Industry

Industry flooring

Forbo Flooring Systems is an international market leader with a wealth of experience in providing ESD and cleanroom flooring.

Forbo industrial flooring installed in a lab

Expertise in ESD

Keep the environment under control

Forbo Flooring Systems is an international market leader with a wealth of experience in ESD and cleanroom flooring.

From ISO standard cleanrooms and static control flooring demanded in the electronics and pharmaceutical industries, to specialist flooring in general areas within an industrial site, Forbo Flooring Systems offers a range of ESD and cleanroom flooring solutions which can serve the highest demands and requirements of controlled environments.

Spaces

Flooring for Industry / Factory

Electronics industry

Electrostatic dissipative flooring

Electronics industry

Reducing the generation of electrostatic charges is the main purpose of control measures in ESD protected areas (EPA). In such areas as electronics assembly, mechatronics and data centres, the right floor covering plays a crucial role. It not only drains electrostatic charges from personnel and equipment, but it also reduces the generation of charges where they occur, at the interface between the shoe soles and the floor.
Find out more about our ESD solutions for the electronics industry
Life sciences

Protect your products

Life sciences

In ISO standard cleanroom environments in the pharmaceutical, life sciences and manufacturing industries, airborne particles can be a major source of contamination. Not only can they cause yield loss, the particles can also lead to corrosion and product degradation. ISO standards and cGMP regulations for air purity require compliance by presenting consistent results that can be verified on a regular basis.

Because of these requirements, we recommend our Colorex and Sphera SD/EC ranges. Suitable products are Colorex SD, Colorex EC, Colorex Plus EC, Sphera SD and Sphera EC.

Find out more about our solutions for the Life Sciences industry
Automotive

Keep the environment under control

Automotive

Advancing in-car technology must be matched by even greater control of contamination and static discharge in the manufacturing environment. Whether you are a chip manufacturer, a tier 1 component manufacturer or an OEM manufacturer, we have the right floor covering that will protect your product and profit.

For this segment, we recommend our Colorex and Sphera SD | EC ranges of static control flooring. There are conductive and static dissipative options along with a Plus collection that is ideal where downtime or sub floor repairs are an issue.

Find out more about our solutions for the automotive industry
General industry

Suitable for the toughest settings

General industry

Industrial environments present their own flooring issues, particularly in areas with high wear and tear. Our Colorex high performance floor covering systems are designed for all industrial areas, including the toughest of settings. Cut from a homogeneous, solid block of highly compressed material they have a high vinyl content and a well balanced volume of mineral filler for optimum performance.
Find out more about our solutions for General Industry areas
General areas

Every solution, one supplier

General areas

Within most industrial sites or factories, there will be areas requiring general flooring such as offices or corridors and areas requiring flooring with specialist features such as entrances, areas with slip risk or areas where acoustics may be an issue. Forbo has a solution for all of these areas.

Products

Products to use in Industry

Keep the environment Under Control

Unwanted ESD events can be prevented by restoring the balance of negative (-) and positive (+) ions in a controlled way. One of the methods to return the charged surface to a neutral state is by using ESD protective equipment such as ESD flooring. Specific ESD flooring limits the electrostatic charging of materials and people. It also ensures that when materials do get charged, the charge is discharged and grounded from people through the conductive shoes to the floor in a controlled way.

Forbo Flooring Systems offers a range of ESD and cleanroom flooring solutions which can serve the highest demands and requirements of controlled environments. For example in critical industrial environments where ESD can cause large scale damage, a flooring solution with permanent ESD properties can help to avoid costs from product failure, processing issues, equipment malfunction or hygienic problems. The floor can contribute to the prevention of unwanted electrostatic build-up and discharges.

Flooring can also help to keep a controlled environment clean by limiting the particle and TVOC emission from the floor covering.

ESD & cleanroom flooring solutions can also be part of ensuring a safe environment in sensitive healthcare facilities and areas. Static discharges can be unpleasant for patients and employees and sensitive medical devices can be negatively influenced by static charges. A solution that effectively protects the people and equipment against static events is required. A durable, stain resistant, highly stable and indentation-resistant flooring solution is needed.

All the collections from Forbo that offer a solution for even the most demanding controlled environments come together in our "Under Control" portfolio below.

Colorex SD - static dissipative

Colorex SD is a static dissipative homogeneous floor covering in tile format with permanent ESD properties. Because of the dense network of dissipative veins, static charges flow easily through the floor to earth. Colorex SD tiles can withstand the most demanding conditions and offer a perfect solution for highly sensitive areas such as cleanrooms, and for demanding production sites in the electronics, life sciences and manufacturing industry.
Go to the Colorex SD collection

Colorex EC - electrostatic conductive

Colorex EC is an electrostatic conductive floor covering in tile format with permanent ESD properties. With Colorex EC, static charges flow easily through the dense network of tiny conductive veins that run through the whole thickness of the tile. The charge is transmitted via the conductive adhesive and securely discharged to earth via the copper strip. It’s a completely natural system that needs no volatile chemical anti-static additives to aid conductivity. The conductivity is not affected by changes in temperature or humidity
Go to the Colorex EC collection

Colorex Plus

Colorex Plus is a high performance floor covering system consisting of adhesive free tiles for all application areas where expensive subfloor preparation or downtime is an issue. Colorex Plus can be installed without disruption of activities and it can be used immediately after installation, even by fork lift trucks. Colorex Plus is available as electrostatic conductive (EC) option, a heavy duty option with no ESD functionality (Basic)and an enhanced slip-resistance option (R10).
Go to the Colorex Plus collection

Sphera SD - static dissipative

Sphera SD is a homogeneous sheet vinyl floor covering with static dissipative properties. To ensure consistent, reliable performance, dissipative chips have been added. The clean sabbia embossing structure provides an easy to clean, matt surface.

