Interzum 2003 attracted 54,000 visitors, about 13% fewer than 2001, with the downturn blamed on the international economic and political climate.
Exhibitor numbers were worse still, 25% down on two years ago at 1,352. The biggest fall came in German stand numbers, with many of the major veneer, flooring and wood processing companies absent. The rest of the exhibitors were drawn from 131 countries, with the biggest overseas representations from Italy with 317 stands and the US with 83.
Despite the difficult market environment, however, all the big names in décor paper were there.
One of the most impressive displays was by Schattdecor, marking the launch of a production facility in China with a Chinese themed stand. The company, which took over the Formica printing operations in the UK, Germany and Brazil recently, was displaying 29 flooring and 36 new classic décors.
Another décor printer, Lamigraf has expanded its design and cylinders departments and is developing woodgrain effects for flooring, in conjunction with press plate makers. “We’re also trying to increase the perceived value of melamine as a surfacing medium,” said spokesperson Angel Delgato.
Casco Products’ impregnated papers arm launched a design collection which comprises 55 woodgrains, six solid colours and six fantasy designs. The company also showed its DWS flooring films which have no overlay wear-layer film, incorporating a press plate protection agent in the resin instead.
Masa-Decor, the pearl-effects specialist printer, also offered crystal patterns with its ‘Trigaches’ range, while Tabu of Italy featured patterns in reconstituted veneer cut from laminated blocks of dyed poplar veneers.
For Sesa Press Plates of Italy the emphasis was on embossed-in-register textures which include tile effect patterns for flooring wood grain and natural stone effects. Textures across the plates vary so that individual ’tiles’ have different texture and gloss traits.
Sister companies Sandvik and Hindrichs-Auffermann shared a stand to highlight their plain and textured continuous press belts as well as plates. Synchronised or in-register texturing was a main feature of the display.
Berndorf Band and sister business Hueck Engraving focused their joint stand on new textured-in-register patterns developed with décor printers Süddekor and Süddekor Art.
Press plates often need a compensating backing mat and Marathon Belting of the UK is working on a new version of its Copsil mat for double-sided etched press plates with special wires used in the weave to avoid damage to the plate surfaces.
Lighter MDF
The centrepiece of Weyerhaeuser Europe’s stand was the “Oculus”, a landscaping feature building in laminated Medite Exterior. The idea was to highlight MDF’s creative potential to architects and designers, and it was also made from off-cuts as “an unspoken comment on the lack of timber wastage associated with MDF”.
Weyerhaeuser’s key new product was Medite LITE which is 20% lighter than standard Medite and is targeted at applications including office furniture, wardrobe doors, mouldings, shop fittings, mobile homes and caravan fixtures.
Koskisen of Finland offered its birch plywood range with the option of phenolic or melamine films and polypropylene foils, while Kang Da Board of China, used its Interzum debut to offer decorative V-grooved, UV-lacquered flooring plywood.
Century Plyboards of India was also exhibiting for the first time with flexible plywood, as well as a decorative, flexible, 1mm panel, and teak overlays.
Hardwood exhibitors
Among the lumber producers at Interzum, Pennsylvanian hardwood exporters were particularly well represented. North American hardwood and softwood trade associations were also present and for the first time the American Forest & Paper Association exhibited the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. French hardwood lumber companies were also there in numbers, including Ducerf – the first French mill to be PEFC certified. FSC was in evidence with Swiss-based Precious Woods, but generally certified wood was not a big Interzum feature.
Despite the absence of many German solid wood producers, there was an impressive red beech presence. There were also exhibits of tropical wood from Ghana, Malaysia, Brazil and Chile, but temperate American and European wood ruled.
Alongside the show the German wood newspaper, Holz-Zentralblatt, organised a symposium on “International Co-operation in Wood Promotion”, chaired by international wood industry consultant Michael Buckley. The speakers included Geoff Rhodes, president of the UK Timber Trade Federation, Jan Söderlind, chairman of the Nordic Timber Council and Eric Lacey, chairman of the American Hardwood Export Council.
