EDITO LABO

Your field: a close look at quality

Investing in sports facilities is investing in the future. Surface durability can make a big difference. But to know for certain, you have to measure. That’s why Desso takes a close look at the qualitative life cycle of its fields. How does it react to intensive use? How much influence do the environment, climate, and maintenance have? Desso takes all these factors into account and incorporates them into its maintenance and usage recommendations. This knowledge is also applied to future product development. The best sports facilities for eve-ry athlete: that has been Desso Sports Systems’ goal since 1980. With our passion for sports and continuous investment in research and innovation, we are constantly raising the bar. Internal knowledge and exter-nal expertise are combined in a long-term research project, called 3F,

Product Manager Anjo van der Wende is obsessed. Everywhere he encounters artificial turf, he concentrates his attention downwards, into the fibres. For a year now he has been following the evolution of the Desso football pitches in Utrecht: Lunetten and Vechtzoom. This pitch monitoring is something that Desso does systematically.

An eye for detail

Van der Wende : “We look at both the general state of the pitch and the condition of the fibres and the infill. We do that visually and repeatedly over time, using the same checklists every time. This makes it possible to make objective comparisons and track the evolution. We also test

F it F or the F uture. It’s supported again by the Institute for the Encouragement of Innovation through Science and Technology in Flanders. Through this research pro- gramme, we intend to continue to develop the best artificial turf for you.The experience of top athletes has proven that football on natural grass still has a unique feeling to it. With this in mind, we developed the GrassMaster system - 100% natural grass reinforced with artificial turf fibres. Around the world, this system has proved its quality both in professional and amateur clubs who play and train intensively in their stadiums and training fields. Nevertheless, we continue to carry out research and work on improvements. In this newsletter, you will read about the experiences of the athletes who inspire us to do so.

sports-specific properties with the help of a Triple-A machine. We pay particular attention to the properties relating to shock absorption and energy return – the energy that the artificial grass surface returns to the players. That way, we can determine the quality life cycle of a pitch.” Does that provide useful information? Van der Wende : “Extremely useful information for everyone concerned. Not only can our client modify the maintenance programme on the basis of our recommendations, but also we - and our local installation partners - can learn a lot. All of our observations are gathered in a structured way. What are the experiences of the players, the pitch owners, the groundsmen? What variables influence the long-term retention of playing characteristics? Considering these factors helps us to improve our products.”
WITH A TRIPLE-A MACHINE, DESSO MEASURES SPORTS-SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS, SUCH AS SHOCK ABSORPTION AND ENERGY RETURN

General Manager