Design technology is transforming flooring through advanced digital printing and other innovations. Direct digital printing and 3D technology allow manufacturers to create ultra-realistic visuals and textures that mimic natural wood or stone.
A leader in the digital printing space is Germany-based Hymmen, whose Jupiter JPT-C print-to-board lines deliver intelligent and highly precise register accuracy. This ensures the highest levels of color stability and print quality output while maintaining printing speeds of 25-50 meters per minute.
To expand its presence Hymmen entered into a technology partnership with i4F that includes exclusive licensing rights for all Hymmen digital-printing patents and technologies for flooring productions.
The new patents cover advanced functionalities that enhance the quality of digitally printed flooring products.
Another company that has relied on Hymmen’s digital printing technology is Classen—first for laminate production at its Baruth facility in Germany and later at Kaisersesch for the company’s proprietary Ceramin material, a PVC-free floor covering made from polypropylene.
At Classen’s dedicated design center in Kaisersesch, wall- and floorcovering designs are developed entirely digitally and seamlessly integrated into production. Wood, stone and fantasy motifs are processed in such a way that individual structures can be flexibly adapted, mirrored or rotated. This enables multiple variations to be generated from a single base pattern, efficiently and with optimal resource conservation.
Forbo Flooring Systems leverages advanced high-definition digital printing technology to offer custom, photorealistic and bespoke flooring solutions. This process allows for complex color gradients, large pattern repeats without repetition and highly intricate visuals on commercial vinyl and textile floors without compromising durability. Its new Flotex production facility in Pennsylvania uses digital printing to produce high-performance carpet (see Forbo story on page 1).
When it comes to surface innovation, there’s Daltile’s StepWise technology. Enhancing safety in wet areas is at the crux of StepWise. Because of its waterproof performance, bacteria resistance, low maintenance and versatile design options, tile is the best flooring product for wet areas. Daltile takes this capability in wet areas to an even higher level by featuring its proprietary StepWise technology in many of its best-selling products. StepWise is said to provide 50% more slip resistance than regular tile—making these Daltile products the ideal flooring choice for safety in bathrooms, kitchens and even outdoor areas.
