COMPOSITE PRODUCT WITH SURFACE EFFECT

The present invention provides a method of forming a composite product with a skin having a surface effect， the method comprising: providing a substrate including a material having a substantially open-celled (44) structure; providing a sheet-form curable material (40)， providing a surface material in particulate form (30) and pressing the sheet-form curable material and the surface material to the substrate to form the composite product such that the sheet-form material becomes bonded to the substrate and the surface material becomes embedded in an exposed surface of the sheet-form material. The present invention relates to methods of manufacturing composite products having a surface effect. In some examples described， a composite product has a simulated surface， for example a stone-effect surface formed by pressing a particulate-form surface material (30) and a sheet-form curable material (40) onto a substrate (44) having an open-celled structure. In other examples， a laminate product having a veneer is formed by pressing a veneer and a sheet-form material onto a substrate including a porous structure. The veneer may comprise a wood material. In other examples， a surface effect material is bonded to a skin by pressing a sheet-form curable material to a mould surface and the surface effect material. Where the surface effect material has a high thermal conductivity， the composite product formed can feel cool to the touch.