Food & Drink

IFT installed the floor levelling and resin flooring package for the new Singleton of Glen Ord distillery which included Vebroscreed Industrial, Vebrores PU SL HD and Vebro Classic Terrazzo. The combination of floor coatings has covered a total area of 700 m2 and delivered a high end, modern finish for the distillery’s visitors’ centre.

Vebroscreed Industrial is deep-fill, rapid-setting and hardening, high strength, single-part, cementitious smoothing underlayment screed that can be applied up to depths of 50.0 mm prior to the installation of thick floor coverings or resin finishes. Vebrores PU SL HD is a heavy duty, solvent-free, flexible, self-smoothing polyurethane flooring system offering outstanding strength and performance, making it ideally suited to areas with heavy footfall and wear from chairs and other similar objects.

Designed for use in commercial areas subject to high levels of pedestrian traffic, the Vebro Classic Terrazzo system incorporates an attractive blend of decorative aggregates and is ground, grouted and sealed to deliver an eye-catching terrazzo surface. Seamless resin terrazzo is ultra-hard wearing with exceptional durability, ideal for high trafficked areas and offering excellent lifecycle cost saving efficiencies as it is easy to clean, sanitise and maintain. Epoxy based terrazzo offers more movement than traditional sand cement terrazzo and is less prone to cracking. What’s more, it offers excellent chemical and stain resistance, ensuring an attractive finish is maintained. Vebro Classic Terrazzo incorporates a low emission epoxy resin binder tested and certified by AgBB.

The new visitors’ centre at the existing Singleton at Glen Ord Distillery in the Scottish Highlands is part of a significant investment into Scottish tourism by the brand’s parent company Diageo.

IFT has extensive experience working in the drinks and hospitality industry, including the award-winning Macallan Distillery in Speyside, Bunnahabhain Distillery in Islay and Brewdog’s eco-brewery in Ellon.

Central Flooring Services have done a fair few projects with J K Builders based in Leicester, including this project for their client, Pukka Pies, the Leicestershire legendary pie maker – especially their signature Steak and Kidney pie, found in pubs, fish and chip shops, and locals.

CFS are one of JK Builders trusted suppliers. For this project they fitted out Pukka’s new food processing preparation rooms with white wall panelling and the CFS team applied the new resin finish.

Project:

For this food processing area we installed a Ucrete Solution by Master Builders which was chosen for its quality and performance.

Product:

Ucrete UD200 Polyurethane Screed 9mm system, with expansion joints.

Preparation:

Heavy mechanical surface planing.

Project Duration:

This was a two-phase project carried out over two-weeks. Each phase was 55m².

About the project

This was a very challenging project because it was in the original building which was more than 50-years old, so many floor levels had to be made up to get to a point where the floors were levelled to an acceptable standard.

As the food processing area was also in the heart of the factory, logistically the installation was trickier to carry out as it’s in use 24/7. CFS team took extra care with the whole project to be absolutely sure that none of the food products were at risk from contamination.

Benefits of Master Builders Ucrete Solution

For the food and drink industry, Ucrete is the ‘Rolls Royce’ standard. It’s exceptionally hard-wearing and super hygienic, making it the perfect solution for this environment. It has resistance to high temperatures, impact, slips, static, strong acids and alkalis, fats, oils and solvents. Even during application Ucrete is non-tainting and completely safe for food handling areas – in fact, it’s HACCP Certified (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point).

Once installed, this Ucrete flooring solution is in for the long haul.

www.centralflooringservices.co.uk

Monarch recently completed new resin brewery flooring at State of Kind Brewery in Wigan, Greater Manchester.

Continue reading for further details on this project and how you can get in touch with us about your brewery flooring needs.

Brewery Flooring Installation

This project was a new brewery development in Greater Manchester which was around 80sqm in total. The existing surface was old concrete which was prepared and laid with a 9mm thick polyurethane screed.

Monarthane was used on this project as unlike a concrete floor, a polyurethane brewery floor has a high level of resistance to chemicals within the brewing process. These chemicals attack a concrete surface and create an uneven cracked floor leading to potential risk to workers.

Polyurethane also has a greater resistance to organic acids which are common within the cleaning chemicals used on brewery flooring, making them extremely hygienic. As a result, polyurethane can provide a long-lasting, cost-effective flooring solution for breweries, microbreweries and distilleries.

