IceMat is a portable ice rink system based on standard polymer tubing on the according location ground. It has been invented in the 1970s by a company in New Jersey (USA). Later the system has been enhanced to a twin tube system named IceMat II. Both systems are still in use.

The portable IceMat ice rink system is widespread on the American Continent and in Asia. The market share in Europe is marginal.

4 foot or 7 foot wide sections of connected pipes getting rolled out on the prepared site, like carpeting. Afterwards the tubes got connected to the main supply lines. The IceMat -System is quick and easy to install.

Because of the low thermal conductivity, the relative wide tubes, and the comparatively wide distance next to the tubes of the total cooling area, the ice rink technology came along with the comparatively highest operating expenses. The smaller diameter of each tubes of IceMat II-System, results in a lower total pump horsepower and consequently in lower energy costs.

The option for a variable design of the ice rink is given, as long as the bed-plate is leveled. After the “tube carpet” has been positioned into a collecting pan made of plastic film, water is sprayed on the rink. First in a mist, follows in larger flows until total covering of the tubing with ice.

The in the plastic sheet tub embed pipes allows a quick ice-buildup procedure at the expense of ice quality which is not comparable with the multi layered ice quality of the EPDM-System.

Hence of the headers collector piping arrangement, the liquid pressure inside the tubes is not constant at total ice rink area. Distances between the single tubes are not steady. Consequently the ice temperature is not uniform. The problem of unequal ice temperature is been revised but not removed with the IceMat II twin tube System.