Global Consumption of 3D Laminate Thermofoils

In the past two weeks I have been asked twice either about the size of the US or about the size of the global market of 3D Laminates. In one specific instance a consulting firm inquired. At least once or twice a year I get a call from a consulting firm and typically the way it works is that they cannot divulge who they are paid from but that if they want information they also must provide me with information. So as a result it increases my understanding of the business while I provide them with a general guideline about the market. Some may think that this is helping the competition but I view it differently. Often factories will make foolish decisions or invest too heavily based upon thinking a market is much bigger than it actually is. My theory is that its best just to give honest information on the market as it is and then let people make their own decisions in accordance.

As a result of these two recent inquiries, I decided to write a more detailed synopsis of this market as it relates to the macro market as a whole both locally and globally. Although you may feel that its not important to know the world consumption I think that by taking 10 minutes to read this that it will give you a mountain top view. This can help you in ways that may not be obvious or apparent.

Please keep in mind that the cost numbers I give are averages as a whole and may not be your average.

US & CANADA MARKET SIZE

Firstly lets start with the overall size of 3DL sales volume for the US & Canada market. Based upon my relationships with other manufacturers and based upon my general knowledge of this market I think its a fair consensus to say that the current market volume in dollars is approximately $50 to $60 million in rigid 3DL Sales. This does not include flat lamination or profile wrapping grade material. In this market lets use the average price of $0.50 per square foot. Of course solids are less and high glosses are more however if we use the average of $0.50 per square foot its pretty accurate. If you can accept the market as conservatively being $50 million square feet at an average of $0.50 per square feet then it means that over 100 million square feet of 3D forming laminates are solid in the US & Canada with the current market.

Next lets try to calculate the amount of components sold. Since I don't have this information on hand I will take basic market knowledge and try to calculate. I know that there are doors that are sold for all types of price ranges however for the calculation I think that $5.00 per square foot would be a good average. Again, whites are sold for less and high gloss, custom components or desk tops are sold for more. When 3DL is used many people calculate in different ways as to the scrap rate. If you take the width of 57" this means there are 4.75 feet wide and if the bed length on average is 9 feet this gives an average of 43 feet of material. With waste on the sides for clamping the material down, between doors and on the length it is conservative to say that about 30% of the material goes to waste. Most companies bale and recycle the material however for this study lets say that only 70 million square feet of material makes it onto a component out of the 100 million square feet consumed. This means that the components sold could be approximately $350 million in sales. Many reading this article will be able to poke holes because they sell on average at $8 a square or their press is 10' long however if you really average everything out it it doesn't have a big impact on the final numbers either way. Again this is just to give a snapshot of the market.

US & CANADA FINISH PRODUCT:

Next I'd like to calculate the finished Kitchens, Office or Store Fixture prices sold based upon the components. The purpose to calculate this is to final the components impact on the final cost of the product and also to find the overall market influence of the product's final destination. This is an extremely difficult calculation but lets take a crack at it. Firstly it would be very hard to pinpoint what the final product mix is between Kitchens, Office Desktops, Store Fixtures or doors sold for refacing. Certainly there are Kitchens sold at $2K, $5K, $10K and some at $20K utilizing 3DL. There are refacing jobs sold at $2K, $5K and $8K and there are office desks sold at $400, $2K and $4K. If we can assume that most of the volume is sold at the more affordable level then we could calculate that the average cost finished cabinetry sold would be at an average of $2K. This is a very arguable number however with all factors considered I think that $2K is a safe number to use. Keep in mind that if you are buying retail that the average may be closer to $8K but the price to buy one Kitchen is much more than when buying 300 for obvious reasons. To calculate the total cabinetry or finish products sold based upon the total component sales we can say that on average there are 20 doors in a North American Kitchen with an average of 2.5 square feet for each door. It is generally agreed that this is the national average. This means that there is an overall average of 50 square feet in each Kitchen. If we use the average cost of $5 per square foot then the average would be $250 in components. For those of you reading this cringing thinking the price is too low; please keep in mind that this includes the overall total as sold in volume not the average for custom produced components. We are all familiar with Pareto's principle of 80/20 which states that 80% of events are derived from 20% of the causes. Simply put, there are 20% of larger producers doing over 80% of the volume and therefore skewing the numbers.

