ultimate elegant look.

The tight-grained appearance and toneon-tone coloration of these quarter-cut oak designs give them a sophisticated flair that is well-suited for any contemporary vertical or horizontal application. The deep, linear wood grain effect of the surface texture Urbania enhances the depth of these designs, while the low-shine gloss level highlights the natural color of the oak design.

Matching HPL and five-piece doors for kitchen cabinets, vanities and closet applications are available.

Textured Beauty Pentadecor® 3D Laminate films Designs with deep surface texture Arctic Ribbon

Weathered Pine

Linear Ash

Sculpted Wenge

Veneer MATERIALS INC. www.materialsinconline.com Materials Inc. by WTP Corporation introduces Tula natural birch bark tiles. Tula is a Finnish white birch bark, which brings the rough beauty of nature into any interior environment. Birch is a living organic material and the color, tones, and patterns are different in every tree trunk. This makes every Tula panel unique. There is a long standing tradition of making use of every article of the birch tree in Finland.

Tula’s design is inspired by that tradition, and uses technology to bring a natural element into any modern environment. ▲

RAPHA STONE

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www.raphastone.com

Rapha Stone is a line of unique, new flexible stone veneers that transform surfaces into a dramatic and natural stone look. Dramatic because they are flexible, and yet natural because it is real stone! The lightweight and economical stone veneers open up new possibilities for a stone look. At just 1/2 pound per square foot, these lightweight veneers allow installation in applications like RVs, exhibit displays, and wall construction where reinforcing is not available. A woodworking shop can process and fabricate Rapha Stone. The thin stone with the FRP (fiberglass reinforced polyester backing) can be cut and adhered with standard tools and adhesives. ▲

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TREEFROG VENEER

2010

www.treefrogveneer.com

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Treefrog recently reintroduced Madagascar Ebony and Palmwood, two already popular treefrog Veneer laminates, with an improved topcoat, labeled Bright Silk that better accentuates the darker wood hues.

Treefrog has also introduced the FSC Collection, five of the company’s most popular veneer laminates, with FSC-certified veneer faces. the FSC Collection is pre-finished and supplied on a laminate backer for installation ease and cost-effectiveness. They can contribute to LEED Materials and Resources Credit 7-Certified Wood.

LAMIN-ART www.laminart.com/us/

Routed MDF panels, like Interlam's Art Diffusion, provide three-dimensional decorative surfaces with solid environmental credentials. For more information visit the web-exclusive section of www.surfaceandpanel.com and click on “Value-Engineering to Extend a Sustainable Message.”

▼

Lamin-art presents Veneer-art, a collection of pre-finished wood veneers that are stain-, scratch- and dent-resistant. Made only with genuine, not reconstituted veneers, Veneer-art High-Performance Wood Veneer is ideally suited for vertical and horizontal applications in commercial interiors such as reception desks, table tops, architectural doors, wainscoting and all types of fixtures, furniture and cabinetry. Because it is ready to install and requires no finishing, Veneer-art saves time and labor while providing superior durability. Currently 18 domestic and exotic colors/species are offered, and matching edgebanding is also available.

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FOLIOT FURNITURE’S WESTERN EXPANSION

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or Foliot Furniture “continuous improvement” is more than a vague concept, it is a practice that gives the company a defi nite advantage in the competitive market segments of hospitality, residence hall and military furniture. Company Founder and President Daniel Foliot understands that to serve his clients, he has to bring custom design, high-volume capability and just-in time production together in one system. To accomplish this, the St. Jerome, Quebec based company invests heavily in high-tech equipment and relies on high-performance engineered materials. “The reason we are still here today in 2010 is because we work hard on our productivity and quality,” says Simon Perreault, Vice President of Foliot Furniture who heads engineering and IT for the company. “We are constantly improving and re-improving. It is an all the time, real time process.”

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Foliot Furniture’s most recent improvement is a fully automated 310,000 square-foot manufacturing facility located in Las Vegas, that opened June 1, 2010. The company, which was founded in 1991, also has a 250,000 square-foot panel-processing facility in St-Jerome, near Montreal and a 125,000 square-foot seating and softgoods facility in Tennesee. “We knew that the west coast was not well covered, and there was a market there for us,” says Foliot. “If you want to serve the people, you have to be there to serve them.” This is particularly true for customers in the hospitality, residence hall and military furniture segments. Not only does proximity translate to LEED points but also to on-time delivery of assembled goods. “Timing is huge. People are waiting for hundreds of rooms, so there is no way we could be late. It has always been one of our priorities to be on time and we are really good at it.”

High Design

According to Joel Dupras, design director for Foliot Furniture, “Contemporary-style furniture is very hot at the moment, and it’s getting hotter.” That same clean, modern look that dominates TV shows and fashion magazine is steadily gaining ground in the furniture industry. Foliot Furniture’s clients, which include illustrious names like the Stratosphere hotel in Las Vegas, specify big wall units with everything (luggage bench, TV, drawers, outlets, ipod stand) integrated into one neat wall mount. “We are flexible in our style,” says Dupras. “Our focus is the new contemporary that is very young, very boutique. We look a little more edgy. We try to bring new looks to the market, new ideals, not to just do what we have always done, what everybody has always done.