The vibrant blue gives a great aesthetic impact to the floor which will be used as an open brewery and taproom. We also installed resin skirting and expansion joints within the floor surrounding a stainless steel drainage system.

About Monarch

This brewery flooring installation took one week to complete and has been well received by the client. If you would like to get in touch with Monarch about your resin flooring needs then head over to our contact page or fill in the form below with your details and we will get back to you within two working days.

Monarch has been installing resin brewery flooring for over thirty years and brings all that experience to every job which is completed. As well as installing polyurethane resin we also install epoxy and fast curing resin to many different sectors. This includes both industrial and commercial installations. We install brewery flooring across the UK including Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Bradford. If you would like a quote for your brewery installation we can get one back to you within two working days. Just get in touch with us through our contact page.

Fusco Foods is a family business tracing its roots back to 1968. Lasercroft was selected to provide advice and guidance on a resin flooring solution for a new factory in Whitby, North Yorkshire.

Following an initial discussion and several drawings and alterations, Lasercroft worked out how to lay the facility to falls to ensure a free-draining floor. Once building commenced we carried out site surveys of the factory, entrance foyer and staircase, we recommended the high endurance Pumadur HF product for their main production areas to suit their hygiene and durability requirements. To enhance the appearance of the entrance and staircase and to provide a wow factor for visitors, we recommended the Glitterati PAS system.

The implementation process for the main factory included scabbling the new concrete to provide a suitable key. Any cracks were chased out, cleaned, and thoroughly vacuumed, ready for the application of reinforced pro mesh. The mesh was then bedded with a skim of modified epoxy resin to bring a ‘belt and braces’ factor to the new system and reduce the risk of any future problems. A polymer modified screed was laid to our suggested falls to ensure water drained throughout to the new channels.

After the screed cured for approximately 48 hours, we applied a 6mm Pumadur HF Polyurethane Resin to approximately 500m2. Rooms were finished off with 100mm high Pumadur WR coved skirtings to the perimeter walls and expansion joints installed where needed.

The final process included grinding down the existing screed and applying the Resdev Glitterati system in the entrance/reception foyer and staircase area.

‘Lasercroft has recently completed the resin floor of our new factory unit, which features many gradient floors that include several drainage systems. Before work, Lasercroft offered guidance, pre-planning advice and various solutions for the different features within our floor. The project was completed on time and budget to a high standard with a great team. We would highly recommend them.’  Raymond Fusco

This unique refurbishment project specified and completed by Zircon Flooring represents a totally new departure for our family-run company. This was a very special commission, entrusted to Zircon Flooring following months of negotiations, site reconnaissance and careful planning, breathing new life and bringing the highest standards of hygiene to a world leading food preparation area serving one of the world’s most iconic lifestyle destinations.

The hotel in question is BodyHoliday, St Lucia set on a secluded cove of white sandy beach at the edge of the Caribbean Sea and surrounded by tropical gardens and rainforest. BodyHoliday, Saint Lucia is the ultimate getaway for the body and mind, recognised as one of the finest destination resorts and a centre of well-being. Work carried out by Zircon Flooring was part of a $20 million renovation, completed just in time for the property’s 30th anniversary.

With six five-star restaurants designed to satisfy every taste with menus that feature locally sourced foods and ingredients fresh from the resort’s own organic garden, the kitchens are one of the focal areas of the hotel. Covering an area in excess of 250m2 and subdivided into sections including an allergy kitchen, bringing these areas up to standard was an integral part of the refurbishment plan, and Zircon Flooring played a pivotal role in helping the hotel to achieve their aesthetic and operational objectives.

The end result is a clean, fresh and practical flooring system, using resin flooring to its best advantages, successfully transforming what was a tired and jaded food preparation area into a bright, airy space reflecting the calibre and high standard of the food served.

Master Builders Solutions announces the launch of the innovative Ucrete CS, heavy-duty colour-stable flooring with enhanced aesthetics

• ​Enhanced resistance to discoloration from chemical staining and ultra-violet light
• A long-lasting attractive appearance for heavy-duty environments in the food and beverage industries
• Extended range of stable colours, including pastel shades
• ​Ucrete CS builds on 50 years of outstanding performance without comprise

 

An innovative colour stable Ucrete flooring system from Master Builders Solutions is being launched across Europe from the beginning of 2020. Ucrete CS builds on 50 years of excellence in flooring with an expanded range of colours, including pastel shades, due to its enhanced aesthetics.

