Egger Decorative Laminates: What’s the Difference?

The Austrian company Egger is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of various materials for furniture finishing and interior decoration in apartments, private homes, residences, offices, cafés, bars, restaurants, fast-food establishments, hotels, and many other locations.

Among Egger’s wide range of products, special attention should be paid to the line of decorative laminates known to users as CPL Egger and HPL Egger.

Although both terms, CPL and HPL Egger, are widely used and these decors have been utilized by professionals for many years, there are still many questions regarding the differences between these materials: composition, quality, production technology, and scope of application.

CPL and HPL Egger Concepts

CPL (Continuous Pressed Laminates) is a type of laminate produced through a continuous pressing process. CPL Egger laminate is manufactured using continuous belt presses. Here are some figures that help explain the process:

• The pressure used in the production of this Egger laminate ranges from 30 to 70 bar;
• The temperature ranges from 150 to 170°C;
• Depending on the pressing zone and the desired thickness of the material, the feed speed ranges from 8 to 15 m/min.

HPL (High Pressure Laminates) is a high-pressure laminate. According to standards, the thickness of such Egger laminate is ≥2 mm, which is why it is usually referred to as a compact board. Egger laminate is produced using multi-daylight batch presses. Here are the exact figures that help better understand the HPL Egger production process:

• The pressure used in the production of this material ranges from 50 to 90 bar;
• The temperature exceeds 120°C;
• The presses can have from 10 to 20 levels, each capable of forming approximately 8 sheets of HPL Egger laminate with a nominal thickness of 0.5 to 0.8 mm;
• Depending on the set temperature and press loading speed, the complete production cycle (including subsequent cooling of the Egger laminate) takes from 20 minutes to 1 hour.

Composition of CPL and HPL Egger

First of all, it should be noted that Egger laminates are “sandwich” structures consisting of several different and very important elements that provide all the characteristics discussed below.

Let us examine all the layers from top to bottom:

• The top layer of CPL and HPL Egger laminates is the so-called overlay. This is a special protective layer made of specially bleached transparent paper characterized by a high ability to absorb resins. This layer is necessary to improve surface wear resistance and scratch resistance, as well as to protect the printed design;
• Next comes a special decorative paper or, more simply, a decorative laminate. This paper contains a pattern imitating the texture of natural wood. The pattern may also be made in a white decor or be solid-colored. The surface weight of such decorative paper ranges from 60 to 130 g/m²;
• Next, a layer called the underlay is applied. This is a barrier layer required to eliminate mutual chemical interaction between resins. This layer is also needed to achieve a certain visible external effect;
• Then layers of impregnated kraft paper are applied. These paper layers in CPL and HPL Egger laminates are impregnated with special phenolic resins and are referred to as internal supporting layers because they form the core of Egger laminates. The surface weight of this paper ranges from 80 to 300 g/m². It should be noted that high-density paper is used for the production of compact boards (HPL Egger), while lower-density paper is used for CPL Egger production;
• The bottom layer is a special abrasive tape that serves as additional protection for the Egger laminate.

As mentioned earlier, both CPL and HPL Egger laminates contain layers impregnated with special melamine-formaldehyde resins which, after drying, form a hard transparent layer necessary for preserving the decorative paper. Under the influence of high pressure and temperature, the resins flow and instantly harden. The result of this polymerization process of resin-reinforced paper is a dense, highly durable monolithic material with a sealed surface — namely, the Egger decorative laminate.

It is worth noting that both CPL and HPL Egger laminates undergo strict quality control in accordance with stringent standards after production.

Comparison of CPL and HPL Egger

• Minimum thickness of CPL laminate — 0.15 mm, HPL — 0.5 mm;
• Maximum thickness of CPL — 1.5 mm, HPL laminate — 40 mm;
• Maximum texture depth of CPL laminate — 150 microns, HPL — 500 microns;
• The following parameters are identical for both Egger laminates: wear resistance, impact resistance, scratch resistance, light resistance, resistance to dry heat, resistance to a burning cigarette, hydrothermal resistance, and stain resistance.

Conclusion

As can be seen from the above, both CPL Egger and HPL Egger laminates are very similar.

Both materials are highly resistant to high temperatures, moisture, household chemicals, and many chemically active liquids. They do not delaminate and do not lose color when exposed to light.

The dense and durable surface structure allows Egger laminate to be used for various purposes, for example, in the production of tabletops and kitchen furniture sets, which is what our company specializes in. For furniture production, we use CPL Egger laminate, whose undeniable advantages are:

• The ability to choose any design;
• High wear resistance;
• Moisture resistance;
• Resistance to impacts and scratches;
• Environmental friendliness;
• Resistance to various aggressive environments (weak acids, alkalis, cleaning agents, etc.);
• Resistance to temperature fluctuations;
• Minimal increase in the weight of the finished product;
• Fire resistance.

This is why our tables and countertops with Egger surfaces have gained such popularity among users!