Unilin has completed a €30m investment in Quick-Step laminate flooring, with the new production line able to operate almost a third faster than existing manufacturing facilities.
The investment at Wielsbeke, Belgium creates 2million sqm of annual capacity, and increase of a quarter, and manufactures floors up to 30% faster than other lines.
‘The deployment of artificial intelligence and advanced camera technology guarantees unrivalled speed and precision for the new press, resulting in floors with unprecedented performance and design. Compared to other laminate presses, the new line doubles the structure depth in the wood core, giving Quick-Step’s top models an extremely refined depth structure that makes them indistinguishable from actual wood. Flexibility is another asset of the new line, which is able to produce two designs at once thanks to the use of high-tech robots,’ says the company.
‘Through this investment we have once again pushed the boundaries in the flooring industry. This brand-new production line is the undisputed top of the bill of the flooring sector. The investment enables us to manufacture the finest and most high-performance floors in an extremely efficient manner. Today we once again bolster our position as world leader in high-performance laminate flooring,’ says Wim Messiaen, Unilin ceo.
‘Laminate is much more than just an affordable floor. It’s a sustainable product that excels in quality and aesthetics thanks to our innovations. We continue to invest in technology to be able to provide our customers with the best floors.’
The company began construction of a laminate plant in Brazil two months ago to service the Latin American market and has created the world’s first laminate recycling facility at its plant in Bazeilles, France. This recycles the high density fibreboard in the flooring.