If we take the average of $250 in components on $2K in finished product then we can calculate that the finished product is about 8 times more than the cost of the components on average. In a small wholesale environment the numbers are closer to 10 and in a retail environment the number is closer to 15 but in a market calculation scenario the calculation would be closer to 8 due to the larger projects. So if we can say that there are $350 million in component sales then we can say that the final cabinetry or goods sold in the US & Canada are approximately 2.8 billion. I would say that in my estimation that the Kitchens alone are probably more like $1 to $1.5 billion based upon independent research that calculates that 3DL is approximately 8% of cabinetry sold however when you add in cabinet refacing, office and store fixture in final sales figures I would say that 3DL's overall finished market impact is more close to 2.8 billion in final product sales is pretty accurate. Keep in mind that this number is important to know when calculation the total market force a product has. This is a pretty interesting number to digest; especially if you are a component producer or cabinetry manufacturer.

IMPORTANCE OF 3DL Cost:

Whenever you analyze a product its also important to figure out your products cost as it relates to the entire cycle of the product. Since there is an average waste of 30% this increases the average price of 3DL from $0.50 to $0.65 in terms of real cost to the producer. If the average square feet is 50 then the total cost for 3DL is $32.50 in material in a finished product selling price of $2K and components sold at $250. This means that that the 3DLs cost is approximately 13% of the final components cost on an across the board average and is a 1.6% of the final product's selling point as a market average. I have seen this number be as little as 8% and for some companies it averages 10% but whether its 8% or 13% its still a small portion of the final component price and at 1.6% of the final cabinetry price its an insignificant factor for the final cabinetry or end product cost. With some products such as solid surface the product cost can be as much as 30% to 50% of the final product cost. So in the solid surfacing market if you can save a customer 20% on material cost its a big deal in relations to the final product cost however in 3DL the cost of the laminate simply doesn't have as big of an impact. This is the primary reason that companies prefer a quality 3D Laminate as a norm rather than simply the lowest cost 3DL.

GLOBAL 3DL MARKET:

From my colleagues in this business that sell laminate internationally, I have heard that the global consumption of 3DL Thermofoils is approximately $400 million is US dollars Although I don't personally have the knowledge to validate this number I feel that its probably pretty accurate. Although markets vary greatly from Asia, to the US & to Europe we can attempt to calculate a global average of component cost and also a global average of final product cost.

GLOBAL COMPONENT COST:
Based upon my research I estimate the global component cost average is more close to $4 per square foot rather than the US average of $5 per square foot. If you take the entire world, the cost of thermofoil is also a bit lower globally as well. Partly because the manufacturers typically are larger in Asia and also in Europe on average. North America tends to have many more small shops as a whole. The primary reason is that the cabinetry produced for North America tends to have larger custom and semi custom markets whereas globally they use standard 32mm increments. This creates a scenario where larger producers thrive whereas the custom and semi custom cabinetry insulates the smaller producer in North America to some degree. This is important for the custom component producer. So in regions such as Asia or Europe they typically buy 3000 yard runs rather than by the single roll although this has been changing with the global market conditions.

Based upon $400 million of 3DL being sold this would mean that the global consumption of 3D Laminate thermofoils is 8 times larger than that in the US & Canada. This means that there is over 800 million square feet of 3DL thermofoils consumed yearly and by my estimates this equals $3.2 billion in component sold which could equal more than $40 billion in finish goods sold utilizing 3DL as its product.

It should be noted however, that although the US is 25% of the world GDP that it consumes on 13% of the worlds 3DL. It would safe to say that 3DL is less popular in the US as a whole when comparing it to some other markets.

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, I hope that having this information gives you more awareness of the size of the local market and also the size of the global market for our product segment. I also hope that it gives you insight on how the cost of the 3DL does or does not impact the component or final cabinetry cost.

As you have read this article, I hope that you keep in mind that these numbers won't necessarily affect your business. They are only used to calculate the market size and the market impact as affected by 3DL. If you are not in the business of selling the lowest cost door you can and you are more focused on custom then your numbers will much different than the national or global average.

I also find that information gives us perspective and gives us more confidence in our decisions. I have found that in life sometimes information that appears to have no correlation to your daily life, it in fact gives us more supportive evidence for our decisions as a whole.

For future story ideas or things you'd like me to research please feel free to email or call me anytime.

Understanding the Language of Color

Introduction
As a manufacturer of 3DL Doors or components you are probably used to seeing color matches of solids and woodgrains. On occasion you may have even had a manufacturer to color match some item for you.

In this article I will delve into the technical side as it relates to color matching and color control. I will explain more about why different sources of light affect the color and cause metamerism and I’ll mention a lot of interesting facts such as how the size of a sample can actually change your perception of the color.

Since most people selling doors, components or Kitchens utilizing 3D Laminate thermofoils are selling color I think that there may be new and interesting facts as it pertains to colors.

Appearance
There are three things that have the biggest impact in matching a 3D Laminate; the print, the texture and the gloss level. One interesting point is that under normal viewing conditions a sample with a higher gloss level will generally appear darker than a sample with a matte surface. This means that when matching colors it is critical to not only match the design but the gloss level needs to be similar. It also means that if you are working with two different products such as a melamine board and a 3D Laminate which has a different texture you will need to make some consideration in regards to how the different textures are contributing to the color.

