Demonstrations in the HOWAG showroom

Edgeband Symposium 2023

Perfect solutions for the perfect component

17.04.2023

“The perfect component”: this was the motto for the Edgeband Symposium hosted by the HOMAG Group in Schopfloch on 23 March. Held every year with REHAU, the IMA Schelling Group and the HOMAG Group taking turns to host, the 32nd edition of the symposium was able to build on the usual high turnout of furniture experts. 100 participants learned all about the latest trends and techniques in the world of edgebands, and after three years visitors were finally able to see the products “live and in color” again.

The REHAU Edgeband Symposium is an established institution in furniture edgeband innovation and development. Every year, REHAU invites its customers, partners and all key players in the edging industry to come and experience their innovations and hear about the latest developments for all things edgeband.

Press contact

Cornelia Martin

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This year, guests were welcomed to Schopfloch (Baden-Württemberg) by Dr Uwe Krämer, Director Engineering Edgeband (REHAU), and Frieder Schuler, Vice President (HOMAG). “After three years of having to hold the event online, we were finally able to come together in person again,” says Dr Uwe Krämer. “You could really feel the excitement about this.” Discussions and face-to-face contact aside, the focus was, of course, very much on edgebands. During live demonstrations in the HOMAG showroom and a series of talks at DEKRA Congresshotel Wart, the latest products and innovations in the field were presented, showcasing the design, quality, service and function of the edgebands from network partners HOMAG, LEUCO, RIEPE, NESTRO, JOWAT and REHAU. The objective here is clear: “We want to offer the perfect product for every application, so creating a dialogue with our colleagues within the industry is crucial for us,” says Dr Uwe Krämer.

Demonstrations in the HOWAG showroom

Sustainable concepts for a circular economy

Welcome address by Vice President Fieder Schuler (HOMAG) and Dr Uwe Krämer (REHAU)

Digitalisation: the smart edgeband

The presentation by Matthias Hacker focussed on increasing process efficiency by digitally networking machines, tools and edgebands. The project manager and senior engineer for REHAU's Edgeband division explained and showcased the integration possibilities that the #edgeisdigital digital service offers and presented solutions for equipping machines for industry and interior construction. “Anyone working with edgebands can use the digital possibilities of #edgeisdigital to optimise their warehouse and production processes, increase flexibility through automation and ensure consistent high-end quality in doing so,” summarised Matthias Hacker.

Quality: multi-layer edgebands and Frosted Edge

Material and technology must be developed in tandem to ensure component quality. Every designer aims for the perfect component free from frame effects and joints. With RAUKANTEX pigmento – an innovative edgeband with pigmented base materials – the visual transition from surface to edge is seamless, even in the milling radius. Combined with zero-joint technology, the pigmented edgeband makes the leap to create a component that appears as a single piece.

In a practical demonstration, Jens-Uwe Affeldt, Head of Product Engineering in the Edgeband division at REHAU, also presented the multi-layer edgeband with zero joint. The product structure of multiple edgebands can be used to achieve a tight radius with high edgeband thickness. Other innovations include the “Frosted Edge Technology” by RIEPE for a perfectly matt milling radius and special applications such as the folded edgeband for handleless front panels or doors.

Sustainability: edgebands without adhesive and circular economy concept

The topic of sustainability concerns the entire furniture industry – including the world of edgebands. As partner consultants, the adhesive experts at JOWAT reported on which environmental guidelines, identification obligations and training requirements will be applicable in the future regarding edgeband adhesion. They also presented the PUR MR adhesive type, an adhesive with significantly more favourable properties. Anyone wanting to avoid adhesives altogether has been using zero-joint edgebands for a while now, and with its RAUKANTEX eco.protect series, REHAU presented its sustainable edgebands that make use of recycled and biological materials. This topic also covered material recovery (combined with an extraction technique from NESTRO) and pilot concepts for reducing _carbonfootprints.

Design: the trend is moving towards matt surfaces

Sustainability and quality aside, it is ultimately the design of furniture items that determine whether or not a potential customer makes the purchase. Here, the trend has long been swaying away from high-gloss surfaces toward matt, elegant and resilient designs. All-new concepts are being developed that make use of concrete, wood and glass, which at the same time create special requirements for the components. In this context, REHAU presented a full range of product innovations that allow manufacturers to partake in this trend. The RAUVISIO noir and RAUVISIO crystal Deep surfaces are perfect candidates here, as well as the sustainable panel and edgeband materials by REHAU presented by Lisa Dressler from REHAU Product Management. When it came to visuals, the stand-out was the so-called tree edgeband. Combined with RAUKANTEX pigmento and zero-joint technology, components can be made with a real-wood finish, as the wood design can be continued even in the radius.

This varied portion of the programme was followed by the next item on the agenda which, due to the pandemic, could not be enjoyed as part of the previous online events. The “Kantenschmaus” evening function gave guests a chance to enjoy some local specialities from the Northern Black Forest region and exchange ideas with other guests. “Experts talking with experts, us as manufacturer talking with our customers,” explained Dr Uwe Krämer. “Everybody wins. We as a producer and machine manufacturer can learn where the current challenges lie or about the industry’s needs, and we can then develop solutions together – all in the spirit of our motto ‘Enabling Exceptional Design’.”

For full details on Edgeband Symposium 2023, please visit:

Edgeband Symposium 2023

Multi-layer edgebands

“The perfect component” with zero joint and RAUKANTEX pigmento

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