Instead we bring in new materials and new ways of thinking about hotel rooms and residence halls.” Dupras and his team often travel to Europe to see what is new in the market in terms of material and hardware.

High Performance Materials

The European sensibility carries over into Foliot’s philosophy about engineered materials. “Engineered is good, it sounds good,” says Foliot, “whether you are re-engineering for cost savings or re-using materials for environmental benefits, the word “engineered” has value.” Foliot Furniture uses reconstituted veneers, solid wood legs, Wilsonart HPL and HTFL. That’s right HTFL, high-temperature fused laminate, not TFM. “I want to get away from the word ‘melamine,’” says Foliot. “It is a word

that carries negative connotations from back before there was technology to machine and edgeband properly, when the focus was about processing for economy, not quality. Now we have the technology to make very nice things out of engineered materials.” With this approach Foliot Furniture has great success convincing clients of the value and performance of engineered materials. Foliot Furniture takes advantage of the alliance between Uniboard (eastern North America) and KML (western North America) to offer the same HTFL designs to customers, with short leads times, regardless of their geographic location.

Once a design goes through R&D and engineering, Foliot Furniture creates 3D renderings of complete rooms. They also develop prototypes using different materials so that clients can see and feel the benefits of engineered materials. “We educate all our reps about materials,” says Dupras. “And we present two versions, one in solid wood and veneer, and one in laminate so they can see there is not a difference in appearance, but there is a difference in cost and quality for long term use.”

Foliot Furniture's new Las Vegas facility takes advantage of the alliance between Uniboard and KML to offer the same surface designs to customers east and west.

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2010

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SUPPLIERS AT A GLANCE: ■ Uniboard ■ KML ■ Wilsonart ■ Ima ■ Schelling ■ Cefla ■ Microvellum

HIGH TECH

To fulfill custom designs just in time and in high volume, Foliot Furniture has very flexible, automated manufacturing. “In St-Jerome our main production line is equipped with a completely automated system.

There is no material handling from the saw to the end of the edgebanders,” says Foliot. The new Las Vegas facility is also fully automated, appointed with Ima, Schelling and SCM equipment and Hytrol conveyers. The facility is equipped with several Schelling saws, 6 drilling machines three edgebanders and a contoured edgebander from Ima. Foliot Funriture ‘s new facility also features a Cefla UV line.

The company uses a parametric casegoods application from Microvellum to run production. “Everything really starts with Microvellum, it is the central brain of our operations,” says Perreault. “Starting with the engineering department we process all orders through Microvellum.

Once we create the different parameters and formulas in the library all we have to do is input data and all the cutplans, all the drilling plans, all the recipes, all the bill of materials and all the workload information are sent to the different departments. Everything starts there, the barcodes and scanner information, is all automated and the equipment is all CNC. Basically, we send a program, answer a few questions, push the green button and the machines do the job.”

Foliot Furniture’s investment in equipment and technology give the company the flexibility necessary to produce large quantities of furniture within short lead times. The company’s commitment to new design and new materials allows them to deliver distinctive, durable furniture to hospitality, residence hall and military customers throughout North America. s&p

Skill Standards

S

imon Perreault, Vice President of Foliot Furniture is in charge of engineering and IT for the company. He identifies the greatest challenge facing the panel processing industry in North America as the lack of trained machinery operators. “In Canada nobody offers a technological furniture program, so we have to do a lot of training here in house. We have to train everybody.” Perreault acknowledges the value of the “old NAUF - Particleboard school” way of building furniture by hand, but that method does not translate to producing high-volume for many different customers.

“With high-tech equipment you need MC to be able to program it and operate it, that is a big difference from the old ways,” says Perreault.

Sans urée formaldéhyde - Particle brut Foliot Furniture is not the only company aware of the increasing need for craftspeople with technical skills. This year at IWF the Woodworker Career Alliance of North America (WCANA) announced the new Skill Standards program. The basis of the program is NAUF - MDF a set of observable, measurable operations for tools and machinery. Professional woodworkers across all market segments can be evaluated on their knowledge of procedures and safety for those operations and tools. Their progress will be documented in a passMC port that functions as a permanent, portable record.

