10/2014

MMFA holds meeting in Frankfurt

New “Underlay Materials” technical bulletin published

For the second time this year, members of the MMFA – Multilayer Modular Flooring Association – came together for an Ordinary General Meeting; more than 40 industry specialists gathered in Frankfurt on 30 September and 1 October to discuss ongoing projects and new tasks for both the Technical and Market Development Working Groups. The association currently has 33 members in 9 European countries and in light of the continually growing multilayer market it views itself as being in a strong growth situation.

The recently-formed association MMFA has already registered its first international success: in August the new standard EN 16511 was published (Title: “EN 16511 – Loose-laid panels. Semi-rigid multilayer modular floor covering (MMF) with wear resistant top layer”). At the meeting, Volker Kettler (Chairman of the Technical Working Group) praised the unusually quick implementation: “The active cooperation of the MMFA in the CEN standardization committees has effectively accelerated the progress of this project, which means that the new EN 16511 was finalised and published after just two years of development.”

New EN 16511: clear specifications for the first time 

EN 16511 encompasses usage classifications 21 to 34 and, for the first time, defines the product characteristics of floating MMF flooring installations. In principle, this standard sets down various requirements for panels with hygroscopic core materials (e.g. HDF) and those with thermoplastic core materials (e.g. vinyl): so, for example, swelling tests will be applied only to products with hygroscopic core materials. Compared with existing requirements in other flooring standards, EN 16511 includes new data on microscratch resistance for products in usage classes 32, 33 and 34 and also maximum values for residual indentation for all MMF flooring.

Given the explosion in product diversity on the market, the MMFA is of the view that EN 16511 offers a good starting point for the international implementation of uniform quality standards – and thereby increased security for users. Volker Kettler stressed, however, that the technical progress would soon create a need for an update. The MMFA, as a strong driving force, will also promote the continuous further development and improvement of EN 16511. To give an example of this, the MMFA’s Technical Working Group has on its agenda the development of suitable test methods and Volker Kettler made a strong case for setting up an internal CEN Working Group for multilayer flooring.
MMFA product classes 1, 2 and 3 updated

The MMFA adapts quickly and flexibly to technical developments. At the Frankfurt meeting, the three existing MMFA product classes were slightly modified to allow them to include new products. The official definition for the MMF product classes now reads: “Floating, multilayer modular floor covering… Class 1: Substrate based on HDF with polymer layer (excluding lacquer only systems), Class 2: Substrate based on polymer or polymer composite with polymer layer and/or polymer lacquer system, Class 3: All other flooring structures which are not covered by Class 1 and 2 or external standards”. Class 3, for example, covers modules using a click system and textile surface or those on a mineral core.

Sebastian Wendel (Akzenta) has been leading the Market Development Working Group since August. The initial tasks of this group include gathering turnover data by region and country from the production of European MMFA members in the classes referred to as 1, 2 and 3. The first official association statistics for the period 2012 to 2014 will be presented by the MMFA at Domotex 2015.

Useful specialised information for the sector

The MMFA aims to provide the sector with comprehensive information on new multilayer floor coverings. In the middle of September, around 80 craftsmen and experts from the whole of Germany took part in the first major MMFA industry seminar. After the success of this first event, the plan is to continue these training events from 2015. The MMFA is also working on technical instructions for cleaning, care and installation (including over underfloor heating).

Choosing the right underlay is often crucial for the flooring construction to function free of damage. The new technical bulletin issued by the MMFA offers practical help and specific instructions: “Underlay Materials under Multilayer Modular Floor Coverings (MMF) – Test Standards and Performance Indicators”. The preliminary draft for this was finalised in Frankfurt. The final document has just been published in German and English, and is downloadable free of charge from the Association’s website www.mmfa.com.

Annexed to the MMFA data sheet is a summary of underlay requirements for the various MMF products, clearly shown in two tables. The product compositions of MMFA Class 1 with HDF core has underlay installation requirements which are very similar to laminate flooring. The minimum CS value (compressive strength) of the underlay is 10 kPa, for heavier duty it is minimum 60 kPa. By contrast, MMF products without HDF core that are covered by MMFA Product Class 2 are generally much more elastic (example: LVT – luxury vinyl tile, under MMFA Class 2). To avoid damage, these floor coverings require underlays with high compression strength: for this, the CS value of the underlay should be at least 200 kPa, for heavier duty a minimum of 400 kPa.

MMFA set for expansion

At the Frankfurt meeting, the President of the MMFA Matthias Windmöller welcomed the three new members of the association CC-Dr. Schutz GmbH (Bonn), Friedrich Klumpp GmbH (Stuttgart) and Neuhofer Holz GmbH (Zell am Moos, Austria). As of September, the MMFA is made up of 15 European flooring producers as ordinary members, 16 supplier companies as extraordinary members and two scientific institutes as supporting members. The association anticipates further additions in the medium term.

The next official date for the MMFA is the annual press conference for Domotex in Hannover on 18 January 2015. The next MMFA Ordinary General Meeting will take place on 20-21 April 2015 in Viken, Sweden, at the invitation of Välinge Innovations AB.
www.mmfa.eu

Images – Captions

mfnd1406_b1: Ordinary Members Meeting of the MMFA: More than 40 industry specialists gathered on 30 September and 1 October in Frankfurt. – Photo: MMFA
mfnd1406_b2: The MMFA Committee (from left): Volker Kettler, Sebastian Wendel and Matthias Windmöller – Photo: MMFA
mfnd1406_b3: Volker Kettler, Chairman of the Technical Working Group: “The new EN 16511 represents a good starting point, however in future it will need to be constantly adapted to the latest technical developments.” – Photo: MMFA
mfnd1406_b4: Dr. Rico Emmler (IFH Dresden) made two technical presentations on the topics “Influences of Temperature and Test Methods” and “Testing the Lightfastness of Multilayer Products”. – Photo: MMFA
mfnd1406_b5: Ulrike Bittorf, a graduate chemical engineer, informed the MMFA members about the effects of indoor climate on the installation and usage of floor coverings. – Photo: MMFA
mfnd1406_b6: Logo MMFA – Graphic: MMFA