2019-The-Process

Epoxy floors can be confusing to many.
One of the main reasons for this is, as a
finished surface, most epoxy, urethane,
and other seamless floor systems just all
kind of look alike. Telling the difference
between a low price point system and a
higher price point system will show it’s
difference in time but not at first look. One of the most
significant indications of system performance and cost
will come down to design and performance requirements.
DESIGN
In any epoxy floor system, the design and intended use
will set the gauge for what epoxy floor should be used
and specified. There is a big difference between an epoxy
floor that will be in a laboratory type area with rubber
wheeled traffic, to a caustic anodizing dip line, or a foodgrade
manufacturing facility.
MAKING MILK
At Prairie Farms several conditions need to be taken into
consideration when we designed the system and installation
for their coated floors. The requirements for the installation
were; moist/damp area, the small time window
for installation and cure, safety with slip resistance on the
finished floor, and thermal shock.
THERMAL SHOCK
Most of these conditions are prevalent in our epoxy
installs, but the Thermal Shock is one that can be misunderstood
or not even known. Imagine that you have an
ambient temperature room of 68 degrees. The walls, the
air, the floor are all at or around 68 degrees. In a facility
like Prairie Farms, safety in their manufacturing process
is key; this safety means that cleaning of lines that carry
milk and sanitizing their equipment is regularly being
done. In one of these processes, boiling water is charged
through a stainless steel tank, rinsed and then discharged
onto a drain on the floor. Because of the amount and
pressure of this water, it floods the floor. Now, the floor
that was just 68 degrees spikes as it absorbs the temperature
of boiling water.
This quick change in temperature and the floors ability
to handle this without cracking, or failing is called
Thermal Shock.
THE LONG VIEW
When the right system is specified, budgeted
for and installed, it’s going to set up a client
for success. Any time you need to disrupt
a manufacturing process, it breaks up the
harmony of how they operate. When it’s
done well, you need to do it once, rather than
continuing to have problems, and disrupt the
business on a continuous basis, because of a
failed floor system.
At Prairie Farms they need to process milk,
and they need us to install the floors for them
both timely and correctly. With the best
design, we give them the floors they need so
they can do what they do best.
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