Not only does the Skill Standards program make it easier for employees to find work and for employers to find trained operators, Sans urée formaldéhyde - MDF it also adds a level of prestige to the increasingly high-tech industry of furniture manufacturing. The WCANA is currently seeking experienced professionals to train to become paid evaluators, with the goal of having the program fully functional by the close of 2010. ■

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NAUF - Melamine

Sans urée formaldéhyde - Mélamine

NAUF - Particleboard & Melamine

Particle brut

Mélamine

LEFT: THE FULLY AUTOMATED LINE REQUIRES NO MATERIAL HANDLING FROM THE SAWS TO THE END OF THE EDGEBANDER. www.surfaceandpanel.com

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ABOVE-LEFT TO RIGHT: DAVID FOLIOT, VICE-PRESIDENT; EDITH FOLIOT; DANIEL FOLIOT, PRESIDENT; YAMINA CHEDIAK; MARIE-EVE FOLIOT, VICE-PRESIDENT; PHILLIPE FOLIOT

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new PRODUCT zero zero

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- Particle brut

zero zero

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2 Setting MC

Sans urée formaldéhyde - Particle brut

the standard

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Sans urée formaldéhyde - Mélamine

2

The most competitively priced eco-friendly board NAUF (No Added Urea Formaldehyde) Meets CARB phase 2 emission standards FSC and EPP certified Made from 100% recycled and recovered material (pre-consumer) Low-density ANSI M-2 Grade means a reduced transportation footprint Can help you achieve up to 6 LEED points

CARB COMPLIANT

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NU GreenTM 2 NAUF particleboard is available in our extensive collection of melamine designs including all Elegantly Natural colors.

A Pfleiderer AG company

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Funblock, Inc. Owner Michael Crane Reconnects with his Company’s Roots after Diversifying his Components Manufacturing Capabilities to Compete.

STAYING ALIVE B Y

G

rowing a small business during an economic recession is a tough order to fill. To stay competitive and relevant to the furniture and fixtures market’s changing demands, businesses must rapidly evolve just to stay afloat.

If anyone understands that challenge, it’s Michael Crane, owner of Funblock, Inc., a children’s furniture manufacturer cum panel components fabricator that’s managed to diversify its processing capabilities to forge ahead.

Once a commercial photographer for advertising, Crane’s journey as a furniture maker started somewhat by chance. Back in the late 1980s, he designed and built a custom-sized play table to entertain his young sons’ LEGO fascination. When the boys’ preschool learned of Crane’s hobbyist woodworking talents, he began donating his projects and taking some orders. As demand increased, fathers from Jewish Russian immigrant families seeking jobs in the nearby Kansas City community formed a staff of woodworkers in Crane’s

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garage. His 5-year-old suggested the name Funblock. After a stint in a pet store basement, the operation moved to it’s longtime location, an 18,000-square-foot facility in Raytown, Mo., where it’s held fast for 16 years.

The Funblock, Inc. story is marked with early peaks and recent lows that spurred significant cutbacks but were never so bad as to close its doors. In the mid ‘90s, when the fledgling company made almost every train table in specialty toy shops throughout the U.S., Brio and Playmobil provided a steady flow of orders. A prosperous upswing came in late 1997 when Constructive Playthings, a classroom furniture and storage distributor based in Kansas City, ordered 300 train tables.

Within the year, orders soared to 5,000 and 7,000, 9,000 and 11,000 pieces in the following years. “In those days, that one table was 80-percent of our business,” Crane says.

Numbers totalled 40,000 by the year 2000, when an off-shores factory knocked-off the design and offered it a lower price in big-box stores, diverting many orders from Funblock, Inc. Despite the hit, Constructive Playthings

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sold Crane’s popular design fairly steadily until the September 11 attacks. A halt in consumer confidence forced the distributor to cancel orders for thousands of units.

Two years ago, Crane reinstated production to fulfill made-to-order runs of 25 and 50 for Constructive Playthings. After an almost 10-year hiatus, it was difficult to locate that same green-colored TFM panel for the tables’ play surface. “I had to find someone to make the color we need,” says Crane. (see sidebar, page 24) The classic train table remains a staple in childcare and preschool settings for use as activity centers for manipulative materials, but imported Thomas the Tank Enginebranded versions have replaced Crane’s as best-sellers for residential use, according to Constructive Playthings president Michael Klein. Funblock, Inc. currently designs and builds about 30 classroom storage products for the Constructive Playthings catalog. “Jobs have picked up in the school market recently despite the caution in the consumer economy,” Crane says.

At the onset of that decade or so when his iconic product fell off the radar, Crane steered his resources to meet the needs of new clients and to accommodate the new needs of existing customers. “Over the years, people asked us to do such and such, but I’d tell them some other company was better suited to do a certain thing more efficiently,” he says. “At one time, it didn’t make good business sense to do anything but those thousands of train tables.” When that changed, Funblock, Inc. made lateral strides to move forward.

“Our survival has been about servicing the needs of companies who were buying things elsewhere in the past,” Crane says. “Another big part of it is trying to take care of more of the needs of current customers. In doing so,

“Our survival has been about servicing the needs of companies who were buying things elsewhere in the past.”

MICHAEL CRANE, OWNER, FUNBLOCK, INC.

we have grown with them as their needs also change and expand.” An example of that is when Crane approached Kansas City Closets six years ago about localizing production of their TFM panel sizing. Funblock, Inc. now supplies all but the 3DL components for the local home storage systems provider.