The introduction of Ucrete CS represents a leap forward for heavy-duty flooring, thanks to the system’s advances in stain resistance and UV colour stability. Ucrete CS redefines long-term visual expectations in the food and beverage industries.

Ian Smith, Global Business Segment Manager, Performance Flooring at Master Builders Solutions, explained: “Many Ucrete floors are still in service after several decades, lowering the cost of ownership. Our innovative Ucrete CS system represents a real step change for our customers’ aesthetic expectations, reducing chemical staining with no colour change from UV light! There is no compromise on the outstanding performance that Ucrete brings.”

In addition to these new features, all the valuable performance characteristics that have made Ucrete flooring the market leader for aggressive processing areas are retained. Ucrete CS is the clear choice for high-performance, long-lasting, low-maintenance floors.

As with all Ucrete systems, the fast-curing Ucrete CS provides excellent resistance to chemicals including organic and inorganic acids, as well as the discharge of boiling water and cleaning at high temperatures. Ucrete sets the benchmark for industrial flooring for food and beverage – including dairies, breweries and soft drink production – as well as pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

 

Ucrete – heavy-duty flooring innovations for more than 50 years

From the start, innovation has been the key driver in the development of our Ucrete systems. Significant investment in research and development has allowed us to reach many milestones during the last 50 years, such as:

• 1982: The first antistatic hygienic terrazzo floor for the pharmaceutical industry;
• 1993: The first flow-applied heavy-duty screed with thermal shock resistance for ergonomic application;
• 2003: The first systems with specifiable slip-resistance profiles – the key safety requirement for the food and beverage industry;
• 2011: The first non-tainting, rapid-curing systems to minimize downtime, even at cold temperatures;
• ​2018: Monolithic, thermal shock resistant antistatic flooring.

Our new Ucrete CS system represents another important milestone in Ucrete’s history. With colour stability thanks to its UV resistance, and enhanced stain resistance, Ucrete CS is attractive, highly durable, hygienic and safe.

IFT was appointed by a flooring contractor  to install flooring as part of the £10.5 million, three-year refurbishment programme at Bunnahabhain, which aims to transform a distillery and visitor centre into a world-class whisky destination.

IFT installed 140m² of Mapei Topcem screed onto an underfloor heating system at a new visitor centre. Following this, Mapei Ultratop Industrial and Mapefloor sealant were added to provide a finished floor.

This job was a huge logistical challenge for the IFT team as there is no suitable sand source on the island. To combat this we used a manufaturer who brought in bulk bags of washed concrete sand from the mainland at our request and the Topcem was taken across by a shipping service. This was all arranged during IFT pre-start visits to the island, working together with local labour working on the site asking them about sand sources.

Thought Leadership

February 18, 2019

Are permanent non-slip solutions possible for the food industry?

By Jeremy Waterhouse, Flooring Product Manager, Sherwin-Williams

The flooring in industrial facilities needs to be suitable for the activities being carried out.  In many industries, and in particular in the food and beverage plants, there is a regulatory requirement to provide a non-slip texture to prevent staff working there from slipping.

The non-slip performance of a flooring system can be assessed by the pendulum Coefficient of Friction test (CoF), which was adopted in the UK some years ago by the Health and Safety Executive, as a reliable and robust test for slip assessment. This is also known as the TRRL Pendulum test.  A reading with a value greater than 36, defined as having low-slip potential, is easier to achieve in dry conditions – but what a lot of facilities (such as food processing factories) require, is at least this value also under wet conditions.

What is the coefficient of friction?

Coefficient of friction is a measure of the degree of friction between two surfaces. Friction is the force exerted by a surface when an object moves over it – in this case, the staff walking across the floor.   A low value indicates that the force required for slipping to occur is less than the force required when the coefficient of friction is high. Smooth floors can appear slippery when wet, however in practice, even though a low CoF result is obtained, specially designed resin floors can still provide non-slip resistance through their lifespan as they are subjected to wear because of aggregates within the matrix of a screed.

What properties of a floor coating affect the coefficient of friction?

A rough surface provides more points of contact and increases the coefficient, thus reducing the tendency for slipping.  Roughness can be obtained by using resin flooring systems with a textured finish. This can be achieved in a number of ways, most of which involve incorporating an aggregate in the resin matrix. This could be done by a manual scattering of a various amounts of aggregate into the wet coating applied to the floor – or equally, by incorporating an aggregate into an actual resin formulation, such that it produces the desired texture on the surface when the system is installed.

