A fall for safety
Geberit CleanFloor30 put to the test
Before the new CleanFloor30 shower surface was launched on the market, it had to withstand a lot: heat, cold, impacts, loads – and a slip test in which the Head of Product Engineering in Ozorków (PL) even took off his shoes to carry it out himself.
Bartłomiej Kucharczyk moves over the shower surface like a mountaineer with a climbing harness and rope. Water runs between his feet, soap foams, the surface becomes increasingly steep. Three steps forward, three steps back – just like a robot. One colleague secures him with a rope, while another increases the angle of inclination of the shower surface. Behind this unusual scene is a strictly standardised slip-resistance test. The test decides whether the new Geberit CleanFloor30 offers a safe hold later in day-to-day life. Class B is the target – non-slip up to an inclination of between 18 and 24 degrees. When Bartłomiej Kucharczyk finally falls, they stop and measure. It’s a slip that ensures safety afterwards.
A steel ball and stomping legs
“The goal is clear: we want a product that is reliable and safe – over its entire service life,” explains Bartłomiej Kucharczyk, Head of Product Engineering for Bathroom Systems in Ozorków. Together with Magnus Karlsson, Quality Planner at the Geberit Group, he monitors a whole series of tests at the Polish plant.
In the temperature change test, hot water and cold showers rain down on the plate alternately – for a hundred cycles long. Pumps roar, steam rises, a loud crack announces the change from 75° to 12° degrees Celsius. The next challenge is the impact test: a steel ball falls on the surface with a bang from a height of one metre. No damage! The CleanFloor30 shower surface is made of a mineral composite material. “The material is particularly durable and easy to repair,” says Magnus Karlsson. This is followed by the dynamic load test: two pneumatic legs alternately stamp on the shower surface for a week – 40,000 cycles with a weight of 120 kilograms.
Beyond international standards
After all these intense tests, a check is made of whether the geometry of the shower surface is still correct, and the water continues to run off cleanly. And this is just a small sample of the full range of tests, Karlsson emphasises: “Many tests are based on international norms and standards. But we go even further – with our own, stricter requirements.” Only when all the hurdles have been cleared is the CleanFloor30 ready for the bathroom – for a safe, comfortable shower experience without slips.
