Safe design in a food processing facility is critical in establishing a hygienic environment. A pre-requisite for producing pure and safe food and beverages, it is vital in forging a relationship of trust and loyalty with consumers. The nature of food products, especially perishable raw materials, within an environment that requires human participation puts the processed food at a high risk of contamination.
Resinous flooring is one of the factors within the safe design of a food processing facility. Resin flooring is made from a cross between two kinds of polymers and is stronger than concrete. The resin interacts with concrete to form a continuous layer and can be easily installed in any food processing facility. Its integration in factories, workshops, and processing and packaging units has to be critically paid attention to during the planning stages.
Advantages of using resin flooring
- Strength – Resin floors are flexible and can withstand stress and pressure. The high compressive strength of resin increases the toughness of the concrete as well.
- Resistant to chemicals – Such floors are resistant to a wide spectrum of agents like acids, oil, petrol, alkalis and solvents. They are also very easy to clean and maintain.
- Hygienic – The continuous and non-impermeable flooring prevents seepage of chemicals and other liquids into the concrete bottom. It also discourages the multiplication of bacteria and can be easily cured with steaming.
- Cost effective – Resin protects concrete from getting degraded, preventing expensive repairs and renovations. Being easy to clean, it also saves valuable money being spent on expensive cleaning agents.
Types of resin flooring
There are many types of resinous flooring systems that are available for food processing facilities. The flooring that is most suitable for your plant is dependent on the nature of operations that your unit undertakes. The most common types of resin flooring that you can consider are:
- Cementitious polyurethane– Comes in the form of mortar and combines with cement and water. It is cement based and durable, in addition to having good thermal expansion, being non-porous and having low odor.
- Epoxy – Good for facilities that do not involve processing with the use of thermal energy. It is a good choice for non-processing based food facilities.
- Methyl Methacrylate – It is one of the most easily curable resin flooring types available today. It is for this reason that it helps in decreasing downtime and increases productivity of the food processing facility. It does have a very specific odour, which can be easily minimized with good ventilation in the facility.
Some factors that you must consider for selecting appropriate resin flooring
The main thrust of the operations is the primary factor that you need to take into consideration before selecting a resin flooring for your food processing facility. Let us take a look at some of these factors:
- Hygiene
- Chemical exposure
- Slip resistance
- Cleaning
- Thermal shock
Resin flooring can be customized to a certain extent to suit your requirements. For example, a flooring with a grainy finish can be an excellent anti-slip solution, but is not very easy to clean. Prioritizing the advantages you are seeking from resin flooring is the best way to select an appropriate option.
Duraamen industrial and polished concrete flooring products are designed to provide labor saving, longer lasting flooring solutions. Talk to an expert at Duraamen about your flooring challenges. Call +1.866.835.6595.
