Interview with Patrik Schober - Business Unit Manager INDUSTRIAL

THINK FUNCTIONALITY

Lahnpaper Industrial stands for unique · functions: What makes the Industrial division of Lahnpaper unique?

Our flexibility and high adaptability to the requirements of our customers make us unique. We are very flexible in the production of our products and can adapt them to the needs of our customers. The product requirements of our customers can vary greatly. Thanks to our multi-staged production process (offline), we can implement very different product requirements precisely.

Thanks to this multi-staged production process, we are free to choose the sequence and number of individual processing steps.

Our technological capabilities are unique:

• By adapting the formulas and using different process stages, we can develop specific product properties and functionalities that are ideally suited to various industrial applications.
• This enables us to offer a broad product portfolio with a wide range of properties (e.g. basis weight, synthetic fibre content, density, coating).
• We can produce products with a very high synthetic fibre content (up to 70%) (something our competitors can’t do). The advantage of a high content of synthetic fibres: the higher the mechanical stability, porosity (air permeability), dimensional stability, etc.)

What does the BU Industrial division include? Which functions? Which solutions

In the business unit Industrial , we work for various industries and diverse areas of application: from the timber industry to the construction sector, from coating solutions to special packaging.

Here are some examplesof currently serviced areas and applications:

timber industry:

• Resin impregnation

construction industry:

• Acoustic fleece
• Metal edge profile for drywall (bonding agent for filler)
   

Coating:

• Inkjet coating Digital printing,
• Self-adhesive products for labels (with high robustness, surface) or construction industry (e.g. auxiliary tape for expansion joints)
• Application tapes / transfer sheets for plotted films (e.g. advertising lettering on vehicles, shop windows, exhibition stands, etc.)   

Special packaging:

• Flocking luxury packaging
• Innovative sustainable packaging as an alternative to plastic
• Special packaging for chemical applications (e.g. pest control)
• Special sleeves for winding technical fibreglass

Every industry and every area of application has different requirements that our products must and do meet:

• Durability/resistance
• Mechanical stability (important for application tape, flocking)
• Dimensional stability
• Smoothness (e.g. labels / thermal transfer printing)
• High absorbency (e.g. for resin impregnation/concrete formwork)
• Air permeability with acoustic fleece (flow resistance)
• Thermal resistance for certain coating processes
• Chemical resistance (acid, alkali)

THINK CUSTOMERS:

What kind of customers are served by Lahnpaper BU Industrial?

Lahnpaper Industrial stands for B2B business: we serve customers who develop and supply industrial components. For these customers, we are more than just a service provider, we are a sparring partner and developer. Our customers in the industrial sector come from various industries such as the construction, printing, packaging, and timber industries.

Who are your most important partners in realizing unique · functions?

In addition to internal departments, such as product development, production and sales, the most important partners for our developments are our customers. Together with our customers, we have the great opportunity to develop solutions and - thanks to our flexible production process - to implement them directly.

THINK SUCCESS:

What have been your most important recent successes?

Our recent developments for the timber industry are certainly among the most important successes of late. These are resin impregnations with various applications for construction, such as concrete formwork, facades, floors, roofs, etc.

Resin-impregnated non-wovens are also used for decorative trims in the automotive industry. Another of the most important developments includes sustainable packaging solutions to replace plastic.

What facts, figures, and data stand for the uniqueness of the Lahnpaper BU Industrial?

The Lahnpaper BU Industrial’s share of sales has tripled in the last 8 years. We have a solid base of purchasing customers and have a growing international division with a constant stream of new contacts from various industries for the customized development of a wide range of applications.

THINK TRENDS:

What are the most important trends in the BU Industrial sector? And how do you respond to them?

One mega-trend is, almost definitely the topic of sustainability: we have set a clear course here with the development and launch of our lahnur® product.

This unique printing substrate combines the previously irreconcilable opposites of durability, recyclability, and sustainability to perfection - thanks to plenty of natural strength!

How will the BU industrial develop over the next few years?

We anticipate further consistent growth through the expansion of various application areas. One important area is certainly the further development of sustainable packaging solutions to replace plastic: here we see clear opportunities for expansion and growth in the future.

We are also working on some promising applications for the furniture industry.

April 2024