Continental business area Surface Solutions invests several million euros in new printing machine

Planned step in the expansion and modernization of surface production for furniture and building elements in Weissbach (Germany)

- Systematic expansion: Following the installation of a new calender unit in 2022, a new embossing machine and a new slitting machine will be added in the coming years

- Targeted investment in capacity expansion and modernization of surface production for furniture, window and façade applications

Hanover, Germany, March 9, 2026. Continental’s group sector ContiTech has commissioned a new gravure printing machine for surfaces used in the furniture industry as well as for building elements. The new system, which required an investment in the mid single-digit million-euro range, is located at the Weissbach plant, which specializes in the so-called LivTec segment. Once it has reached full capacity, the new printing machine is expected to produce more than 75,000 square meters of surface film per day – roughly equivalent to the area of ten soccer fields. It replaces two older machines that will no longer be able to guarantee the required reliability and capacity in the medium term and will therefore be taken out of operation.

Printed films from Weissbach shape the appearance of fitted kitchens, front doors or furniture with designs such as wood or stone finishes. The first print runs on the new machine produced self-adhesive d‑c‑fix films, surfaces for DIY enthusiasts who want to customize furniture themselves.

Comprehensive investment across the entire surface production value chain

Despite challenging economic conditions, ContiTech expects demand for surface materials to grow over the long term, driven in particular by window and façade manufacturers. For this reason, ContiTech is investing across the entire surface manufacturing value chain.

The development of demand for our films for window frames, doors or façade elements is very encouraging. For many years we have grown faster than the market, and even the recent downturn in new construction has not stopped us,” said Rainer Irouschek, Head of Exterior Living within the business segment SSL LivTec. “This very robust development has prompted us to consistently continue along our path of modernization and capacity expansion.

Once the new printing machine is operating at full load, the responsible experts will turn their attention to the procurement and installation of an additional new slitting machine, which is scheduled to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2027. The capacity expansion is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2027 with the installation of an additional embossing machine. A new calender line was already installed in Weissbach in 2022. A film calender forms a heated, colored plastic compound into a uniform film web via several precisely adjusted, heated rollers.

The ContiTech plant in Weissbach, located between Heilbronn and Wuerzburg in Germany, is the headquarters of Konrad Hornschuch AG (now Konrad Hornschuch GmbH), which was acquired by Continental in 2017. From Weissbach, surfaces for a wide range of applications – including furniture for medical practices, cruise ships and the hospitality industry, as well as for window construction and the manufacture of doors and garage doors – are exported worldwide.

The site is also home to scientists researching new materials to continuously improve the quality of plastic surfaces and to make them more sustainable, for example by using more bio‑based raw materials and improved recycling methods. In Weissbach, the ContiTech group sector employs just over 1,000 people. Around 6,000 employees work for the Surface Solutions business area at 25 locations in Germany, Brazil, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, Spain and the United States.