EPLF Trendbericht · Web viewDigital printing is transforming the European laminate flooring...

Contact for press enquiries:

Anke WöhlerPH MEYERWirtschaftsberatungGmbH & Co. KGMittelstrasse 50 33602 Bielefeld, GermanyTel: +49 521 96533 39Fax: +49 521 96533 11Email: [email protected]

Download:www.phmeyer.dePress databaseText code: elne1707

Press ReleaseSeptember 2017

Digital printing is transforming the European laminate flooring industry Increased flexibility with reliable quality

“Those who invented laminate can reinvent it over and over again” – this is the positive, confident motto used by the players in the EPLF, the Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring. For four decades, they have constantly combined modern technologies with creative ideas in order to develop new generations of laminate that are superior to their predecessors in every case. And now, digital printing is proving to be a major innovation driver for the European flooring industry and its suppliers.

Ever since the first laminate floor covering was developed by a Swedish

company in 1977, European specialists have consistently provided key

impetus for innovation. They have gained huge experience over four

decades and this has helped them to follow new paths and to make

each new generation of product a little better than the one before. On

more than one occasion, the use of innovative print technology has

driven major advances in the development of laminate flooring.

The first directly-coated laminate flooring (DPL, Direct Pressure

Laminate) entered the German market at the end of the 1980s. This

nudged laminate flooring products out of the high price bracket, making

them more affordable for everyone. The excellent value for money

secured a global triumph for European laminate and was also the reason

why manufacturers increasingly became involved with this flooring and

were able to continue developments.





The surface appearance of European laminate floors experienced a

significant leap in quality in the 2000s when synchronous pore printing

(EIR, or Embossed In Register) was developed. While DPL laminates

still had a relatively smooth surface, their realistic appearance and

tangible feel improved their sensory impression; the wood textures and

realistic “V” grooves heightened the feel of real wood. As a result,

European laminate became the master of the rustic furnishing style. Tile

effects, which were becoming increasingly popular, also became more

realistic through the use of synchronous pore printing.

A few years later, indirect gravure printing (i.e. direct printing) came into

use as a quick production process for high-quality multi-colour printing.

For the first time, the decorative surface could be applied directly to the

HDF core using four-colour printing – without the use of decorative

paper. This had the effect of bringing more warmth to the surfaces of the

boards and a new level of authenticity to its look and feel, whilst

reducing the electrical surface resistance. At the same time, this

innovative printing technique meant that long plank dimensions could be

produced whilst avoiding pattern repeats. The attractive wood effects

with their natural colouring and textures could be shown to their best

advantage on these generously-sized planks. Laminate collections were

thus enhanced and offered even greater scope for interior design.

The digital revolution is in full swing

The flooring industry is currently experiencing another technological

boost: the digital revolution is covering all aspects of the development,

production and marketing of laminate, and changing them forever. This

poses new challenges for every player in the field, as the implications of





digital printing extend far beyond mere technical implementation. The

potential switch from centralised to decentralised production could result

in ideas for new sales and business models. The skill and expertise of

decor printing companies gained from gravure printing will remain crucial

for digital printing, because their in-depth knowledge will ensure that

digital decor print files will meet the high quality standards required for

print image and colour rendering.

Pattern repeats are a thing of the past

Modern digital printing presses are highly-efficient production systems

with a capability that holds interest for an increasing number of

applications and markets. The advantages of this technology are well-

known: the printing systems receive the necessary data directly from the

computer – without taking a circuitous route via unchangeable printing

plates or impression cylinders. Digital data transfer increases flexibility

throughout the entire process of laminate floor production. It means less

investment in cylinders, reduced make-ready times and minimal storage

costs. Producing new designs digitally significantly reduces the time it

takes to bring products to market. Digital printing enables the speedy

changeover of decor patterns, a quicker reaction to customer requests

and prompt implementation of new decor concepts – for customised

mass production as well as small batches.

By introducing industrial digital printing in their laminate flooring

production, European producers and their suppliers are setting new

standards. It’s thanks to digital printing that “endless decors” can be

manufactured for the laminate industry. Whereas previously the

diameter of the impression cylinder (usually 1,370 mm) determined the





repeat length, it is now possible to make decors with extra-long repeats

up to 6,000 mm – that’s a quarter of the number of repeats, a perfect

solution for true-to-nature decor effects and broad planks.

A greater variety of products is possible due to a free choice of sizes and

the far greater choice of colour variations within the collections. The

visual appearance and feel of the surfaces can be varied further by

using textured 3D surfaces or “fully synchronised pores”. In the supply

sector, profile manufacturers have obviously been taking advantage of

digital technology for some time now when printing customer-specific

decors on various core materials such as wood, plastic and aluminium.

Different concepts all leading to one goal

For several years, decor printing companies, machine builders and

flooring manufacturers have been working flat out on a variety of

concepts to develop industrial digital printing for the flooring industry.

