As one of the most popular floor coverings chosen for commercial buildings, carpet tiles and carpet planks are available in a huge array of different design styles. At the higher end of the market, there are two main processes used for designing modular carpet that are well worth understanding to best achieve both the look and performance characteristics you’re looking for from your project.
In this blog, we review the relative benefits of both carpet design technologies, considering design aesthetics and product performance.
HOW ARE PRINTED CARPET TILES CREATED?
Print design patterning for carpet tiles is created by adding coloured dyes onto what is effectively a ‘blank canvas’ of pre-tufted carpet modules, towards the end of the carpet manufacturing process.
While there are several methodologies available for print designed carpet tiles, Milliken’s own Millitron® technology is widely considered the most advanced. First developed by the company’s in-house R&D team more than 50 years ago, the Millitron® was once thought to be the world’s largest printing machine! Today, this highly sophisticated technology is a high-resolution digital colour placement system capable of injecting dye onto the carpet with incredible precision.
As a super flexible carpet design process, the Millitron® allows Milliken’s designers to create complex, layered and detailed patterning effects with a vast, nuanced and growing colour palette.
HOW ARE SOLUTION DYED CARPET TILES CREATED?
As the name suggests, solution dyed nylon carpet tiles (commonly termed ‘SDN’), are designed with pre-coloured yarns as part of the tufting process of the carpet’s face fabric. Single or several different coloured yarns can be tufted together to create a range of different design aesthetics.
For both print and SDN carpet tiles, add into the mix a variety yarn weights and tufting effects to the carpet face fabric and there is an even broader variety of aesthetics that can be achieved. A ‘Level Loop’ tufted carpet tile for example, will provide a flatter, more uniform look and feel, while a multi-level tufted or a tip-sheared product, for example, will offer a variety of different textural effects.
DESIGN AESTHETICS – PRINT VS SDN
Millitron® print’s complex pattern effects
When it comes to patterning carpet tiles and planks with Millitron® print, the design possibilities are almost endless. In the hands of Milliken’s experienced design team, the precision and complex capabilities of the technology allows them to create an enormous range of design effects, for example:
Soft, subtle organic textures as per Coastline:
Sophisticated layering effects as per Painted Garden:
Or Smooth sweeping curves as per Northern Soul:
Milliken’s latest design offering Pattern Play includes this full spectrum of pattern effects in once capsule collection. Featuring three coordinating ranges the collection features soft textural pattern, seamless colour transitions and a playful range of multi-coloured design motifs that allow interior designers to use the floorscape as an entire canvas.
With bold and playful pattern a key design trend for commercial interiors, this award-winning collection clearly captures the current mood for strong, colourful design.
The latest generation of Millitron® print technology also enables more sophisticated colour blending giving Milliken’s designers access to an extended colour palette including a large array of nuanced tonal options.
Print design customisation
For specifiers, the possibility of creating their own carpet designs can also be realised with Millitron® design. As part of the Pattern Play launch at this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week, visitors to the Milliken showroom were given the chance to create their own Pattern Play mood board, complete with their own design motifs. The flexibility of the Millitron® print design process means that any of these designs could be easily translated into carpet tiles and could expand the collection over time.
SDN Carpet design effects
For SDN carpet tiles, a particular aesthetic benefit is the deep saturation of colour that can be achieved. As the dye is locked deep into the carpet fibre, richer, deeper colours are possible making the SDN design process ideal for achieving some desirable design aesthetics such as:
Plain look, textured pattern - a single colour (or combination of similar colour tones) tufted together to create an overall uniform, seamless look. Milliken’s Tracing Landscape – Field Study design is an example of this look, but with the added dimension of multi-level tufting that gives a rich textural, tonal aesthetic.
Tracing Landscapes - Field Study
Textural pattern – with the latest yarn tufting technology, a range of different design effects can be achieved that give a sophisticated textural look. The Major Frequency carpet plank collection, featuring two complimentary designs Distortion and Vibration, offers examples of textural pattern where Milliken’s tufting technology is used to create a striated design effect by combining just a few different coloured yarns.
Major Frequency
Organic pattern - two or more different coloured solution dyed yarns tufted together in a particular way to create a patterned effect. The recently expanded range of Milliken’s Northward Bound 2.0 Collection is a perfect example of how this his can be achieved three different complementary ways, from smaller scale Firn design to the soft tonal patterning of Snow and the more dramatic contrasts of Glacier.
Northward Bound 2.0
Graphic pattern – linearity or geometric forms, as per Milliken’s classic Nordic Stories Collection, offers a different look again. Angular shapes and striations are tufted into the three different designs in this collection, however, unlike Millitron® designed carpet, the graphic patterns are much softer edged and tonal. Isograd and Tectonic feature more defined colour contrasting lines, while Hidden Plains offers a more subtle, tonal blocks of colour.
Nordic Stories - Hidden Plain
One final aspect to note on design aesthetics is the way in which Millitron® print and SDN carpet tiles designs can work beautifully together. Some Milliken collections feature both design technologies with designs created to work together in a harmonious way. Sculptured Forms, for example, features two SDN textural designs In the Round and High Relief, complemented by the highly patterned printed feature design Marble Cast.
Sculptured Forms
PRODUCT PERFORMANCE & AVAILABILITY - PRINT VS. SDN
Maintenance
Ensuring a carpet retains its appearance over time can be challenging for installations that experience high footfall. While cushion backed products help to absorb wear and reduce pile crush, protection against soiling and staining may also be required. For SDN carpet tiles as the dye is locked into the carpet fibres they have the advantage of being inherently soil and stain resistant. For additional protection, Millitron® printed carpet tiles are treated with a stain resist and soil release treatment (StainSmart®) for additional protection.
Acoustics, Wear, Comfort
Although additional performance layers are available for some manufacturers’ carpet tiles, and are often optional, WellBAC® Comfort cushion backing is standard on all Milliken carpet tiles including Millitron® print and SDN designs. Manufactured from 90% recycled polyurethane, the WellBAC® cushion layer’s unique open-cell construction provides both types of Milliken carpet tiles with enhanced sound absorbency, comfort and wear performance characteristics. Some collections feature the thicker WellBAC® Comfort Plus backing for and higher level of performance.
Availability
For print designed carpet tiles, the design is achieved at the end of the manufacturing process which allows a for shorter availability lead times to be achieved. From Milliken, many of its Millitron® print designed carpet tiles are available for 500m2, within 10 days from placing an order and within 24 hours for a large number of designs. Minimum order quantities are also lower for printed carpet tiles at 4m2 or 1 box.
For SDN carpet tiles, as they are designed as part of the tufting process, the additional complexity typically requires a longer production lead time of weeks rather than days.
Sustainability
For both print and SDN carpet tiles, Milliken products are fully recyclable and fully carbon offset as part of its M/PACT Programme. As part of its N/XT Life Circularity Programme, its complete portfolio of carpet tiles are engineered with re-use in mind. With Milliken’s TractionBack® adhesive-free installation available for both SDN and printed carpet tiles uplift for potential re-use is clean and efficient whichever design approach you decide to specify!
Depending on the nature and design intention for your project, there are clearly plenty of aesthetic and performance factors to consider when specifying carpet tiles. Milliken's sales and customer service teams are on hand to guide you through the process.
