The document provides information about AGLgrass, an artificial grass company. It discusses the founder Ivan Couto and his experience in the industry. It then summarizes the key specifications of AGLgrass products, including the cryogenic rubber infill, slit film or monofilament grass fibers, and multilayer backing with a closed cell foam pad. The document focuses on playground systems and explains how AGLgrass meets safety, accessibility, and durability standards for playground surfaces.
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2011 Playground Presentation With Buyers Guide 2011 02 01
4. AGLgrass IS THE CREATION OF
C.E.O., IVAN COUTO.
Ivan has 22 years of experience in the artificial grass industry.
IC Improvements Inc., AGLgrass sister company, has installed
hundreds of artificial grass athletic fields all over the world.
5. Ivan noticed changes that could be made in the industry
and helped to create the products and installation
techniques that are used today.
6. In fact, no other artificial grass company has been in business
under the same ownership longer and than IC Improvements.
Through constant innovation and research, our product
is designed to last the test of time, while having the
appearance and feel of natural grass.
7. AGLgrass was developed for the growing need of lawn
replacement solutions for residential and commercial properties.
AGLgrass has now expanded their operation throughout North
America, Mexico and the Caribbean
9. With the public eye on many environmental issues AGLgrass has helped
conserve water, prevent pesticide use and help control the use of
carbon-emitting lawn equipment.
AGLgrass takes great pride in their GREEN INITIATIVES and the growing
need for such a solution.
10. Exceeds fall-height & ADA requirements Durable to high traffic
Always soft Safe for children Non-toxic
11. AGLgrass PLAYGROUND SYSTEMS
Aesthetically, we take great pride in the way our artificial grass looks and feels.
The lush full look AGLgrass has is so realistic, you would have to look twice before you
realized it was artificial. You can further enhance the look through various color
choices for pathways or logos for the ultimate playground experience.
12. FUNCTION, with such strict standards on safety
surfaces, AGLgrass is a wise choice. Safety
surfaces are tested and evaluated on two
criteria's. The HIC (head injury criteria) and
the GMAX (force of impaction). The CSA
standard requires that a safety surface must be
lower than a HIC of 1000 and a GMAX of 200.
The most recent 12 fall height tests done on
AGLgrass exceeds those expectations with a
HIC of 780 and a GMAX of 112. What this means
is that the play area is safe and even more
important is that your children will not be
injured if he/she falls from a height of 12
feet.
13. ACCESSIBILITY is a word we hear
more and more today. AGLgrass
meets all ADA requirements for
wheelchair accessibility.
Artificial grass can be installed and
maintain a smooth transition with
almost any other surface. No worry
about any trip hazards or wheelchair
ramps needed.
14. DURABILITY is very important.
When you invest in a safety
surface you want one that will
last. AGLgrass has 22 years
experience in its design. It has
been proven on sport fields that
receive 80 to 100 hours of play on
it a week.
AGLgrass play systems are built to
last.
18. WHAT ARE THE KEY SPECIFICATIONS THAT I NEED TO KNOW?
There are 4 general areas to consider:
INFILL MATERIAL
GRASS FIBER
BACKING MATERIAL
CLOSED CELL FOAM PAD
19. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE INFILL
What does the infill actually do?
Infill supports the blades and keeps them upright
Adds additional weight to the area and prevents the area from moving
Allows for water to percolate through the material evenly
Adds additional softness and increases the ability to meet all CSA fall
height requirements
20. Cryogenic rubber is frozen in liquid
nitrogen first, then shattered through a CRYOGENIC RUBBER
cracker mill while a large magnet removes
all metals and fibers. The shape of rubber is
jagged allowing the rubber to stay in place
like aggregate. The freezing process changes
the properties of the rubber. The rubber
cells are closed and does not absorb, decay
or change shape. Properly installed it will
have no break in period and no splash
effect.
Heres a close-up look at cryogenic rubber
granules. Note the angular shape, and how similar
in appearance they are to crushed stone:
21. THERE ARE 2 BASIC TYPES OF FIBER AND EACH IS
MANUFACTURED IN AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WAY:
MONOFILAMENT FIBER
FILM-BASED FIBER
often called SLIT-FILM fiber
or FIBRILLATED fiber.
22. (We'll note in passing that a fibril is a thin fiber, and
to fibrillate something means to split it into many
thin fibers. The result of the manufacturing process is SLIT FILM
the creation of fibrillated fiber.)
Imagine that the roll is pulled through a machine which
cuts the film into narrow strips (think of the end result
as old style magnetic recording tape).
Imagine further that each one of these individual strips
is then pulled through another machine with sharp
blades, which cut slits of a certain length in each strip.
What you end up with is a length of fiber which when
pulled apart sideways reveals a honeycomb pattern. An
early generation of the product reveals a honeycomb
pattern which looks like this (right):
23. Some slit-film products of more recent
design have proven to be more durable
and less resistant to splitting, partly
because of the chemistry of the fiber,
but also because of a change in size of
the cells in honeycomb. With fewer
cells in the honeycomb and wider walls,
the fiber is much more resilient.
