Two of Europe’s most powerful finishing companies are putting their combined strengths behind a determined assault on the UK’s exterior surface coatings market.
Sonneborn & Rieck, located at Hainault, on the eastern edge of London, purchased one of Europe’s most prominent coatings companies, Impra Systems UK, earlier this year, effectively giving it UK representation of Ruetgers GmbH, a leading manufacturer of exterior surface coatings.
Sonneborn & Rieck is an experienced manufacturer of wood finishes for furniture and interiors, as well as specialised plastics and metal coatings. Much of its emphasis is on innovative, high technology coatings, underpinned by high levels of research and development.
For decades Ruetgers has specialised in exterior wood finishes, wood preservation, and timber protection treatments for industrial, professional and commercial use. It has built up a considerable and expanding customer base worldwide of high volume joinery manufacturers. It is part of the RAG Group, an international chemicals giant with a turnover of around £20bn.
Manufacturing synergy
What both Sonneborn & Rieck and Ruetgers have in spades is synergy. Both both operate globally and place a heavy emphasis on product innovation, product quality, and the provision of complete finishing solutions that meet individual customer requirements.
Ruetgers has a 140,000m2 headquarters plant at Mannheim, in Germany. Its innovations have included a biocide-free, water-based, environmentally-responsible industrial coating. Since then it has established a substantial and increasing range of both water and solvent-based exterior wood treatments, continually updated. As a result it has achieved a runaway success among a wide variety of large-scale window, door, conservatory, and garden building manufacturers, as well as many producers of other joinery products.
Sonneborn & Rieck managing director Peter Rieck said: “Ruetgers is a massive force in exterior coatings, intent on providing cost-effective answers that enhance the quality of the end product. These are advanced coatings, just as easy to apply and cure as their conventional cousins, that open up a whole range of new possibilities for UK joinery manufacturers”.
Key brands are Impra and Impralan. These ranges incorporate an extensive choice of primers, wood stains, and solid colours, in a variety of matt, satin, and gloss levels.
Impralan is aimed directly at large industrial application – by spray, flow coater, vacuum, dipping or brush – and is routinely used by large-scale door and window plants. It characteristics include exceptional block resistance, and high levels of elasticity, penetration and adhesion.
Nanotechnology
A leading feature of the new coatings is the use of nanotechnology, a factor that is likely to become increasingly important in the world of surface finishes. In broad terms, this technology provides a reduction in molecular size leading to the formation of more homogeneous film, with far less chance of any air bubbles, and greater penetration into timber. Apart from other benefits, the application of such technology ensures fully microporous finishes, ones that also often need fewer coatings, maintaining quality while achieving faster throughput.
The permutations in exterior coatings now available include coatings with or without preservative, solvent or water-based, low or high build. In addition, there is a choice of primers, wood stains, and solid colour, in matt, satin and gloss levels.
The new Impra ranges, according to Sonneborn & Rieck, are already having an impact among a growing number of industrial joinery manufacturers – in line with demands for greater efficiency, productivity and quality.
Their reception has been good enough for Sonneborn & Rieck to add the new range of solvent-based Impranol Teoma wood stains for the decoration and protection of products such as decking and garden furniture. These are aimed squarely at replacing traditional oiled finishes as well as other conventional types of stain. A new range of water-based impregnation treatments is also being lined up for introduction into the UK.
“We expect them to change the face of exterior woodworking in the UK,” said Mr Rieck. Initially these coatings will be available direct from the company’s factories or through its subsidiary, BPL Coatings.
