Before specifying the floor for an automotive plant, it is important to consider the day-to-day abuses faced in this kind of environment. FlowCrete offers the right solutions to ensure a safe, clean and functional facility.

Flooring in the automotive industry is not a simple issue. Whether it is in a workshop, lab, garage, production room, body shop, service area or showroom, the floor will be subject to a wide range of potential hazards, ranging from corrosive oils and heavy impacts to point loading, intensive cleaning routines, welding sparks and tyre marking to name just a few. This long list of potentially damaging factors has made specialist resin solutions from FlowCrete a popular flooring choice in the automotive industry, thanks to its ability to withstand such conditions for an extended period of time.

Chemical attack is one of the prime causes of surface erosion and floor failure in the automotive industry. This is because substances such as engine oil, petrol, paints, lubricants and brake fluid are inherently found in large quantities in this type of environment.

Bare concrete is just not up to this type of challenge. For example, direct exposure to battery acid and even milder acids on concrete surfaces will react with the lime in the concrete, generating a chemical reaction that can cause rapid surface erosion. Therefore, it is important that the chosen floor is able to cope with a high level of chemical attack.
Resin systems are available that have been specifically designed to be able to survive prolonged exposure to highly corrosive substances. This is best exemplified by vinyl ester resin solutions that have been reinforced with glass fibre, such as Flowcrete India’s Flowchem VE GL. The outstanding chemical, thermal and mechanical resistance of this type of floor means that it is ideal for areas such as solvent or battery stores and paint rooms.

Another key consideration is the robustness of the floor and its ability to cope with large plant machinery as well as unavoidable events, such as bulky tools being dropped on the floor or point loading from heavy objects and stationary vehicles for a long period of time. Durable resin floor finishes are able to withstand abrasion, sustained pedestrian and vehicular traffic, impacts and heavy loads. The flexibility of resin flooring works to dissipate stress on the floor, increasing the load-bearing limit of the substrate below.

If the coating is a thin system, then a heavy impact could expose the substrate and this chip could become an area where oils, water, chemicals and greases can infiltrate the underlying concrete and undermine the coating – causing mass de-lamination and serious cleanliness problems.

The floor’s impact resistance requirement should be tailored to the environment. The higher the chance and severity of impact, the thicker the floor coating should be to protect the critical bond layer where the coating meets the concrete.
Durable epoxy systems, such as Flowshield SL and Flowcoat HS, have been installed in many automotive assembly and production areas thanks to the ability of these finishes to maintain a high performance finish.

This was exemplified recently at Zagame Automotive, an Australian Maserati workshop, where 2,000 m² of the seamless, epoxy, self-levelling floor coating Flowshield SL was applied in a 3mm layer. Elenberg Fraser Architects specified this floor build-up for the project in order to create a long lasting finish with excellent impact resistance so that it would not fail when subjected to the weight and movement of cars, dropped tools, corrosive chemicals and the inevitable rigours of a busy automotive workshop.

A bespoke Silk Grey colour was chosen for the floor to ensure that the workshop would provide an aesthetically pleasing environment for staff and visitors. The seamless, impervious properties of the epoxy resin finish means that it will be easy to clean, which will help Zagame to maintain a contaminant free and unblemished space.

The gap-free and smooth nature of resin flooring is ideal for keeping facilities clean and unblemished – this is particularly advantageous in the automotive world, which is prone to rapid dirt and grime build-up. Resin floors can be laid to falls and have stainless steel drains incorporated into the finish to help the cleaning regime quickly and easily wash unwanted contaminants out of the area.

Resin floors are not just suitable for their hardwearing and cleanliness properties, but they can be tailored to ensure that the floor finish actively supports the automotive sites’ daily operations. For example, anti-slip aggregates can be incorporated into the finish to minimise the likelihood of dangerous slip and trips. Navigation and zoning can also be easily achieved with resin flooring solutions, owing to their bright, varied colour palettes and ability to include clear line marking.