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The article focuses on the powder coating of wood. The powder-coating process involves the use of an electrostatic charge to achieve optimum adhesion and strength. Powder-coated wood is said to have become popular in Europe and the U.S. and offers unlimited opportunities for designing shapes and profiles when compared to laminates because there is no need for edgebanding.

This article presents news briefs on textile trade as of June 2004. The Textile Association in India, Mumbai Unit is organizing a seminar on Texturizing Excellence on July 17, 2004 at Dariya, Darshan Hotel in Devka Beach, Nani Daman. Eminent speakers from the different sections of downstream industry for textured yarn will be presenting papers on various topics including requirements for knitting from texturizing, high-speeds weaving expectation for texturizing industry and case study on texturizing improvement. Sportswear group Fila Holdings has announced three key appointments to its executive team. The appointments, publicized recently, include the promotion of Bruno Tufari to European managing director, the promotion of Carlo Grippo to European sales and marketing director and the hiring of Paul Clark for the role of North American managing director. The Stork HSC 103 hotmelt screen coating unit is a very flexible system that enables the production of many different types of extremely high quality laminates. It is ideal for everything from functional clothing to laminated automotive parts and medical textiles. The HSC 103 is based around rotary screen technology and offers many benefits when compared to conventional laminating processes.

The article discusses the potentials and limits of laminated glass. Laminated glass is used mostly as a safety precaution on overhead sloped glazing. According to the article, laminated glass protects against breakage, screens out 99 percent of ultraviolet radiation, reduces glare and provides an acoustic barrier. Several awards programs have been organized to recognize innovative applications of laminated glass with Europe leading in laminated glass innovations. Examples of works showing the potential of laminated glass are presented.

The article discusses and compares the buying behavior of German, Polish, and French consumers and states a preference for laminated floor coverings based on a market study by the European association of laminate floor coverings manufacturers (Verband der europäischen Laminatfußbodenhersteller EPLF). Several charts with the results of the study are presented. Other topics mentioned were floor coverings prices, hygiene, and architectural design of floor coverings.

The article presents news briefs for the parquet and laminate flooring industry. The European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF) is skeptical about wood fiber technology. Company Pfleiderer will soon begin a corporate restructuring to solve its insolvency problem. The Swedish investment company Triton acquires Sweidsh parquet floor manufacturer Kährs.

The article discusses final talks for third-quarter contract settlements of the European melamine market coming to a close with producers agreeing on a wide range of price increases. Supply-and-demand dynamics in the market, high order requests and shortage in supply are cited as few reasons for these price increases. Solid demand, lower imports and low supply have caused the firming of third-quarter contracts. Melamine is used in thermosetting resins for paper coatings and laminates.

The article discusses business opportunities for European manufacturers of laminate floor coverings in China. Information is presented on the tastes, attitudes, and expectations of middle-class consumers in China, on the marketing campaign developed by the European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF), a trade organization, which is entitled "Quality and Innovation Made in Europe," and on the importance of home improvement centers for selling flooring in China.

The article reports on the plan of Mondi Coating BV to move its production of release liner and other materials to Europe and its closure of its two plants in Glossop and Rochester. It states that around 125 redundancies will be cut and the move was to consolidate the firm's release liner and extrusion coated and laminated materials production across Europe.

The article reports that Cookson Group PLC has agreed to sell laminate and prepreg materials manufacturer Polyclad Laminates Inc. to Isola Group, global designer, developer and manufacturer of high performance base materials used in the manufacture of advanced multilayer printed circuit boards worldwide, for $91 million. Target date of completion of the deal, which is conditional on satisfactory clearance from the European anti-trust authorities, is in February 2006.

The article reports that automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, and materials producers are looking at design and process options that will decrease the weight of cars and light trucks to meet aggressive fuel economy and carbon emission requirements. Topics include regulatory initiatives in the U.S. and Europe are spurring renewed efforts to lightweight vehicles.

The article reports on the status of the European market for extrusion coated materials in a global context. It was observed that the traditional commercial markets in western Europe and North America have been eclipsed in volumes by applications in both flexible packaging and liquid packaging. The complexity of the value chain of the industry involves a range of supply sources for raw materials and chemicals.