Durability trumps: acoustic panels tightly painted with ADLER

What do the Keukenhof, the Rijksmuseum, Douwe Egberts headquarters and the Frits Philips Theater in Eindhoven have in common? They all feature imposing wooden wall and ceiling panels by Lambri of Lelystad - finished with transparent lacquers from Austrian paint and lacquer manufacturer ADLER.

Hidden behind the trees along the A6 is family-owned Lambri. In 1964 the company saw the light of day in Maarssen; in 2009 it moved to new, modern premises in Lelystad. With a total of 12 employees, the company produces custom acoustic wooden wall and ceiling panels, which can be found in educational institutions, banks, theaters, town halls, libraries and offices - in Europe, the Middle East and North America, among others. "Our mission is to provide our clients with perfectly finished panels that meet all of their needs and can last for decades," says Rob Ketelaar, Managing Director at Lambri. He sees that wood is being used more and more in interiors. "It is therefore a wonderful product: it is the only raw material that can renew itself. In addition, wood immediately creates a warm, pleasant atmosphere in a room. To preserve the natural look of the wood, we finish our panels with transparent lacquers." For this, Lambri chose ADLER's products.

Sustainability is hugely important to Lambri, says Ketelaar. "For example, we work with certified wood and reuse the waste heat released during the production process, and there are solar panels on the roof of our factory." It was therefore important to the company that the paints used to finish the panels also meet certain sustainability standards. "For example, we want the paints to contain as few solvents as possible and release as few emissions as possible. We also always strive for a maintenance-free product: we think it is important that our customers do not have to worry about maintaining the panels for decades to come. In addition, the lacquers must not yellow. And finally, the lacquers must meet certain fire safety standards. ADLER turned out to be able to meet all these requirements."

In consultation with Dennis Huisman, sales manager furniture industry at ADLER Benelux, a number of products were selected: the uv primer Innolux Walzgrund ML, the topcoat Innolux Decklack NV and the Waschverdünner 8501. The veneer panels are first lightly sanded before they are primed with Innolux Walzgrund ML in the 35-meter lacquer line. Then they are sanded again, after which the topcoat Innolux Decklack NV is applied. By means of a UV lamp the lacquer is then completely cured in one go. The lacquer is then sufficiently cured for stacking. After the panels have dried for a few more days, they are ready to be transported to the customer - and only need to be assembled there.

Lambri has now been using ADLER's products for six years. "We are an SME company ourselves, so we like it when our suppliers also come from the SME sector," says Ketelaar. "After all, that usually means short lines of communication and the ability to switch quickly. That is certainly the case with ADLER. Dennis Huisman is always easily accessible and answers our questions quickly. He is in regular contact with our production manager and, for example, drops by with color samples when we want to add a color pigment to our paint." Huisman is also satisfied: "Lambri is a very pleasant company to work with. They are very approachable and the lines are short and direct. If there is ever something, I can also easily walk in without an appointment and spar directly with the employees responsible for the paint shop."

Ketelaar also likes the fact that ADLER is a European company: "This way we can be sure that their products meet our health and safety requirements," Ketelaar explains. Not only so that Lambri employees can work with them safely in the factory, but also so that the users of the buildings in which the panels are installed do not have to worry about their own health and safety. "That also factored into our choice of ADLER," says Ketelaar. "And, of course, the high quality of ADLER's products: we chose that very deliberately, so that we can be sure that our customers will be able to use our panels carefree for decades to come!"