However, what is often overlooked is how long these flooring systems will provide a texture which gives a reading exceeding 36 in wet conditions, when tested with the TRRL equipment. The hardness of aggregates vary, and the softer the aggregate, the sooner it will wear down with use.  For example, polymer bead-type aggregates are not particularly strong, and when incorporated into a coating could wear down relatively quickly when subjected to heavy traffic. In practical terms – in a busy production unit, for example – this could mean a coating losing its texture and wearing smooth within a year after being laid, and the floor surface having a lower reading with the TRRL test  This could create a medium or even high slip potential, especially when the floor is wet.

 Meeting customer expectations

When these non-slip flooring systems are planned for use in food industry environments, customers have to be made aware of how durable a system is, and for how long it will provide good service.   If a resin-textured coating system is sold and promoted responsibly, it cannot always be claimed as a long-term solution in a heavy-duty environment, when in reality it can only offer a solution for perhaps a year or two.

The longest-term solution from a resin flooring system in a busy heavy-duty food environment can only be provided with a screed-type product, typically with a minimum thickness of between 6mm and 9mm. These screeds are extremely durable and can be installed with a surface texture to provide a non-slip finish with a large sized aggregate incorporated within the formulation. Polyurethane screed systems such as FasTop™ TG69 are a comprehensive solution for food industry environments and other industrial situations, as they can provide durability; chemical and thermal shock resistance; and low non-slip potential even in wet conditions. These systems are initially installed as a single colour finish, and there are eight standard colours to choose from in the Sherwin-Williams range.

It is a function of this product that the texture changes over time as the high spots are worn down with traffic.  The polyurethane resin wears away on these high spots exposing the aggregate which appears as white speckles in the coloured finish of the floor, adding a degree of decoration within the finish. But more importantly for food factories with wet processes in operation, even though the floor becomes smoother, it starts to operate in a different way due to differences in texture, and still provides non-slip performance.

This has been demonstrated in environments such as fish markets and fish processing plants, where wet abrasion had worn down systems like FasTop TG69 to give a smooth finish, in contrast to the textured finish achieved when the system was first installed, while still providing good non-slip performance.

Case study – Hygienic cleanable non-slip finish

A FasTop TG69 floor system was installed 10 years ago at Billingsgate Market in London, and had been constantly subjected to wet abrasion – the most aggressive type of abrasion. This floor was originally finished in standard forest green colour. Images of the floor taken after six years showed it to be more mid-green in colour with a white speckle. The floor was continuing to provide a safe walking surface with a hygienic, cleanable finish.

Another example of this non-slip performance was demonstrated at one of the UK’s biggest meat processing plants in the South of England where FasTop TG69 had been in use for over 10 years in a standard Sherwin-Williams grey colour.  The high spots on this floor had worn down, and the floor had the white speckled finish as expected.  The customer had a new area of floor finished with TG69 in the same colour as the original laid adjacent to the existing area installed over 10 years before. After being in use, the new area became wet and was subjected to spillages of fats and grease, and the factory found this area to be a little slippier than the older area. The solution in this instance was easy – the flooring contractor lightly sanded the FasTop TG69 to enhance the white speckled smoother finish rather than wait for this to occur over time through heavy traffic. This created a better non-slip solution for the factory. The floor cleaning process was also important in maintaining the non-slip property. This project was a good example of how this polyurethane-type screed functions, and why it is a suitable all-round, long-term solution for demanding environments.

 

ENDS

• Flooring in dairies needs to provide a number of hygienic and operational properties
• The Flowfresh range of polyurethane flooring is ideal for a dairy’s demanding milking and processing areas
• Choose HACCP International certified flooring to ensure that the system is up to the challenge

Modern dairies are not the laid back, slow-moving places that people like to imagine. Instead they are highly productive, fine-tuned facilities that require a considered approach to the design, maintenance and functionality of each and every site involved in the production, processing, storage and transportation of dairy goods.

Being able to manufacture such large quantities of high quality dairy goods relies on a well-oiled infrastructure where performance is taken seriously from the ground up. To create a contemporary, state-of-the-art dairy, it’s particularly important to ensure that the floor underfoot is able to cope with the challenges of this busy, complex sector.

