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2003
Journal Article
Titel
Testbelag
Titel Supplements
Laminatfußböden in Forschung und Prüfung am WKI
Abstract
The Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research at the Wilhelm-Klauditz Institute (WKI) in Braunschweig has been involved in researching and testing laminate floor coverings ever since their market introduction. Key themes over recent years have undoubtedly been the properties of the wide diversity of non-adhesive based joining systems. For the industry a critical consideration in producing these systems is the "pull-out forces" or "binding forces" of the separate laminate flooring elements with each other. This is because open joints in a floor covering system are both undesirable to the customer and also permit moisture penetration; hence they increase the likelihood of claims for refunds. To determine whether there is any play between two joined panels the WKI makes use of microscopic analyses of sections of laminate floor coverings and force-and-position diagrams. Keyword room sound: Based on the testing method developed by the WKI involving the use of a hard rubber ball to test acoustic emissions from laminate floor coverings, the Institute has so far analysed around 80 different products on behalf of numerous manufacturers. These analyses have shown that insulation underlays with lower rigidity and greater mass per unit area tend to offer better room sound attenuation. An orientational trial on materials with known properties is intended to clarify the usefulness of the idea involving the standardized striking mechanism and the loudness analyses. By the autumn of 2002 some details still had to be reolved for this standardized method of measurement, however, in particular the mathematical compensation for the inherent noise of the striking mechanism. In addition, rather than expressing the loudness of the product as an absolute value, the intention is to express it as a percentage value relative to the loudness of a floating standard laminate floor covering.