14 w w w . s u r f a c e a n d p a n e l . c o m

EMBOSSED IN REGISTERMoves from Flooring to FurnitureHueck Rheinische, Schattdecor COME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT, MARKETS

“You can absolutely feel excitement in the US, and we want to take advantage of that.” THOMAS NIEDERMAIER, HUECK RHEINISCHE “It´s not uncommon that

we´re already sitting together during layout phase of a décor

with the décor printer.” MARTIN MARXEN, HUECK RHEINISCHE

“The trend toward authentic, expressive and rustic decors

influences the tendency toward realistic surfaces.”

CHRISTIAN ZAHA, SCHATTDECOR

surface&panel Q 2 2 0 1 6 15

Embossed-in-register surfaces are an important part of the repertoire of the big players in the wood panel indus-try. “Natural Touch,” “Feelwood” or simply “Embossed Structure” are a few of the words that describe the cus-tom fit structures on melamine.

With the big EIR trend of late, strong communication between décor printers and press plate manufacturers has become necessary. Market leaders in each industry, Hueck Rheinische and Schattdecor came together to talk about their development processes and future markets.

What has long been part of the high standard in laminate floor-ing has begun to establish itself in the furniture industry. Especially in kitchens, the embossed structure is popular among customers in Germany and has become an inherent part of the product range. Besides that, the wood panel industry is able to demand higher prices for EIR products because the end customer recognizes the added value. Moreover, positioning these embossed surfaces in a superior segment seems justified when looking at the development costs, investments and challenges in production behind these surfaces.

The dialog at the headquarters of Hueck Rheinische, which carefully examined processes and market developments, included Thomas Niedermaier, sales director at Hueck; Martin Marxen, head of product management for press plates at Hueck; Christian Zaha, décor manager at Schattdecor; Evelyn Gorgos, head of corporate communi-cations at Schattdecor; and Anette Madry, marketing at Hueck.

The composition of this roundtable wasn’t coincidence. Schattdecor as market leader of printed décor paper and Hueck as market leader of embossed-in-register plates have collaborated intensely for several years. Working together on developments and closely coordinating work processes are essential to create an authentic and realistic high-end melamine surface. The goal is to reduce corrections so the total development time of an EIR-décor can be kept to a minimum but still create a perfectly aligned and naturally appearing authentic décor surface with structure.

In terms of case goods, embossed structures are only at the start-ing blocks regarding market penetration. In this market segment, as well as in the US and South American markets, there is still a signifi-cant potential for growth. Especially in the US, the pressure on local manufacturers is rising because of imports from European manufac-turers. Additionally, the trend in the US is changing from glossier sur-faces to high quality structured surfaces. Four years ago, high quality

surfaces from the “Glossline” product line that were introduced to the US market were well received. The next logical step is to focus on embossed in register.

The success of European wood panel manufacturers is not the only reason for the embossed structure trend in the US. Due to the longer lasting economic crisis in the US, necessary investments in EIR-surface technology couldn t be made years ago. But a change in trend became visible in 2012, when manufacturers in the US invested in new short-cycle presses with state-of-the-art technology enabling them to press contemporary synchronized structures. As these

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 �

THE DECOR SELECTION WAS DISPLAYED IN A HONEYCOMB-SHAPED EXHIBITION STAND AT ARENA DESIGN.

One ______ Leads to Another

[see how it’s all connected]

IWF 2016 I Atlanta, GA I August 24-27th

To arrange an appointment during the fair please contact info@schattdecor.us

Schattdecor_Q2.pdf 1 5/17/2016 8:39:36 AM

Schattdecor_Q2-2016.indd 1 7/6/16 11:42 AM

16 s u r f a c e a n d p a n e l . c o m

machines are installed and being put into operation, the demand for these upscale products is increasing.

With this trend in such high demand, both Schattdecor and Hueck want to utilize and show their experience and expertise. “You can absolutely feel excitement in the US, and we want to take advantage of that,” Thomas Niedermaier said.

The South American market is one step ahead already. The primary reason, among others, is an investment in modern machinery in the wood panel industry several years ago. In the US, however, the machin-ery hadn’t been acquired yet because of the economic situation.

The EIR trend has been influencing the repurposed wood trend. “In Europe, customers are looking for authentic, expressive and rustic decors, with a tendency toward more realistic surfaces. Oak plays a very prominent role there,” Christian Zaha explained.

Until recently, decors in the US have been predominantly flatter in surface texture.

“An EIR oak décor minimizes the risk a little,” added Marxen, refer-ring to several success stories worldwide. So it is no surprise that the EIR introduction into the US market will likely be made with an estab-lished décor, such as a rustic oak.

The most recent decors from Schattdecor and Hueck are oak decors shown with embossed surfaces at the Interzum Fair in 2015, and they have gained a lot of popularity since.

“Because of the synchronized structures, a very intense commu-nication between the décor printer and the press plate manufacturer has become necessary, which wasn t always the case for ‘all-over’ structures previously,” said Christian Zaha, explaining the close col-laboration of Hueck and Schattdecor.

The press plate manufacturer is therefore involved in the develop-ment process of a décor much earlier than in the past.

“It s not uncommon that we re already sitting together during the layout phase of a décor with the décor printer,” Marxen confirmed.

Niedermaier added: “As a press plate manufacturer, we also need to keep an eye on the technical aspects. We from Hueck are look-ing at the machine setup of our customer to see if our presses can

achieve a smooth synchronized structure in the production process.”In the past, development times of about nine months from the

implementation of a décor idea to embossed melamine surfaces were normal. With a larger team and optimal conditions, this imple-mentation can be achieved, in the best case, within five to six months.

The existing know-how and the resulting synergies grew signifi-cantly in the last few years, which is no surprise given that Hueck devel-ops 50-70 synchronized structures per year and Schattdecor around 30 EIR decors. Customers like to come back to this competence team that emerged out of the collaboration of Hueck and Schattdecor.

“But in general, it s in the customers’ hand which press plate manufacturer they want to work with,” Niedermaier explained.

However, this technologically sophisticated product doesn t only need a competent collaboration between the décor printer and the press plate manufacturer. Other steps in the manufacturing chain are critical. The impregnation, for example, is an important step in which the existing size tolerances should be minimized.

“For that matter, we are supporting and advising our customers with our experts from melamine application technology,” Zaha said, noting that is important for the customer to have experienced, reliable and capable partners at their side.

This is also the way Schattdecor and Hueck see each other – as partners that provide a comprehensive service surrounding all syn-chronized surfaces.

Evelyn Gorgos added: “Schattdecor begins its consultation with a trend analysis – so the customer really gets the full package of services.”

Ultimately, it s all about minimizing risk for the customer. This is why competent alliances such as the one between Schattdecor and Hueck, are so valuable.

“Technology and design are linked so closely together throughout the whole value chain, and this can t be found just anywhere in this industry,” Martin Marxen said. s&p

� CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

MARTIN MARXEN, HEAD OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT FOR PRESS PLATES AT HUECK, DISCUSSES SCHATTDECOR'S PRODUCTS AT A RECENT EVENT.

CLAUDIA KÜCHEN, HEAD OF DESIGN AND MARKETING AT SCHATTDECOR, PRESENTING SCHATTDECOR'S TREND CONCEPT.