BARKTEX®_Plac_0600

Combination of function with form, sustainability with design and HighTech with tradition.

Particle board based on acrylate resin-bound natural fiber mats made of European sisal and hemp fiber and a decorative BARKTEX® surface. Co-development with BASF. Each panel is industrially compressed in serial production, but one-of-a-kind due to its handmade surface. A contradiction, that works!

Natural fiber mat pressing is a well established technology in the automotive sector (e.g., trim parts, door linings, hat racks) which is sought to be transformed into furniture components and other interior architectural applications. Sizes aimed are approx. 4 x 8 '', with thicknesses from 1.0 mm (for use as veneer) to 2.0 cm. A possible derivate is a post formable board.

Since there is still no machine available in Western Europe yet, that can transfer the required enormous pressure to large sizes, only small formats of up to approx. 60 x 80 cm can be produced on a laboratory machine for tightly defined special projects in the foreseeable future.

Advantages of natural fiber mat panel pressing against the pressing of plywood (for chairs etc.), HPL and other merchantable (fiber-) board products:
- high resource and weight savings
- the possibility of filigree strengths and enormously narrow convex as well as concave radii open up new paths in design
- fast-growing fiber plants (one-year plants) versus slowly growing wood fibers
- enormously short cycle times, familiar from the automotive industry

Info flyer:  Joint project of BASF, Bark Cloth_europe and Hiller Möbel, Messe Orgatec (English / Download, ca. 1,7 MB)
Report of Holz-Zentralblatt Fachzeitschrift (German)
Report of Interior Fashion Fachmagazin (English/German)

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Credits/Fotos: BASF, Hiller Möbel, BARK CLOTH_europe, Raumprobe