What is Melamine?Melamine

Are boards coated with decorative papers treated with melamine resins. These resins, from which the product derives its name, create a perfect barrier against humidity, steam, chemical agents, erosion and scratches.

Lately, thanks to technological advancement, Melamine has made gigantic progress. As a result of innovation and development in design and textures, present day Melamine has nothing to do with the one we knew in the 1960s.

Praticle boards:2.600.000 m3mdf:1.400.000 m3Melamine:1.750.00 m3.

KEY DATA

BASIC DEFINITION

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Melamine paper

(mdf or particle boards)

Melamine paper

Technical wood

Finsa production capacity (2008):

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TECHNICAL OUTLINE

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Innovation and DevelopmentMelamine

PROFESSIONALISM AND SPECIALIZATION

We complement our regular design offer by launching into the market several “collections” every year, with valuable proposals and news in response to the new needs and demands of the market, which demands creativity and exclusiveness in an environment under continuous development.

From our prescription department, a team of Melamine professionals is exclusively dedicated to the development of new designs.

Direct contact with the market, attendance of trade fairs and regular collaboration with architects, designers and interior designers are our main sources of inspiration.

In a world where environments, languages and fashion are constantly changing, it is tremendously important to innovate and to impress. At FINSA we are agile in bringing forth decorative solutions for all sorts of different environments: for leisure, for working or for living.

Trend busters

Technical background

Product development is managed by a specialized team which supervises all our production from our laboratory in order to ensure the maximum quality. On the other hand, our R+D+i department is responsible for the technical feasibility of all new projects.

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Melamine in our daysMelamine

Quality of design has made tremendous progress in the last years, greatly due to the advancements made in the printing section. Incorporation of new technologies in the creative and production processes of decorative paper has improved spectacularly the quality of our printed designs.

Such technical advancements has made present day Melamine evolve towards ever new horizons. Thus, such technical freedom has allowed our designs to adapt to, and to follow the latest trends without any complexes, within the scope of decoration and furniture.

On one hand, the degree of resolution achieved in design converts them into clear and realistic copies, such as in the case of natural elements (wood, stones...). On the other hand, Melamine has open up to new scopes, offering new capabilities in what concerns fantasies and abstract designs.

Besides, in the latest years, printing techniques have incorporated new elements, such as metallic paint, enabling the creation of unthinkable visual effects and games.

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From the most cutting edgefantasies...

...to the most realistic designs.

Progress should also be compatible with respect for the environment, and the progress made in the paint used in the development of water based designs is a real response to the concern for a sustainable future.

Did you know?

Printing techniques are based on the CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) colour model. According to the type of design, one may use from 1 to 5 colours, of which the last one is an additional colour for creating visual effects of depth and realism.16.

OUR DESIGNS

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If in terms of design nothing remains the same in terms of texture, progress has been even more.

As a matter of fact, the technical advancement achieved in this field has made texture become so improved, in order to offer a swift response to the new trends each moment.

Thus, the range of possibilities we have today is much wider covering from the different degrees of gloss to matt structures. Effects of depth and contrast are presently possible through the application of different wood pores, which bring realism and naturalness unachievable until a few years ago.

Some textures seem to be prescribed, in a logical way, for certain designs. However, in many other cases, transcending the choices for the types of finishing is very significant.

Actually, the combination between design and texture may offer surprising results by enhancing certain printing structures and tones and bringing forth new effects (from effects of sophistication, very up-to-date, to astounding natural touches).

Texture boards: In order to achieve a specific texture with Melamine, we use steel boards which through pressure and heat convey the intended texture to the surface of the decorative board.

Did you know?

From the most sophisticated gloss...

...to the most natural touch.

Melamine in our days offers unlimited possibilities, designs and textures: innovation as a trend

Every year we add to our range a new type of finishing as a result of the collaboration with the most important specialized companies in the sector. Creation of a new finishing implies an important work of technical development in order to shape the intended effects.

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TEXTURES

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Advantages of this productMelamine

Architects, decorators and professionals in prescription, regularly convey the importance of establishing along with us a common space for communication, the need for permanent feedback, in order to eradicate the existing shortcomings as far as understanding the advantages and capabilities of Melamine.

So we would like to state that we are completely available and delighted to visit you as well in order to understand the decorative solutions you require.

Please get in touch with us and we will personally convey the innumerable advantages you can have with melamine boards in your projects.

ADVANTAGES AND CHARACTERISTICS

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We assure the best use of forest resources, by adding recycled wood into our raw (materials more than half the wood we use is recycled). In this sense, the wood industry we belong to is one of the cleanest as it requires the least energy to transform its products, and is also the industry that generates the least waste in its production processes, thus enhancing the reduction of global heating of our planet.

COMMITMENT WITH THE 01.ENVIRONMENT

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Enhanced design and the best quality are not against a product with the most competitive price. We bet on research and development on a daily basis, always offering new technical possibilities that may enhancethe capabilities of our product.

EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP 02.QUALITY-PRICE

Melamine offers infinite possibilities for the decoration industry, mainly for the furniture industry, both for domestic use and as equipment for interiorism in commercial facilities hotels and offices.Both for coating walls, for door and window carpentry, or as raw material for furniture, Melamine plays a first class decorative role in present day architecture.

VERSATILE 04.APPLICATION

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For sound isolation.

EXCELLENT 05.PROPERTIES

Our wood panels offer excellent working capabilities as they can be worked by simple hand tools or with machined-tools of easy transportation and use at the decoration site. They can be assembled together and joined with appropriate adhesives, nails, screws, tapped-bolts and special connectors, generating clean, resistant and lasting unions.

EASY TO INSTALL 03.AT WORK

For thermal isolation.

In its behaviour before fire/humidity.

In its resistance/bending capabilities.

Structural stability.

ADVANTAGES AND CHARACTERISTICS

How is it made?Melamine

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The first step in the process is to select the raw material: trunks (eucalyptus and pine trees), slabs, saw dust, wood chips and recycled wood. Then the wood is chipped or grinded in the case of MDF. After having dried, the chips or fibres are impregnated with different substances (urea, paraffin, Melamine...) that will then polymerize in the further pressing process. The resulting particle mat is then pressed with heat and pressure, thus generating a rigid body. Finally the board is cut laterally and transversally in order to adjust it to the required dimensions.

TECHNICAL WOOD: MDF OR CHIPBOARD

A. Raw material: The chip board appeared as a way of reusing the sawdust generated by the wood industry. Presently, more than 50% of our raw material comes from recycling.

A base paper is used, which mass composition is: 55% fibre (cellulose), 36% additives that offer whiteness and opacity to the paper base, and 4% pigments that colour the base paper. Then it is printed with different types of colours, in order to obtain the wooden design, unicolour or the required fantasy. Through an impregnating bath, mainly with melamine resins, the printed paper achieves high resistance for then covering the board. The paper is then cut with special knives into the required sizes for its further application upon the base board.

IMPREGNATED PAPER

B.

The melamined board is the result of applying the pressing principle (pressure a n d h e a t ) u p o n a s a n d w i c h m a d e o f “ i m p r e g n a t e d paper+board+impregnated paper”. No glues or additional process is used, as the impregnation itself applied upon the base paper in order to solidify it, adheres it to the support. Besides, at the finishing moment, the press applies the design through an engraved steel board.

MELAMINED BOARD (MELAMINE)

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Standard sample: The printing process always starts off from an original piece of wood which is digitalized with a scanner, in order to obtain the best possible images with the greatest level of detail and colour gradation. The original works as the basis, as a standard sample for developing the design.

Impregnat ion : Melamine, in the strictest sense, is a polymer made of carbo,n hydrogen and nitrogen, used formanufacturing impregnation resins for raw paper. These resins, also known asaminoresines, endow it with physical and mechanical resistance.As an extension, the word “Melamine” is applied to the board covered with melamined paper.

Pressing: The final thickness of the mdf board we can manufacture varies from 1.8mm to 70mm. And before the pressing process, the fibre matt required for obtaining the final maximum thickness of 70mm is greater than 1,5m in height.

MDF / Chipboard: The main difference between these two types of board comes from the chipping method. In the case of MDF the wood undergoes a previous defibering process.

Did you know?

Manufacturing process

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01. 02.MELAMINE

MELAMINED

RAW MATERIAL CHIPPING GLUEING CUTTINGPRESSINGMDF OR CHIPBOARD

02. 03.01. 04. 05. 06.

TECHNICAL WOOD: MDF OR CHIPBOARD

PRESSING

RAW PAPER PRINTING IMPREGNATION CUTTING IMPREGNATED PAPER

02. 03.01. 04. 05.

IMPREGNATED PAPER

TECHNICAL WOOD

BASIC OUTLINE

BOARDBOARD

Special qualitiesMelamine

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APPROPRIATE QUALITIES ADAPTED TO EACH PROJECTDepending on the specificities of each decoration project you face, you can chose the best and most appropriate board (base support) for your needs. We offer the following possibilities in terms of qualities:

For a “lacquered” effect

We have special impregnations for our decorative melamine/paper depending on the type of use/application of

the board:

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AH Quality

MDF or particle board covered with high resistance Melamine for horizontal applications subject to high wear and tear caused by continued use. .

H Aorizontal plications

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AB Quality

MDF or particle board covered with high gloss Melamine. What type of effect are you looking for? Our proposals are: Unicolours

H Gigh loss

Fantasies For a “modern” effect

Maderas For a “luxurious and elegant” effect

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Varnishable Quality

MDF or particle board covered with Melamine with special treatment so that it can then be varnished in order to achieve

an effect of a “natural wooden board ”.

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QUALITIES PER TYPE OF SURFACE