Frame mouldings, wholesale production and sales

For 65 years IMEX has been producing wholesale frame rods for both the national and international market; the latter accounts for approximately 90% of our annual production. We currently sell our frame mouldings in over 24 countries that appreciate how we manage to combine traditional craftsmanship and technological and industrial innovation in our products. 

Of course, our production also embraces other types of products and is wide-ranging and varied, thanks also to the processing of solid wood, MDF and the creation of a considerable quantity of products for large-scale distribution.

The production of frame mouldings

How is a frame rod born? Obviously the first and most important starting point is wood, a raw material that continues to live even after the trunk is cut. The choice of the right wood depends on various factors; geographical exposure, altitude, climate, growth in a more or less dense forest, the variety of species it hosts.

The combination of these factors determines the density, growth, color and grain of the wood, thus influencing all the subsequent stages of processing, from cutting to the production of raw boards, to the packaging of the finished product.

Raw wood for our frame mouldings

The wood for frames arrives in IMEX in the form of raw planks, after having already undergone a first processing phase: the cutting of the trunk, the stripping of the bark, the subsequent cut into boards, the drying in ovens. The rough boards have variable dimensions depending on the type of wood, on its origins (in America it’s cut differently than in Northern Europe) and the use that will be made of it.

The importance of wood and cutting

The second step is to determine the necessary section for the creation of the frame, through a multi-blade cutting operation, after which the wood is molded with specific cutters and knives. This is not a simple operation because different factors change depending on the wood species, such as the material of the tool, the stripping of the blade, the rotation speed of the cutter on the motor shaft of the moulder and the feed speed of the wooden section.

These operations allow us to produce raw rods for frames, which will become profiles for frames for the artworks in our homes. After these first processes, the raw rods for frames can undergo further processing by imprinting decorations either through molding or through the application of a wood paste, which can enrich evoking historical periods or recalling natural or architectural elements or references from the art world.

From rough frame moldings to finished frame moldings

At this point in the process of producing frame mouldings for paintings and other uses, one can decide whether to leave the rod with its natural look by applying a layer of transparent varnish in order to bring out all the beauty of wood’s characteristics, or to go for color to give life to more complex products that can convey more intense and varied emotions.

Finishing with varnish

The choice of color, for wooden frame mouldings, presents an infinite number of variables determined by the message that one wants to express, by the place or environment where the finished product will be placed, and by the cultural background and aesthetic taste of the receiver. Selling worldwide, in fact, we realized that taste and style vary depending on the country of destination.

Shades that reveal the grain, soft or bright lacquers in constant pursuit of seasonality, antiquing that adheres to old artifacts, gilding that enriches and gives brilliance: there is no limit to creativity when it comes to finishes of frame mouldings. Just look online to realize the expressive potential of this product.

Finishing with coating

In addition to the colors, it’s also possible to use coating materials that dress the rod with a second skin, allowing even less noble or non-paintable materials to acquire a look more in line with market trends, as well as opening the doors to different possibilities of customization that painting alone would not allow.

Selection, boxing and sending of finished frame mouldings

The last phase of our production process is the selection, boxing and shipment to the customer, with the aim of enhancing a unique, non-repeatable, living material, that can earn customer satisfaction to build a good relationship of collaboration and mutual trust over time.

Whether simple or elaborate, produced in large quantities for wholesale or made-to-measure, our frame mouldings are able to satisfy various aesthetic, stylistic and production needs, and are used all over the world in various sectors, including customized special rods for the restaurant, hotel, and naval sectors.