Slip Resistance and Surface Characterization

Slip resistance is still of prime concern in the context of reliability in use for all covering materials, but sustainability is quickly gaining ground. Continuous advancements and changes of, in part, uncorrelated standard methods make it difficult for the manufacturer and users to satisfy the requirements of the different applications. This is where our expertise comes in.

Besides using the usual methods to measure slip resistance, we also use state-of-the-art methods to perform surface characterization and testing of functional properties to support you in all tasks from root cause analysis to product optimization. We provide you with:

The main focus of FGK’s consulting expertise is on our capabilities in testing, classification, and evaluation of slip resistance using common methods on the market in accordance with current test standards. We advise you on all tests and requirements for diverse applications according to product standards, e.g., EN 14411 for ceramic tiles, CE marking, or structural approvals, or according to customized requirements.

With our practice-oriented and reliable methods, we can provide a useful evaluation of the functional properties of a floor covering and its stability. Microscopic analysis in combination with measurement and interpretation of the surface topography is used towards the characterization and optimization of your products in terms of slip resistance, cleanability, and dirt resistance. Our experience in ceramic product and processing technology is applied purposefully in product development.

Whether during product development or testing, in the assessment of the performance characteristics of a covering onsite, in complaint cases, or for legal appraisals, with our competence and our experience, we offer you practical analytical support and cooperate with you to find solutions. In contact with your customers or in a supportive role for expert assessments, we can advise you in the lab and onsite.

FGK is widely recognized in the field of testing and investigation of functional properties of floor coverings. In national and international projects, for instance, the European SlipSTD project, we have significantly improved the representative nondestructive testing of surface topography as the basis for evaluation of slip resistance properties and cleaning behavior. This enables us to establish practical methods for evaluating the cleaning behavior as well as methods for testing the sustainability of functional properties. The developed methods have already been implemented in practice at various customer locations and are being taken up internationally as standardizable methods.