Liner laminates, thin sheets, balancing sheet, being highly price sensitive material and having almost half of India's market share, has become important product categories for laminates producers. Since the last few years, laminate industries have found a sea change with growing demand for Fabric laminates in liner categories. Earlier the liner laminate market had been driven by white and off white sheets, and hardly 5-6 ranges are available but now there are approx 25 to 40 SKUs available in the Liner range, among which most designs are in Fabric Laminates categories. As per market report, Fabric Laminates contribute approx 40 % share of liner grade laminates, followed by woody designs.
The manufacturers report that the prices of fabric laminates are higher by Rs 10 to Rs15 per sheet compared to white and off-white, whereas retailers get up to Rs 25 extra in these categories as per market report. The tier 3 cities and rural market have more queries for Fabric and Woody liner designs, which are taking share of 0.8 mm laminates at many places.
Market also reports that a new trend in liner laminates categories has invited many plywood brands to offer Liner Laminates folders to their respective dealers and approx 100 folders in Liner categories are available in markets belonging to many plywood brands, which are not producing laminates but sourcing from laminate producers.
The fabric and woody designs in liner categories are also helping Indian Decor Paper printers business. As per report, a number of small decor paper printers are solely depend on these laminate categories manufacturing whereas big decor paper printers have dedicated their old machines to these categories, and range segments to high speed machines.
Report also finds that many companies (big suppliers of liners of laminates) are not much interested in the Fabric and Woody liner range because there is another pain to keep stock of printed paper to maintain the supply chain. It is noted that approximately 50 percent share of the total HPL manufacturing comes from 0.6 to 0.7 mm thickness that is advised to be used in balancing or as a backer (inside of the panels where designer sheet is pasted on the top surface) in India.
The current market trend will give a short-term relief but it will affect the laminate industry in the long term. It can pose a question mark for ongoing expansion in liner grade. The technical people say that liner grade laminate is a balancing product, so, if it is used in front and back of the panel in the same thickness then only the panel will be balanced. But, with lack of knowledge and oversupply, the scenario is changing very fast.