“A manual that is a true treatise on the use of adhesives and sealants in the furniture and furnishing industry. The goal is to improve the final quality of products in the processes of coating panels and other commonly used substrates.”

This is how Guido Cami, president of the Adhesives and Sealants Group of Avisa, presented in Milan on Monday, April 27, the manual “The coating of profiles and panels in the furniture and furnishing industry”, developed by the national association of Federchimica, representing companies producing adhesives and sealants, together with Catas, a testing and analysis laboratory for the wood-furniture sector, and companies across the supply chain.

“The manual was designed for the benefit of the entire production world and final consumers,” said Fabio Chiozza, coordinator of Avisa’s Wood and Furniture Adhesives sector. “It systematizes the technical knowledge needed to achieve surface treatments according to good manufacturing practices and addresses the need for innovation in terms of sustainability. It is an example of how to ‘work as a system’ to enhance the great wealth of expertise in one of the excellence sectors of Made in Italy.”

Innovative approach and quality control

According to FederlegnoArredo, the furniture macro-system closed 2025 with a turnover of over €27.7 billion (+0.9%), but with a slowdown in exports. There is also a growing globalization of Italian companies, which is proving disadvantageous. For this reason as well, it is increasingly necessary to improve production processes and product quality.

“We have moved from a sector-based logic to a supply-chain logic,” explained Chiozza. “The manual reflects this and brings together contributions from thirty experts from different fields.”

The document includes, among other things, an innovative approach to describing various processes, the theoretical foundations of adhesion, and the management of environmental sustainability strategies. It helps to understand interdependencies and the cross-cutting relationships between adhesive materials, processes, and equipment.

Around 90% of problems occur when the process is not under control, and in this context the manual defines the correct rules to follow. Each defect is in fact the manifestation of an imbalance between adhesive, machine, and time, rather than a single parameter.

“A key chapter is dedicated to quality control,” said Franco Bulian, general director of Catas. “It includes process setup, initial testing, periodic and in-line checks, and product qualification. You need to glue well not only to ensure quality, but also to be sustainable.”

The manual is freely downloadable from Avisa’s website, printable, and will soon be available in English. It will also be presented at ABS Europe 2026 – Adhesives Bonding & Sealants, the first event dedicated to adhesives, glues, sealants, foams, tapes, resins, coatings, laminates, and films in Italy and the Mediterranean area, scheduled from October 27 to 29, 2026, at the Vicenza Fair.

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