13 May 2021

HYMMEN_GERMANY: GOES ONE STEP FURTHER WITH PATENTED DIGITAL STRUCTURING PROCESS.

Digital structuring as a logical addition to digital decor printing has been a topic of discussion since Interzum 2017. From the beginning, the machine and plant manufacturer Hymmen has played a leading role in the development of appropriate processes for the wood-based materials industry. The company has already launched several systems in the market. At Interzum 2019, Hymmen received the Innovation Award for its Digital Lacquer Embossing (DLE) technology. But the spirit of innovation always drives Hymmen's R&D team forward. So, in 2020, the company was able to present an even more advanced process. (DLEplus).

With the DLE technology, a transparent medium is printed in a layer of uncured conventional lacquer. This is done with the help of the proven technology of the Hymmen JUPITER digital printing lines. Physical and chemical reactions create a deep and unique texture.
Digital lacquer embossing exploits all the commercial and technical advantages of Hymmen’s established digital single-pass printing process. These include properties such as high flexibility, short set-up times, no storage costs, new design options and customization, and doing away with the need to change cylinders or press plates. With a width of 70 mm to 2,100 mm and only one digital pressure bar, the technology can be easily integrated into existing processes. Using just small amount of the structuring medium does not change any of the tried-and-tested properties of the varnish, such as hardness, adhesion, scratch resistance, and chemical resistance. Ultimately, textures can be created that run synchronously with the surface decor – regardless of whether this decor was achieved through analog or digital printing. “DLE plus”, the advanced digital lacquer embossing process for floors and furniture offers surface textures with deeper lines and sharp edges. It can be used on wood-based panels as well as other materials such as multi-layer substrates, plastics, and glass. “Better than nature”, said a customer who thought that the digitally printed surface had even better properties than real wood.
The advantages of the DLE plus digital lacquer embossing process can be summarized as follows:
• A large texture depth of 10 – 200 µm
• Special effects due to high variability in depth
• Sharp edges
• Different degrees of gloss
• On request synchronized with the printed decor
• Paint surface quality is retained
• Technology can be added to existing conventional paint lines
• All quality features of the lacquered surface such as scratch resistance etc. remain

For further information contact Drs Anke Pankoke:
HYMMEN GmbH Maschinen- und Anlagenbau
Theodor Hymmen Strasse 3
D-33613 BIELEFELD / Germany
Tel ++49 521 58060
E-mail: a.pankoke@hymmen.com