Waregem, Belgium—The European Patent Office will grant Unilin Technologies a new European Patent on digital structuring technologies. The specific patent EP 3 381 710 will further extend Unilin Technologies’ patent portfolio on “digital structure technologies” for panels, the company said.
“Unilin Technologies already described and filed patent protection for digital structuring technologies in 2009,” said Jasmine Geerinckx, business development manager at Unilin Technologies. “Such patents protect printing technologies that can produce 3D structure on the surface of panels. The main method for realizing the structured layer comprises at least two steps, namely, a first step, in which a synthetic material layer is provided on the substrate, and a second subsequent step, in which a relief or structure is produced on the surface. Such a structure is achieved by using a digitally-printed, lacquer-repelling agent or a selective mask that protects the underlying, synthetic material during a mechanical removal treatment.”
This patent portfolio is commercialized under the name ‘Digitouch.’ It is a complete digital solution for printing life-like 3D textures directly onto boards. Digitouch adds that real look and feel, the company said.
Unilin Technologies has worldwide patent protection on these digital structure technologies with more than 90 patents and 11 applications and is in extensive negotiations with many of its partners to license out the patent portfolio.