Heres a picture of the newer generation film-
based fiber, with fewer slits, fewer cells in
the honeycomb.
24. MONOFILAMENT FIBER
A modern monofilament fiber has some advantages:
Due to the fact that there is no honeycomb that can break down over time, the
fiber has the appearance of natural grass from the very beginning. Well also
see in a moment that a monofilament blade can also be more child and pet
friendly while having a much softer feel as well.
Different ways of manufacturing a monofilament blade:
The equipment is entirely different from that used to manufacture slit-film
fiber. You cant use the same machinery to manufacture slit-film fiber one day
and monofilament the next. Monofilament is created through an extrusion
process, which forces the semi-solid polyethylene material through small holes
in a spinneret. The final product has the same shape as the hole through which
the material was forced.
25. This fiber doesn't split, it's non-
abrasive, and it's durable, but even
so, relative to the best film-based
products, it still tends to flatten
out with heavy use, although not as
much as other monofilament.
The durability of the fiber has been
shown in testing. AGLgrass uses 52
oz. per square yard to ensure
lushness and overall durability and
performance.
26. Here is an extreme close up And here is the same product
of the fiber when new: after 5 years of simulated use:
Youll notice that theres no evidence of serious splitting or wear of any kind.
27. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BACKINGS
There are 2 backings:
PRIMARY BACKING
SECONDARY BACKING
28. There are two important issuesthe design of each layer and what materials the
layers are made of.
The primary backing in some turf products is not much different from that found in the
carpet in your living room. These backings are typically made of polypropylene, a material
which easily expands and contracts with changes in temperature. Now thats not a problem
in your home because the temperature there is fairly constant. But it can be a major
problem outdoors and with changes in the seasons. For artificial grass applications,
backings with a high percentage of polyester (which is resistant to expansion and
contraction) are the much better choice.
29. Lets have a look at an excellent three-layer primary backing,
specifically designed to stand up to the forces encountered in
athletic competition on an artificial grass surface.
GRASS FIBERS
WOVEN LAYER
FIBER LAYER
MECHANICAL BONDING LAYER
30. The top woven layer with a checkerboard-like
pattern provides dimensional stability in latitudinal
and longitudinal directions, and because the fibers
run continuously, you have excellent protection
against flexing and impacts. Beneath the top layer is
a layer made of strands of fiber oriented in random
directions. This layer provides strength in all
directions and resists the shearing forces imposed
by pets and play. The bottom layer is made of a
kind of a fuzzy, fleece-like material. Its sole
purpose is to ensure better adhesion of the
polyurethane that forms the secondary backing.
31. THE SECONDARY BACKING
Once the rolls of grass are tufted, the rolls move through a coating facility
which applies the secondary backing. The rolls are turned upside down so
that the fuzzy, fleece layer in our example faces up and the rolls are fed
through a machine which slathers a semi-liquid polyurethane goo over the
entire surface. The rolls are then fed through a series of ovens, where the
high temperatures speed up the curing of the polyurethane. After the cure
is complete, 1/4 holes are punched at regular intervals to facilitate
drainage once the rolls are in place on a area.
32. Viewed from the secondary backing side, here's what the finished product looks like
once the polyurethane has hardened and turned shiny:
There are variations in the process. In some cases, latex is used rather than polyurethane.
Latex, however, is water-soluble, so a latex backing outdoors will deteriorate over time
33. TUFT BIND
Another thing the secondary backing should do is to ensure
tuft bind. The hardened polyurethane glues the individual
fibers in place, and tuft bind testing determines how much
force is required to pull a fiber out of the backing.
It's measured in foot/pounds, and the higher the number (the
more force required), the less likely you're going to have a field
which, so to speak, has its "hair falling out."
34. A final note about the secondary backing:
The weight of this backing can be very misleading because it's possible to
add a large quantity of fillers (calcium carbonate) to the polyurethane
stew. The fillers, while adding to the weight, do nothing to ensure tuft
bind or dimensional stability
35. CLOSED CELL FOAM
Closed cell foam pad are used beneath the
Artificial grass system to enhance the ability
PAD
to meet the critical fall height
requirements.
AGLgrass uses a 2 closed cell foam pad to
meet a fall height requirement of up to 8' ,
and a 4 closed cell foam pad to meet up to
a 12' fall height requirement.
The closed cell foam pad also helps increase
the drainage capabilities of the area. The
drainage rate is 20 per hour for the total
artificial grass system.
36. AGLgrass looks forward to putting the
PLAY into your Playground.
Please feel free to contact us or visit our showroom at:
1040 South Service rd. Unit #4
Stoney Creek, ON, Canada
L8E 6G3
905-643-5000
www.aglgrass.com