To stay competitive and relevant to the furniture and fixtures market’s changing demands, Funblock, Inc. has designed and manufactured private-label children’s computer desks as well as retail and funeral home displays and fabricates MDF slatwall from Wind Mill Slatwall Products in Sheboygan Falls, Wis. Crane orders mostly Roseburg Duramine particleboard panels through BlueLinx in Atlanta and Cedar Creek Wholesale in Grandview, Mo., but has used nearly every TFM supplier nationwide

throughout the years. Today, most of Crane’s retail projects come from nearby National Equipment Company. Examples are fixtures for Sprint, Hallmark, DEB stores and Kansas Sampler, a store specializing in licensed collegiate sports merchandise with two “Rally House” locations that recently opened in Dallas, Texas.

“We are a tiny company, but we are extremely diverse,” Crane says. “Our small size is what has allowed us to adapt. It doesn’t take an act of Congress or a board meeting to change something around here.” To accommodate materials availability and cost considerations, Crane can tweak a areas of a design and its literature on the fly. That customizability means a modified order and its assembly instructions appear no different from a design in regular production.

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Its staff of eight has reconfigured its human and technical resources to survive. It’s shifted from making thousands of one product to handfuls of hundreds of designs using mostly the same equipment. Crane purchased his two Weeke machining centers, a Homag Espana beam saw and a Brandt edgebander through Stiles Machinery. The shop also houses a Gannomat full-line boring machine, a Ritter boring machine and a Felins stretch wrapper for packaging sized components. The Gannomat is set up for all of the classroom furniture, which Crane designed with the same hole-boring pattern.

Crane has always worked in the shop. His wife, June, works in the office when she’s not teaching preschool at their synagogue.

So does their son Jonathan, who earned a technology degree from Pitt State in Kansas, learned AutoCAD and is experienced in rendering custom components and one-offs for new customers using Stiles CutRight software.

“The reality is that the customers have sought out competitive prices, and I figured out how to do what they need because I had

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to, sometimes making money and sometimes not but always doing my best to keep customers happy,” Crane says, adding that he even absorbed jobs along the way from a competitor that didn’t have CNC routers like the ones he purchased from Stiles in 1998. “Some of the newer ones would be faster, but ours are still adequate. In the past couple of years, we have tried to not spend money unless it makes a little money.”

Just last month Crane had to forgo a worthwhile software upgrade to replace a leaky roof with a $75,000 membrane system that will protect his equipment, his family’s livelihood and his customers’ loyalty. Rain water damaged a high-frequency drive in his Brandt edgebander, but Crane says it came as a relief when Stiles was able to ship the $5,000 replacement part from Germany.

Crane says it’s encouraging to see business heading in the right direction in the last few months. “I’m just hopeful that things will get better for everyone and maybe, just maybe, be back where they were 12 years ago,” he says. “Things have been tough, but we’re here, we’re operating, and I know we’re not alone.” s&p

SUPPLIERS AT A GLANCE: ■ Two Weeke machining centers ■ Homag Espana beam saw ■ Brandt edgebander ■ Gannomat full-line boring

machine ■ Ritter boring machine ■ Felins stretch wrapper ■ Roseburg Duramine

particleboard through BluLinx and Cedar Creek Wholesale ■ Wilsonart Emerald Green D365

TFM from Kustom Material Laminators Corporation (KML)

www.surfaceandpanel.com

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www.Roseburg.com

Delivering a World of Panel Options

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Kustomized Color

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ike Funblock, Inc. and TFM itself, Kustom Material Laminators Corporation (KML), based in Tacoma, Wash., has humble beginnings. Just a month after Willie Wanker acquired KML in June 1995, a cylinder broke on his one and only press, interrupting production.

Remaining focused on his vision of an untapped market in TFM production, Wanker was soon up and running thanks to trusted machine shop just down the block and his 20 years of experience turning wrenches as a farm equipment fabricator. “In the beginning, we ran on sheer

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determination,” Wanker says. “And we did get 12 more years out of that first press.”

In 15 years, KML has steadily increased production from 600 to more than 4,000 panels daily. Purchasing a 5-by-10 Ott press from a Daly City, Calif., laminator prompted KML to vertically integrate to serve an established customer base there and then to build a 90,000 squarefoot plant in Stockton in May 1998. A few years later, Wanker added a Wemhoner press he bought in North Carolina. “Now we grow the business whenever there is an opportunity,” Wanker says. “You have to keep investing in your equipment to maintain what you have.”

Between the two facilities and 70 employees, KML’s six presses -four Wemhoner machines, one Ott and one Globe -- helped KML become a nationwide supplier of TFM sheet stock and cut-to-size components.