Thanks to its conductive backing, there’s no need for conductive adhesive underneath the full sheet. Conductive adhesive is only to used affix the copper strip, helping to reduce installation costs.
Go to the Sphera SD collection

Sphera EC - electrostatic conductive

Sphera EC is a homogeneous sheet vinyl flooring with electrostatic conductive properties. To ensure consistent, reliable performance, carbon black chips have been added. The marbled design chips soften the appearance and provide an authentic look.

Thanks to its conductive backing, there’s no need for conductive adhesive underneath the full sheet. Conductive adhesive is only to used affix the copper strip, helping to reduce installation costs.
Go to the Sphera EC collection

Marmoleum Ohmex

Marmoleum Ohmex is a conductive linoleum floor covering that combines excellent sustainability with enhanced electrical resistance (< 1-108 Ω (in accordance with EN1081).

This ensures personal safety and protects equipment that is sensitive to static electricity, such as computers and other electronic devices.

Marmoleum Ohmex is made of natural raw materials which makes it a very sustainable conductive flooring choice.
Go to the Marmoleum Ohmex collection

Step Safety Vinyl

Safety vinyl can be used wherever people work or go about their daily business as slip resistance is a key consideration in the creation of safe working and public environments.

The Forbo Step safety vinyl collection combines outstanding slip-resistant properties with differentiated aesthetics and, through the use of new ‘Step Crystals’, each colourway offers a clean, fresh look and improved cleaning and maintenance properties.
Go to the Step Safety Vinyl collection

Entrance flooring - Coral - Commercial Office Interiors

Nuway & Coral - entrance systems

By keeping out dirt and moisture at the entrance, cleaning costs can be cut by up to 65%. Our Nuway collection is the recognised market leader in engineered entrance flooring systems. Nuway entrance systems provide an outstanding first line of defense against soil and moisture entering a building on the soles of shoes and the treads of wheeled traffic. It helps to keep your interior floor coverings drier and cleaner whilst also preventing slips. Nuway Tuftigard HD is Forbo's entrance system designed to withstand intense traffic or high point loads up to 900kg/cm ².

Our Coral collection has been the market leading, textile entrance flooring brand for 50 years. It offers more choice than ever before with attractive and sustainable clean-off systems and is available in styles and constructions to suit all applications, budgets and aesthetic requirements. Coral entrance floors can prolong the life of your floor as well as greatly reduce cleaning costs and the risk of slipping.
Go to the entrance systems collection

			Project requirements
	Tile or sheet	Intensity of loads	ESD control	Particle control and cleanroom suitability	Chemical resistance	Repairable solution	Slip resistance
Colorex SD	Tile	Extreme	Permanent static dissipative	ISO class 4	Excellent	Can be fully restored and repaired	R9
Colorex EC	Tile	Extreme	Permanent electrostatic conductive	ISO class 2	Excellent	Can be fully restored and repaired	R9
Colorex Plus EC	Tile	Heavy	Permanent and consistent electrostatic conductive	ISO cless 2	Excellent	Can be fully restored and repaired	R9
Colorex Plus basic	Tile	Heavy	Antistatic	ISO class 4	Excellent	Can be fully restored and repaired	R9
Colorex Plus R10	Tile	Heavy	Antistatic	ISO class 6	Excellent	Partially restorable	R10 - Textured surface for enhanced slip resistance
Sphera SD	Sheet	Moderate	Permanent and consistent static dissipative	ISO class 6	Very good	-	R9
Sphera EC	Sheet	Moderate	Permanent and consistent electrostatic conductive	ISO class 5	Very good	-	R9
Marmoleum Ohmex	Sheet	Moderate	Static dissipative with relative humidity > 40%	-	Good	-	R9

Application areas

Colorex EC & Sphera EC
ESD facilities, ISO standard cleanrooms, pharmaceutical laboratories, production sites and operating theatres.

Colorex SD & Sphera SD
New build laboratories, ISO standard cleanrooms, pharmaceutical laboratories, production sites, server rooms, data centres and operating theatres.

Colorex Plus EC
Renovation of ESD facilities, ISO standard cleanrooms, pharmaceutical laboratories and production sites. Suitable when down time, damp floors or poor subfloors are an issue.

Colorex Plus R10
The textured surface gives enhanced slip restistance (R10) and is ideal for use in areas where there is a risk of contamination of the floor for example through powder and water spillage on production sites (electronics, manufacturing, life sciences).

