Visitors to EuroShop between 16 and 20 February 2014 will have the opportunity to see two familiar surface finishes that have undergone a complete transformation; because the wood-based panel manufacturer Pfleiderer has looked for a way to develop an even flatter finish. "We succeeded!", says Reinhard Hackspiel, who heads the decor and texture management department at Pfleiderer. The reflective values have been reduced to a minimum to produce an "ultra matt" finish. And the counterpart to matt, the high-gloss texture shines with an optimum gloss.

"Ultra matt" even makes light-coloured plain decors shine

Although there is an increased demand for matt surfaces from customers at present, Hackspiel explains: " Very few are actually aware of the interaction with the different decors." Plain colours especially, frequently lose their colour intensity if they are given a matt finish because the wrong texture is chosen”, says the expert. "This doesn't happen with ultra matt", says Hackspiel: "Quite the opposite in fact: This texture lends each decor an extra level of quality and physicality – regardless of whether it is direct-faced or pressed as high-pressure laminate. It has a warm, soft and particularly high-quality effect."

Mirror effect virtually perfect on all core materials

While "ultra matt" is elegant and understated, all eyes are instinctively drawn towards the "HG high-gloss”. "I have never experienced a more optimal gloss texture effect in a composite", says Hackspiel: "Especially on an MDF panel, which ensures particular surface neutrality, it is optimal." Yet all other core materials are also suitable for "HG high-gloss", from the particleboard P2 to HPL-Solid-Color through to the special flame resistant cores.

Both textures, "ultra matt" and "HG high-gloss", are integrated in Pfleiderer's DST system and are therefore available in an extensive product and format range. In direct facing, panel lengths of 2,655, 2,800, 5,310 mm and 5,600 mm are produced for ultra matt with a width of 2,100 mm. The high-gloss texture is available in format 2,800 x 2,100mm. In the case of HPL laminates and flat-bonded elements formats 2,800 x 2,070 mm and 4,100 x 1,300 mm are available.