It’s a West Coast supplier of TFM panels for hospitality, university and military housing furniture manufacturer Foliot. (see page 40) When Funblock, Inc. recently revamped its production of a toy train table, KML laminated a Wilsonart Emerald Green D365 treated decor paper on half-inch CARB-compliant particleboard.

“When I ordered truckloads of green melamine 10 years ago, it was a standard color,” says Funblock, Inc. owner Michael Crane, who manufactured about 40,000 train tables for major brands and specialty toy stores throughout the U.S. from 1997 to 2000. “I asked KML for anything similar to a primary green, and what Willie showed me when he visited here was perfect.” ■

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Taking Care of Business For 45 years, Stiles has been helping manufacturers succeed by meeting the needs of a changing industry. Tasks once done manually can now be accomplished with the push of a button or a mouse click, allowing sophisticated software applications and CNC machines to work hand-in-hand with traditional craftsmanship and artistry. The world’s largest independent distributor of quality machinery, Stiles is focused on offering solutions that improve process technology and maximize production capacity. And, as the industry continues to evolve, Stiles maintains its passionate commitment to make your business a success.

Find out how Stiles can help you take care of your business. Call Stephan Waltman at 616.698.7500 or email swaltman@stilesmachinery.com. stilesmachinery.com

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!

R U O T N O

The 2010 International Tour of Technology hosted by Stiles Machinery was an infusion of ideas. In touring German manufacturing facilities of varying sizes, across several market segments, participants had the opportunity to see and learn from different processes, applications of technology and organization. Information fuels innovation.

The following photo essay shows a little of the experience. Read more about the tour in the Editors Column (page 58) and online at SurfaceandPanel.com.

International Tour of Technology hosts Gary Wernlund, Steve Waltman and Doug Maat led 25 inquisitive industry professionals on an ambitious 5-day tour through seven German manufacturing facilities, four machinery manufacturing facilities and many local cultural experiences. Here they pause for a photo in front of an old castle during a stop over in Heidelberg on the way from northern Germany to the Black Forest.

MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGY Observing technology in different applications, even out of context of one’s own business/operation is a great way to develop new ideas.

d Robots work automate y. an lines throughout Germ

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Several innovative German manufacturers are using LaserTec edgebanding for both performance and promotional advantages.

The tour learning about how CNC routers are made at Weeke.

A 36 coil magazine for standard edgebanding! + one for custom.

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The tour learning about the production of Holzma panel saws

NETWORKING

One of the major benefits of attending any sort of professional enrichment event is the opportunity to meet people with similar interests.

Doug and Gary bravely led the tour to Volksfest, where we ate chicken, drank beer and sang “Take Me Home Country Roads” alongside the locals.

-t o - b e are s oon e nt. s t n e n Compo turing equipm c manu f a

sting Big tables full of intere ironment people made a great env . as ide of e ng ha exc for the

The bus ride throughout Germany provided lots of opportunity for networking. Not only did Jan the driver deliver the tour safely through big cities and the narrow cobblestone streets of small towns alike, he was also a reliable translator in a pinch.

Sh o w r o o mo automa f the fully facility ted Pelipal in Schan gen

education Stiles Education provides comprehensive education to make the most competent use of your machinery for the best possible results. Celebrating our 20th anniversary in 2010, Stiles Education remains the only accredited training center in our industry – having trained over 29,000 students. Our instructors have more than 150 years of combined experience and teach over 40 courses in everything from machinery programming, operation and maintenance to customized personnel process certification.

To learn more about how Stiles can you help take care of your business, contact Stephan Waltman at 616.698.7500 or swaltman@stilesmachinery.com.

Scott Cruickshank explains SorbTech, a mineral composite used for machinery bases that reduces vibration, to Elliot Germany of Panel Specialists.

Contoured edgebanding. In one facility a robot was the slave to a twin carriage contoured edgebander. Cool.

stilesmachinery.com

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3D laminates (also known as “rigid thermofoils” or RTFs) are a thermoformed decorative surface produced in an array of solid colors, metallics, wood grains and abstract patterns, in a variety of gloss levels and textures. Typically applied to an engineered wood substrate such as medium density fiberboard (MDF), 3D laminate films can be formed around contoured edges and corners giving components the appearance of machined solid wood or various solid surfaces. 3D laminated components are produced using a vacuum forming process known as membrane pressing. 3D laminates provide designers of commercial and residential interiors flexibility to design furniture, fixtures and cabinetry in a variety of shapes without seams or edgebanding.

3D Laminates

Versatile Surfacing Material for Today’s Environments HISTORY/ORIGIN:

3D LAMINATION IS WHAT ALLOWED RESIDENTIAL STORAGE TO TAKE ON THE LOOK OF FURNITURE. 52

Solid color 3D laminates were developed in Europe in the 1980’s to provide consumers with a less expensive alternative to painted kitchen doors. As demand grew, manufacturers developed new methods for printing on film, making other 3D laminate designs such as wood grains commercially available.

