Sicam project works and the fifteenth edition that recently took place in Pordenone proved it once again. Growing numbers on all fronts with 692 exhibitors (650 in 2023) and 9,243 visiting companies (8,912 in 2023) from 113 countries (112 in 2023).
A formula that is faithful to itself but capable of updating itself to make the meeting and dialogue between exhibitors and visiting operators increasingly efficient.
A successful event not only for the numbers, but also, and above all, for the positive climate experienced during the four days, despite the complexities of the current market. “An edition that strongly demonstrated the desire to look ahead and the certainty that a sector able to express so much quality and innovation – with its strong niche companies attentive to extreme quality, as well as groups capable of tackling the largest markets – always has so much to say,” commented Carolina Giobbi, marketing and communication manager of the event.
Innovation is in fact the key word with which to read the great research work that has emerged from all sectors, first and foremost that of materials producers.
3D textures and impeccable finishes
Let's start with the producers of large ceramic slabs or sintered stones. Their increasingly significant presence at Sicam makes it clear how strategic the kitchen and furniture sector is for them. The aim of imitating nature as best as possible is played on graphics and textures for surprising 3D effects, but also on the evolution of the mixtures, increasingly consistent with the surface decoration to guarantee visual continuity between surface and edge.
With the proprietary progressive printing technology perfected over three years of research, Neolith sintered stone acquires a remarkable 3D effect played on contrasts between glossy and matt. Four new colours are proposed, including the beautiful Whitesand , pictured, inspired by the vast and serene white dunes of the eponymous National Park in New Mexico. Available in thicknesses of 6, 12 and 20 mm.
For Infinity Surfaces , which is growing significantly in the furniture sector, the goal of the new High Fidelity technology is to give a sensorial dimension to the surface of the ceramic slab thanks to the deeply engraved vein. Equally important is having achieved a “full body” consistent with the surface. In most cases, we start from the graphics and then work on the body, but in some cases we start from the mixture and then create the texture accordingly, as in the case of Provençale , which reinterprets the ancient art of cocciopesto.
The veins and shades that extend through the entire thickness eliminate any distinction between surface and edge also for Sapienstone . In this case the visual continuity is due to the Ceramica4D technology, an evolution of the Full-Body technology developed by Iris Ceramica Group. The technology emphasizes the beauty of the imperial breccia, one of the stones that has most inspired ceramic manufacturers. The work on the ribbed slab that covers the base of the island seen at Sicam is interesting: the milling is filled with stucco to emphasize the vertical step with color.
The Marazzi The Top proposal at Sicam is told through a free-standing kitchen composed of blocks created with The Top Marble Look Breccia Imperiale with premium 3D Ink technology, which gives the surfaces volume and realism thanks to the micro-depressions on the veins, for a light three-dimensional effect. A match between graphics and 3D structures, different in each individual piece. The Pure Antibacterial treatment eliminates up to 99.9% of bacteria.
Division of Fondovalle dedicated to large ceramic slabs, My Top mixes the components of the mixture throughout its thickness to have a product with a through vein but to have an edge that is completely identical to the design of the slab, it even proposes a third passage in the oven on the finished product. A process that is certainly not trivial and certainly more expensive but which makes the result impeccable.
The coherence between mass and surface is a goal achieved also for Atlas Plan, Atlas Concorde brand dedicated to large slabs for furnishing elements. The work on textures is impactful, see the example of the Boost Icor Dune slab, which presents a tactility close to the original natural.
The research challenge also extends to exclusive collaborations, such as the one with Modulnova , the prestigious kitchen company for which Atlas Plan has exclusively developed the Appenino and Silver Root slabs. At Sicam, the Modulnova kitchen was presented with the Ice Crystal covering, which features delicate shades and marked veining.
Shared research
Speaking of four-handed projects, at Sicam other companies have proposed solutions developed or interpreted in collaboration with kitchen companies or designers specialized in the sector. Nor have there been any shortage of developments to definitively bring integrated induction hobs to the market.
Dekton debuted together with the Belgian Novy. The agreement led to the creation of the Undercover Induction top made exclusively on 20 mm thick slabs. In Italy it will be distributed by I&D, presumably starting from the second half of 2025.
To enhance the flexibility of the stratified laminate, Top Star, a leading company in the post forming sector, has chosen to work together with the designer Andrea Federici who has focused on different colours and thicknesses, 12 and 20 mm. The accessories for the bathtubs have also been created to demonstrate the versatility of the material. Thanks to a production process called “Lotto 1”, Top Star has now achieved highly personalised management despite producing large numbers and this further development presented at Sicam demonstrates even more their ability to offer tailor-made projects.
Following speaking of collaborations, the protagonist of the Quarella stand was the new kitchen for Pianca's Orizzonte Collection, which debuted in the kitchen world at the Salone del Mobile. The project used the Rasotica marble agglomerate from the Traditional Collection, which comes from the most important Italian natural stone quarries. The agglomerate uses the Marmo+ anti-acid treatment engineered by Quarella . An innovative and permanent treatment capable of protecting marble kitchen tops from the corrosion of food acids.
We enter the world of quartz-based composites with Surfalite , proposed by Santamargherita, which in Pordenone expressed itself thanks to the Marea kitchen by Maistri. The slab with rounded edges that are making a significant comeback boasts a thickness of only 7 millimetres. A choice of lightness, the weight is 17 kg/m2, which improves the versatility, the workability of the material, logistics in transport and reduces the impact on the environment. Thanks to its reduced thickness, Surfalite was also used for the columns.
