TECHNICAL FLOORING

TECHNICAL FLOORING

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We distinguish technical flooring according to two production types:
1) New rubber and EVA, produced by moulding, models: Outrace, EcoFit, EVAgym.
2) Recycled rubber, produced by agglomeration of granules, models: EcoGym.

INDICATIONS and FEATURES...read more

Flooring of the first type, produced by moulding new rubber, has a higher production cost but has a number of important quality characteristics. The first characteristic is aesthetics. The tiles are extremely finished, with precise edges and joints and a very wide range of colours, with different solutions of high visual impact. The type of product also allows for the insertion of coloured graphic elements in such a way as to obtain markers, designs, customised logos, lasting over time; precisely because they are obtained by inserting rubber into the tiles and not by overlapping adhesive elements. The second important feature is the compactness. The tiles produced by hot moulding have a very dense rubber, which is therefore suitable for areas dedicated to free body exercises and extremely well suited to rooms equipped with isotonic and cardio machines, equipment that requires high stability. Third characteristic is hygiene. The compactness of the rubber prevents the absorption of dirt, water and sweat, making surface cleaning easy and effective. Fourth feature the smell.  New rubber is essentially odourless. Fifth characteristic the reaction to firefire retardant additives make the Cfl-s2 classification possible. Last but not least, the sixth but not least characteristic, the durability. The density and compactness of the rubber ensure that the surface does not wear and flake rapidly through use, even as the wheels of the benches slide. 

Flooring of the second type, produced by agglomerating recycled rubber granules, has become very popular thanks to the success of Crossfit® and functional training, due to some extremely distinctive technical specificities, to the point of subordinating any quality limits.     

The rubber in these tiles does not form a single element but is granular, i.e. composed of rubber grains pressed together and joined by the action of chemical bonding agents. Increasing the size of the grains produces tiles that are more granular and more capable of absorbing energy. The great ability to absorb shocks and resist lacerations/incisions from falling tools is in fact the main characteristic of this type of flooring and the reason for its success in areas where free weights can fall to the ground. Second characteristic is that of being extremely non-slip. Since they are granular, even in the presence of a lot of liquid the grip remains unaltered, which is ideal for high-intensity training areas where athletes, dispersing a lot of sweat, can create highly slippery and dangerous situations. Third feature the cost. Tiles made from agglomerated recycled rubber granules have low production costs and this is also consistent with the function of resisting falling tools, which can also lead to the need for replacement. Finally l'aesthetics. As spartan flooring, an icon of areas dedicated to intense training, this type of tile has also become striking and characterising in terms of aesthetics, especially in its black colouring.

In spite of these strong qualities, however, recycled rubber granule flooring has some limitations. Firstly, the finish. The granular structure does not allow for precise edges and joints and the creation of a wide colour range. Secondly, hygiene. The porous surface makes cleaning less easy. Third limitation is odour. Recycled rubber, even if sorted, is not as odourless as new, but becomes so a few weeks after installation. Fourth the reaction to fire with Efl classification. Fifth limit durability. Absorbing shocks and being highly non-slip cause the surface to wear and flake off more than non-grain tiles.

 

In order to reduce these limitations, Ecogym is made with a double layer, coarse granules below, for shock absorption, fine granules above, to reduce porosity.  A solution that makes the product incomparable to other similar floor coverings in that the level of finish, jigsaw jointing, and hygiene are absolutely superior. Hygiene is also due to the fact that the tiles do not have chamfered edges, but the double-layer solution allows for sharp corners, thus avoiding large dirt-collecting gaps between the tiles. Finally, a careful selection of recycled rubber allows for minimal tile odour.

Weightlifting mats are made of this second type of rubber: Ecogym.