As printing technology improved in the 1990’s, 3D laminate film manufacturers began partnering with thermally fused melamine (TFM) manufacturers. The resulting programs allowed designers to specify the same design across flat laminated and 3D laminated materials. This coordinated approach made “value engineering” much easier for designers who had to respond to consumer demand for clean, seamless faces and soft edges. By specifying different thicknesses of the same material, it is possible to achieve different levels of performance with the same aesthetic.

Since the 1990’s, designers of commercial interiors began to incorporate 3D laminates into office furniture, healthcare components and retail fixtures. Now widely accepted, designers are drawn to 3D laminates because the material helps them create furniture and fixtures that address health and safety concerns while reducing maintenance.

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The process creates a uniform, seamless finish.

3D LAMINATE FILMS

THE MATERIALS USED IN 3D LAMINATES HELP DESIGNERS CREATE FURNITURE AND FIXTURES THAT ADDRESS HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS WHILE REDUCING MAINTENANCE.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION/ TECHNICAL DEFINITION AND SPECIFICATIONS: 3D laminated components are comprised of three basic material ingredients: an engineered wood substrate, adhesive and thermoplastic film that can be formed in three dimensions using heat and pressure. The process, called “thermoforming” is carried out with either membrane pressing, a membraneless pressing or vacuum forming equipment.

3D lamination encapsulates all top and side surfaces of a three-dimensional component, including raised panels, deep recesses, compound curves and intricate side profiles. The process creates a uniform, seamless finish that cannot be duplicated using conventional finishing techniques.

The thickness of 3D laminate film varies between .010" to .040". A variety of surface textures (satin, embossed, high gloss) enhance 3D films’ aesthetics, and surface coatings are available to reinforce the stain, scratch and wear resistance of the 3D laminate.

The design flexibility of 3D laminates allows users to achieve exotic high end looks without consuming virgin wood or mineral resources from nature. 3D laminate films have the added benefit of being designed for use over reclaimed/recycled engineered wood substrates. MDF is most commonly used as a substrate for thermoforming because its homogenous nature provides a smooth surface and makes it an easy material to machine into contoured shapes. This is important because small imperfections on the surface of the substrate can show through the 3D film, a condition referred to as “telegraphing.”

CNC ROUTERS ARE USED TO CREATE CURVILINEAR, ROUNDED AND 3-DIMENSIONAL PROFILES (AND CORNERS) OF SUBSTRATES IN PREPARATION FOR 3D LAMINATION.

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BONDING OF 3D LAMINATE FILM TO SUBSTRATE 3D laminates are bonded to composite wood substrates using adhesives that are reactivated by heat during the thermoforming process. There are two common adhesive methods used in thermoforming.

The first is a two-part polyurethane dispersion (PUD) adhesive in a water-based sprayable form that is sprayed onto the substrate with a HVLP (high-volume, low pressure) gun at the same time as a catalyst.

The adhesive is applied to all surfaces of the component that will be in contact with the 3D laminate film, then set on a rack to allow the water to dissipate.

The other adhesive option is a hot melt adhesive that is pre-applied to the 3D laminate film. With both adhesive options, heat from the pressing process is used to reactivate the adhesive, forming a strong and lasting bond between the film and the substrate.

In both adhesion methods, the prepared components are placed into a vacuum former, a membrane press, or a membraneless press. The 3D laminate film is placed on top of the substrate, which is conveyed into the press, The press is sealed and set to a

preheat cycle to soften the 3D laminate film.

Vacuum and pressure are then applied: the heat melts and activates the adhesive, the pressure (from above) and vacuum (from below) squeeze and stretch the 3D laminate film over the substrate and into the countours, wrapping it seamlessly around all edges.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS: The primary design advantages of 3D laminates include: 1. The ability to create both contoured and “soft” edges that are ergonomically friendly.

2. Customized shapes produce attributes such as spill containment, grommets, concave/convex designs.

3. Many 3D laminates have matching design programs with popular TFM and HPL designs.

4. 3D laminates have smooth, seamless edges that eliminate the “black line” as well as the need for edge treatments such as T-molding or edgebanding.

5. 3D laminate fully encapsulates the substrate, protecting it from contamination and allowing for easy maintenance.

6. End users have the ability to select specific product attributes such as gauge, gloss, texture, color, and print designs.

END USE APPLICATIONS: 3D laminates are extremely versatile and can be used in numerous applications and markets. Primary end markets include kitchen, bath, closet and home storage where 3D laminate is used as door and drawer fronts. The use of 3D laminate in store fixtures and commercial office furniture is also growing due to the material’s design flexibility and overall durability. Additionally, because 3D laminates are seamless, hygienic and can be used to laminate soft corners they are increasingly specified for healthcare applications. In all market segments, one of the key advantages of 3D laminates is that design is not dictated by a two-dimensional surface.

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7. 3D laminate films can be specified in a variety of thickness and price points allowing for “value engineering” within one material.

