CFL Flooring reinforces its long-term innovation and sustainability strategy with acquisition of Hymmen JUPITER digital printing line

• CFL Flooring signs new i4F license for Digital Printing
• CFL Flooring’s next-generation rigid core lines to use Hymmen Digital Printing

HAMONT, BELGIUM – i4F®, a group of companies providing patents and technologies to the flooring industry, today announced that CFL Flooring has acquired a Hymmen JUPITER digital printing line for its US facility and, has signed a new digital printing technologies license agreement with i4F. This reinforces CFL’s long term digital printing strategy as well as the company’s commitment to innovation “firsts” whilst reducing its carbon footprint. CFL’s next-generation rigid core produces will be produced using Hymmen’s JUPITER JPT-C print-to-board line.

With some 4,500 employees, CFL Flooring is a global leader and innovator in rigid core manufacturing as well as other hybrid vinyl floor covering solutions. Over the last eighteen months, the company has heavily invested in its state-of-the-art production facility in Calhoun, Georgia (USA), that is now fully operational. The new JUPITER digital printing  line will be be located in Calhoun and be used to produce CFL’s next-generation rigid core lines.

In addition to the multiple design and production advantages, CFL’s decision to buy the digital printing line was driven by its goal to reduce its carbon footprint as well as to become more sustainable. Digital printing eliminates the need for certain elements, including décor films and plastic wear layers, thus reducing the total amount of PVC use, reducing plastic waste, as well as reducing the impact of supply chain strains linked to production.

Designed to enable 24/7 industrial production, Hymmen’s JUPITER JPT-C print-to-board lines deliver intelligent and highly precise register accuracy. This ensures the highest levels of color stability and print quality output while maintaining printing speeds of 25-50 meters per minute.

i4F licenses the world’s most advanced digital printing technologies and offers exclusive access to all Hymmen digital printing technologies in the flooring sector.  Digital printing will play a crucial role in the future of new material flooring as it enables unlimited design and embossing-in-register flexibility and can be applied to a wide range of materials. This facilitates faster response times to market demands and trends while reducing material waste.

“CFL has long been committed to its vision of leading flooring innovation,” said Thomas Baert, President and co-founder of CLF FLooring. “I believe we were the first manufacturer to push rigid core in a massive way. Our aim is to continue to be top of mind with our partners when they think of first to market innovations and second-to-none marketing and customer support. Digital printing is the next logical step.”