Acrylicon has solutions to your problems.

Since 1978 we have worked extensively in the food industry and have built up an expertise in flooring. Not only knowing the problems faced, but also knowing the solutions. With Acrylicon Flooring System's unique properties we are able to deal with these problems and provide long term solutions.

Abattoir's are demanding places. Flooring takes daily punishment both from chemical attack and heavy impact damage.

Having laid a lot of floors for this particular industry, we have found many problems that the floors will face. Acrylicon is uniquely placed to deal with them.

With references accros the industry, Acylicon proves not only that it has the answers, but that it also does them for longer.

Acrylicon has the solutions.

Read into your particular section to find out the problems that we know about.

• Production Areas
• Longevity
• Bin or Tray Wash Areas
• Chillers
• Freezers
• Slip Resistance
• Cleanability
• Drainage
• Waterproofing
• Coves, Kerbs and Upstands
• Aesthetic
• Flexibility to area change
• Maintenance
• Blood Staining
• Priority Area Marking
• Concrete Erosion
• Heavy Loads/Impacts
• Substrate Protection
• Lactic Acid
• Hot Water Washing (or Steam Cleaning)
• Environmental leakage
• Taint
• Smell
• Down Time
• UV Resistance

Production Areas

The flooring requirements for general production areas have changed very little over the last 30 years. When we conducted our first survey in 1977 we found that the main requirements of 95% of the companies who took part were as follows. Hygienic
• Good looking
• Easy to clean
• Long lasting with minimal repairs
• Protect the substrate
• This is still the case today although the order might change and the pressure to deal with one or the other may differ from company to company. Acrylicon was developed based on these requirements and has been fulfilling them since then.
More recently, however, the ability to maintain and repair has become of more significance due to current working practices of modern factories. With efficient factories working 24/7 the inability to shut down production areas to allow essential maintenance can leave floors looking unsightly and unhygienic. So in this regard the ability to carry out maintenance quickly and easily is of great significance when choosing a floor surface - even when specifying new build greenfield sites. There are more detailed explanations of the specific requirements elsewhere on this page.

Longevity

Most conventional floor systems rely upon a mechanical bond to the substrate surface, ultimately risking bond failure and resulting in delamination. The result can be constant and expensive repair work Acrylicon has an unbreakable chemical bond to the special primers that have penetrated the substrate. This results in a seamless surface without holes, voids or cold joints. The whole topping is truly monolithic and it is impossible to separate the individual layers that make up the system. To remove Acrylicon from a concrete surface you will break into the top zone of the concrete not delaminate it at the Bond Line.

Bin or Tray Wash Areas

These areas can be extremely aggressive not only from the hot water and detergents used but also from the impact caused by falling trays. In addition manual wash areas can be even more aggressive due to the handling of the trays. Slip resistance for operatives can also be a consideration. Acrylicon systems have proved they can withstand these areas, and in cases of extreme impact damage can be easily, quickly and cost effectively repaired due to the chemical bond and short cure time without disrupting production.

Chillers

Irrespective of the operating temperature Acrylicon systems can be successfully laid down to –30degrees (slab or air temperature). This enables repair work or installation to be carried out without closing down the chiller.

Freezers

Acrylicon has excellent freeze/thaw resistance. Acrylicon can still be installed at temperatures below zero degrees Celsius (slab or air temperature). When cured, after only two hours, Acrylicon can cope with temperature variations between minus 30 degrees and plus 70 degrees Celsius.

Slip Resistance

Slips and trips are the most common cause of major accidents at work. The costs to industry are substantial, not counting the incalculable human cost and suffering to those injured. Legal actions brought as a result of an injury can be extremely damaging to business, especially where customers are involved. Insurance only covers a small proportion of the cost, and only if the floor is deemed as suitable in the first place. Acrylicon has various surface textures available for use on its systems. The roughest Décor Plus, meets all the Health and Safety slip resistance requirements, even when contaminated with margarine and fats. Because of Acrylicon's unique chemical bond, any texture added to the surface becomes monolithic with the floor, and provides excellent abrasion resistance. We are also able to change areas from high grip texture to smooth texture and back again, by cleaning the surface and applying the texture. This can of course be carried out in short shutdown periods or overnight, and with the 2 hour cure, can be used again straight afterwards. There will always be a trade off between slip resistance and cleanability, therefore you can choose a system that is right for your environment. Under equipment can be smooth for ease of cleaning, and where contamination and traffic is likely, we can lay heavy texture for high slip resistance. Of course if these areas change in use, Acrylicon can always change the floor surface – giving you complete flexibility.