8. 3D laminates have excellent impact resistance, and will not chip or crack.

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THE USE OF 3D LAMINATE IN STORE FIXTURES AND COMMERCIAL OFFICE FURNITURE IS INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO THE MATERIAL’S DESIGN FLEXIBILITY AND OVERALL DURABILITY.

RESIDENTIAL APPLICATIONS: KITCHEN & BATH CABINETS: The thermoforming process used in the production of 3D laminates encapsulates all top and side surfaces of three-dimensional components including raised panels, deep recesses, compound curves, intricate profiles, sharp edges and flat expanses, “One of the big advantages for kitchen and bath is that 3D laminates are water resistant,” says Paul Levesque, product manager for Miralis. “Also you can have beautiful faces with contours and exotic finishes at a modest cost.”

CLOSET SYSTEMS AND RESIDENTIAL CASE GOODS: Nathan Klomp of JB Cutting worked in the closet industry before moving into panel processing. “3D lamination is what allowed residential storage to take on the look of furniture,” says Klomp. “It is the little details, intricate profiles, flourishes and rounded edges, that make casegoods attractive.” Klomp also points out that panel goods are often only as convincing as their seams. “If the edgebanding goes bad, or the seams separate and collect dirt, the entire aesthetic is ruined.”

COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: OFFICES, INSTITUTIONAL, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, HOSPITALITY: 3D laminates are durable, water resistant and easy to clean. Because they completely encapsulate the substrate they prevent contamination and bacterial growth. Alan Applegate is the vice president of business development for Paladin, a company that makes commercial (non-kitchen) components for a variety of applications. “As a manufacturer of decorative wood components, 3D laminates allow BECAUSE 3D LAMINATES ARE SEAMLESS, HYGIENIC AND CAN BE USED TO LAMINATE SOFT CORNERS THEY ARE INCREASINGLY SPECIFIED FOR HEALTHCARE APPLICATIONS.

RESOURCES

our customers to explore the limits of shape and edge design, incorporate 3D features like non-drip trays, and create new functional applications,” says Applegate. “And, because 3D laminates are typically thermoformed over an engineered wood substrate the process allows for cost effective design changes and modifications.”

STORE FIXTURES: Retailers expect store fixtures to combine attention-getting style with durability at affordable prices. “Custom membrane pressing makes for a great product all the way around,” says John Colby, general manager for Piedmont. “It has advantages for store fixtures, kiosks, point of purchase, and other applications, and gives our customers more freedom to create appealing, eyecatching designs. Plus it also does away with square edges and black lined seams.” s&p

The Composite Panel Association (CPA) is the trade association for the North American composite panel and decorative surfacing industries. CPA sponsors an annual Surface & Panel Buyers Guide which provides the most comprehensive information on North American composite panel and decorative surfacing products.

Manufacturers and processors of surface materials should also reference the Voluntary Compendium of Standards for Decorative Overlays which was re-published in July 2009 and is available at www.pbmdf.com. The voluntary standards cover decorative overlays made from cellulosic or polymeric materials.

The compendium outlines the attributes of each type of overlay, provides the user with information and industry-accepted test methods to determine the performance and physical characteristics of the different overlays, and allows identification of the appropriate product for a particular application. The decorative overlays covered include decorative foils, three-dimensional lamination overlays, light basis weight papers, oriented polypropylene films (OPP), thermally fused papers, and vinyl films.

HPL is addressed in NEMA’s High-Pressure Decorative Laminate standard. The standard covers HPDL sheets that consist of paper, fabrics or other core materials that have been laminated at pressures of more than 5.0 MPa (725 psi) using thermosetting condensation resins as binders. NEMA is the trade association for the electrical manufacturing industry.

For more information visit the Composite Panel Association, DecorativeSurfaces.org at www.pbmdf.com.

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3D laminates (3DL) – VERSATILE SURFACING MATERIAL FOR TODAY’S ENVIRONMENTS Circle the letter of the correct answer for each question below.

1.

You will earn one (1) Learning Unit by answering at least 80% of the questions on this page correctly and submitting the responses with your contact information below. A certificate of completion will be sent to you upon receipt of a satisfactory submission. There is no fee.

A. High-end flooring alternative B. Alternative to HPL for wall applications C. Alternative to painted kitchen doors D. Automobile dashboard alternative 2.

In regard to fabricating 3DL material, the most common substrate used is:

A. Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)

Take this quiz online at www.DecorativeSurfaces.org

B. B grade plywood C. Particleboard D. Most high quality hardwoods

MAIL, FAX OR EMAIL COMPLETED QUIZ TO:

Allyson O’Sullivan Composite Panel Association 19465 Deerfield Avenue, Suite 306 Leesburg, VA 20176 703-724-1128, extension 251 Fax: 703-724-1588 email: aosullivan@cpamail.org

What were 3D laminates originally developed for?

3.

End users have the ability to specify a number of attributes for 3D laminate that best fits the project. In the list below, which attribute is not available for modification?