One of their objectives for the future is to offer the entire range of

gravure print decors digitally. When creating digital decors, some

companies rely on colour pigments also used in gravure printing, to

ensure adjustability in the classic printing process and potentially avoid

metamerism, when colour effects vary depending on the light conditions.

Representing certain effect colours such as opaque white, gold, mother

of pearl and glitter is still problematic; due to the larger pigment particles,

these cannot be produced on digital printing lines at the present time.

Up to now, printing digitally on paper resulted in a relatively limited

colour space, when standard decor papers are used. Admittedly, special

inkjet papers allow for more colours but they are much more expensive.





Some digital printing lines don’t use paper, however, and the inks are

printed directly on the pre-treated HDF boards. Each of these methods

has its own challenges and poses increasingly tricky problems for

system designers, which take patience and the relevant expertise to

resolve.

As a general principle, it is also important with digital printing to ensure

that the decor papers and colours have good impregnability; after all, the

laminate product will need to comply with all standard requirements at a

later stage – still a difficult task in practical terms.

Integration into the production processes

A major factor when evaluating the economic viability of digital printing

systems is the cost of the print heads and special inks. Up to now, print

heads have made up around one third of the cost of a digital printing

unit. Equally crucial factors are the print speed attainable and the

reliability of the inspection systems for real-time error detection and

correction. One fundamental requirement is that digitally printed decor

papers must be capable of being processed seamlessly within the value

added chain. If, for example, it continues to be feasible to print

conventional print base papers reel-to-reel within the digital printing

process, the next production stages of impregnation and pressing can

be carried out exactly as for classic gravure. The machine should also

allow for problem-free switching between the various print processes, so

that subsequent orders can be executed reliably without much time and

effort needed for changeovers.





New techniques for reproducing texture

Three-dimensional surface structures can also be achieved with digitally

printed decors, for the most part using analogue processes. As an

alternative to the classic melamine coating system, a new, compressible

UV lacquer coating system has recently been developed which uses the

laminate producer’s existing press plates. The digitally printed core

boards are treated with a wet lacquer film and are then transported

directly into a high-speed press with press plates to give them the

required texture. Immediately after the pressing process, the surface

structure is fully cured within a very short time using a conventional UV

lamp. After cooling, the plates can immediately be used for further

processing. System designers have pointed out that surfaces produced

in this way have a warmer feel and have superior impact and footfall

sound properties compared with conventional melamine surfaces, and

that they are very resistant to scratches, scuffing and chemicals.

Another newly-developed concept combines industrial digital printing of

decors with digitally-produced synchronous decor textures (EIR, or

Embossed In Register).With the Digital Lacquer Embossing (DLE)

technique, a single-pass digital printing system prints a transparent liquid

medium on a layer of UV lacquer that is not fully cured. The required

textures are produced with the aid of physical and chemical reactions.

These 3D lacquer surfaces comply with the existing quality requirements

for textured surfaces in terms of hardness, bonding and scratch-

resistance.





So what will become of gravure printing?

Digital printing for laminate floor production is evolving and making

significant advances. That’s why the experts at the EPLF are confident

that this technique will be a key determining factor in the flooring sector

for the immediate future, although it seems rather unlikely that digital

printing will ever completely replace classic gravure printing. The two

technologies can satisfy different requirements and sales channels, so

they are more likely to exist side by side for the foreseeable future. What

is evident is that digital printing extends printing capabilities. So rather

than becoming an outright substitute for gravure printing in the laminate

sector, it has the potential to be used as an innovative basis for new,

future-proofed product concepts.

www.eplf.com

ImagesImage captionselnd1707_b1:

In 2015, the Interprint Group was the first company in the world to print decorative paper digitally. – Photo: Interprint





elnd1707_b2:

As well as printing on decorative paper and foil, there are machines for digital decor printing directly onto the board material. – Photo: Hymmen

elnd1707_b3:

With a single pass line, digital printing inks are applied in one pass. Exact calibration of the print heads gives a perfect printed decor result. – Photo: Balterio, premium brand by UNILIN

elnd1707_b4:

The digital printing process enables new and creative design concepts to be put into practice, such as decors with an optical mix of materials. – Photo: Schattdecor





elnd1707_b5:

With the introduction of industrial digital printing, European laminate producers are setting new benchmarks in flooring manufacture. – Photo: Classen

elnd1707_b6:

A particularly colourful digital decor: increased versatility in laminate design. – Photo: Parador

elnd1707_b7:

Interplay of impressions – a digital interpretation: traditional Portuguese cement tiles, known as azulejos, were the inspiration for this decor. – Photo: Surteco





elnd1707_b8:

Custom-designed digital print laminate floors are also available in high gloss. – Photo: Kaindl

EPLF Trendbericht · Web viewDigital printing is transforming the European laminate flooring...

Documents

Transcript of EPLF Trendbericht · Web viewDigital printing is transforming the European laminate flooring...