DPR laminate flooring from EGGER

The most modern technology guarantees optimum quality with the highest environmental standards

EGGER has built a completely new plant in Brilon for the manufacture of DPR (direct print) laminate flooring.

In the new facility, which also contains enough room for the finishing line and a store, a 380 metre printing and varnishing line from Hymmen has been installed. This line has a capacity of 30 million square metres of directly printed laminate flooring per year. “In the final capacity stage, EGGER will be operating a five-shift system and has created 100 jobs in North Rhine-Westphalia”, explains Ansgar Wolf, Technical Head of the laminate floor plant in Brilon. Some of the key aspects of EGGER's groundbreaking new DPR plant are listed below: At full capacity, around 190,000 cubic metres of raw HDF from the production of wood-based material at Brilon are processed. The line is designed in such a way that the 2.2 m wide and 5.8 m long boards can be printed on both sides. It has a capacity of 30 million square metres per year. In addition, a new finishing line with online packaging was added to the end of the innovative DPR line. It is one of the most productive profiling lines in the world. Working at a speed of    350 m per minute, up to 250 boards leave the profiling line each minute. To give you an even better idea, a pallet of laminate flooring is produced every two minutes. In theory, a lorry could be loaded every hour, though EGGER makes every effort to transport as much of its goods as possible by rail. Multicoloured decors can be printed Printing is done via an indirect intaglio printing process. The print layers can be made up of decors in one, two or three colours, while the desired base colour can be selected on another inking unit. Several printing and drying processes take place with water-based varnishes and then UV build-up. Every DPR floor consists of several layers, such as base colour, print, corundum, varnish systems for smoothness and hardness, and counter coating. The final hardness layer also creates the pore structure. EGGER currently favours the classic Woodline surface. For the future there is even further development potential for surfaces, such as roller structures (classic parquet surface), pearl structures, all over pores or synchronous pores. The gloss level can be controlled in the two final coats of varnish. This gives the decors the best possible finish.

The new DPR technology offers a whole range of advantages both in terms of environmental compatibility and improved product features. Ansgar Wolf summarises these advantages as follows: • There are fewer steps in the production process, so less energy is used. • The use of water-soluble varnish and dye systems is a sustainable approach that helps protect the environment. • Printing the decor directly onto the natural wood-fibre core board saves both wood and paper. • The new production process creates a totally new, warm sensation underfoot. • DPR also delivers improved acoustic properties: DPR flooring is up to 20% quieter than "traditional" laminate flooring. • Uniform product structure prevents stresses in the floor. The floor remains more stable during temperature changes, such as when the heating is turned up in winter.

The new direct printing line at the EGGER Brilon plant

Factbox - DPR technology • 380 metre direct printing line with a capacity of 30 million square metres per year • Up to 190,000 cubic metres of HDF processed each year • Decor print layers in the indirect intaglio printing process with up to three colours and a base colour • DPR flooring is made up of several layers. • Outstanding environmental compatibility and improved product properties