The term “heavy duty synthetic ice” is misused, abused, over represented and generally not well understood by potential buyers and customers. This article is going to clear all that up for you (and probably my competitors as well).

Heavy duty synthetic ice is defined by the following characteristics:

1. The type of connection system
2. The strength of the connection system
3. The durability of the material
4. The panel thickness

You see the industry has this false idea that if a product is thicker then we can call it “heavy duty” without any regard to the other criteria listed above. A thicker product does not make it heavy duty. You can have a product 3/4″ thick but using a weak dovetail or jigsaw puzzle connection system. In such cases, the joint is completely vulnerable to vertical separation. There is nothing heavy duty about that. Yet most competitors offer this. If the joint separates even a little vertically you have just created a very unsafe skating condition. The larger the rink, the bigger the potential problem because of expansion and contraction forces. Using the wrong connection system can cause problems when temperatures change.

I have witnessed cases where businesses spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a rink. They dismantled it completely, never using it again.

In the image above it shows a connection system known as the H-Tongue or H-Spline system. My competitors hate it, scoff at it and call it old technology etc. The fact is this connection system has been around a while (30 years) and was even patented. But when it comes to connection strength, this product is the “mother of all heavy duty synthetic ice” connection systems. Why? It cannot be separated vertically or horizontally (unless you actually understand how to take it apart). 

We actually test and have lab-verified results for the strength of our heavy-duty synthetic ice connection systems. I would love to compare results with other companies. However, the reality is that we also sell a jigsaw puzzle / dovetail system as well. But we are not so naive that we are going to call it “heavy duty” because we know better. The bottom line is that some products are better than others. Anyone can dismantle what most companies call a heavy-duty system. Moreover, these systems are easy to vandalize and even steal. This has happened in outdoor public spaces!
There is no one-size-fits-all in this business. So don’t fall for that type of marketing or salesmanship.

If you are considering buying synthetic ice as a business operator, a hockey training center, a community public rink or something similar, then you really should be concerned about panel joint separation. Not only could you prevent a potential safety issue, but possibly even avoid potential liability concerns. We offer three “heavy-duty synthetic ice” connection systems. We will consult with you about your intended application before recommending the best option.

If you are serious about wanting to put in the best products to get the best results over the very long term, then you owe it to yourself to consider a true heavy-duty synthetic ice connection system. Do your research when choosing the brand and type of synthetic ice rink.