When I visit a customer or when I am managing our sales staff I ask questions such as :

1. Who is the decision maker? Purchasing, Management or their client?

2. Does the decision maker have a window in their office and to which side is the window facing their desk?

3. Does the decision maker have flourscent lights or incandescent?

4. Does the decision maker hold the samples up in front of their face or look at them laying on their desk?

5. Does the client want ticking texture or a different texture than the target color?

The above questions are critical to being a good color matcher because all of these small things play into the quality of the match as I’ll describe below.

Texture
The surface texture will dramatically change the gloss level and affect the perceived color. An interesting pont is that the human eye is more critical of any color difference in a smooth texture than in a rough texture. So if a customer asks us for a smooth emboss on a solid color then it means that the accuracy will be more fragile. When matches are made to HPL (High Pressure Laminate) or TFM (Thermofused Melamine) typically there are various things that cause the materials to look differently. Firstly the process of impregnating papers with melamine resins can create a bit of a haze. Secondly the texture used on the press plates is often different that the embossing rollers used in a 3DL (3D Laminate). This affect is called metamerism. There are various definitions of metamerism however I feel the most accurate for our purpose is: “a metamerism occurs when the color standard and the submit do not match under all lighting conditions. This means that a solid color fabric when viewed under two different lights in a commercial light box, will appear to cast two different colors.”

Texture is the biggest refractor of light and this is the key source of metamerism. So the key point here is that the target match (paint, TFM, or HPL) typically is different than the surface texture of the 3DL so the match complication is dramatically increased. So for any manufacturer of steel, laminate, paint, carpet or whatever surface manufacturer, the difference in processes between manufacturers is a key complication in color matches.

Color – The Fundamentals
Since 3D Laminates are a plastic for you to better understand colorants it first requires basic knowledge of how color works for plastics. Color is not an absolute property as the perceived color of an object is dependent upon three elements. The elements are Illuminate, Observer and Object.

Illuminant
The illuminant used will affect the perceived color dramatically. Perception of color is unique as the human eye perceives colors differently under various light sources. The perceived color under a fluorescent light is different than that perceived under an incandescent light, and they will both be different to that perceived in daylight. Keep in mind that daylight is one of the most uncontrolled and variable sources of light, and will vary with time of day, weather, orientation, etc.

Observer
Perception of color requires an observer (either human or instrumental). What most people are unaware of is that every individual has a unique and different sensitivity to color that may be biased slightly towards a specific color. So they may be unaware that they believe a color is a good or poor match however the general population may in fact that it is a good match. This does not mean that they will always get it wrong but it can mean that as an individual you may perceive maples or yellow toned colors inaccurately however for cherries or solid whites your eye is highly accurate (based upon the populace). An interesting fact is that Men are approximately 16 times more likely to be color deficient than women. Approximately 8% of men and 0.5% of women have some degree of inherited color deficiency (200 million people worldwide). Red-green color deficiency is a hereditary disease, carried by the X chromosome of females. For this reason the daughter of a color deficient father can pass it to her sons. Women have two X-chromosomes and one defective X chromosome will be compensated for by the other non-defective. The chances of having two defective X-chromosomes are small.

Aside from men being 16 more times likely to be color blind, researchers have also found that there are in fact differences between men’s eyes and female’s eyses. As you may know humans have 3 different type of cone cells in our eye. Our eyes perceive color basically the opposite of a TV set. On a TV there are different color dots of red, green and blue. In the eye, con cells also have three different photo pigments that are generalized as red, green and blue but actually they are yellowish green, green and bluish violet.

What researchers have discovered was that over 50% of all women posess a fourth photo pigment that makes women more adept at detecting subtle spots of red light.

So in conclusion, women (on average) are superior at more accurately detecting colors.

Object
Most are unaware that the target or object may appear to be relatively constant but in actuality the color perception can vary within an object. So large areas of a color appear brighter than small areas of a color. If a target is a solid white HPL that is 2 square feet the absorption of light will affect the perception to make the sample appear lighter than if a 3” X 4” color sample is used. That is why factories who produce color maintain internally strict color matching procedures such as the size of samples they are evaluating. This is called (the area effect). The next time you show a client your color match try to present samples of the same size so the customer can more accurately perceive the colors.

Colors will actually appear duller when in front of a bright background than when in front of a dark background. This is called (the contrast effect)

The next is that colors will appear different when viewed from different angles or when illuminated from different angles. This is called (the directional effect).

