I4F Forms Patent Partnership with Hymmen for Digital Printing Systems

Hamont, Belgium, January 12, 2021–I4F, a group of companies providing patents and technologies to the flooring industry, has entered into a patent partnership with Hymmen GmbH Maschinen- und Anlagenbau, a global digital printing systems provider, specialized in flooring. This new strategic partnership gives I4F exclusive licensing rights for all Hymmen’s digital printing patents and technologies for flooring production, including Hymmen’s award-winning Digital Lacquer Embossing (DLE) technology. This represents an important addition to I4F’s comprehensive digital printing portfolio that already includes technologies from Classen, Kronospan and Benchwick.

Hymmen has established itself as one of the world's leading providers of industrial digital printing for flooring and won an Interzum Red Dot Award for its patented DLE technology in 2019. Hymmen is completely dedicated to flooring and has provided most of the digital printing lines in the global flooring industry. More than 80% of digitally printed flooring around the world is produced using Hymmen technologies.

In addition to its exclusive licensing rights, I4F will work in close collaboration with Hymmen to promote digital printing opportunities in the flooring industry and will represent Hymmen on future patent protection related issues. Historically, Hymmen has maintained a strong IP position including, for example, its recent filing of a patent infringement lawsuit against Barberán S.A. at the District Court in Düsseldorf.