French manufacturer of decorative metal plates for the luxury market, Mill (a division of Martin Technologies Group) has boosted its decorating capacity with the acquisition of a new varnishing machine. The machine, which will debut industrial-scale production in January, called for an investment of €800,000 and applies and dries both colored and protective varnishes. The equipment is also designed to varnish surfaces with deep engravings and calls for a lower amount of varnish to start up—from around 10 liters to just 800ml.Also on the decoration side, Mill will develop digital printing on metal in 2020 in a bid to replace screen-printing in the long term.Among the metals it works with, aluminum remains the most sought-after among luxury brands, notes Mill general manager Laurent Bizien: "Due to its forming capacities and the render in terms of colors and effects, aluminum gives the most satisfying results, not to mention the fact that it is recyclable ad infinitum,” he adds.Mill, the group's luxury division founded in 2014, has an annual production capacity of about seven million units a year, almost all of which are varnished, according to the company.
