Development and production of the Nature Tech Material karuun® made from rattan as an ecological alternative to plastic
karuun GmbH
KißleggNew on Amplifa
About karuun
karuun GmbH (formerly out for space GmbH) develops and produces the Nature Tech Material karuun®, a composite material made from the rattan palm that serves as an ecological alternative to plastic and other synthetic materials. The patented processing technology uses the capillaries of the rattan cane to inject UV-stable color pigments through the entire cross-section with minimal energy input. From the treated canes, semi-finished products such as sheets, blocks and veneers are produced by milling, laminating and pressing, as well as deep-drawn 3D components. Depending on the cutting direction, products with different properties are created, including the veneer karuun® stripe and the translucent material karuun® shine. Processing is carried out to automotive standards and is compatible with common industrial processes and machines. Value creation is largely mapped in Indonesia; distribution in Indonesia is handled exclusively through the VIVERE Group. Customers come from industries such as automotive and aviation, architecture and furniture manufacturing, product design, sporting goods, electronics, camping, trade fair construction, and yacht and boat building, including NIO, Porsche, Motherson, elobau and HYMER. The headquarters is located in Kißlegg in the Allgäu region.
- Site
- Kißlegg
- Processes
- Production of karuun® (injection of UV-stable color pigments into the capillaries of the rattan, Milling of the karuun® cane (milled square), Laminating the edge strips into sheets, Pressing of blocks (karuun® block), Veneer production – karuun® stripe (vertical cut, rattan veneer as surface, for, Sawing of the end grain from the karuun® block – karuun® shine (translucent, light- and, karuun® 3D – deep-drawn components (dimensionally stable spherical objects from button size to, karuun® panel – veneer panel made of karuun®
- Materials
- karuun® (Nature Tech Material made from rattan), Rattan palm (Calamus Rotang), Rattan (Calamus Manau, diameter up to approx. 8cm), karuun® stripe (rattan veneer), karuun® shine, karuun® block, karuun® 3D, karuun® panel
- Founded
- 2015
- Industries
- Automotive & Aviation, Architecture/Interior design/Furniture/Object construction, Product design/Consumer goods, Sporting goods, Electronic devices, Camping
- 01
Cultivation and harvesting of rattan in Indonesia
- 02
Injection of UV-stable color pigments into the capillaries of the rattan cane
- 03
Milling of the karuun® cane
- 04
Laminating the edge strips into sheets
- 05
Pressing of blocks (karuun® block)
- 06
Cutting and further processing (stripe, shine, 3D, panel)
- 07
Surface finishing (staining, oiling, waxing, varnishing)
- 08
Distribution and Nature Tech Service
Materials & Processes
karuun® (Nature Tech Material made from rattan)
Composite material made from the rattan palm as an ecological alternative to plastic for surfaces, furniture and interiors.
karuun® stripe (rattan veneer)
Rattan veneer as a surface, for postforming elements and coating of substrate materials.
karuun® shine
Translucent, light- and air-permeable material with excellent stability and formability, e.g. for sound insulation and lighting design.
karuun® block
Block material pressed from the rattan palm, starting material for a wide range of further processing.
karuun® 3D
Dimensionally stable, deep-drawn spherical components from button size up to large formats.
karuun® panel
Veneer panel made of karuun® as a natural alternative to artificial surfaces.
karuun® solid
Variant under development with increased hardness and stiffness.
karuun® proof
Variant under development with increased durability and weather resistance.
Patented injection technology
Treatment of the entire rattan cross-section from the inside out via the capillaries with minimal energy input.
Locations
Kißlegg
DEHeadquarters / Office
- Materials
- Rattan (karuun®)
Products & Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production of karuun® (injection of UV-stable color pigments into the capillaries of the rattanPlastics | – | – | – | – | Rattan (karuun®) |
| Milling of the karuun® cane (milled square)Machining | – | – | – | – | Rattan (karuun®) |
| Laminating the edge strips into sheetsJoining | – | – | – | – | Rattan (karuun®) |
| Pressing of blocks (karuun® block)Forming | – | – | – | – | Rattan (karuun®) |
| Veneer production – karuun® stripe (vertical cut, rattan veneer as surface, forSurface | – | – | – | – | Rattan (karuun®) |
| Sawing of the end grain from the karuun® block – karuun® shine (translucent, light- andMachining | – | – | – | – | Rattan (karuun®) |
| karuun® 3D – deep-drawn components (dimensionally stable spherical objects from button size toForming | – | – | – | – | Rattan (karuun®) |
| karuun® panel – veneer panel made of karuun®Plastics | – | – | – | – | Rattan (karuun®) |
| Surface finishing: staining, oiling, waxing, varnishingSurface | – | – | – | – | Rattan (karuun®) |
| Development of karuun® solid (extension with hardness and stiffness) and karuun® proof (extensionEngineering | – | – | – | – | Rattan (karuun®) |
| Nature Tech Service – consulting, concept development, product training, workshops, after salesEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Processing to automotive standards (series production, use with common processes andPlastics | – | – | – | – | Rattan (karuun®) |
| PostformingForming | – | – | – | – | Rattan (karuun® stripe) |
Additional services
Reference customers
History
- 2015
Foundation of out for space GmbH in Kißlegg in the Allgäu region; the starting point was the patent for finishing and further processing rattan into semi-finished products (sheets, blocks, veneers); before the founding, the company was awarded the German Design Award in Gold.
- 2022
Own representation in Indonesia; together with NIO, 100,000 vehicles were designed with less plastic.
- 2023
VIVERE Group becomes exclusive distribution partner in Indonesia from September; winner of the Innovation Prize Bioeconomy Baden-Württemberg, finalist of the German Sustainability Award, SignsAward 'Startup of the Year'.