Colorex Plus Basic
Shops, stores, warehouses. Areas with high traffic needing daily intensive cleaning. Suitable when down time, damp floors, or poor subfloors are an issue.

Marmoleum Ohmex
Suitable for use in areas with sensitive equipment like computer and server rooms.

Sustainability

Creating better environments

We constantly strive to produce sustainable flooring systems that create better environments everywhere. At the same time we help take care of the natural environment through our commitment to sustainable development, responsible raw material procurement and manufacturing processes. Our Colorex and Sphera collections are manufactured using 100% green electricity and are REACH compliant.

Go to the Colorex and Sphera collection

How it's made

• Of all the electricity we buy, 100% comes from renewable sources. This means all our vinyl production sites, including our Colorex & Sphera plants, are part of an effective environmental management system and achieve ISO14001 certification.

• Sphera SD | EC is phthalate free and produced in a zero-waste environment.

How it performs

• The low plasticiser content ensures low emissions and outgassing.

• The surface of Colorex can be fully repaired, extending the useful life of the product. Deep scratches, holes, burns or other surface damage can be easily and effectively repaired, without leaving any trace or affecting the original characteristics of the floor. This genuine, 100% repairable surface is unique to Colorex and something that no other flooring system can promise.

Social Accountability

We care for the people that touch our business, from employees to suppliers. That’s why all our UK manufacturing facilities and most of our sites in Europe are certified to SA8000®. The SA8000 Standard is one of the world’s preeminent social standards which aims to protect workers along each step of the supply chain and we are the only UK flooring company to have achieved this certification. Forbo was also involved in the development of BES 6002 (BRE’s Ethical Labour Sourcing Standard) and became the first flooring company certified to this standard.

Back to the Floor Recycling Scheme

We collect clean installation off-cuts of Forbo products through our ‘Back to the Floor’ programme.

It’s good for us as it provides material to recycle back into our some of our products and it’s good for contractors as it saves money rather than landfilling it. We collect Marmoleum, Eternal, Sarlon and Sphera smooth vinyl, Allura LVT, Novilon cushioned vinyl, Flotex and Tessera carpet tile off-cuts.

To find out more just contact Back to the Floor on 0161 925 8760, backtothefloor@forbo.com

Download: Back to the Floor leaflet

What is ESD?

Electro Static Discharge

ESD is the abbreviation for Electro Static Discharge. It can be described as the sudden flow of electrons from one surface or human being to another surface or human being. This takes place when the materials return to their neutral or uncharged state. It can be seen as a miniature spark which passes from one electrostatically charged surface to another surface.

What most people don’t realize about electrostatic discharge (ESD) is that it can create damage without being noted. This invisible phenomenon can for example damage electronic devices or components, and can have crucial consequences. In order to be able to prevent or control Electro Static Discharge, it's important to understand how it occurs and what you can do to prevent or control it.

How does ESD occur?

The cause of ESD is static electricity. Static electricity can be generated through various phenomena. Electrostatic charge is the buildup of charge between two surfaces and is most commonly created by the contact and separation of two surfaces. This is known as tribo electric charging. It arises when two surfaces rub together. Neutral surfaces have as many negative as positive electrons. During contact, charged electrons (-) flow from one surface to the other.

When the surfaces are being separated, electrons will be extracted from one surface and remain on the other surface. The surfaces now have a potential difference: an opposite electrostatic charge. It depends on the place in the tribo-electric range which material or surface becomes positively charged and which becomes negatively charged. When two surfaces with potential difference come near each other, they can transfer charge to get back to their neutral state. This transfer of charge is also known as electrostatic discharge. Charged materials will by nature look for an electrostatic discharge to return to their neutral state, with an even amount of electrons (-) and protrons (+).

The risks of ESD

Even though a discharge might be imperceptible, it can cause large-scale damage. In the world of ESD, there are three risk areas defined:

Degradation of sensitive electronic components
The discharge can damage the electrical path in for example a chip. When a microscopically small wire is broken, the chip will not function anymore. For a manufacturer it means that production yields reduce. This damage by discharge is also known as a catastrophic failure.

Detoration of production or working conditions
Electrostatic charges can also cause problems in production processes and working environments by upsetting the normal operation of an electronic system, causing equipment malfunction or failure.

Trigger for explosions
In areas with inflammable gasses, ammunition or high concentrations of dust, ESD can be a trigger for an explosion. This is because an electrostatic discharge is accompanied by a miniature spark, which can trigger an explosion.

More information:

Inspiration & Downloads

FloorVisualizer

To create your floor and make up your mind what would fit best we have several tools and services. Our FloorVisualizer helps you to place our floors in any environment, and even combine them, so you can see how it looks.
Start playing with our FloorVisualizer

Get inspired by our references

Many Industry environments worldwide are using Forbo floor coverings. Visit our reference section and get inspired by worldwide reference projects.
Explore our Industry references

The projects we love: 5 Items

Colorex SD150205 Adula SD150201 Everest SD150237 Amazonas

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