Global leader in industrial vehicles, Iveco chose flooring solutions from Flowcrete for their new manufacturing facility in Pretoria, South Africa.
The largest flooring project in South Africa at the time, the 55,000m² installation required multiple specialist and bespoke systems to be applied throughout the large manufacturing complex. Flowcrete’s flooring systems were shortlisted following an extensive specification process carried out by Iveco to ensure the finished surface within its new facility would be able to withstand the intensive nature of manufacturing activities.
Seven companies presented flooring samples during the specification process with Iveco selecting the systems provided by global resin flooring specialist Flowcrete as the best fit for its latest development.
Flowcrete South Africa’s Managing Director Craig Blitenthall explained that Iveco chose quality over cost; though there were cheaper alternatives available, Flowcrete was finalised as the supplier as it was best placed to meet Iveco’s demanding requirements.
To meet Iveco’s high aesthetic requirements Flowcrete had to supply its solutions in the same colours as the client’s international standards. The resin flooring specialist developed and produced floors in bespoke tones that matched Iveco’s corporate colours.
There were several challenges for Flowcrete during the execution of the project. Prior to the application of the floor finish, the concrete substrate had to be assessed to determine the extent of damage caused by a fire that had broken out during construction. To fix this floor layer the underlying concrete slabs were taken out and the area rescreeded. Support beams and sliding doors that had been fire damaged were removed and the floor cavities left behind were filled in with Conrep SF65.
Flowcrete’s epoxy resin floor coating Flowcoat SF41 was installed across the main production areas of the facility as well as on the walkways. Featuring hard-wearing and chemically resistant characteristics, this solution is ideal for large-scale manufacturing plants as it will maintain a seamless, impermeable and bright surface despite the inevitable heavy workload, oil and grease spillages, hot water washes and the physical impact of heavy equipment.
Optimising the working environment of industrial facilities in a number of ways, Flowcoat SF41 also features an adjustable anti-slip profile, which means that graded aggregates can be tailored to reduce the risk of slips and trips depending on the location. Flowcoat SF41 was additionally used for demarcation lines, creating bright and clear yellow signage to aid navigation around the busy, multi-complex site.
Different flooring systems were installed in various areas of the facility to meet specific application requirements. While the polyurethane resin system Flowfresh HF ESD was installed in the laboratory and paint mixing rooms, Flowfresh WR ESD was applied as coving around the drains. Both systems not only create a seamless and easy-to-clean floor, but also have electrostatic dissipative properties to avoid static charge build-up. Static charges in the floor within the laboratory can damage sensitive electrical equipment and present a dangerous ignition source within a paint room.
Flowcrete’s combination of flooring solutions provides Iveco the assurance that its new facility would be able to withstand the inevitable demands of manufacturing 20 tonne trucks and maintain an unblemished surface for years.