So image when a sales person presents a color match to a client and the light source is above head whereas another client may have a lamp on his desk or be sitting by a window. Imagine how all of these can affect a client’s perception of the quality of match.

Measuring color
Color measurement can be carried out either by what is called a human colorist or by instrumental means. Using a human provides exceptional differentiation between colors but is limited in how this information can be transmitted to others and used as a control mechanism. Instruments sacrifice some color differentiation, but have the advantage in that they are reproducible every time. Instruments map onto a “color space” to provide the numbers or symbols for comparison and specification.

Hue
Hue is the basic color and is generally divided into a color wheel which ranges through 5 principals that include (red, yellow, green, blue, and purple) and all the variations in between. A simple color wheel is shown below. The location of a color around the wheel obviously defines the ‘hue’ of the color.

Lightness (brightness or value)
Lightness is the vertical axis and runs from light at the top to dark at the bottom. The location of a color on the lightness scale defines how light or dark the color will be.


Saturation (chroma)
The saturation of a color is how far away from the light axis it is – colors which are far away from the value axis are pure colors and those close to the value axis tend to be grayer. Saturation defines how pure a color is. Various color measurement systems have been developed in order to locate the 3D space. The very first system was the Munsell system developed by American artist Albert Munsell and this is known as “the rational way”. They use indicators such as 7.5PBYR 6/6. This indicates a purble blue hue but closer to purple with lightness of value 6 , a saturation of 6. This is a pure visual eval system.

The next is the CIE (International Commission on Illumination) of the Yxy color space, the L*a*b* color by CIELAB and the Hunter Lab color space. In the L*a*b* system which is typically used by 3D Laminate manufacturers to color control colors it uses the following:

L* defines the lightness/darkness of the color.
a* defines the greenness/redness of the color.
b* defines the yellowness/blueness of the color.
The combination of L*, a* and b* can be used to define the relationship between colors and as a quality control tool by most laminate manufacturers.Please note that “E” is the average of L, a and b so it is common to have the E number listed as well.

Color measuring instruments
The two most common types of machines for the measurement of color are the tristimulus colorimeter and the spectrophotometer. The tristimulus colorimeter is a machine that directly measures the sample color and uses red, blue, and green receptors. This is simliar to the human eye.

The major disadvantage with this type of machine is that the results are only meaningful under the specific illuminant used for the machine. Different colorants respond to different lights in different ways (a phenomenon known as metamerism as mentioned earlier in this report)

The spectrophotometer measures light across the whole of the visible spectrum to produce the full reflectance curve that can be processed to give the tristimulus values and chromaticity for any desired illumination. The full reflectance curve for various colors can be investigated to determine if metamerism will be present under varying illuminants.

The use of spectrophotometers requires knowledge of the type of machine being used and the detailed geometry of the machine – the various types available can detect or exclude texture and gloss levels and even take into account special effect finishes such as mica or flake colorants.

Measurement problems Metamerism: Color perception of many colorants is often affected by metamerism. This is where colors that may appear the same under one set of lighting conditions will appear different under a different set of lighting conditions. Typically in our industry metamorism takes place between fluorescent light sources and natural sun light since most manufacturers using the 3D Laminates do not have an International Standard Light box on premises.

Temperature: Color is often ‘thermochromic’ and most colors will change with the temperature at which the measurement is made.

Humidity: Color is often ‘hydrochromic’ and most colors will change with the humidity at which the measurement is made.

Methods of Coloring Plastics 3D Laminates
Plastics are typically colored by the following methods of printing, painting, pigments, internal colorants, dyes and surface colorants. For pratical purposes please note that the color of a 3D Laminate solid color is in the base calendered film whereas in a printed woodgrain the color is adjusted by the printing primarily using 1 to 5 print cylinders. This process is known as gravure printing where the print rollers (rotate) dip into an ink pan and rotate while applying the ink to the print layer. Printing can be done by direct to a print layer or via reverse printing to a clear transparent print layer. The average amount of printing cylinders is 3 and each cylinder must turn in register to one another in order to give the print clarity. The second way to adjust the color is through the base layer which can affect the darkness or lightless behind the print layer.


Summary
I hope that after reading this post you have picked up something new in regards to color, perception, procedure or that you have a better feeling for how humans interact with color. In some small way I hope that this article can influence how you sell color or how you may be more careful of conveying color to your client. Try to be observant of your customer’s light source, to the size of the sample and pay specific attention to the texture of the surfaces. I know that for me I utilize the basics of color knowledge every day. I just hope my X Chromosome isn’t defective ! ;-)

Leather White Alligator

DACKOR introduced Leather White Alligator. Many said that they believed that this would be extremely modern however, as you can see from the picture below it works well in a Transitional environment. As you are aware, Transitional Style refers to Traditional or Classic style but with a Contemporary Twist. Transitional style works in the urban cities as well as the mid-west or the rural south.

