Direct Print – an innovation in the laminate flooring industry

High potential expected in the medium term

With the direct printing process, so called DPR, manufactured laminate flooring is not just a passing fad, but a logical development of existing product technology.

This is EGGER's firm belief. "We see the direct printing process as a major step forwards, both in terms of product characteristics and environmental compatibility", says Stefan Pletzer, Head of EGGER Retail Products. "Our new DPR floors are 'third generation' and have considerable potential for the future." Quantum leap in technology EGGER is a leader in innovation of wood-based products and laminate flooring. The family business intends to use this advantage of technical know-how in the manufacture of directly printed flooring. DPR flooring is the next logical step in the development of modern laminate flooring, such as HPL (high pressure laminate), CPL (continuous pressure laminate), glued floors and the currently popular DPL technology (direct pressure laminate). The new direct printing technology greatly simplifies the manufacturing process and brings a significant improvement in the product itself and its environmental compatibility. Direct printing of the core board is a one-step process. This is in contrast to the "conventional" process with its two separate steps of paper impregnation and coating. This simplifies the entire operation and reduces interfaces, which in turn lowers the likelihood of errors and issues that might have a detrimental impact on product quality. "The combination of the proven DPL process, with its advantages in terms of flexibility, surfaces and range of decors, and the new DPR technology, which is in its early stages of development, is ideal for our business. With these two technologies we should be well equipped to meet the future demands of the market”, explains Stefan Pletzer. Warmer, softer, and above all better for the environment This process optimises not only production but also the product itself. With direct printing and the special surface coating, the overall feel is improved. The floor feels warmer, softer and therefore more natural. DPR floors are almost identical to original parquet in terms of look and feel. They are also noticeably quieter than conventional laminate flooring. That familiar hard echo is now a thing of the past. Thanks to their uniform product composition, directly printed laminate floors are more stress resistant and have greater dimensional stability than normal laminates and fulfil all requirements of the EN 13329 standard applicable to laminate floors. A persuasive argument for DPR floors is their low environmental impact. Thanks to the new process, it is not only decorative paper (and therefore valuable wood) that is saved in manufacturing. The optimised production process also reduces energy consumption and EGGER only uses ecologically harmless dye systems and water soluble varnish. So the new flooring is careful with resources, saves energy and is environmentally friendly.

High potential in growth area EGGER sees the main potential of DPR flooring in the around 10 euro (for each square metre) price bracket for the end consumer. This is the highest-volume and fastest-growing sector. "The new DPR flooring can cover a substantial part of the market in this price range. In the upper price bracket, on the other hand, we expect classical DPL flooring to remain firmly entrenched for the foreseeable future", says Stefan Pletzer. The big opportunity therefore lies in a volume-based sector with rather "narrow" ranges. "The capacity of our new production plant in Brilon is around 30 million square metres a year. We anticipate running the plant at full capacity over the next three years so we will be able to continue our growth pattern of recent years with clear goals in mind. With an estimated volume growth in Europe of five to six percent per year, we will gain more market share. The innovation of DPR will play a significant part in this", is Stefan Pletzer's firm conviction.

DPR flooring is warmer, softer and kinder to the environment than traditional laminate flooring

Factbox - Laminate flooring of the future • DPR floors: third generation laminate flooring • Fewer process steps mean simpler procedures and less interfaces. • Less risk of mistakes and problems • Classical laminate at the end of its learning curve, DPR is only just at the beginning. • Improved feel: warmer, softer, quieter • Looks not different to the consumer • DPR flooring has excellent dimensional stability. • Improved eco-balance of DPR laminate floors