Wood & Panel is thrilled to engage in an insightful discussion with Floris Koopmans, Sales Director at Unilin Technologies, exploring the company’s advancements, innovative technological solutions, and sustainability—the cornerstone of the flooring industry. The conversation also delved into the strategic partnership between Unilin and Dieffenbacher, shedding light on their collaborative efforts. Excerpts.
Let’s start with your company introduction and advancements. How can UNILIN be beneficial for the woodworking industry?
Floris Koopmans: Unilin Technologies is a key player in the flooring industry. As the intellectual property division of Unilin and mohawk, we are well known for our innovative contributions that have shaped the industry.
We are best recognized for our patent licensing business model, which allows us to share groundbreaking technologies with other manufacturers in the flooring industry. These include our click systems for flooring, such as Uniclic, and our waterproof coating technology (Unicoat), and many more. Some of these innovations have truly revolutionized the flooring industry and have become global standards across multiple product platforms.
At Unilin technologies our main focus is bringing new innovations to the market. This has resulted in a portfolio of over 3,800 patents across 500 patent families. By offering patent licenses to the market, we give our partners access to cutting-edge solutions, as well as a global network of licensees, buyers, machine suppliers, and more.
What ‘Sustainability’ means to you? How do you implement the strategy efficiently when it comes to your flooring and wood panel sections?
Floris Koopmans: At Unilin, sustainability is a core value that drives everything we do. For us, sustainability means taking responsibility to protect our planet but also to create sustainable living and working spaces for future generations. This commitment shapes our strategies and guides our decisions across all sectors, including flooring and wood panels.
At Unilin Technologies, we integrate this sustainable mindset by developing and offering new sustainable technologies and sharing them with the industry. Doing so we make sure the impact of our sustainable solutions is not limited to our own group but can also be integrated by other flooring companies. Hence maximizing the impact of technology on a worldwide scale.
For example, one of our latest innovations Osiris also embodies this commitment. It achieves what was once considered impossible: recycling waste wood fibers on an industrial scale for the production of new MDF boards. This breakthrough delivers a sustainable and cost-effective solution. After a successful integration of this technology in our own group, it is now also available as a licensable technology for other wood panel manufacturers.
Recently, UNILIN has received patent allowance for PET based flooring products and offers exclusive licenses on technology. Can you please enlighten us on this?
Floris Koopmans: Unilin has been a pioneer in PET flooring, conducting early R&D on various types of PET-based products. This dedication has resulted in a broad and comprehensive patent portfolio.
We have recently received a patent grant for PET-based flooring products. This patent applies to all flooring products made from PET polymers—such as PETG and R-PET—that include a locking system. This new patented technology will be introduced to the market as “P-SPC” (PET-based Solid Polymer Composite) at the upcoming BAU trade show in Munich and TISE in Las Vegas.
Flooring made from PET offers several important advantages. It is more sustainable, as it can be produced using recycled plastic bottles, and it provides greater dimensional stability compared to SPC. This means there is less need to acclimate the flooring before installation, and larger areas can be laid without requiring transition or expansion gaps. Additionally, PET products can be finished with a wide variety of industry-standard top layers, including PETG, melamine, and digitally printed surfaces.
We are seeing increasing market interest in this new type of flooring, which is why we want to inform the industry that Unilin’s patent protection on PET-based flooring is exclusively available through a Unilin license.
Tell us, what are your latest achievements and inventions specially in flooring and panel segments? Also, how has been the association with DIEFFENBACHER for ‘Osiris’ and how this partnership strengthens the commitment of both companies?
Floris Koopmans: At Unilin Technologies, innovation is always driven by market needs, and we take pride in delivering solutions that address real challenges in the flooring and panel industries.
Take water resistance, for example—a key concern for many customers. Our Unicoat technology is a game-changer in this area. This advanced water-repellent edge coating serves as a sealant, safeguarding the edges and vulnerable areas of wood-based floors. It effectively prevents common water damage issues, such as swelling of the core material and it prevents liquids from leaking through the joints. Since Unicoat acts as a sealant, also surface discoloration of the edges of wood top-layers is avoided.
We are also making strides in sustainability with the launch of P-SPC, our latest innovation in rigid core flooring. P-SPC is crafted from PET, R-PET, and PET-G, thus incorporating recycled PET polymers to replace traditional core materials.
The Osiris project is another highlight of our Innovations launched in 2024. It addresses a longstanding challenge in the industry: recycling waste wood fibers on a large scale for use in MDF panels or laminate flooring. What was once considered impossible is now a reality thanks to the Osiris technology. Our collaboration with Dieffenbacher as a preferred partner has been key to simplify the integration process of this groundbreaking technology . Our partnerships serves as a one-stop-shop for everything manufacturers need to start with the osiris technology.
What will be your marketing strategies for the coming years?
Floris Koopmans: At Unilin, quality and information-sharing are at the heart of our mission to drive innovation and reliability in the flooring industry.
First, we are committed to delivering the highest quality. The US market is increasingly prioritizing reliability in locking systems over mere speed of installation. With Uniclic, there is no need to hammer on the locking system during installation, and top-surface damage is effectively prevented thanks to the elaborate design of the click system. These features have gained heightened importance among distributors and retailers in the US.
Our technical team regularly visits our licensees and manufacturers worldwide to ensure they are using the optimal click system for their specific products. We are educating key industry players on how they can easily improve click performance and reduce their claims. To ensure qualitative installation, we have launched optimized installation guidelines and videos with tips from our master installers.
In January, we will be present at two exhibition fairs, BAU in Munich and The International Surface Event in Las Vegas. We believe that our commitment to delivering quality and providing services should be the two main takeaways for visitors of our booth.