Please note that in addition to looking good, Leather White Alligator incorporates Frosty White Melamine and edge-banding and therefore reducing the cost of the Closet manufacturer. In addition, its an easy way to refresh a showroom since these drawer fronts can be put on an existing display.

New Wemhoner Forum

Recently I have been speaking with Ken McFadden with Stiles Machinery and they have introduced a new Wemhoner users forum. Although all of the readers of this blog do not have a Wemhoner you may find their forum to be a good source of information about pressing.

The most recent postings in their site discussed sourcing membranes and comparing rubber membranes to silicone membranes. If you press 3D Laminates most certainly you'll want to stay up with material sourcing and pressing discussion topics.

http://www.stilesmachinery.com/solutions/2010/09/wemhoener-user-forum/

Kitchen & Bath Retailers and 3D Laminate/Thermofoil Kitchens

We all aware that North America has deep roots with woodworking. With our past abundance of low cost wood and forestry, natural woods have been the driving force for KB Retailers in North America.

Since the 90s, most of the larger Kitchen & Bath manufacturers have had a large wood line up with only white thermofoil being their only laminate line. The reason most of these manufacturers were early adopters of white thermofoil was that it was superior to paint in many aspects. Firstly it was more uniform, easier to control the colors, more scratch resistant and less likely to show dirt. With the governmental agencies regulating the spraying of paint and releasing VOCs it also became much easier to use these thermofoil doors. But, for the most part, woodgrains were not added to most of the large producers line. Why? Profits….. Consumers simply were not willing to pay as much for the thermofoil woodgrains and who can blame them?

The market, however, has been changing dramatically. As I write this we are still in the midst of a deep recession that has been in for several years and the KB Retailer are also facing competition from importers of KD, RTA Cabinets. These lower cost wooden cabinets are being sold in flooring shops, distribution warehouses, by remodelers and so on. But what is most interesting is that the American consumer is slowly becoming more open to Euro style Cabinetry. There are multiple cultural reasons for this. The reasons i will list are:

1. POP CULTURE: Companies such as IKEA and APPLE are influencing pop culture.
2. AFFORDABILITY: Consumers are becoming tired of paying $30K for a Kitchen
3. PRODUCT LINE CREATION: KB Dealers can offer proprietary offerings more easily by working with American cabinet producers.
4. DESIGN TREND CHANGES: Design trends work in polar opposites.

POP CULTURE: Companies such as APPLE are influencing pop culture in very subtle ways. When you watch the commercials featuring MAC vs PC what you might believe is that MAC is advertising that there computer is superior to a PC however its not that simple. What APPLE is actually saying through their advertisements is that PCs are old, yesterday and for your geeky uncle and not for the modern world. Although is arguable, I would imply that such changes in society can also simultaneously change the tastes of that society. Through large scale social changes such as the preference of cars or computers it has been proven throughout marketing history to influence trends as a whole. I may write another article about this subject. The second part of the equation is IKEA. If you are in this industry you may have already spotted the IKEA Kitchen affect. Although its not destabilizing to the Kitchen industry, IKEA has and will continue to influence Euro style cabinetry in North America as they grow in this market.

AFFORDABILITY: The next reason that KB Retailers will continue to add 3D Laminate Cabinet Line collections is that they are more affordable. Throughout the 90s and early 00s we noticed that Kitchens became super expensive. If you think about spending $30K on cabinets and countertops retail it certainly makes one wonder. If you look at Entertainment Centers, end tables, dining tables, sofas and other furniture its clear that on average these items cost less than the average Kitchen Cabinet or countertop per weight, per square foot or however you might calculate. I don’t want to say that these Kitchens are not worth the money because this article is written for KB Retailers…. Rent is high, advertising and lets not forget that Kitchens require design and are essentially installed rather than set in a room. With 3D Laminate Kitchens, however, it enables a more cost affective Kitchen while enabling the KB Retailer to maintain adequate profit margins.

PRODUCT LINE CREATION: If we compare an American made 3D Laminate Kitchen to an imported Wooden Kitchen I would suggest that its more possible to create a proprietary line with the 3D Laminate. With the Wooden Kitchen Cabinets they seem to be more easily copied. We’ve all seen chocolate glazed maple cabinets and if you’ve been to one showroom you may feel that you’ve been to them all. With the print and emboss affect of 3D Laminates its very possible to create interesting Kitchens that are not seen at the showroom next door.

