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Florim is able to test the main technical product characteristics within its own laboratories, in order to determine the level of usage performance based on current standards.
As an additional guarantee for the consumer, Florim Ceramiche verifies the quality of its products at the main international testing institutes.
Testing certificates are available directly from the website in the Collections section, inside each segment in the Technical Testing area.
WHO CREATES THE STANDARDS
The creation of a single European market and the globalization of trade at a worldwide level have inevitably moved the focus of standards towards supranational areas. Here below is a list of the agencies in charge of creating common standards:
- ISO: International Organization for Standardization (issues ISO standards that are valid worldwide)
- CEN: Comité Européen de Normalisation (issues EN standards valid in Europe)
- UNI: Ente Nazionale Italiano di Unificazione (represents Italy within supranational agencies, it receives publishes the international standards at the national level and issues standards that have national validity)
A standard that is labelled as UNI EN ISO means that it is received at both the European and Italian level.
WHAT ARE STANDARDS NEEDED FOR
- To promote safety, quality of life and the preservation of the environment, regulating products, processes and services
- To increase effectiveness and efficiency of the economic system, unifying products, performance levels, testing methods and control systems
- To promote international trade, harmonizing standards and controls on products and services
- To simplify communication, unifying terminology, symbols, codes and interfaces
- To safeguard the interests of the consumer and the community
All of this, within the ceramic tile sector, means determining:
- product classification
- characteristics that products must have in relation to their use
- measuring and testing methods necessary to quantify the different characteristics
- sampling and control criteria for a lot of products
- acceptance requirements for each characteristic and for each type of product
- rules for identification, specification and labelling of each type of product
STANDARDS FOR CERAMIC TILES
Basis for classification
Ceramic tiles are subdivided into groups according to the moulding and water absorption method.
Moulding methods
The classification of tiles according to the moulding methods is divided into three groups:
- Group A: extruded tiles
- Group B: dry pressed tiles
- Group C: tiles moulded through other processes
Water absorption (E)
The classification of tiles according to the water absorption method is divided into three groups:
1) Tiles with low water absorption (Group I, E <= 3%)
For dry pressed tiles, Group I is further subdivided into:
- Group BIa: E <= 0,5%
- Group BIb: 0.5% < E <= 3%
2) Tiles with medium water absorption (Group II, 3% < E <= 10%)
For dry pressed tiles, Group II is further subdivided into:
- Group BIIa: 3% < E <= 6%
- Group BIIb: 6% < E <= 10%
3) Tiles with high water absorption (Group III, E > 10%)
Standards regarding ceramic tiles
General standards
UNI EN 14411 Definitions, classification, characteristics and marking
Testing methods
- UNI EN ISO 10545-1 Sampling and acceptance criteria
- UNI EN ISO 10545-2 Determination of the dimensional and surface quality characteristics
- UNI EN ISO 10545-3 Determination of water absorption
- UNI EN ISO 10545-4 Determination of tensile strength and resistance to bending
- UNI EN ISO 10545-5 Determination of resistance to collision
- UNI EN ISO 10545-6 Determination of resistance to deep abrasion (for non glazed tiles)
- UNI EN ISO 10545-7 Determination of resistance to superficial abrasion (for glazed tiles)
- UNI EN ISO 10545-8 Determination of thermal linear expansion
- UNI EN ISO 10545-9 Determination of resistance to sudden thermal changes
- UNI EN ISO 10545-10 Determination of expansion caused by humidity
- UNI EN ISO 10545-11 Determination of resistance to crackling (for glazed tiles)
- UNI EN ISO 10545-12 Determination of resistance to frost
- UNI EN ISO 10545-13 Determination of resistance to chemical attacks
- UNI EN ISO 10545-14 Determination of resistance to stains
- UNI EN ISO 10545-15 Determination of lead and cadmium transfer (for glazed tiles)
- UNI EN ISO 10545-16 Determination di slight chromatic differences
Other widely used standards
There is not one worldwide or European standard for resistance to slipping, there are however different testing methods according to the reference markets.
The main ones are listed here below.
B.C.R. Method (know as Tortus) - Dynamic friction coefficient
Testing with wet and dry rubber soles.
Adopted in Italy by the DM 236 of June 14th 1989, with one change (testing with soles in wet rubber and dry leather)
DIN 51097 Method - Slipping angle with bare feet (A, B, and C groups)
DIN 51130 Method - Slipping angle wearing shoes
Testing with standard shoes and oil (R9 to R13 groups)
ASTM C1028 - Static friction coefficient
Testing with dry and wet Ornstein
BS 7976 - Pendulum method
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