LaserEdge being produced in North America

Rehau North America started North American production of its LaserEdge adhesive-free, non-PVC laser edgeband, a seam-free furniture edging solution applied by laser, plasma or hot air edgebanders.

“By commencing the North American production of laser edgebanding, which was formerly only manufactured in Europe, Rehau has opened a significant channel for furniture manufacturers in the U.S., Canada and Central America,” Rehau furniture business unit North American director Thomas Troeger said in a statement.

LaserEdge is applied with laser, plasma or hot air edgebanding equipment that melts a color-matched functional layer on the reverse side of the edgeband and welds it to the carrier board.

By eliminating adhesives, LaserEdge significantly streamlines the edging application process, reducing both material and labor costs. The technology eliminates several steps in the manufacturing process, including adhesive color matching selection, processing set-up and additional cleaning and maintenance requirements. It also reduces idle machine periods and associated energy costs, according to the company.

“LaserEdge brings both streamlined manufacturing processes and aesthetics to a new level, while additionally now being accessible to a larger portion of the furniture industry,” Troeger said. “Thanks to edgebanding machine companies like Biesse, SCM and Stiles, there is also now a range of equipment to fit the business needs of those on all points of the spectrum — from the smaller shop owner, for which the affordability of hot air and plasma machines is beneficial, to large-volume furniture manufacturing companies, which can benefit from the efficiency of a laser edgebanding machine in mass production applications.”

For information, visit www.na.rehau.com/furniture.