DESIGN TREND CHANGES: The next subject is a very popular one for me. I often speak about this theory. I do plan to write a book about this subject some day…. Its about style predictions in color and design. Its my theory that one can predict the future trends of color, fashion, music or design (loosely) by taking the antithesis of today’s current trend. So my theory is that since faceframed, wooden and antiqued or glazed cabinets have been en vogue that the exact opposite will now come into affect. How do I come up with that assumption? OK…. lets look at the music industry….

Lets start with my one of my favorite generations of music and that is the 70s and work all the way through to today.

1970s ROCK: American Classic Rock: Think Led Zepplin; macho
1970s POP: Disco. Started as antithesis of Rock and some speculate that it killed Classic Rock.
1980s ROCK: Glamour Rock “Hairbands”. Think Motley Crue. Antithesis of macho hence they wore makeup.
1980s POP: British Invasion: Also Antithesis of “American Rock” because completely imported. Think Duran Duran
1990s GRUNGE: Think Nirvana. What is the opposite of “Glamour”? Grunge of course.
2000s RAP: What is the opposite of “Grunge” Bling and Excess of course.
2010s Yet to identify but by 2015 I predict we’ll have seen music go the Antithesis of Excess or Bling. We can already see the “Green Movement”

So if you look at the past 30 years its clear that we have close to a 10 year run of music followed by an underground sound that gives birth to the exact Antithesis of that music genre.

All of this is to say that before Glazed Face Framed Wooden Cabinets were the biggest trend and next we should expect more clean, straight lined woodgrains to become the norm. Actually we can already start seeing that change.

SUMMARY: In future articles I would like to expand some of these points out more but the purpose of this article is to say that “YES, 3D Laminate Kitchens should be considered by KB Retailers.” If you are a KB Retailer and would like to call or email me to discuss I would be glad to do so.

LEED Points for 3D Laminates

The question is often asked "Does your product qualify for LEED Points?"

LEED doesn't certify actual products however the use of certain products may qualify the project to earn these LEED points.

Of course 3D Laminates is a great product for large projects. Read more at: http://www.dackor.com/3DLaminatesaregreen.html

3D Laminates:

- Reduce the use of exotic hardwoods

- Utilize MDF which is uses recycled or low priority wood chips

- helps facilitate LEED points

The easiest LEED points that can be generated using 3D Laminates are the following:

MDF Core & Particleboard made of Recycled Content (20%): 2 points
No Added Urea-formaldehyde Resins in MDF & Particleboard: 1 point
Final product (i.e. finished kitchen) manufactured within 500 miles of the jobsite: 1 point
Low Emitting Materials Adhesives and Sealants: 1 point

Self Cleaning ovens affect on Thermofoil Doors

Occasionally I receive questions about Self Cleaning ovens and their affect on thermofoil doors. This article is specifically focused on the heat affect in a thermofoil kitchen.

If you are reading this article then I assume that you either have had an experience or that you are concerned about the affect of heat as it relates to thermofoil. I hope that this article will give you more information so that you can then use that information to feel more confident about thermofoil in the Kitchen.

The nature of thermofoil is that is a product that is meant to stretch when it exposed to heat. When thermofoil doors are made they are typically done so at 224F/117C on average. Thermofoils are a thermosetting product so they have memory. In a laboratory setting they can reheat the material and typically find at what termperature that the doors were formed under.

There are two types of water based adhesives used: 1 part and 2 part. 1 part adhesives have the catalysts mixed in whereas the 2 part catalyst needs to be added. In my tests the 1 part ahesives are typically good from 150F to 175 before failure occurs whereas the 2 part adhesive typically ranges from 190 to over 200F.

In a Kitchen there are key places where temperatures can go above 150F. The places are near dish washers, self cleaning ovens and in cases where rice cookers or other steam producing appliances.

For the best care and maintenance rice cookers and steaming appliances should be pulled away from under the cabinet doors. Around dish washers and ovens it is advised to use spacers/fillers or heat shields. Heat shields are 1 9/16" wide by 30" in length. They are essentially cold rolled steel and come in while almond, and powder coated black.

For cabinet companies and Kitchen dealers, you should advise your customers to open drawers or doors so that they are a safe distance away from an oven while self cleaning. In the case where a door hinges towards the oven the door should be removed while self cleaning. Please see the following video: Related Video on You Tube

As you have read the above you may have concerns however I would like to make the point that all materials can have issues. I've seen edgebanding lifting up, wooden doors cracking or fading and veneer doors wrinkling. In my house I have wooden cabinets with the wooden varnish coming off but all of my thermofoil cabinets are still in perfect condition.

My point is not that thermofoil is superior but that every product has a weakness. With proper education and information it is possible to enjoy your thermofoil Kitchen with absolutely no issues as long it is made by a quality manufacturer. I have a popular saying that goes "Discontent is the child of unmet Expectations". This basically means that customers become unhappy when their expectations are not met with what they expected. A well informed customer is a happy customer in most situations.

