Overview
EN ISO 12951:2020 (CEN adoption of ISO 12951:2020) specifies laboratory test methods for evaluating textile floor coverings using the Lisson Tretrad machine. It defines four test procedures to assess mass loss, fibre bind (pile retention/hairiness) and stair nosing appearance change for textile floor coverings with or without underlay. The standard is intended for manufacturers, test laboratories, specifiers and quality engineers concerned with flooring durability and appearance performance.
Key Topics
- Scope and tests
- Test A - Determination of mass loss of textile floor coverings; also used to assess fibre bind on synthetic pile carpets.
- Test B - Determination of stair nosing appearance change (simulating wear at stair edges).
- Test C - Determination of fibre bind on synthetic loop pile carpets.
- Test D - Determination of fibre bind (hairiness) on needled floor coverings and floor coverings without pile.
- Principle of testing
- Specimens are exposed under constant load and slippage to a four-footed Tretrad wheel for a prescribed number of double passages.
- Apparatus and parameters
- Lisson Tretrad machine comprising a bed plate, vacuum cleaning system and two Tretrad assemblies.
- Bed plate front edge rounded to a 10 mm radius to simulate a stair nosing; track length (800 ± 40) mm.
- Specimens clamped under tension with a 20 ± 2 kg tension weight per specimen.
- Calibration and assessment
- The 2020 edition introduces two calibration methods for the apparatus and improves guidance for assessing Test C; examples of failure at 400 cycles are provided in Annex A.
- Conditioning and references
- Conditioning and testing atmosphere referenced to ISO 139; specimen selection and related test definitions reference other ISO standards.
Applications
- Product development and QC for carpet and textile floor coverings to quantify wear resistance, pile retention and appearance retention at stair nosings.
- Comparative testing for material selection, batch release or third‑party certification.
- Useful for flooring manufacturers, independent testing laboratories, architects, building specifiers and procurement teams evaluating floor covering durability and lifecycle performance.
Related standards
Normative and referenced documents include: ISO 139 (conditioning), ISO 1765, ISO 1957, ISO 2424 (vocabulary), ISO 8543 (mass of pile), ISO 9405 (appearance assessment) and EN 1307 (classification of textile floor coverings).
Keywords: EN ISO 12951:2020, ISO 12951:2020, Lisson Tretrad machine, textile floor coverings testing, mass loss test, fibre bind, stair nosing appearance, flooring durability, calibration.