Productivity and cleanability go hand-in-hand, as a site that sacrifices hygiene for higher volumes will risk not only failing to comply with regulations, but it could result in produce becoming contaminated. This is especially true of the floor, as if it is cracked, tarnished or difficult then the site could become compromised.

The Reason for Resin

For this reason, many dairy producers are turning to resin flooring solutions such as Flowcrete’s Flowfresh range thanks to the hygienic properties that these coatings can provide. Seamless and impervious, resin systems are easy to clean and thanks to the resistance this type of flooring has to impacts, chemicals and traffic, it can maintain a fully functional finish for an extended period of time.

Getting the floor right is more than just an operational practicality, as it is also vital to making sure that a dairy complies with the European Union’s food hygiene standards. This is illustrated in EC regulation 853/2004 which stipulates that food business operators must have “hard floors and smooth walls that are easy to clean and disinfect”.

Additionally, EC 854/2004 states that producers “shall put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures based on the HACCP principles”. The floor is central to this, as the regulation goes on to say that “floor surfaces are to be maintained in a sound condition and be easy to clean and, where necessary, to disinfect. This will require the use of impervious, non-absorbent, washable and non-toxic materials”.

The Flowfresh range has been certified by HACCP International thanks to its ability to provide all the properties required for an effective HACCP food safety program within even the largest and most intensive food factories.

Flowcrete has designed its floors to go above and beyond even the strict standards of the European Union, as every Flowfresh system incorporates the antibacterial agent Polygiene®. This additive actively inhibits the growth of bacteria in contact with the floor, a property which has been tested to the ISO 22916 standard.

Making the Floor Do More

It’s not just making sure the floor can stay clean that needs to be considered to make sure that it’s optimised for the task at hand. For example, it’s important to get the size and quantity of aggregate incorporated within the polyurethane mix of a Flowfresh floor correct in order to achieve the right level of slip resistance.

Being able to tailor the floor’s texture is ideal for many dairy spaces, such as the milking parlours, where spilled milk, water from wash downs, mud from boots and effluence from the cattle can all be present. For the safety of the staff and animals moving through the area, they need to be able to grip the potentially wet and slick surface underfoot.

Incorporating stainless steel drainage, run-off channels and coving into the floor coating is also essential here, as it means that once the milking is done the whole area can be easily washed down to remove all contaminants and slippery substances.

However, the frequent and intensive cleaning regimes required within dairy facilities can pose a threat to the floor, as steam cleaning and harsh chemicals will quickly deteriorate an insufficiently robust coating. Flowfresh is able to shrug off thermal shock such as steam cleaning at 120°C and corrosive chemicals, ensuring that the floor won’t corrode or break apart after a deep-cleaning session.

From extremely hot temperatures at one end to freezing conditions at the other, Flowfresh has also been applied in many cold storage rooms and exposed barns thanks to its ability to survive in sub-zero conditions.

In addition to all of these challenges, the sheer physical demands of dairy operations can take a toll on the floor. Point loading from heavy equipment, traffic from staff, cows and forklift trucks, impacts from dropped items and pressure from fully loaded pallets can all chip away at the finish. Flowfresh has been formulated to create a layer with a high cross-linked density, which makes it exceptionally tough. When applied in a thick 6-9mm coating, it can take on all of the above issues every day of the year for an extended period of time.

From the Parlour to the Production Line

Away from the actual milking area are a variety of processing, storage, office, logistics and production spaces, which will likely require all of the above properties to a greater or lesser extent. The versatility of resin floors means that they can be easily tailored to all the different environments and types of facilities found across the dairy industry.

This was recently exemplified at one of the most high-tech dairies in the world, Australia’s Bannister Downs Dairy. When the high-tech facility built a new creamery, 2,350 m² of Flowfresh SR was used to ensure that it would have a clean, safe and on-brand floor finish for the long term.

If you would like to find out more about specifying the right floor for each part of a dairy complex, get in touch with Flowcrete UK’s expert team today.

• F&B plants need to ensure the floor underfoot is right for the site’s operations
• MMA Quartz and PU are both popular F&B flooring choices, but they have very different chemistries
• Different flooring systems provide different properties and it’s important to understand these during the specification process

Choosing the right floor for a food and beverage (F&B) facility is a tricky task, as it will have to withstand a long list of challenging onsite conditions while consistently maintaining a clean and hygienic environment. 

