UNILIN’s Master Oak panels are a high-performance alternative to real wood

Belgian designer and manufacturer UNILIN has crafted Master Oak into an alternative to wood available as melamine, shelving, HPL and HPL faced panels.

Three times more scratch resistant, stain proof and colourfast than its real counterpart, Master Oak comes in a range of shades: light natural, natural, double fumed, brown, elegant black and Everest white.

Each colour choice has been fabricated by UNILIN Panels’ in-house design team, who have researched global trends while underpinning how natural wood finishes can complement a range of settings. Master Oak’s versatility and durability makes it a decorative piece well-suited to hospitals, hotels, bars and retail outlets.

The result of advancements in press plate technology, patented UNILIN Timber Touch Technology is at the heart of many of the improvements in Master Oak’s melamine and HPL options, resulting in 64 levels of depth for 20 times more texture than regular structures.

Using a patented coating which is then applied to digital paper, Master Oak brings heightened definition and textures with increased sharpness, contrast and colour-play to UNILIN Panels’ existing portfolio. From rough to smooth, the panelling has a unique matt coating with near absent shine levels for a natural ‘unfinished’ effect.

UNILIN’s digital printing technology is unique, manufacturing the largest pattern in the industry with an imprint which emanates genuine oak wood. With a pattern spanning an impressive 5.8 sq m, Master Oak has fewer repeats than any other surface alternative.

As well as the durability and value advantages of using decorative surfaces over genuine materials, Master Oak is also a sustainable alternative. UNILIN Panels uses 100% recovered wood for Master Oak melamine-faced products, using a state-of-the-art sorting and cleaning machine to rejuvenate tired wood, saved from incinerators at sawmills and post-consumer goods including old furniture.

An amalgamation of magnets, wind sifters and centrifuges removes impurities, transfiguring wood waste into an unblemished material; this refined process saves more than 1million tonnes of wood from being disposed of each year. Master Oak’s melamine-faced products are made entirely from recovered matter, while chipboard panels comprise 90% post-consumer wood.