UNDER FOOT, TOP OF MIND

Dairy Field, Oct 2007 by Petrak, Lynn

Floor systems in dairy facilities are built to handle a range of traffic and treatment.

For something so trampled on, they have gained newfound respect in recent years.

Floors in manufacturing facilities, while always a consideration when damaged, inefficient or outdated, are being carefully planned, installed and maintained today because of the important role they play in operations. Proper flooring systems, after all, can help ensure both food safety and worker safety, and stave off costly downtime due to repairs or problems.

Floors, in fact, are a key component of food and beverage production sites because of -and in spite of - everything happening on top of them. Floors are subject to constant foot traffic and heavy equipment, and can be covered in a range of ingredients, products and cleaning solutions.

The dairy industry has its own unique parameters that impact the performance of floors, from the receiving of raw milk to the shipment of finished pallets. Steve Lipman, technical manager for flooring supplier Dur-A-Flex Inc., East Hartford, Conn., cites the core nature - or at least composition - of dairy and dairy-based products. "Lactic acid, historically with dairy, can undermine the concrete base," he says. "One of the main requirements of dairy flooring is something that will protect the concrete substrate because lactic acid is detrimental at high concentration to epoxy."

The composition of dairy products poses other challenges as well. From a foodsafety standpoint, the potential build-up of proteins on a surface can lead to the growth of bacteria, especially in hard-to-reach crevices or nooks and crannies, including grout lines and drains as well as possible holes or cracks.

In turn, dairy processors' response of frequent washdowns and potent sanitizers can take a toll on surfaces underfoot. As sanitizers grow more sophisticated and different chemicals and cleaning tools are developed, plant operators and their flooring suppliers must monitor surfaces to ensure that the material can handle the cleaning treatments.

Environmental conditions in dairy plants are another hallmark of the business that affect the bottom line - or in this case, the bottom surface. Even in one facility, temperatures can be ambient in one area, cold in another and frigid in spaces like freezers and coolers. Add to that frequent washdowns with hot water and sanitizers, and thermal shock becomes an issue.

Scott Gallagher, marketing manager for flooring system provider Atlas Minerals & Chemicals, Inc., Mertztown, Pa., says dairy settings can be more prone to such issues than other food and beverage manufacturing facilities, including some meat and poultry operations. "I think dairy has more thermal shock, because a lot of their operations are at cool temperatures and their sanitation requirements are similar if not more frequent and stringent. They use aggressive, CIP-type cleaners, too," he says of dairy industry practices and equipment that often includes clean-in-place (CIP) features.

The way products are handled in dairy plants is also a consideration when choosing the most appropriate flooring system. "It is a little different, because in some areas in a dairy, like cart and loading areas, they slide carts on the floor," observes Paul Patuka, president of Advanced Surfaces Corp., Villa Rica, Ga. "So you have to find a floor that is easy to clean and easy to slide but has a bit of slip resistance, too."

Whether it is a loading area frequently trafficked by sliding carts, a cold-storage floor that must withstand constant forklift abuse or a production area that is alternately cold, hot, wet and filmy, a floor system in one part of a dairy plant may not be the same as a surface in another section of the facility. Customizing flooring by function isn't anything new, but the level of tailoring floors by purpose has grown in recent years.

"In a packaging area, the floor may not have harsh treatment, and maybe there you would have a resin product that can go down quicker," Lipman says, noting that food production areas would require a different and more rugged type of floor.

Gallagher reports similar customization. "They are definitely tailored," he says. "You certainly don't need brick and tile in every room. In some areas, coatings are more than sufficient, while in production areas you'd go with a more heavy-duty system."

As dairy plant operators weight these and other factors in selecting a floor, they come up with their own list of priorities. "They want a floor that gives them longevity, slip resistance and the ability to stand up to chemicals," Lipman says.

Gallagher, for his part, cites the big-three demands of "durability, cleanability and sanitation," and also underscores the importance of a quality installation that will provide many years of dependable service. "They can't afford to perform lot of maintenance and have downtime," he says.

Now Showing

To help dairy plant operators meet their parallel demands for durability, cleanability and speed and ease of installation, flooring system suppliers offer a spectrum of options and are, for their own part, regularly introducing new materials and coatings.