There are a number of flooring options that have become popular in the F&B world for being able to provide this combination of properties. To help designers, businesses and facility managers identify which exact floor is the right one for them, this article will explore two of the most common types of floors specified in the F&B industry – methyl methacrylate quartz (MMA) and polyurethane (PU). 

Spot the Difference

While both are resin materials, the specific chemistry of each is very different and will provide different functionalities. Knowing when to apply an MMA quartz or PU requires understanding the floor’s properties as well as what chemicals, impacts, traffic, temperatures and cleaning it will encounter, in order to ascertain if the system in question is up to the task at hand. 

The difference between these two types of materials stems in large part from their molecular structure, which affects how it fuses together during the curing process and how it will react to substances. 

PUs are typically two-component systems (a resin and a hardener) that when brought together undergo a process of stoichiometric curing to form a solid layer. In contrast, MMAs work by using a catalyst to trigger a reaction that creates a single monolithic mass fused to the substrate. Quartz aggregates are often broadcast into an MMA system in order to add strength, texture and decoration.

Hard-wired to be Hard-wearing

One of the biggest differences is that once a PU has cured it will have a very high cross-linked density that makes it exceptionally hard wearing. In fact, PUs are so robust that they are one of the most failure resistant types of floors and are capable of providing a high-performance surface for up to a decade if properly maintained, even despite the abuse that a busy, complex F&B plant will subject it to. 

Alternative materials struggle to provide this life-span when faced with operational challenges such as steam cleaning at up to 120°C, point loading from heavy production equipment, exposure to corrosive industrial chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and nitric acid as well as the intensive cleaning and long hours inherent to the sector. 

An MMA quartz systems derives strength from its monolithic structure. However, with this type of system a thin wearing coat is required to stop the aggregates and finish from getting scratched or abraded. This final layer, which isn’t required for PU floors, will usually need to be recoated every couple of years.

The Cure for Curing

The key advantage of an MMA system is that it is able to fully cure in a matter of hours, regardless of onsite conditions and ambient temperatures. Thanks to the way that it fuses to the substrate it is also very useful for refurbishments, as it can be applied directly on top of the existing coating and therefore avoids the cost and time required to take up the old floor.  

PUs have historically been less versatile when it comes to being applied in extreme temperatures, in wet locations or within tight turnarounds. Recent advances in PU technology though has closed this gap, with systems such as Flowfresh HF LT being much easier to apply than traditional PU products in cold and wet settings.

The main downside to how an MMA cures is that it releases a powerful odour that can taint nearby food produce. This problem can be avoided with proper ventilation, as MMA particles are heavier than air and so can be drawn out of the environment. Dealing with the odour is therefore possible but does incur extra time, expense and effort.    

Don’t Slip Up on Flooring Specification

Both formulations have a textured finish, which enhances traction underfoot and helps to cut down on slips and trips in working environments that are often prone to wet conditions, spillages and frequent washes. It’s important to bear in mind that the more heavily textured a surface is, the more difficult it becomes to clean. The size and type of aggregates incorporated into a PU or MMA floor are often tailored to meet the required cleanability/slip resistance balance. 

This was the case at McVitie’s production facility in Glasgow, which used the solvent-free, heavy duty polyurethane system Flowfresh RT in two different textures. A rougher finish was applied throughout the majority of the building where staff would be walking and a smoother version was installed beneath the production lines in order to make these hard-to-reach spots easier to clean.

This project highlights the versatility of polyurethane in general, as it is very easy to change factors such as the floor’s thickness, texture and colour to suit the business’ needs. It is also easy to incorporate additional flooring elements such as coving and stainless steel drainage and to apply the floor around equipment, pillars or pipes that contact the floor.

From this we can see that the ideal choice of floor, whether it’s PU or MMA quartz, relies on the specific requirements of each F&B plant and can even change quite drastically from one part of a room to another. To understand if a flooring material is the right one, it is important to discuss in detail the demands that it will face as well as the suitability of the system in question with the flooring manufacturer and contractor. 

 

For the award-winning Australian creamery, Bannister Downs Dairy chose Flowfresh SR from Flowcrete to provide 2,350 m² of hygienic and on-brand flooring.  

Founded in 1924 by pioneers Edith and James Daubney, Bannister Downs Dairy Farm, located in Northcliffe, Australia was named as such thanks to Edith’s maiden name Bannister. Passed down through the generations, the farm is now managed by the Daubney’s grandson and his family. 

