High-pressure laminates (HPL)

HPL is the abbreviation for High Pressure Laminate. However, they are usually called HPL sheets or high-pressure laminates (HPL).

Laminate sheets are a very resistant, decorative surface material, used in combination with wood based core substrates for interior fitting and furniture, for example: worktops, tabletops and doors.

The European standard EN 438 defines the material and more than 20 product characteristics of high-pressure decorative compact laminates, as they are named in the standard.

Duropal is the brand name of one of the first major manufacturers of high-pressure laminates (HPL). Particually the invention of scratch-resistant surfaces and new HPL formats allowed Duropal to become successful. Since 1986, Duropal has belonged to Pfleiderer, permitting further continued investment and development into the manufacture of the high-pressure laminates (HPL).

High-pressure laminates (HPL) primarily is always a surface material that has to be bonded to a core. Depending on the requirements, postforming allows the material to be overlayed around an edge and curved without joints. The result is a robust, easy to clean, moisture resistant surface. This not only protects the core material, but also opens up a large number of design possibilities through the colour and surface texture options, which can be implemented with HPL sheets.

The decorative surface and material core of laminate boards are made up of multiple paper layers, which are impregnated with thermosetting resins. These are pressed together and cured in the manufacturing process at over 120 degrees Celsius and a high pressure of more than 50 bar. The resulting laminates form a unique surface material, which is not only decorative and individual, but is also particularly robust and tough. 

As a company, you can contact Pfleiderer directly, as a manufacturer of HPL sheets made in Germany. Our sales department will be pleased to advise you. The contact details can be found at the end of this page. You can also use our Sample Shop to order individual physical samples quickly and easily. You can even check our stock and quick delivery range products for availability on the individual product pages.

Pfleiderer HPL sheets are available in different sizes. The total sheet thickness varies from 0.6 to 0.8 up to 1.2 millimetres. So you can choose the suitable robustness against exposure to impact and workability, for example, for postforming. Our standard dimensions are

• 4100 x 1300 millimetres
• 2800 x 2070 millimetres
• 5600 x 2070 millimetres

Formats for extra-wide doors, such as those needed in the Health and Care sector, for example, are also available. For other options, please refer to the format tables on the relevent product pages. You can use HPL sheets in roll form (thin laminate) to overlay furniture fronts, doors and similar. Large format sheets allow you optimal utilisation, as you can adjust the cutting to size accordingly.

Around 60 percent of high-pressure laminates (HPL) consist of paper, which is solely manufactured from sustainable forest management. Pfleiderer HPL sheets also have multiple environmental and sustainability certificates. For example, the Blue Angel eco label verifies that it they are exeptionally environmentally-friendly products. The FSC as well as the PEFC quality stand for raw materials from responsible forest management.

Last but not least, the major advantage of high-pressure laminates (HPL) lies in their robustness and durability. The long service life spares valuable resources. At the end of their life, HPL sheets are thermally recycled and contribute to energy recovery.