If a cabinet door does have issues near a self cleaning oven one advantage is that it can be replaced more affordably than wood and the color will match better than many other product segments.

I hope that you have found this article to be helpful. Please feel free to leave comments, tips, trick or additional information.

The words we choose matter: Selling Thermoformed Components

In the past I have written a lot of articles pertaining to refacing, to independent reps, about colors, and as well as Sales & Marketing. This post is about how the "Words we Choose Matter" while selling or dealing with customers.

Since I was a kid I've always been interested in Marketing. Most people think of marketing as just "advertising" however Marketing involves so much more than advertising and sales. One aspect of Marketing involves the careful delivery of messages from sales people to customers.

Have you ever noticed how one sales person will be pushy whereas some will be inquisitive and ask a lot of specific questions and then try to actually address your needs?

The idea of sales is to use words to elicit information to help our customers see things different than they may have before. But the critical thing is that the words we choose make a huge impact.

In the past I have read a study that suggested that the words you choose can actually affect how you feel. So lets imagine that just from habit you always say "That pisses me off". Its a very strong statement whereas "That irritates me" is a much softer tone. Some studies suggest that when you use strong words your heart rate will actually increase and your anger will elevate to meet the words that you just chose. Its so interesting that the words you choose can have an affect over how you feel. So do you believe that the words you choose could have an affect over clients? Of course they do. Lets use an example.

Imagine that you are presenting a new color on a door to a customer and you had to choose from the following statements:

1. This new color could sell well for you

2. This new color may sell well for you

3. This new color should sell well for you

4. This new color will sell well for you

How do you feel about the use of the words "could, may, should or will"? Could represents that neither you, nor the customer nor the color has any affect over the potential for that color selling. Could is a powerless word that means that it is subject to outside variables beyond any control. This is a dangerous word to use. The word "may" is slightly better but just by a bit.

The word "should" is the ideal choice of words. The reason is that it implies humility but it also interjects that some action would need to be taken such as promotion or proper presentation. The word "will" is dangerous. By using the word "will" you may be over promising or over selling the potential for that color. The customer may feel that you are not genuine. If you use the word "Will" then you make sure that it does.

Below are other examples:

OBVIOUSLY: If you use the word "obviously" with a client, are they hearing "Well if its obvious then do you feel I'm stupid?"

BASICALLY: Does this indicate that its too hard for you to understand or too hard for me to understand?

CANDIDLY: OK so you're usually lying

TRUST ME: The customer actually hears "Don't trust me"

HONESTLY: The customer actually hears "I'm dishonest usually"

HOW'S IT GOING? The customer hears "I don't care how you're doing"

NO PROBLEM: The customer hears "So you think my issues are not worthy of concern"

Some words that you may consider for the Component business are:

UPCHARGE: "That will be an upcharge". Consider just saying "that will be extra". Extra sounds like you're getting more while "Upcharge" sounds like you're simply being ripped off.

RUSH CHARGE: Consider using the word "Rush Fee". Fees are not good but is slightly softer than "Charge".

CHEAP: Consider using the word "Inexpensive"

THERMOFOIL: Consider using the word 3D Laminate, Polyveneer, Laminate, 3DL, or create your own name

GIRL IN THE OFFICE: Consider using "Customer Service".

As you can see above, the words you choose can have an obvious affect on how people perceive what you are saying.

We should all remember that "Customers may not always remember what you say but they will always remember how you made them feel"

Pressing High Gloss

What does it take to get a high quality High Gloss membrane pressed door?

As most professional component producers will tell you, the key to pressing High Gloss is to lower the temp, increase the preheat and increase the pressure.

Throughout most of North America, most membrane presses have only a 6 bar maximum pressure capability whereas in Europe it has been reported that some presses are specifically ordered so that they go to 7 bar.

In addition, many of the world's top producers of High Gloss doors use a water bladder press. These water (or oil) presses use water in the membrane and they more evenly heat the doors. In addition they get even more than 7 bars of pressure.

For companies who use a vacuum press, they typically cannot press any thicker than 0.5mm thick. This tends to be the maximum thickness of high gloss usable on a vacuum press.

If you would like to discuss issues pressing high gloss or if you are an end user looking to source high gloss doors and do not currently have a supplier be sure to contact me.

Also you can view my previous post on pressing High Gloss

Also be sure to check out the new High Gloss Brushed Aluminum series "Aluma".

Peel and Stick for Refacing Cabinets and for Commercial

We are all familiar with peel and stick films. Peel and stick films are typically used in a variety of products such as window tint films and also for shelving liners. The advantage of peel and stick is that this allows material to be applied by hand on the job site.

