ISO Focus features ACT Global Sports
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ISO Focus is the official publication of ISO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO is the International Organization for Standardization that develops key international standards for business, government and society. It is commonly known for its world-class quality standards. ISO Focus asked ACT Global Sports to participate as the only artificial turf manufacturer featured in its recent publication dedicated to Sports and Leisure. For those without Adobe Reader, the following is
a text draft of the article
submitted for the July-August 2008 issue of ISO
Focus Magazine.
The Growth of Fake Grass Artificial turf has provided a durable surface that can be utilized in all-weather conditions since the 1960’s. As the artificial grass industry has matured, so have the technological advances in the products. Each technological advance has added features to benefit the buyers of artificial grass. For instance, in the 1970’s, polypropylene fibrillated fibers were introduced to reduce skin abrasion compared to the original nylon-based product. Then in the 1980’s sand-filled systems were introduced which greatly reduced the costs. In the 1990’s the addition of rubber-infill to artificial turf systems solved hardening issues with sand and provided additional shock absorbency. During the past several years, infill-based artificial grass systems generally feature excellent shock absorption and soft, polyethylene fibers that are UV resistant. As technology and quality methods have improved
especially in the past three years, so have user’s
demands for better sports performance. The turf
system must go beyond maintenance benefits or
all-weather playability. The artificial turf must
include safety features, shock absorbency, low
abrasion, speed, stable footing and traction. It
must also be designed and tested to perform under
extreme conditions while maintaining durability and
long-term quality. In order to meet these demands
manufacturers can utilize ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and
other international standards to provide a quality,
reliable artificial turf system. ISO Case Study - ACT Global Sports ACT Global Sports initially decided to follow this path because quality is a critical factor in buyers’ decision to select a synthetic turf supplier. This decision grew to an organizational commitment to control and improve the quality of its products, reduce the costs associated with poor quality, and to become more competitive. ACT Global Sports and other firms with ISO 9001 certified manufacturing facilities find these standards and systems to be a key to successfully implement consistent policies, procedures, records, technologies, resources, and structures that will help us achieve the standards of quality that our international customers demand from our organization. By implementing this standard, ACT Global strives to motivates its staff to define key roles and responsibilities and to show how committed we are to quality, customers, and a willingness to work towards improving efficiency. John Baize, Director of ACT Global Sports comments, “Sports players around the world may not be aware of our quality standards, but they surely benefit from the quality consistency and product reliability.” During the manufacturing phases, the ACT Global quality program focuses on problem prevention in addition to problem detection. Depending upon the order specifications, “we have up to twenty-two quality checks to verify fiber, backing, coating and turf production”, states Director Wil Ditzel. After the turf is produced, a final visual inspection is performed, including a check of key product characteristics to verify that they are consistent with specifications. ACT Global Sports will also retain samples of all products that are shipped to the job site for future testing and comparison with field performance. Quality is further reassured when the company
adheres to a Total Quality Management methodology.
This includes each of the following phases: By implementing quality standards in each phase of artificial turf manufacturing (from research and development through post-installation services), companies such as ACT Global is better able to deliver a reliable artificial grass system that has been scientifically engineered to meet the new increasing client demands for performance and quality ISO 14001 ACT Global recognizes this and prides itself on
being committed to environmentally friendly
products. This is evidenced by its main
manufacturing plant being ISO 14001 certified for
environmental management. Although most societies
are becoming more conscious about the environmental
impacts of goods and services, there are few
artificial turf makers with ISO 14001 certification.
ACT Global acknowledges that being good stewards of
the environment does not result in many direct sales
contracts, but as Mr. Baize notes, “it is part of
our corporate values. It costs money to invest in
proper environmental methods and research, but with
sales in over 45 countries, being a good corporate
citizen is also good for long-term business”. The company is able to continually improve its environmental performance by implementing a systematic approach to setting environmental objectives and targets. It screens materials used in its grass fibers and have conducted environmental research within our artificial turf industry. ACT Global further encourages its employees to
implement the best practices in energy and resource
efficiency, waste reduction, renewable resources,
and the use of cleaner production. The company also
urges its customers to also perform research on
environmental issues. Environmental protection is of
increasing importance and ACT Global encourages
competitors to also join in the effort to research
methods to become better stewards of our
environment. Other International Standards The FIFA Quality Concept encourages the artificial grass industry to develop systems that replicate the natural grass experience. This includes player-to-surface interaction standards in areas such as shock absorbency vertical deformation (foot stability), slip resistance, traction and skin abrasion. There are also ball-to-surface standards as well as stringent quality criteria such as simulated wear and UV testing. Chris Clapham, Director of ACT Global, comments, “FIFA has made significant investments in understanding the performance of natural grass and synthetic turf. These standards provide a roadmap for artificial turf manufacturers such as us to continually improve our own research, products, installation and maintenance methods.” Additionally, there are various standards around the world that have been developed in certain countries. Many are similar to the FIFA requirements but may have additional standards for environmental testing or other quality measurements. For instance, DIN standards in Germany also encompass testing for heavy metals, lead, cadmium, chromium, zinc, mercury and toxicity. ASTM testing in the United States focuses on specifications such as fiber weights, grass tensile strength, tuft bind, GMAX shock absorption and grab tear strength. ACT Global Sports has conducted extensive testing
for FIFA norms, DIN environmental standards and ASTM
measurements. It would be rather confusing for a
buyer of artificial grass to try and understand the
complexities of each system component. Mr. Clapham
suggests, “To evaluate the proper performance,
safety and quality standards are met, a buyer should
require the testing information from all of its
prospective suppliers, so it can make an objective
quality comparison.” Future of Standards within the Artificial Turf
Industry From a sports performance perspective, despite the introduction of infill-based artificial grass fields, athletes have still voiced preferences for natural grass surfaces. Players have raised concerns about their interaction with the artificial surface and the behavior of the ball on the surface. These concerns include foot stability, slipping, early fatigue, injuries and unfavorable ball roll speeds. Newer technologies continue to address these concerns especially in areas such as energy restitution and injuries. Environmental standards are also quickly becoming more widespread for the industry. Research is being conducted by ACT Global and others to develop and diffuse environmentally-friendly technologies and energy-efficient production. As new methods and business practices are identified, they can be implemented as part of a short and long term initiative of environmental management. About ACT Global Sports: |