Digitouch is a patent and technology package that offers a complete digital solution for printing a huge pallet of different designs and life-like 3D textures directly onto different core materials, such as HDF, vinyl, plywood, cork...
Recent industrial inkjet printing equipment can produce very convincing reproductions of natural materials like wood and stone but people quickly spot the difference when the authentic 3D texture is missing.
Digitouch adds that real design, look and feel.
Inventory costs are reduced incrementally and short and easy make-ready times improve productivity and even allow make-to-order manufacturing.
Digital solution for printing like-like 3D textures onto boards
1. Digital direct to board printing
Available through different equipment manufacturers such as Barberan
2. Compatible ink & texture chemistries
Available through different consumable manufacturers such as Zeetree
3. Officially licensed technology
Digital printing technology package for direct to board printing by Unilin Technologies
Digital structure IP
Unilin Technologies has the first & most elaborate, comprehensive and complete patent portfolio concerning digital structure onto boards. Our patent portfolio includes patents on negative and positive digital embossing, but also process related patents. We commercialize this patent portfolio under the name 'DIGITOUCH'.
DIGITOUCH is a complete digital solution for printing life-like 3D textures directly onto boards. Recent industrial inkjet printing can produce very convincing reproductions of natural materials like wood and stone, but people quickly spot the difference when the authentic 3D texture is missing. DIGITOUCH adds that real look and feel.
A first patent of our DIGITOUCH patent portfolio is a patent right about positive digital embossing (EP2108524B1). The panel has a top layer (3) that comprises a structure (7) of protrusions (8-8A), wherein at least one of said protrusions (8-8A) consists of two or more prints (9) or print layers provided on top of each other.
Another example of a technology in our DIGITOUCH patent portfolio is a patent right that includes positive digital embossing (EP2542426B1). This entails digital printing of a curable substance on a surface of a panel according to a predefined pattern for creating an elevation at the panel, then curing said curable substance. The patented method provides for printing a liquid onto the panel and then providing an intermediate substance to the liquid, wherein the intermediate substance or the liquid together with the intermediate substance form the curable substance. This results in a digital pattern on the surface.
A last example of a patent out of our DIGITOUCH patent portfolio is EP2373494. It relates to a method for manufacturing coated panels comprising at least a substrate and a top layer with a motif.
The method for realizing the top structure contains at least two steps: a first step (S4) in which a synthetic material layer is applied on the substrate and a second subsequent step (S5), in which a relief is provided on the surface of said synthetic material layer. The relief comprises a pattern of recesses and/or projections, wherein this pattern is at least partially determined and achieved by means of a printing technique that performs one or more prints.
