I4F, a group of companies providing patents and technologies to the flooring industry, announced that it has entered into a new technology partnership with CFL Flooring (CFL) to deliver a more sustainable SPC panel production process to the flooring industry.

Developed by CFL, Be-Lite is a new patented technology enabling a significant reduction in the use of core SPC raw materials during the manufacturing process of decorative panels without compromising on performance. SPC panels produced using the technology end up significantly lighter and are less expensive to transport. Be-Lite is exclusively available via an i4F license from the company’s portfolio of sustainability-focused innovations.

Unlike existing material savings techniques that remove and recycle materials after the panel production process, Be-Lite is a thermoforming technology that, depending on panels’ core thicknesses, uses up to 20% less raw materials during the panel core manufacturing process. The resulting, lighter SPC panels maintain optimum performance while easily reducing, on average, 5% of a panel’s total manufacturing raw material costs as well as decreasing transport costs by 6%. 

“Sustainable solutions are no longer something in the far-distant future," said Thomas Baert, president and co-founder of CFL. "We owe it to ourselves and our children to accelerate the introduction of environmentally-geared solutions into manufacturing as quickly as we can. CFL has partnered with i4F because we share the belief that innovation is one of the most impactful enablers on this journey towards a more sustainable flooring industry.”

i4F’s CEO, John Rietveldt, added: "The beauty of the Be-Lite technology is that it significantly improves flooring’s carbon footprint while remaining attractive to manufacturers by also delivering costs savings. That makes a meaningful difference and is truly a win:win for the industry and the planet.”