Composites, ongoing evolutions
Speaking of quartz-based composites, many people at Sicam were negatively commenting on the recent Australian measure that banned the import of this silicon-based material to protect those who work with it. A position that pointed the finger at the material instead of regulating its transformation process, which if done well does not cause harm to the worker. In the meantime, leading companies in the sector have long since undertaken research to reduce the silica component to a minimum or even eliminate it altogether.
An example of this is Ecotone ™, proposed and produced by Quartzforms . A new generation of slabs made with recycled components, a resin derived from bio compounds and with a silica content of less than 5%. The new colors of the New Era family are very beautiful and current, starting from the dark red shade of Avalon, extremely current in design as in fashion.
Speaking of trends, Marmo Arredo presented at Sicam a rich collection of quartzite, the natural stone that has very different shades and textures, and also an interesting range of travertines, which have also come back into fashion in architecture.
Stone Italiana also focuses on materials with minimal residues of crystalline silica since Supernova, the latest creation from the company's research, does not contain quartz but a mixture of other minerals. Cosmolite ® also focuses on a " quartz -free" formula that enhances and ennobles the recycled product in the production process. The mixture of pre-consumer recycled minerals from the stone extraction industry was the protagonist of various installations, including an outdoor kitchen that in addition to aesthetic and performance values also brought into play the important ones of sustainability.
Sign softens
Rounded shapes are back, even in the kitchen. We saw it at the last Salone del Mobile and we saw it again at Sicam. A tribute to the soft shapes of nature, respect for which also inspires more sustainable behaviors. A coherent meeting between form and substance
This is the case of Laminam, which had already debuted at the Salone del Mobile with the first 2 mm slab and which at Sicam fully demonstrated its potential with the kitchen prototype designed by Andrea Federici. Thanks to twO by Laminam, it is in fact possible to cover concave and convex surfaces with a radius of up to 3 meters, overcoming the limits of the two-dimensionality of ceramics. The ceramic material becomes the “skin” of a total look also for the chromatic coherence of the Gemini Acero collection in the 2 mm version with the 12 mm version used for the kitchen top.
Shape and colour were the two cornerstones on which the Rehau stand was built, which decidedly focused on the round sign to enhance the range of Rauvisio surfaces and its new solid colours in the Crystal Pure collection and the warm and earthy nuances of Luna, Torba and Terriccio, in the award-winning Crystal Deep Collection.
Baido's great expertise in transforming materials was clearly expressed at Sicam. Among the new products presented, the island stands out, whose top is made with the new glossy decorative Vis Gloss by Arpa, ideal for use in kitchen tops thanks to its remarkable resistance. Baido has worked this innovative material with great skill, transforming the edge, obtained from the same material, into an important decorative element and embellished with a chamfer in perfect harmony with current and future trends. The ribbed fronts confirm that this trend is still in vogue. Induction plates by Pitt and an integrated sink by Elleci have been installed on the top.
Natural vertical surfaces
If we enter the vast world of vertical coverings, Sicam has confirmed two important trends that both lead back to natural elements, wood and metal.
The first is that of the more classic woods, starting from walnut and oak, proposed in simpler and more homogeneous structures. An example for everyone is the Sunda decorative, an oak available in four colors, proposed by Schattdecor which with its linear layout is a counter-trend response to the reed trend, which is always present but certainly less pervasive. The antithesis of this soft and simple texture, the proposals defined as Dark Elegance, a trend interpreted by dark woods and stones such as Black Mamba. An opulent but balanced elegance in which metals also find space.
The Polvere decorative laminate collection presented by Sm'Art was also created with the intent of replicating the metal surface treated with powders. The finish reproduces a microstructure with a grainy feel, typical of the lacquer it recalls, which provides excellent scratch resistance. The colors are also “dusty”, from gray to beige and brown, but there is also the Scintilla, this is its name, in brick red, one of the leading colors in the world of design together with Bordeaux. Also interesting is the Intagli collection, always proposed by Sm'Art and designed in collaboration with lamatilde , which confirms the trend characterized by linear decorations combined with an elegant finish. An aesthetic characterized by a tactile and visual dualism that returns an important material effect, thanks to a clever play of levels and lights and shadows, without ever impacting the harmony of the finished product.
With 70,000 pieces produced per day and 1,060 employees, Ilcam can rightly be considered one of the most dynamic and complete Italian companies in the production of fronts. Its production capacity ranges across every type of material divided into four macro typologies: Wood, solid and veneered doors, Leaf, thermoformed with thermoplastic leaf, Paint, spray, roller and veil lacquered doors, Paper, used with different weights, finishes and tactile effects. In the images of significant examples of Ilcam's versatility: note the slightly embossed effects, the curves, the reeded boiseries, the woods with a more linear structure that are highly requested by the market today.
Returning to metals, Kronosystem|Eurocomponenti has declined this trend both through the Formex acrylic collection and with Petaly, a very successful name to define the range of pet, a material that has among its values that of sustainability as it is completely recyclable. The company has built its credo on the green theme for some time and also the stand proposed at Pordenone "Beyond the surface" wanted to emphasize the concept that beyond the surface of the materials on display, characteristics of sustainability and the use of natural elements emerge. Such as the Linoil collection which is made only with the use of natural materials, starting from flax seeds.
In general, the theme of eco design was a “green” thread that ran through all the sectors present at Sicam. Never before has the communication of companies in their stands emphasized this crucial topic and the organizers of the event wanted to give their contribution to a greater respect for the environment through the partnership with Savingbees.org which led them to adopt five families of bees that populate four different Bee Oases. This collaboration also represents a virtuous example of how the industrial sector can actively contribute to the protection of the natural ecosystem. Protecting the environment also thanks to the most cutting-edge technologies.
