Rubber a Great Friction Surface
10/27/09
Rubber-Cal Inc.
A Great Friction Surface: Rubber and Rubber Goods. The naturally high coefficient of friction of most rubbers provides significant grip. Rubber matting and flooring products are made with surface texturing to provide both friction and extra traction. Rubber flooring in general is intended to cover larger areas and is designed to provide both general anti-fatigue and anti-slip protection. The reason rubber flooring is able to provide anti-slip qualities are due to the nature of the material itself. Rubber naturally has a high coefficient of friction relative to other surfaces which gives added grip when used as a floor surface. Rubber matting uses the idea behind rubber flooring and takes it one step further by adding textured surfaces to create great anti-slip product. The difference between rubber flooring and rubber matting is that rubber matting places greater emphasis on creating an anti-slip surface.
There are two categories of rubber matting which are matting for dry areas and matting for wet areas. For dry applications, the need for both anti-slip and anti-fatigue matting is very common. Examples of this are walkways, assembly lines, stationary work areas, etc. These environments all require non slip flooring, and rubber matting -which by its textured design places emphasis on anti-slip properties- is the ideal choice over general rubber flooring. Non-slip flooring is important for assembly lines because it promotes worker safety and increases productivity by allowing operations to run more smoothly. Also, the textured surfaces for dry mats are less complex than anti-slip matting for wet areas, which results it more cost effective matting solution.
For wet areas where slip hazards are more prevalent, greater emphasis is placed on the complexity of the rubber’s surface texture. A reason for this is that liquids interfere with rubber’s natural coefficient of friction and tend to decrease its anti-slip properties. To combat this, great efforts are taken into designing complex surface textures that increase traction and provide anti-slip properties. Environments that require these types of non slip flooring include showers, locker rooms, entryways, etc. Having non slip rubber flooring in these places increases traction and reduces the risk of injury due to falls. In places where water and other liquids are continuously present (dish rooms, showers), anti-slip mats with drainage holes are ideal because they allow for an elevated surface above the liquids that increases traction and provides increased safety. The cost for these types of anti slip mats vary greatly with the complexity of surface textures and therefore are recommended for use in concentrated areas. These mats are generally not recommended as full flooring options due to the high costs associated with producing such complex products.
10/27/09
When used as safety surfacing products, rubber matting and flooring provides anti-slip functionality in two ways. First, the naturally high coefficient of friction of most rubbers provides significant grip. Second, rubber matting and flooring products are often manufactured with surface texturing (e.g. corrugations) intended to provide both comfort and extra traction. Generally speaking, rubber flooring (which is intended to completely cover fairly large areas) relies primarily on the natural grip of rubber for slip protection, while rubber matting (designed to add grip and traction to a specific area of limited size) places more emphasis on textured surfaces. As rubber flooring is covered thoroughly in another blog, the following will concentrate on matting products for specific areas. 
