Roppe Corporation, a leading supplier of commercial rubber and vinyl flooring products and accessories for more than 60 years, has introduced Roppe Rubber Stair Treads with DuPont Kevlar fibers, a long-lasting, high-performing tread backed by an industry-leading 25-year warranty.
The new highly durable, resilient Roppe Rubber Stair Treads with Kevlar are engineered to resist damage from wear and abuse, and perform far longer than other rubber treads. They are the first and only resilient treads to incorporate DuPont™ Kevlar®, an innovative, lightweight material – also found in ballistic body armor – that delivers unrivaled durability and reliability.
The breakthrough technology of Roppe Rubber Stair Treads with Kevlar® offers a solution to the problem of shredding – a peeling of the stair tread’s nose that can create aesthetic and safety concerns, and require costly, disruptive stair tread repair or replacement
Available in eight profiles and 134 color options – 70 solid, 32 Symmetry and 32 ReNew – Roppe Rubber Stair Treads with Kevlar® are 100% recyclable and fully conform to industry safety, sustainability and performance standards
“The durability of stair treads is constantly being tested. We set out to create a vulcanized rubber stair tread that would last longer, perform better and bring higher value,” said Bart Rogers, vice president of sales and marketing for Roppe Holding Company (RHC), of which Roppe Corporation is a division. “By incorporating Kevlar® fibers, Roppe Rubber Stair Treads with Kevlar® will look and perform like new not just for a few years, but for decades. The 25-year warranty attests to our confidence in their longevity. For facilities, this product represents a major advancement in operational efficiency and performance.”
Roppe Rubber Stair Treads with Kevlar® have been tested over thousands of hours in the lab and field. The company’s engineers worked for years to meet the scientific challenge of reinforcing rubber stair treads with Kevlar®.
“Roppe Rubber Stair Treads with Kevlar®, in which Kevlar® fibers are interwoven consistently throughout the rubber substrate, signify a true technological innovation for the industry,” said Rahul Dhavalikar, RHC chief polymer chemist. “We chose Kevlar® because none of the other materials we tested – from steel to carbon and many more – produced the same high levels of durability, flexibility and resilience. With Roppe Rubber Stair Treads with DuPont™ Kevlar®, facility managers can expect fewer repairs or replacements, and significantly reduced maintenance costs over time.”
Roppe Rubber Stair Treads with Kevlar® meet ASTM F2169, Type TS performance specifications, as well as the FloorScore® indoor air quality certification standard. They have also achieved NSF 332 Platinum resilient flooring sustainability certification, and meet CHPS Criteria for environmentally sustainable schools. Roppe Rubber Stair Treads with Kevlar® are free of Red List chemicals, plus are recyclable through Roppe’s IMPACT program, which turns Roppe rubber products into landscaping alternatives or playground surfacing, diverting them from the country’s landfills.
For more information, visit roppe.com/kevlar.