A. Requesting the 3D laminate to match in color and print to an existing wood grain design of a different material B. Increasing thickness to allow for greater wear resistance in high traffic areas C. Adjusting the gloss level up or down to keep design consistency through a room using different materials

CONTACT INFORMATION:

D. Adding or changing the texture of the surface (embossing) to create a specific textured look

NAME

E. None of the above

COMPANY NAME ADDRESS

4.

Edgebanding is required to be used with 3D laminates.

5.

3D laminates are commonly bonded to metal substrates.

6.

Which is not a design consideration when using 3D laminates?

CITY/STATE/ZIP EMAIL

7.

A. Contoured edges

B. Chipping or cracking

C. Matching designs

D. Customized product attributes

True False

3D laminates can help reduce injury risk due to their soft contoured designs.

True False

PHONE

8.

3D laminates are an excellent choice when designing for healthcare furniture, kitchen and bath cabinetry, and retail store fixtures. True False

9.

Which attributes make 3D laminates a good material specification for healthcare environments?

AIA #

❏ I would like to receive future CEU courses.

True False

A. Moisture resistance SPONSORED BY:

B. Edgeband integrity

Composite Panel Association

C. Soft corners

& Decorative Surfaces Council

D. Both A and D E. None of the above 10. 3-D laminates are an excellent material choice in retail fixtures because of:

A. Clear delineation of seams B. Long, flat lines C. Impact resistance D. All of the above 56

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Arborite 800.361.8712 www.arborite.com

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Süddekor 60

413.821.9000 www.suddekorllc.com

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Syndecor/AET Films, Inc. 25

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Interprint, Inc. 413.443.4733

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KML-Kustom Material Laminates 888.358.5075

www.syndecor.com Therm O Web, Inc.

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www.bc.com/particleboard

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Boise Cascade

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780.413.8900

www.kmlcorp.com

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Lamitech S.A. 33

571-644-9898 www.lamitech.com.co Microvellum

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Get it to go.

Surface & Panel magazine is your source for materials, technology and design.

www.riken-usa.com Roseburg 47

800.245.1115 www.roseburg.com Smartech International

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314-209-1655 www.schattdecor.com Southern Chemical Corporation

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832.448.7161 www.southernchemical.com

subscribe online www.surfaceandpanel.com While you're there, pick up a little something “extra.” Many of the features in the magazine are supplemented with additional information on the website.

Check out the community site, where you can connect with industry experts and weigh in on discussions. Pajamas optional. surface&panel

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Investing in the Future I recently had the opportunity to attend the 2010 International Tour of Technology hosted

by Stiles Machinery. This particular tour went through Germany (see Tech Tour page 50).

And although every facility we visited featured unique processes, organization and application of technology, all had one thing in common. They were all invested in the future.

This is not to say that in North America we are not invested in the future. In fact most of the people I know in the industry are very concerned about the future. But culturally, North Americans tend to think in shorter terms. For example, it was not unusual for the German facilities we visited to have a three- to five-year ROI. There are publicly held companies in the U.S. that require a nine-month ROI. Another 70 million Euro/year company told us they invest 10 to 12 percent of their profits into machinery annually.

This is important. Not because we need to do things like the Germans – there are cultural contexts that also need to be observed – but because the Germans are not the only ones investing in technology. In Asia (India, China) it is no longer people whittling on straw mats for pennies a day. Companies are installing the highest-tech automated oneoff technology, which is actually good news. It means that cheap labor is no longer an advantage, but it also means that North America has to stay on top of technology or else fall behind when it comes to innovation.

The beautiful part of this new shift in the global economy is that it has defined new parameters for competition. With labor and technology no longer big variables, advantages can be gained from regionality (think LEED credits, shipping costs and lead times), design, quality and cultural context. The pendulum is swinging back to goods produced in North America = good. But to take advantage of that, it is crucial that North American manufacturing players invest in the technology that allows them to compete on quality and fulfillment.

Every facility in Germany with 50 or more employees has apprentices.

The other place where Germans excel is training and educating. Every manufacturing facility we visited (in fact every facility in Germany with 50 or more employees) has apprentices. Yes, they are subsidized. But the benefits are multi-faceted. First, there is no contingency of 18-to-21-year-olds without any skills or education floating around not contributing to society. Next, young people gain skills that they can take with them anywhere (see the Skill Standards side bar on page 42 to see how North America is making headway in this area) and third, employers have a trained workforce. WoodLinks was organized with similar goals in mind for the high school level, but unfortunately the organization is trying to fight a PR battle without much support or funding. This is a very sophisticated, exciting, technology-driven industry. It is not wood butchery; it is robots, lasers and computers.

But somebody has to program and operate them. How can you help educate and invest in the future of manufacturing?

Liebe Grüsse,

Suzanne VanGilder • Editorial Director • svangilder@surfaceandpanel.com

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