Following the deregulation of the dairy industry in the millennium year, the Daubney family saw an opportunity to process and bottle milk in its own creamery facility. 

In the pursuit of excellence, every aspect of the facility was carefully planned and considered from the ground up. To ensure that the creamery maintained unrivalled hygiene, the hard-wearing, chemical resistant polyurethane resin system Flowfresh SR was installed.

Thanks to its high level of chemical resistance, Flowfresh SR was ideal for the silo area, kitchen, processing, mixing, ingredients and filling rooms, where there would be a high chance of produce being spilled or dropped. 

In a similar vein, the polyurethane resin system is resistant to temperatures from -15 °C to 90 °C, meaning that there would be no risk of floor failure in the working cool room, freezer, cool storage room and ambi chamber areas of the facility. 

Regular exposure to foodstuffs and varying temperatures can take its toll on lesser floors over time. For example lactose in dairy is a natural sugar, which can be corrosive to a floor’s coating if there is daily exposure. Strong chemical cleaners used to wash away spillages of this nature can have a similarly corrosive effect on the floor if the correct properties are not specified. Therefore, having a high chemical resistance was imperative to Bannister Downs Dairy. 

The durability and abrasion resistance of Flowfresh SR was extremely important in the dry store, carton room and loading dock, where packaged produce would be stored, transported and loaded onto distribution vehicles. Areas of point loading are often at the mercy of heavily laden pallets and forklift trucks carrying weighty items. Moving heavy materials can cause wear on the floor, and abrasions are extremely likely to occur if items are dropped or dragged along the finish over an extended period of time.

For all food and beverage facilities, coving can form an integral part of the flooring system. It creates a sealed finish between the floor and wall joint, leaving no gaps for bacteria to reside, grow and multiply. The coving utilised in The Creamery, combined with the seamless, impervious Flowfresh SR finish, ensures that any spilled produce is quickly and easily cleaned away. 

To enhance the hygiene of this system further, Flowfresh SR contains Polygiene®, an antibacterial additive that can eliminate up to 99.9% of bacteria on the floor’s surface when combined with a regular cleaning regime. 

With frequent, in-depth cleaning being necessary in such an environment, the slip resistance of Flowfresh SR helps to maintain a safe environment at all times.

Aside from being functional, Flowcrete was also able to supply custom colours for the facility. Light grey, blue, cream and powder blue were used to provide a clean, fresh aesthetic that mirrored Bannister Downs Dairy’s branding. 

The high performance, aesthetically pleasing nature of the floor is sure to be appreciated when the creamery expands to include a café and a viewing area, where consumers can watch the production process before sampling the produce. 

Flooring in food and beverage environments must be slip-resistant, easy to clean, durable and hygienic. These factors pose significant challenges to flooring designs; not only do most floors have to be purpose-built, they must be functional, meeting the strict criteria stipulated above. So what kinds of design considerations need to be made to ensure floors meet hygiene standards at the point of specification?

Keeping it clean

Floor finish is a key design consideration which should fulfill a variety of standards in the European Food Safety Directive. In food preparation areas, flooring must be seamless and easy to clean to meet hygiene levels, particularly as the spread of bacteria must be prevented in food environments at all times. Flooring must also be rinsed thoroughly to remove wash-down residues and any viruses, bacteria or pests that might be present. The finish should also be compatible with certain solvents, including cleaning agents, for the quality of the finish to remain uncompromised.

A finish needs to be impermeable and made to a high specification otherwise employee and consumer safety could be put at risk. An excellent finish, often best provided by dense resin-rich systems, will prevent flaking, cracking and discolouration, making sure a floor looks professional and performs to its best.

Drainage must be placed in correct areas and never under processing equipment as it obstructs important cleaning procedures. With the assistance of gravity, gradients ranging between 1:100 and 1:80 can be useful for moving any liquids towards drains. Efficient drainage systems are fundamental design considerations as they guarantee cleanliness is maintained at an optimum standard in food environments.

Slip-resistance

Floor finishes must also be slip-resistant. Slips and trips are the most common causes of injury at work, accounting for an average 33% of total work injuries. Injuries tend to occur most often in areas where meat, fruit, vegetable, fat and other residues are present. To counteract this, companies can choose flooring that has an optimum combination of grip and wash-ability to keep employees safe and the facility supremely clean.

The most common method of providing grip to new flooring is to apply aggregate onto the top of the wet surface before it hardens. Aggregate varies in size and type and can create numerous profiles. The most common types are silica, quartz, flint, and aluminium oxide.

