GRANDEX Achieves MED Certification: Acrylic Solid Surface Approved for Marine Applications

For professionals in the acrylic solid surface industry - architects, interior designers, furniture manufacturers and fabrication workshops selecting the right material is always a question of balancing aesthetics, functionality and safety. But there are industries where material requirements go far beyond standard building codes. The marine industry is one of them. And it is here that material quality is tested at the highest level. GRANDEX mineral-acrylic solid surface sheets have successfully passed this test, achieving certification under the EU Marine Equipment Directive (MED 2014/90/EU).

What does this mean for our partners - stone fabricators, designers, architects and manufacturing companies? Above all, it is an indisputable confirmation that the materials you work with meet the strictest technical and safety standards in the world.

What Is MED Certification and Why Does It Matter?

The Marine Equipment Directive 2014/90/EU is a European regulatory framework that establishes mandatory requirements for equipment and materials installed on board seagoing vessels. MED certification is a legal prerequisite for the use of any material in shipbuilding and marine fit-out within the European Union.

The directive covers fire safety, toxicity of combustion products, smoke generation and flame spread - parameters that are critical in confined maritime environments where passenger evacuation options are inherently limited. Only materials that pass a comprehensive battery of tests conducted by accredited notified bodies can obtain MED approval and carry the Wheelmark - the EU’s conformity symbol for marine equipment, recognised across all Member States.

Certification Details

GRANDEX mineral-acrylic sheets have received the EC Type-Examination Certificate (Module B) No. CW/MED/11/07/2025, issued by the Polish Register of Shipping (Polski Rejestr Statków S.A., Notified Body No. 1463), valid until 28 July 2030. The certificate covers Annex positions MED/3.18c and MED/3.18a - surface finishing materials and floor coverings with low flame-spread characteristics (decorative veneers and floor coverings). The applicant for certification is Architype sp. z o.o. (Warsaw, Poland), with the production site located at LION CHEMTECH CO., LTD. (Daejeon, Republic of Korea).

In addition, the manufacturing process has undergone Production Quality Assurance certification (Module D), Certificate No. MED184025PU, issued by RINA Services S.p.A. (Notified Body No. 0474) on 25 November 2025, valid until 24 November 2028. This dual-module certification ensures not only that the product itself meets performance requirements, but that every batch leaving the production line consistently maintains the same level of quality.

Certified Technical Characteristics

According to the certificate, GRANDEX is a mineral-acrylic composite sheet with a thickness of 12 mm. Its core composition - polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and aluminium trihydroxide (ATH) - is the key to its low flame-spread behaviour, a critical property for marine applications.

All performance parameters were independently verified at SYCHTA Laboratory of Material Flammability Research (Police, Poland) under test reports SL/Z-685/FTP2/0818a/2025 and SL/Z-511/FTP5/0705a/2025.

Compliance with IMO and SOLAS Standards

MED certification confirms that GRANDEX sheets comply with an extensive range of international maritime fire safety standards, including:

• SOLAS 74 Reg. II-2/3, II-2/5, II-2/6 and Reg. X/3
• IMO Res. MSC.36(63) - HSC Code 1994, Chapter 7
• IMO Res. MSC.97(73) - HSC Code 2000, Chapter 7
• IMO MSC/Circ.1120 and IMO Res. MSC.307(88)
• FTP Code 2010, Annex 1, Part 2 and Part 5

In practical terms, this means GRANDEX acrylic sheets have been tested for fire resistance, smoke generation and toxicity of combustion products under maritime protocols - significantly more stringent than most national building codes. The awarded Wheelmark is recognised throughout the European Union and serves as a reliable indicator of compliance for classification societies and shipyard specifiers alike.

What This Means for Solid Surface Fabricators

For workshops and fabrication companies working with solid surface materials, MED certification unlocks access to an entirely new segment of high-value projects. Fitting out interiors of yachts, cruise ships, passenger ferries and other seagoing vessels involves substantial budgets and exacting technical specifications - a market traditionally difficult to enter without the right material certifications.

By working with GRANDEX, fabricators gain a material that requires no additional approvals from classification societies: all necessary certification documentation is already in place. This simplifies production workflows, shortens project lead times and strengthens your company’s competitive position in the marine fit-out market.

Importantly, the fabrication technology remains familiar to anyone experienced with acrylic solid surfaces: seamless joining, thermoforming, standard tooling - everything you are used to, now with full access to the marine segment.

New Horizons for Architects and Interior Designers

Architects and interior designers engaged in marine projects - or any project demanding heightened safety performance, such as hotels, public spaces and transport infrastructure - now have a material that combines two critical qualities: design freedom and certified safety.

GRANDEX mineral-acrylic sheets retain all the creative advantages of solid surface materials - seamless jointing, thermoformability, and a broad palette of colours and textures - while meeting the standards that permit use in even the most heavily regulated environments. This expands the design horizon and allows professionals to offer clients solutions backed by internationally recognised certifications.

Potential Marine and Commercial Applications

With MED certification in hand, GRANDEX solid surface can be specified for a wide range of marine and high-safety commercial applications:

1. Cruise liner cabin interiors, bathrooms and public areas (reception desks, bars, spa zones)
2. Superyacht and mega-yacht interior fit-out - galleys, heads, saloons and custom furniture
3. Passenger ferry interior cladding and countertops
4. Naval and military vessel interior surfaces
5. Offshore platform accommodation modules
6. Hotels, airports and transport hubs requiring enhanced fire-safety rated materials

A Partnership Built on Quality Assurance

Achieving MED certification is the result of a systematic effort by the GRANDEX manufacturing team and its partners. It marks a strategic milestone in the brand’s commitment to meeting the highest international standards and opens new opportunities for joint growth.

For our partners, this translates into:

• Confidence in consistent batch-to-batch quality, verified through ongoing production monitoring (Module D, RINA)
• Access to a profitable new market segment in marine fit-out, supported by a complete certification documentation package
• Technical support and project guidance for specifications requiring certified materials
• Strengthened competitive positioning through partnership with a Wheelmark-approved supplier

Ready for New Projects Together

GRANDEX continues to invest in quality, safety and expanding the capabilities available to its partners worldwide. Whether you are exploring marine projects, undertaking assignments with enhanced fire-safety requirements, or simply seeking a solid surface material backed by the highest international certifications - our team is here to help.

We are ready to provide the full certification documentation package, technical consultations on material specifications, and dedicated support at every stage of your project.