Leading solid wood and building materials supply company Danube has enhanced the choice of products available to the regional wood, timber and furniture sector by introducing Italian Bendywood, and France-based Oberflex, at the recently held at Dubai Woodshow 2006.

Oberflex is a globally-renowned laminate brand and Bendywood is a special variety of wood, which can be machined in straight lengths and later bent in a cold and dry state. The launch of these two globally popular brands were the highlight of Danube’s extensive presence at the inaugural wood and wood machinery show and it has opened up new avenues of design possibilities for interior designers, contractors and furniture manufacturers, says a company spokesman.
“The introduction of Bendywood and Oberflex has further broadened the extensive product portfolio of Danube, which started operations as a small trading firm in 1993 and had grown to become the largest building materials company in the region,” he adds.
A solid hardwood material, Bendywood can be worked like normal wood and then bent in a cold and dry state. This special wood is obtained from planks of hardwood, such as beech, ash, oak and maple. It is treated according to a particular thermo-mechanical process and can be bent in the cold dry state to a radius of about 10 times its thickness.
Used mainly in the production of furniture and interior decoration, this special variety can be stored indefinitely in dry conditions and offers time and cost savings besides a better finished product compared to traditional wood-bending techniques.
“Handrails can be bent into shape, table edges can be profiled, bent and glued in place, and sculptural wooden forms can be formed quickly without much hassles,” the spokesman points out.
The most common applications include curved, helical and shaped handrails, skirtings for round walls and columns, profiles for edge-finish of curved tables and worktops, glazing beads and model-making.
Oberflex, on the other hand, offers all the qualities and benefits of solid wood, combined with the fabrication ease of a laminate. The Oberflex range of wood veneer laminates can be exposed to heavy strains. Its exquisite surface finish gives the veneer unrivalled properties of resistance and durability compared to varnish finish, protecting it from abrasions, scratches, ultra-violet light and acetone.
These laminates can be utilised for partition walls, ceilings, doors, cupboards, floors, furniture, reception desks, display counters, pillar decoration, offices, kitchens, bars, boutiques and for other custom-made panels.
Danube’s launch of Bendywood and Oberflex has come at a time when the wood industry in the UAE, particularly the interior design furniture and furnishings sector, has been growing rapidly. “The industry has seen 34 per cent growth over the past year and Danube intends to be at the forefront of building wood supply business by adding new and innovative products such as Bendywood and Oberflex to its extensive product-mix,” he concludes.