Fish-skin Laminated Panel - It's For Real!
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A German furniture maker developed a salmon skin laminate a couple years ago, winning awards for the unusual product - and the process for producing it. We checked in to see if how the line was doing, and if products have been made with it.

Called "Cuticula,” it uses real salmon skin as a surface finish  over engineered panel. Developer  Möbelfabrik Denkinger, in Wehingen, Germany, used a computer-aided laminating process specially developed for this which allows for placement of seams that run exactly along the line of the scales.

This means that the pieces of salmon skin can be cut so that to hide any lines when joining the individual pieces. This produces a homogeneous image in which the natural characteristics associated with fish skin are transferred directly onto the substrate surface.

A Hydro Varnish then protects the surface from external abrasions.

Möbelfabrik Denkinger was founded in 1905, its first workshop built from the planks of an old sheep pen. The company emerged strong from a major furniture industry crisis in the 1960s by specializing in the production of veneered furniture fronts and and wood components, still is business focus today, as well as custom furniture. Hans Ulrich Rentschler, who acquired the company in 2008 after working there for 10 years.

Over the years, Denkinger has acquired an international reputation with its high-quality furniture factory.  The 40-employee firm is known for its innovative manufacturing technology and an ability to process wood and other modern materials into high-quality furniture fronts and parts, so Denkinger can be a single source supplier. 

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