GERMANY – Surteco Décor’s project involving an innovative digital printing system for decorative surface coatings for furniture and flooring has received a € 1.8 million grant from the environmental innovation program.

Surteco’s digital printing facility, located in the Bavarian town of Buttenwiesen, was visited by the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Florian Pronold. “Digital processes are still largely uncharted territory in the printing process. I am pleased that a new technology is used in Buttenwiesen that saves resources and energy and is good for environmental and climate protection. With the innovative digital process, steel, copper and chromic acid can be dispensed with – unlike conventional gravure printing. This protects the environment and increases the print quality,” says Pronold.

The new process is based on the first time application of specially configured print head series and the use of near infrared radiation for surface drying after each application. The novel system technology largely avoids the growth and shrinkage of the paper during the printing process. This allows the production of high-quality decors and problem-free further processing of the decorative paper with a width of up to 225 centimeters. The new technology enables a high image resolution of 1200 dpi and the system is designed for a web speed of up to 200 meters per minute. Compared to rotogravure printing, up to 462 tons of CO2 equivalents can be avoided annually in the production process.