Classen is recognised as one of the world’s top manufacturers of laminate flooring and PVC-free wall and floor coverings. The company continues to lead the market by driving technological innovation, with Hymmen’s cutting-edge digital printing technology playing a crucial role. Most recently, the fifth digital printing system incorporating Hymmen’s award-winning Digital Lacquer Embossing (DLEplus) structuring technology was successfully installed and commissioned at the Kaisersesch site.
Pioneer in digital printing
The family-owned company Classen has been relying on Hymmen’s digital printing technology since 2012 – first for laminate production at its Baruth facility, and later at Kaisersesch for the company’s proprietary Ceramin material, a PVC-free floor covering made from polypropylene (PP).
Daniel Schwoch, Head of Pre-Coating and Digital Printing at Classen Industries in Baruth, shares his enthusiasm: “Digital printing enables us to transform new designs from concept to production in the shortest possible time – without lengthy lead times or costly printing cylinders. The technology provides outstanding design versatility, and even complex decor can be reproduced reliably with consistent quality. Particularly impressive is the precision with which visual and tactile structures align – a true hallmark of quality that distinguishes our floors in the marketplace.”
At Classen’s specialised design center in Kaisersesch, wall and floor covering designs are developed entirely through digital processes and seamlessly integrated into production. Wood, stone, and fantasy motifs are meticulously processed, allowing for flexible adaptation, mirroring, or rotation of individual structures. This approach enables the generation of numerous variations from a single base pattern, maximising efficiency and resource conservation. With a remarkable repeatability of over 15 m², the process significantly surpasses the standards of traditional analog printing, ensuring highly authentic-looking surfaces in the final product.
The integration of the DLEplus process into the latest digital printing system at Kaisersesch enables tactile structures to be applied with perfect alignment to the decorative image. For example, a tangible wood grain now matches the printed visual structure precisely—this attention to detail ensures a hallmark of quality that is crucial for achieving authentic wood aesthetics.
Synchronous structuring in series – Digital and Precise
At its Baruth facility, CLASSEN has for many years successfully relied on Hymmen’s proven technology for the production of synchronously structured laminate surfaces. In this process, the digitally printed decorative image is pressed in an MFC-type double belt press – also supplied by Hymmen – using the LLT (Liquid Layer Technology) method to achieve perfect decorative synchronisation. The combination of digital printing and structured pressing ensures an exact alignment between the visual design and the tactile surface.
With the introduction of the DLEplus (Digital Lacquering Embossing) process at its Kaisersesch site, Hymmen is supporting CLASSEN in taking the next technological step: the synchronous structuring of the PVC-free material CERAMIN will henceforth be carried out digitally there (see Figs. 2 and 3). This technology enables tactile synchronous pores through a purely digital printing process—without any mechanical embossing. As a result, both floor coverings and wall panels can be endowed with a visible and tactile surface structure that aligns precisely with the decorative image.
For Classen, this means the following:
• Both the decorative image and the subsequent structure can be applied digitally using the established DLEplus process.
• If required, it is also possible to print exclusively decorative designs onto white raw panels.
• Alternatively, a digital structure can be applied independently to a plain-colored substrate.
• Moreover, the same system is designed to support an additional process: digital printing with wear-layer lamination, either with an all-over structure (roller application) or with synchronous structuring (DLEplus).
About Hymmen
“We are committed to actively shaping the future while ensuring your complete satisfaction with every project. That’s why we rely on consistent values that provide both you and us with the highest level of confidence for a successful and long-term partnership.” – Dr. René Pankoke, Managing Partner / CEO.
Since 1892, Hymmen has been synonymous with high-quality, innovative machinery and plant engineering — delivering solutions precisely tailored to customer requirements. Headquartered in Bielefeld, Hymmen develops cutting-edge concepts and technologies that enhance industrial production processes around the globe.
About Classen
CLASSEN is one of the leading manufacturers of comprehensive interior finishing systems, offering a wide range of innovative flooring and wall products. Our portfolio includes laminate flooring panels, designer vinyl floors, and modern wall coverings that seamlessly combine functionality with outstanding design.
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