Since inception back in the mid 80’s, Unity has been at the forefront perfecting its products and services. We are the leaders when it comes to design, manufacturing and installation of rubberized safety surfacing, flooring and pavers products in the tile/mat/block form. Throughout the years, Unity continuously re-engineered our products and refined our services to stand out as a leader in our industry. Our advanced design is crafted using the highest quality ingredients and cleanest recycled rubber for the most attractive long term value. At Unity, we feel we offer the industry’s best products that provide superior performance characteristics.
1980’s
Unity started out with a vision and a dream to be toy manufacturing company. It was through this passion where we quickly learned the safety requirements and challenges within the Industry. As we expanded into the playground market and applied our knowledge of the ASTM and CPSC testing that was required of the toy business. It was here we came to the realization that the lack of change that has been occurring in the playground industry, most notably with respect to safety surfacing. Unity recognized the need for adequate protection on playgrounds and decided to change the focus from children’s toys to the safety of children when playing.
Unity, like many others to this day, created a standard 2X2 (square) rubber tile that was fueled by what was introduced to in the marketplace at that time. It was here that we began the industry’s first and only interlocking tile, known as a ship-lap where the tongue of one tile would be receivable by a corresponding tongue of another tile. These “tongues” would lock together with the use of an adhesive.
1990’s
During this time, we began to sit down with the biggest agencies, municipalities and buying groups in the country. After meeting with several key people in these areas, we quickly realized all of the problems they were experiencing surrounding a standard square tile. It is here we carefully began to develop a state of the art product that is still in use today……our 22” (inch) X 44” (inch) double tile, mat, block, paver.
Unlike the 2X2’s tiles that are still on the market, this new design in tile size allows Unity to ship two full skids (pallets) side-by-side in a truck, allowing us to “weigh out” before we “cube out”. This advancement in size helped reduce our carbon foot print and environmental impact that is currently impacting our world today. It also allows installers to install more square footage per man than any other product on the market today. Lastly, and most importantly, these double tiles allows us to have a monolithic “Step & Repeat” method of installations that prevents our products from separating, curling and peeling which may encourage vandalism and wind up-lift.
2000’S
With meeting the demands of our customers worldwide, internally, we felt we could do more. With that, we turned our attention to the interlocking mechanism itself. We re-engineered the interlock from a flat on flat to the newly patented C-shaped self-interlocking design, built directly into the product itself (thus avoiding the need for fasteners, pins, clips, blocks). The two “C’s” would cross connect into one another, coupled with our step and repeat making a strong lasting bond. During these years, we also increase the size and shape of the self-interlocking feature making it 40% bigger with 60% more area to glue. The tile locks tightly together thanks to the Industry’s only interlock with 4 supporting sides, front and back-wall and side walls. This unique interlocking design further prohibits unnecessary separation, curling, peeling and shifting.
With significant advancements in product design throughout the years, and the ability to create a safety surfacing, flooring and paver system that is truly vandal resistant, we introduced the Industry’s first and only bolt-down mechanism. It unique system is found within the male potion of our interlocking system. It is countersunk for added strength and security, even under the most extreme environmental conditions and/or usage. Twelve bolts are used across various portions of the product to ensure that vandalism will not be tolerated by Unity and its products.
2010’s
Unity has always been one step ahead of the competition. After being in the business longer than most, we are committed to “forward thinking” and anticipating the future needs of our clients. After years of planning and testing, we introduced the “Button-Lock™” Technology where each tile is designed to literally “snap and hook” into place where the “projections” of a tile/mat/block/paver (found in-between the female interlocks) are receivable by corresponding “slots” of the adjacent tile/mat/block/paver (found in-between the male interlocks) to help further strengthen the connection of our self-interlocking products by truly "snapping" and “hooking” into place. This technological advancement in recent years further strengthens the idea that separation, curling, pealing and wind up-lift is a thing of the past.
During this same decade, we has seen more and more architects, engineers and designers looking for unique ways to create additional designs, layouts and patterns, similar to that of PIP (Pour-In-Place), using a tile/mat/ block/paver system that will provide the “WOW” effect on playgrounds, rooftops, recreational areas, schools, daycare centers, parks, alike.
We have identified the challenges of using the traditional systems and re-engineered for effective solutions. After months of planning, years of testing designs and interlocking pattern we introduced the “Running Bond” method of installation. It allows our products to self-interlock (horizontally) anywhere along the locking joints, providing free flowing designs, layouts , patterns and themes throughout your area as you can image, providing complete design freedom for any vision regardless of size, style and/or complexity by locking our tiles along ANY interlocking tab. Something that is unmatched in the industry today. This unique system does not replace our current “step-&-repeat” method of installation, it compliments it. Each “Running Bond” method of installation helps with slight variations during installation, while at the same time allow for custom designs, layouts and patterns
With our products being installed, not only by professionals, but also by the end-user, we felt the need to cope with inexperienced contractors and un-trained installers and introduce the “Glue Reservior”. This unique glue drainage port (found on the underside of the product at the female interlocks) is the only patented system on the market today specifically engineered to allow any access glue/adhesive (applied during the installation process) to ooze down and away from the top of our products. This provides the completed area with a nice clean finished look without the burden of glue being tracked onto the newly installed product.
Present
Continuing our quest for perfection, we realize that the reliability, consistency and accuracy of our safety surfacing, flooring and paver products require evolutionary change that would set the standard in which all others measured.
The design elements we have introduced throughout the decades allow us to retain our current customers while providing reference for future customers like you. The result is a product offering that has solidified Unity as a true Industry innovator.