Valinge and Kneho-Lacke license a back-of-panel coating for quieter flooring

Acoustic performance keeps moving up the priority list in residential and commercial flooring. Open-plan offices, hospitality projects and apartment buildings all want laminate and engineered wood that doesn't broadcast every footfall to the room below. Two European specialists are now collaborating to make that easier at the manufacturing line. Sweden's Valinge Innovation and Germany's Kneho-Lacke have entered a strategic agreement to license and further develop a UV-applied Acoustic Coating that sits on the back of flooring panels and improves sound reduction without altering the visible surface.

The coating itself is supplied by Kneho-Lacke, a specialist in UV coatings, and is available in a range of colours and customisable formulations. That flexibility matters at the production level because flooring manufacturers don't want to retool a finishing line to bolt on an acoustic feature. A coating that can be applied at standard UV speeds and adjusted to specific customer requirements lets producers add acoustic performance to existing SKUs rather than running a separate quiet line.

Under the licensing arrangement, Valinge makes the Acoustic Coating technology available to flooring manufacturers under licence, while Kneho-Lacke supplies the coating through its global network of resellers and partners. Crucially, Valinge is also opening up its in-house acoustic testing facility, including impact and in-room walking-sound tests, to partners. That testing access is more valuable than it might first appear. Real-world acoustic claims in flooring are difficult to substantiate without controlled measurement, and most flooring manufacturers don't have an in-house chamber capable of producing certifiable results.

Bernd Dinkelborg, Head of Sales at Kneho-Lacke, framed the agreement as a way to deliver a scalable acoustic solution suitable for all types of wood and laminate flooring. Ulf Molen, director of business development at Valinge, emphasised the speed-to-market argument; partners can adopt the coating and bring acoustic-rated SKUs to retail faster than they could by developing a proprietary system. Combined with Tauber Floor Design as a named inventor partner, the collaboration sets up a credible supply chain for differentiated, high-value laminate and wood flooring products with measurable acoustic benefits. Expect to see acoustic SKUs from licensed brands in upcoming flooring trade shows.

[Read the full piece](https://www.floorcoveringweekly.com/main/technology-innovation/vlinge-kneholacke-join-forces-46642)