Rigid Peel and Stick woodgrains are available from DACKOR (www.dackor.com/reface) and are suitable for a wide variety of applications. And most importantly, matching doors, moulding and other components can be sourced from your component supplier.

The most common applications for Rigid Peel and Stick Woodgrains are for :

- cabinet refacing

- applied to pvc cylinders to create the look of wood columns

- for refacing jewelry cabinets in jewelry stores

- for the bottoms of cabinets to prevent water damage

- for table legs, grommets or applying to metal in the office environment

- for onsite repairs in large cabinet projects

- for drawer bottoms

- for commercial wall panel remodeling

DACKOR stocks select solid and woodgrain colors in Peel Stick. For more information you can contact the company at 407-654-5013 or email info @ dackor.com

If you produce thermofoil components, be prepared for a customer shift in 2010.

If you manufacturer or use 3D Laminate, thermofoil doors and drawers you should prepare yourself for a customer shift in 2010, 2011. In this article I will give market conditions and observations that I believe will convince you of a coming shift in thermofoil component buyers. As the market slowly rebounds, its my belief that you will find many customers WILL NOT come back because they will start buying imported KD cabinets. Many larger Kitchen company lines who service KB Dealers, however, will increasingly use 3D Laminate thermofoils due to the quality control and ability to be made in North America by automated machinery.

If your company has been producing thermofoil components since the late 90s or early 00s, your entire company is structured around the market as it was. The router profiles you stock, colors in your warehouse, pricing and customers you send samples to are all a result of what you believe to be connected to your target market. Certainly most of your feedback probably comes from your customers, but you should ask if they are still your ideal target customers? Is your target market shifting? Its my belief that the market "as we knew it" will not return to thermofoil in the same manner. Not only is the market smaller, but the people seeking out these components are often new people and new companies. Do you think its possible that these new people may be of a different demographic in terms of their market view, their wishes and wants when it comes to colors and profiles? Lets examine...

In Europe, most of us are aware that thermofoil has been utilized in over 50% of the Kitchens in prior years whereas we've never topped 8% of the Kitchens here. The primary reason is due to the shortage of low cost wood, however the second reason is that the larger Kitchen producers adopted thermofoil as a viable way to market kitchens via KB Dealers. Consumers trust larger manufacturers due to their warranties, elaborate brochures and higher quality of dealers.

In North America, however, thermofoil has traditionally been used primarily for lower end cabinets. As a result, the major cabinet companies have primarily only used white thermofoil due to its superior consistency to a white painted door. The vast majority of users of the woodgrain thermofoils have been buying a raised panel door that is been marketed as a counterfeit wood door.

In addition to the US building market shrinking there has been a rise in imported "Knock down" cabinets coming from Asia. Although the US Cabinet market has decreased by a reported $3 billion in sales, the imports from Asia have increased by over $250 million in wooden cabinets in the last 2 years. Does this signal anything for you? Do some research on the American Furniture industry that evaporated in the 90s.

Many of the past sellers of value based cabinets have concluded that when the building market does rebound that they can buy from a cabinet importer and resell cheaper than they can construct a cabinet box and buy thermofoil doors. In addition, they can give the illusion of more quality since their new cabinet will be solid wood. In reality, most of these imported cabinets have been failing due to the expansion and contraction of the wood doors revealing the unstained center panel edges. In addition, most importers or distributors of these cabinets lack the capital to stock enough SKUs to complete many of the projects they undertake. As a result of these two reasons, the market perception of a value based wooden cabinet will decrease and the market perception of an American made thermofoil Kitchen will increase.

Another interesting thing is that KB Dealers are faced by a decline in cabinet sales as a whole. KB Dealers are also facing increased competition from the importers of value based Kitchens. Imagine being a small KB Dealer selling an American made particle board cabinet with maple door for $20K installed whereas a flooring shop is selling a solid wood box with Cherry door for less than half. This is not every case, for every area or every dealer but it is a scenario that is playing out as we speak across North America.

Daily, I see more and more KB Dealers as well as American Kitchen manufacturers promoting a Euro style cabinet with high end thermofoil. These higher end cabinet shops and KB Dealers are finding that the sophisticated consumer willing to purchase a $20K plus Kitchen does value Euro styling in many cases, but in most cases aren't too keen on buying a $8K Kitchen from a tile shop for example.

In conclusion, I do recognize that there will continue to be need for custom solid white and custom raised panel woodgrain thermofoil doors from the value based door buyers, but please do shoot for the the higher end cabinet factories that sell cabinets via KB Dealers. You may be surprised....

Do you see the subtle shift that I do? If so, drop me a quick email mark@dackor.com

Best wishes in 2010..... Mark