Cleanability

The Floor must be non-porous and free of pinholes, and be capable of withstanding the chemical abuse caused by spillages and cleaning. If the surface breaks down, delaminates or becomes porous the outcome can be slippery or uneven areas, with added hygiene hazards. The floor system must retain its cleanability for life, not just for the first year or two. Acrylicon is 100% solid, resin saturated acrylic. The non-porous, monolithic, impervious Acrylicon surface does not allow penetration by liquids and dirt, or the proliferation of fungi or bacteria. Acrylicon Systems are highly resistant to chemical attack, cleaning agents, liquids and foodstuffs. Chemical bonding ensures that the wearing surface remains locked into place for the life of the floor.

Drainage

Acrylicon carry a full range of special flexible resins for the creation of joints at abutments to drains, gullies and channels etc. By the use of special primers, the bond to the drain edge can be assured, creating a hygienic interface.

Waterproofing

All Acrylicon systems are non-porous will not allow the passage of water, and in this regard, can be considered waterproof. If further assurance is required against ingress of water to lower floors then the use of an additional flexible membrane can be included.

Coves, Kerbs and Upstands

For a floor to be fully hygienic it must be easy to clean with no dirt traps. To this end most floors are laid with coving. Acrylicon can lay a variety of coves, kerbs and upstands dependant on the clients needs. Because Acrylicon chemically bonds, the coves fuse to the floor giving a totally sealed joint (as opposed to "cold joints" with other resin systems) ensuring no dirt traps.

Aesthetic

Creating an environment that is conducive to high productivity and which reflect corporate values and quality standards is always important. Acrylicon provides a dynamic range of colours that can be blended to meet any requirement of the designer or architect.

Flexibility to area change

Few factories or production areas remain the same for long. With equipment often being moved or replaced, the general use for the area can often change; wet to dry, production to storage etc. Because Acrylicon resins chemically bond to themselves should the area change, it is easy to change the state of the surface. For instance should a storage area become production, we can add a non-slip surface by simply cleaning the existing Acrylicon surface and applying a non-slip surface on to it. This can be done quickly as well if you consider our 2 hour cure time. Also if the floor was laid with equipment in-situ, when you come to remove the equipment, we can fill the area left and the floor chemically bonds in place, leaving a seamless floor that will not delaminate.

Maintenance

When a conventional resin system becomes ready for overhauling it is necessary to completely remove it from the substrate before starting again, creating disruption, noise and dust. Alternatively the existing system is abraded to create a mechanical key for the new coating, a practice that generally fails and on some systems can be highly dangerous to health. Acrylicon is a special thermo-elastic resin that ensures each layer chemically fuses to the previous one, no matter how old. It is not possible to separate the individual layers that make up the system. Allied to a cure time of just 2 hours, this ensures that maintenance work is both more economic and less disruptive than is the case with other systems.

Blood Staining

Acrylicon resists blood, and will not stain. Furthermore because it is totally "non-porous" it remains fully cleanable. This ensures your floor looks, and is, hygienic.

Priority Area Marking

It is often necessary to mark out certain areas within a large area for different reasons. For instance within a food factory there might be low and high risk areas. Acrylicon can be coloured in almost any way, and where the areas come together, they are not "cold joints" but are chemically bonded, ensuring that they cannot be parted and are fully sealed. This leaves a floor that is truly "seamless" even when areas are laid in different colours.

Concrete Erosion

Many chemicals if allowed to penetrate the floor surface will eat away or erode the concrete substrate below. It is often difficult to properly repair these areas if they are in constant use. Acrylicon have a special system that is designed to not only repair the concrete, but also cure within 2 hours. It can also be used as a quick curing underlayment to facilitate flooring that has to be carried out in short shutdown periods. All Acrylicon flooring systems chemically bond to it and thereby effectively repair and prevent future damage.

Heavy Loads/Impacts

Although Acrylicon Systems have exceptional compressive strength and can resist most impacts, it is inevitable that if there are exceptional heavy loads or impacts some damage may occur. Because Acrylicon chemically bonds to the substrate, should the impact be severe enough to penetrate through the floor, it will not delaminate around the edges of the hole. Therefore the damage will not get any worse over time, and can await an effective repair. Acrylicon can be repaired easily and quickly and therefore proves very economic in the long term.

