Global advanced fabrics company, Low & Bonar have signed a license agreement with EconCore, the thermoplastic honeycomb technology leader, for the use of their honeycomb technology. As a result of intensive work Low & Bonar has launched a new underlay flooring product at this month’s Domotex trade show in Hannover, Germany.
The floor underlay product from Low & Bonar uses EconCore’s honeycomb technology in a new and innovative way. The product, called Colcore® Sonic, is set to revolutionise the flooring market with its strong, acoustic, and lightweight properties.
Colcore uses EconCore’s continuous, high-volume production process for lightweight thermoplastic honeycomb sandwich panels. The combination of EconCore’s production technology and Low & Bonar’s expertise in performance materials led to the development of the underlay Colcore which offers a unique combination of strength and acoustic performance.
The floor underlay product is deliverable on a roll, rather than as a rigid panel. The new product concept was developed during 2018, with a series of testing, learning and further optimisation. Relevant industry qualification tests were achieved to demonstrate the product meets and exceeds industry standards.
Colcore® Sonic is lightweight and thin but with a high compression strength. It has excellent soundproofing and outstanding levelling characteristics. Deliverable in roll form, the new product is also very easy to handle, store and install.
It is the first underlay that provides excellent effective soundproofing and levelling capacity in a single product. It can be used with a range of hard flooring types such as vinyl click systems, flexible vinyl, laminate, hardwood and ceramic flooring.
Soon Joo Bovenschen, New Technology Manager at Low & Bonar said: “Even with the latest generation of levelling compounds, preparing subfloors prior to the installation of vinyl click flooring is time-consuming. Unrolling, cutting and positioning this high-performance underlay system is all it takes to smooth out uneven surfaces in minutes rather than hours or days.”
Independent testing also found that Colcore reduced impact sound by 20 dB and airborne sound transmission is 57 dB, both defined as the noise perceived in a room below. Radiated walking sound, defined as walking noise in the same room, registered at 56.4 Sone (a unit of loudness), considered to be a comfortable sound level. The results demonstrate that the product is ideal for flooring of both, commercial and residential buildings.
Tomasz Czarnecki, COO at EconCore said: “This license agreement and the subsequent successful product development is a result of intensive work and an excellent partnership between EconCore and Low & Bonar. We have combined our production and material technologies, respective know-how and dedication. This has been an exciting time, and the hard work is now delivering a highly innovative flooring product, being launched by Low & Bonar at the Domotex exhibition.”
Czarnecki adds: “With the versatility of EconCore’s technology and the skills, drive and market knowledge of the Low & Bonar team, we strongly believe it’s just a matter of time until another ground-breaking honeycomb product is launched by Low & Bonar.”
