Focus on nature – LEONHARD KURZ presents new design concepts

Fürth/Germany, January 07, 2021: Simply appealing – LEONHARD KURZ will be presenting all digital design concepts in addition to innovations in plastic decoration at this year's CES innovation show, which will take place online due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company focuses on nature, presents new techniques and looks under the name of Gravity Forces, inspired by shapes and patterns from the environment, thus developing a special appeal. All surface designs are created using KURZ decoration methods.

KURZ's entire appearance at the world's largest technology trade fair CES will take place under the theme Earth Attraction and will address sustainability, and at the same time, highly effective product solutions for a variety of industries in different ways. The innovation focus at CES is on the fields of Consumer Electronics and Automotive.

Nature as a design model. The elements fire, water, earth, air

Translating natural effects into appealing surface designs is the declared goal of the new KURZ concepts from the Visionary Design Team focusing on the four elements of fire, water, earth and air. The soft and flowing color streams of the designs are created directly during the manufacturing process and give the surface an unmistakable and individual appearance. The resulting flow character breathes life into the component – it acts as if it is constantly in motion. Thanks to optimized processes, additional matte or gloss effects can now be added via PMD technology, which reinforce the unique effect of the final product. The designs can also be backlit.

Each component is unique due to the special manufacturing method.

The molds are created as individually in the series production process as air, water, fire and earth can be seen in our environment.

KURZ combines different printing techniques to create unprecedented designs

With the combination of gravure and silk-screen printing, KURZ creates innovative design options for various application areas. Real metallized films can be three-dimensionally deformed and backlit at the same time. For this purpose, the respective strengths of the two printing techniques were used and perfectly coordinated. In gravure printing, gradients, progressions and Shy Tech effects are created, which are given a high opacity by the additional silk-screen printing process with color-intensive varnishes. These can be supplemented by a unique feel or can be provided with different degrees of matteness.

The KURZ Visionary Design Team has created exciting and nature-inspired surface designs, which will now be presented to the public for the first time at CES. The whale look variant is characterized by curved shapes as well as reflective and glittering elements. This creates a connection between the Blue Whale and the design model at first glance. 3D, matte, gloss and real chrome effects provide the special dynamics and elegance.

Viewers of the Infinite Wood design theme dive into a completely different world – the world of wood. KURZ completely reinterprets wooden structures, with a modern and unmistakable feel. During the day, the straight lined wooden structures come into the foreground, while the backlit wood grain creates a particular visual tension in the component at night. The Infinite Wood look can be imagined flexible for components in the automotive interior, furniture or consoles, for example.

"KURZ has put together the most attractive surface designs, under the name Gravity Forces, as a tribute to nature. This has resulted in completely new approaches and interpretations. All designs follow the Design for Recycling approach and thus become fascinating and sustainable design solutions for our customers", says Michael Otto Ucke, KURZ Head of Visionary Design, with regard to design and process innovations.

For the sake of the environment – sustainable

KURZ's innovative design concepts are more than just a tribute to nature. They underline the central corporate goal of putting the environment even more at the center of our actions. For this reason, all innovations and looks presented at the virtual trade fair booth also focus on the group's sustainability goals. On the one hand, recycled materials are used, and on the other hand the use of KURZ technologies does not negatively affect the recyclability of the decorated plastic components. Furthermore, the production process is often more cost-effective and therefore more energy-efficient, due to the simultaneous processing and decoration steps.

In parallel to the CES online trade fair appearance, LEONHARD KURZ will also provide information on the nature-inspired surface designs and associated procedures on an additional landing page of the website www.plastic-decoration.com/CES. Product images, videos and informative descriptions there provide clear information on the entire range of new products.