Durable designs

Flooring in food environments must be able to withstand high-impact shock and abrasions, whether from large mechanical shocks or a drop of a heavy knife. In the food sector, floors will be put under a significant amount of stress given the nature of the environment, therefore cleanliness, durability and safety are complete priorities.

Flooring solutions must also be compatible with cleaning agents to ensure longevity. Floors with low chemical resistance not only wear down faster, they also create traps for bacteria and viruses can hide. Be mindful of the volume of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by various floor, wall, ceiling, and other finishes. Flooring products with low VOC emission means air is kept clean, resulting in safer food production and a healthier working environment for employees.

Finding the right flooring system which fulfills a variety of challenging design aspects is difficult, especially in relation to the food industry. With countless years of experience, Sikafloor^® systems are created and installed to meet all of these challenging requirements thanks to their flexible design possibilities. From floor finish to drainage system, to durability, Sikafloor^® has companies covered.

Poultry processors Maelor Foods commissioned Kemtile – the leading suppliers and installers of food grade hygienic flooring and drainage – to supply and fit out its new ultra-modern slaughtering facility in Wrexham.

At an investment of £20million – and creating 150 jobs –  this new facility has permission to process up to 400,000 birds per week. Sourcing its birds from local farms that comply with British Red Tractor guidelines – enabling it to provide premium “A” grade quality chickens – there are plans to boost weekly capacity to one million if this limit is granted by the local council.

It is the second project that Kemtile has undertaken in partnership with Maelor and saw the installation of 4000m² BASF Ucrete UD200SR heavy duty polyurethane screed over a nine-month period. Offering exceptional resistance to aggressive chemicals, heavy impact and temperatures of up to 150^oC it is also ideally suited for rapid refurbishment in the food industry – installed and cured within a 12-hour application window.

Selected for its hygienic and chemical resistant properties – as well as its strength, wear and slip resistance – Kemtile applied Ucrete MasterTop 1317 to the substrate with a trowel to a resistance of R12. Dense and impervious, this lightly textured floor finish provides excellent resistance to temperatures and a wide range of industrial chemicals. It’s fully steam cleanable and serviceable at temperatures up to 120^oC, which is essential in a poultry processing environment.

Kemtile laid the majority of flooring to falls – a typical approach in wet process areas to allow water and liquid spillages to flow to drain.

An area of the flooring situated in the chiller rooms above the basement is also coated with BASF’s MasterSeal M869 – a highly elastic, two-component, hand applied polyurethane membrane that provides excellent crack bridging and waterproofing capabilities whilst being thermoset.

Both of the plant’s gas pits were also coated with Ucrete MasterTop 1790, which offers the necessary resistance to chemicals and gases used during this process.

Kemtile Director Jamie Cook said: “We completed phase one of this project with Maelor back in 2016, when we installed 2800m² of the same Ucrete flooring system at its adjacent cutting plant. This site, which was formerly the Maelor Creamery, was bought back in 2015 and consent has since been granted to turn it into a poultry processing facility. We were delighted to be invited back and to continue our partnership.

“As part of the wider, privately owned Salisbury Poultry group – with similar facilities across three sites in the Midlands – Managing Director Raj Mehta had a very clear idea of flooring requirements he wanted for his newest site. The Kemtile team worked closely with him at every stage of project – from design through to specification and installation – to ensure that we were on brief and that the flooring’s capabilities were maximized. This included some tweaks along the way, but the end result was bang on brief and meet the owner’s exact requirements.”

Raj Mehta, Managing Director of Maelor Foods, said: “As a group we have ambitious growth plans and demand is high for fresh chicken. This puts us in an enviable position. Chicken is the only protein in the UK meat, fish and poultry (MFP) sector to experience growth in retail sales and we have all the facilities to capitalize – now and in the future.

“To ensure that we maximise this opportunity, it’s essential that the basics are in place. This includes plant flooring as mistakes in this area are costly. We’ve worked with Kemtile before so trusted them to provide us with the best flooring solution to meet our needs.  The quality of products they use was also central to our decision to work with them again.”

This project for Maelor Poultry is  the latest meat processing project to strengthen Kemtile’s already impressive industry credentials – joining the likes of Cargill, Moy Park, Faccenda and 2 Sisters Food Group.

For further information visit https://www.kemtile.co.uk/meatprocessing/