IWF 2022: Materials Change to Meet New Requirements

Suppliers of wood industry consumables such as adhesives, coatings, finishes, papers, films, edgebanding, and a number of other categories, have recalibrated their offerings to meet shifting demands in surface performance.

Driven by increasing concern about hygiene and safety, seamless edges and impermeable surfaces that are engineered for durability, washability, and resistance to bacterial build-up are expected to be a major area of interest at IWF 2022. Availability and deliverability are another area of concern as woodworking markets struggle with supply chain issues.

Austrian-based Egger Wood Products (IWF Booth C1362), for example, just approved a $20 million for a third thermally fused laminate (TFL) production line in Lexington, NC. At 1 million square feet, Egger’s sole North American plant opened in September 2020.

“In light of the supply chain disruptions experienced around the world this year, increasing production capacity is one of the best ways we can serve our customers in the United States and Canada,” says Carsten Ritterbach, plant manager for commercial services. That new line will increase output of TFL 50 percent.

Kleiberit (IWF Booth B4413) HotCoating technology, installed at 50 locations, provides impermeable surfaces in high gloss over 90 gloss points or super matte with less than 5 gloss points, drawing from the firm’s experience in PUR hotmelt for edgebanding. Advantages in mechanical processing compared to conventionally painted surfaces include no white cracks or so-called “mouse tooth” effects in drilling, sawing, or milling. This creates a seamless transition from surface to edge, achieving high-quality and safe edging. The panels are scratch and impact resistant, light-fast, and resist chemicals, moisture, and changing climates, with maximum color precision and anti-fingerprint properties.

Laminate products are nonporous making them ideal for staying clean in the most stringent environments. HPL, TFL and 3DL Laminate products are designed to be durable, easy to maintain, and easy to clean. Due to their design properties, laminate surfaces do not support microbial growth and have been widely used in office, education, bathrooms, hotel rooms and healthcare environments for years.

“Our surfacing options are durable enough for commercial-grade cleaning—some even offer antimicrobial properties —allowing our customers to build the healthiest possible furniture and spaces.” says Scott Flom, marketing manager for the Industrial Products Division at Genesis Products (IWF Booth BC935). The Goshen, IN firm recently introduced Premium Rock, a new design element using patent pending, proprietary textured image-embedding processes to create scalable designs on lightweight, affordable stone panels. Genesis says these solid surface panels save hours of installation costs compared with traditionally installed tiles found in showers, on lobby walls and in kitchens.

Since the last IWF, Tafisa Canada, Inc. (IWF Booth C1946) has opened a new production site for its Lummia Technology panels—Perfect Matte and High Gloss. The new superior lacquered decorative panels are offered on particleboard, a North American first for decorative surfaces, and offer anti-fingerprint and scratch resistance properties. Tafisa and its partners also established a simplified supply chain of matching mouldings and edge bandings for its latest collections, as well as an extensive high-pressure laminate line called Surforma that matches its TFL decorative panels.

Find these and hundreds more materials sources at IWF 2022, opening Tuesday, August 23 and running through Friday, August 26 at the Georgia World Congress Center. For more information or to register, visit www.iwfatlanta.com

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