A spotlight on the advantages of digital printing for flooring.
When it comes to flooring, issues related to deterioration caused by foot traffic mean that use and abrasion performance are critical factors in the choice of a floor.
Laminate and parquet floors have always been among the most popular choices in home renovations. Their aesthetics, formats and wear resistance make these two floor types highly suitable for customisation, achieved thanks to industrial digital printing processes, and for meeting use and abrasion resistance requirements.
More specifically, the products used in the industrial digital printing process, intended for the flooring industry, meet the requirements of the abrasion resistance class AC5 (hotel halls, hallways, offices).
In addition, more and more paints and inks used in industrial digital printing fully qualify for the class of use 33, relating to high traffic areas (larger offices, stores).
Use class and abrasion class are closely linked and taken into consideration together when choosing a floor.
In general, textile floor coverings, and direct printing elements with resin top layers must meet the specifications, requirements and test methods currently regulated by EN 15468:2016.
In particular, the tests required to simulate the abrasive effect of foot traffic, from "falling sand" to "Taber", also include tests with aluminium oxide, in addition to the already known sandpaper test, making them even more realistic.
Since September 2019, we have also been expected to comply with different regulations to meet the requirements of China and the United States relating to laminates or surfaces with direct printing and polymer coating (EN13329) ("Taber test"). In relation to this standard, we have achieved AC4 and AC5 ratings with some different cycle specifications, currently being verified by our customer.