Substrate Protection

When a concrete floor is showing signs of abrasive wear the surface dusts and becomes uneven, pitted and a danger to the workforce. If the existing floor is a conventional resin system the effects of heavy wear and abrasion will show in delamination with holes creating a dangerous uneven surface and allow chemicals to attack the substrate. Acrylicon has unique primers, which are designed to achieve high penetration into the substrate. Ultimately it is the strength of the bond line that produces successful floors, and the ability of the bond line to transmit loadings and thermal changes without reducing its grip that creates longevity. The compressive, abrasion, impact and flexural strengths of Acrylicon are generally far superior compared to other systems and they do not degrade as the effect of time, water and the working environment take effect. Thereby ensuring that your substrate is protected for many years, saving you money on costly substrate repairs.

Lactic Acid

Weak Lactic Acid eats concrete. Over time the damage to the substrate can be immense. Acrylicon resists Lactic Acid and therefore prevents damage to the substrate. Should it be damaged before we lay, then we have special systems that can repair the concrete before we proceed with the floor topping

Hot Water Washing (or Steam Cleaning)

Acrylicon will resist hot water provided the volume and regularity is not great enough to heat the WHOLE floor system to above 70 degrees Celsius. Steam cleaning is not so common today but the same principals apply and thermal lancing rarely presented a problem to Acrylicon in the past. This generally does not happen except in the most aggressive areas in which case a combination of Acrylicon and tiling is the correct solution.

Environmental leakage

Providing a floor that is impervious and resists the passage of contaminants to the subsoil (e.g. hydrocarbons) is relatively easy. However the weak point is usually the joints (either structural or day joints) which are created whilst the floor topping is laid. Any movement in the structure tends to open up on these joint lines. Acrylicon systems which possess chemical bonding, ensures that there are no cold joints and the floor topping is truly seamless. If structural cracking occurs, repairs are equally chemically bonded and therefore impervious. In very critical situations Acrylicon can also provide additional flexible membrane layers under the floor system to give added security and confidence.

Taint

All reactive resins subjected to a "Sealed Box" Taint Test in an uncured state will fail the test. The most relevant test is the "Sealed Box" taint test on the cured system which on most conventional systems cannot be done for up to twenty one days. Acrylicon installations are carried out with correct extraction equipment to ensure proper ventilation. The "Sealed Box" Taint Test can be carried out on Acrylicon just 2 hours after mixing. The possibility of taint with Acrylicon is therefore only for the period of two hours after installation, and even then only if in an unventilated environment. Because of this, the control of taint risk is much easier than with conventional resin systems which have such a long "fully cured" time.

Smell

It is important to remember that smell does not mean taint risk. Many resins without smell will taint products. So when we talk about smell, we mean smell – not taste. Acrylicon is a solvent free resin, and the smell is not solvent, but just an unpleasant odour – particularly to those experiencing it for the first time. It is safe and non-toxic, and presents no health hazard. The Maximum Exposure is limited to 50 parts per million in the atmosphere, however the "smell" is noticeable at 1 part per million. At the mixing point or over the floor being laid, it is generally no higher than 20 parts per million. With extraction it is possible and not a problem to stand next to Acrylicon whilst being laid, and this is proved by the many customers we have for whom we lay in the working environment without disrupting their staff or process.

Down Time

Most resins must be applied in moderate temperatures and traditional resin systems can take days to fully cure. Often other commercial pressures mean that the floor is used too soon after installation, jeopardising the system, resulting in premature damage, bacterial growth and other complications. Acrylicon fully cures, even at temperatures below zero, and can be put into use within two hours of installation. This avoids costly down time and eliminates the pressures to start using the floor too soon with the resulting damage that all too often accompanies the installation of conventional systems with long cure times. Let alone the saving to the company of shutting down production for a shorter time.

UV Resistance

Most new floors look good in terms of colour, but many flooring systems show the ageing effect of UV light very quickly, both fading and discolouration. Acrylicon Systems are highly resistant to the ageing and discolouration effects of UV attack, ensuring that the aesthetic qualities of the floor are guaranteed for the long term.