News from the World of Furniture Edgebands

The edgeband keeps on moving. The original idea behind REHAU’s Edgeband Symposium was to present industry players with the latest edgeband developments in both theory and practice. In March 2025, more than 100 guests came to Schopfloch to learn about what has been happening in the field of digitalisation, sustainability, design and technology over the past year. This time, the event was hosted by the HOMAG Group, with LEUCO and RIEPE on board as network partners.

Welcome, practical and theoretical part, Kantenschmaus or “edgeband feast” – this year's Edgeband Symposium once again kept to the tried and tested, successful agenda. The event is a real hit with all who sign up. “The Edgeband Symposium fills a gap,” says Matthias Haasler, Executive Vice President EMEA at REHAU Interior Solutions, describing the continued success of the concept. “We bring together experts from different areas of the industry to learn about important edgeband innovations in a concentrated and condensed format. Most importantly, the event gives industry players a chance to exchange ideas and foster new relationships – across departments, responsibilities and companies.” Together with Dr Daniel Schmitt, CEO of co-organiser HOMAG Group, Matthias Haasler welcomed the 100 guests from the world of furniture and interior design, before the stars of the day took centre stage: the edgeband with all the machines and technologies surrounding it. The day began with the practical part at the production facility of the HOMAG Group and continued in the afternoon at DEKRA Congresshotel Wart.

RAUKANTEX: effect pigments now also in the milling radius

This year, the world's leading edgeband manufacturer, too, had a number of new products to showcase, which were divided into four areas. Appearance plays a key role here. No wonder, since the original aim of furniture edging when it was invented was to enhance the visual appeal of furniture made from what were then new wood-based materials. Since that time, much progress has been made on the way to creating “furniture items as if cast from a single mould.” And the edgeband has once again taken a few strides towards perfection over the last year. RAUKANTEX pigmento, for example, eliminates distracting frame effects in a stone or concrete look. Effect pigments ensure that the milling radius also reflects the respective surface look in this edge variant. REHAU has now also presented this edgeband in a wood look at interzum 2025. Starting immediately, customers in the market for customised edge decors can take advantage of REHAU's digital printing range – now with visual and tactile effects. In addition, RAUKANTEX pro OMR has steadily evolved to meet customer requirements: its process window has been extended and at the same time the moisture resistance of critical surfaces has been increased. Likewise, in response to market demand, REHAU has developed an edgeband that can be used to produce perfectly painted components: With the programme RAUKANTEX paintable, the paintability of edgebanding was further developed and various paint structures were tested for customers.

In terms of surfaces, too, REHAU brought along some innovations: RAUVISIO cube now also impresses with concrete and stone surfaces, which get their characteristic look through a 45° chamfer. The RAUVISIO crystal glass laminate in turn gives a trendy touch with some new colours available in the Pure collection.

Become an edgeband expert at the REHAU Academy.

The #edgeisdigital concept falls into the area of process technology. #edgeisdigital stands for the digital networking of machines, tools and edgebands, and can now be supplemented with customer-specific content. Also grabbing the attention of fabricators: with the REHAU Academy, the company has launched a digital training and information portal that provides useful knowledge on working with edgebands with comprehensive training videos and other information. The REHAU presentation was rounded off with the topic of sustainability. Here they demonstrated how, with a brand-new technology used as part of the REHAU ReTurn concept, edgeband remnants are compressed to make transportation more efficient and resource-friendly. REHAU also showed how companies can reduce their carbon footprint by using a combination of RAUKANTEX eco (for visible areas) and PP edgebands made from 100 per cent recycled material (for non-visible areas).

Artificial intelligence for processes

The future topic of AI was the focus of a presentation given by Dr Theo Steininger and Andreas Tobisch. The two representatives from ERIUM explained how artificial intelligence is advancing the furniture industry. Production processes can be optimised, errors reduced and competitiveness increased through the use of intelligent systems. The modelling of cognitive processes in particular allows expert knowledge to be transferred into automated processes. For example, videos can be converted into concrete work instructions that show processors in their own language how to perform a specific task by following a series of simple steps. In many cases, companies don’t even need to produce new content, but can use existing materials instead.

Digitalisation also in tool use

Connectivity was also the buzzword at LEUCO: the machine tool specialist presented innovative solutions for digitalisation and sustainability in woodworking. The digital tool cycle allows machines to automatically read tool data and report service life, increasing efficiency in the process. The introduction of serialised tools enables seamless identification and management, thereby eliminating mix-ups. Another key topic discussed was the circular economy: tools can be resharpened and considerable amounts of CO₂ can be saved through regeneration. The LEUCO airFace design not only improves sustainability, it also raises the bar in cutting quality and reduces energy consumption. Finally, the principle of the Fibonacci sequence was presented, which helps optimise cutting edge distribution and minimise vibrations.

HOMAG stands for technology

Last but not least, this year's host, HOMAG, focused on innovations in the field of CNC edge processing. The company, which can draw on over 35 years of experience in edgeband processing, has been using powerEdge Pro Duo for attaching edgebands since 2019. The CNC unit boasts a number of highlights. These include, for example, automatic temperature and pressure adjustments as well as the combination of zero joint and hot melt adhesive on a workpiece. Bevel edgebands can be freely adjusted at angles ranging from -7 to +45 degrees. Alongside numerous other special applications, the focus was also on innovations in process technology: thanks to integrated sensors, problems can be detected early on, minimising downtimes and increasing production reliability. 

RIEPE sets new standards in buffing

With the Texture Finish, partner RIEPE presented a sophisticated upgrade for existing buffing units. The specially developed fibre combination reliably clears dirt from the joint area and also removes stubborn adhesive residues, even on textured or high-gloss surfaces. The specially formulated cleaning agent binds process-relevant liquids and keeps the brushes clean, significantly extending their service life in the process. The optimised nozzle geometry also reduces consumption, which is good news not only in terms of resources, but also in terms of operating costs. Particularly practical: it is installed directly on the existing unit, without any additional space requirements or machine conversions. RIEPE can therefore offer customers a smart value-for-money solution for residue-free edge processing.

After all the input throughout the day, the final evening-time item on the agenda was most certainly worth the wait. The Kantenschmaus at DEKRA Congresshotel Wart provided the perfect setting for visitors to reflect on all they had learned during the day, giving ample opportunity for further discussion between the experts. And this is where it became clear what makes the Edgeband Symposium so special, apart from the practical items on the agenda: the exchange of ideas and the experts. “Alongside interzum, the Edgeband Symposium is our most important event of the year. And as for the industry in general, it’s always a key date in people’s calendars,” says Andreas Albig, Head of Product Management Furniture Solutions Edgeband. “Every year I’m in awe of the innovative power that even the smallest components in furniture production can unleash. It’s so inspiring to see how not only we, but also many other companies, are helping to shape this progress. The Edgeband Symposium remains unparalleled – and we’re extremely grateful to the HOMAG Group for hosting again this year.”

All information on the products, innovations and services at this year's Edgeband Symposium is available on the landing page: Rehau Edgeband Symposium 2025