The market for stitched hybrid surfaces has definitely come alive with the introduction of shallow stitching options, better engineered and more accurate stitching machines that are more favourable to the surface, as well as the environment and the use of specifically developed (biodegradable) yarns. GrassMax Systems is the only one that is covering all these aspects.
For many years, hybrid turf was viewed as “an alternative” but over the past few years, hybrid turf solutions have become a league of their own. These systems have improved and evolved so much that they are increasingly becoming the norm in sports temples, at training grounds, as well as at community clubs around the world. Even in countries where the climate is favourable, available turf care knowledge and resources could make 100% turf the norm. The company that is largely responsible for this shake up, is a Swiss/Belgian company. “We have specialised in this type of surface and only do stitched hybrid surfaces. We are involved in neither turf nor artificial turf surfaces hence we put all our focus and innovations into improving stitched surfaces instead of balancing things with any other type of surface,” says Marc Vercammen, the Managing Director of GrassMax.
Vercammen is a veteran in the stitched hybrid surfaces industry. In 2010, he oversaw the overnight reinforcing of two World Cup pitches in South Africa, which saved the day for the venues involved and allowed them to still be used for the football world cup tournament. In doing so, he secured the reputation of hybrid surfaces at the highest level of grass sports. When time came to move on, he knew very well what had to be improved to raise the bar even further. “We immediately set our focus on quality, punctuality and trust.” The other person Vercammen is referring to, is Yves de Cocker, another expert in pitch technology with a well-established track-record.
Their focus almost immediately paid off when the company was tasked with preparing a number of training grounds as well as the stadium fields that hosted both semi-finals and the final for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Dedication pays off
Nowadays, stitched sports surface solutions are being offered by a number of companies. Each is trying to distinguish itself by the machinery or yarn they use or the depth at which they can penetrate the soil. GrassMax considered all these aspects before it hit the ground running. “Being a Swiss company, we put a lot of effort in the design and operating of our machines before we enlisted the help of one of Germany’s top machine builders to develop the units. Our stitching units are as accurate as a Swiss watch,” he jokes. “The result is an electrically powered machine that has a very high accuracy but is also very forgiving to the subbase and the turf itself.” Incidents like operational interruptions, hydraulic oil spills or the compacting of the surface in the process were issues he wanted to avoid at all costs. “The smoother the operation, the better the final quality.” This focus has also helped him expand the GrassMax footprint within five years to one that spans the whole world. “We now have the capacity to serve regional markets with the help of local partners.” No fewer than 16 stitching units are stationed around the world. “This enables us to quickly respond when we receive a call for help.” The teams that operate the units all have vast experience in dealing with the various requirements or circumstances that can affect the process or be a challenge that is typical for the region.
One of those is stitching according to the preferences of the sports or because of limitations caused by the site. “Cricket requires a different stitching height than football, and, every so often, we come across a site where the bedrock is close to the surface. In those instances, we have to adjust our stitching height,” Vercammen points out. The electrically powered machines can be set at any height: from the standard 18 centimetres to as little as the six centimetres FIFA is currently testing at a purpose-built test-site in the US.
Vercammen foresees shallow pitching becoming more the norm. “We see a growing number of venues increasingly utilising the field for non-sports events during the offseason and having a new surface installed before the start of the season. Fields that are replaced every year don’t necessarily have to be reinforced with 18 centimetre long yarns. Here, a shallower stitch will still provide enough reinforcement, while this also leaves the venue owner with less plastic waste once the surface is renovated, especially when you compare it to backing-based hybrid turf carpets.”
Product specific yarns
The focus on surface quality is also the reason why GrassMax offers both polyethylene and polypropylene artificial grass yarns. “Polypropylene is deemed more forgiving to the skin when making a slide, hence it has become the norm for full artificial turf carpets. Polyethylene is a stronger grade of plastic. It offers stitched hybrid surfaces the benefit of being better capable of dealing with the tensions experienced when the field is renovated with the use of a Fieldtop-maker,” Vercammen points out. Which yarn to use is largely dependent on the customer’s requirements. The development of biodegradable yarns is something GrassMax certainly closely monitors. “We are currently investigating various raw materials, but the requirements set by the European authorities in terms of the biodegradability of products, makes it currently not feasible to adopt these types of yarns yet.”
Vercammen points out that stitching can reinforce both cold season and warm season grasses in many ways. “The yarn helps the grass root deeper in the soil, making it stronger and more resilient. In case of a heavy downpour, the water can quickly drain along the yarns, which prevents the grass from drowning in standing water. And in times when the temperatures are high and the climate is dry, the yarns still facilitate an easy route downwards for the grass roots.” In terms of warm season grasses, Vercammen points at the better anchoring the artificial turf yarns provide. “With the roots of warm season grasses also growing in lateral direction, they twist around the yarns, making it almost impossible to damage the grass surface.”
Yves de Cocker points out that, irrespective of the type of yarn used, the stitched hybrid field business case is favourable for almost any venue. “A quick calculation shows that over a period of 10 years, a stitched stadium field will work out cheaper than the standard natural turf surface.” As an example, he refers to the Emirates stadium of Arsenal. “That stadium was designed with good growing conditions for the turf in mind. Nevertheless, they opted for a stitched surface, and the stitching was done in such way that it supported the influence the shape of the stadium roof had on the pitch.”
New type of venue
This summer, GrassMax reinforced the stadium field of the new Santiago Bernabeu Stadium of FC Real Madrid. The architects had been given free rein to redesign the new sports and events temple. Yet the club didn’t want to compromise on the quality of the surface. “As long as there is a commitment to respect the field and to provide whatever is necessary to have it well-maintained, there is a business case for a stitched hybrid surface,” de Cocker continues. “A reinforced surface will be more uniform, stable and safe to play on. Players will pick that up quickly and will feel more comfortable playing on such a surface. It will make it easier for them to excel.” For top clubs like FC Real Madrid, this is essential to recoup the investment they make in players. However, there is certainly a business case for stitched hybrid fields at other clubs as well. “FC Real Sociedad, Villareal CF and even clubs like Alavés of Celta de Vigo are other La Liga clubs where we have reinforced the surface, and we have also improved the stadium fields of Paris Saint-Germain, FC Leicester City, the iconic Maracana Stadium, DHL Stadium in Cape Town and the Allianz Field of FC Minnesota United, to name a few but we also did the stadium fields of smaller clubs like Go Ahead Eagles from the Netherlands and Osijek FC from Croatia. To all of them operation certainty was essential.” GrassMax also improved various training grounds. “Clubs like Tottenham, AS Monaco and PSG are just three examples where the grounds team opted for a GrassMax stitched hybrid surface to be sure that the teams will be able to train, irrespective of the weather conditions.”
All in all, the reference list is impressive. “Our decision to surround ourselves with the best possible machine building company, yarn supplier and sport field constructing companies, and our focus on quality and punctuality, have paid off very well. We certainly have built up the trust with all important stakeholders in the market that we aspired,” Vercammen concludes.