Kemtile, a division of Stonhard, has successfully delivered a “single-source” solution for a multinational food and beverage (F&B) brand at its edible oil refinery in the North West of England, installing seamless, hard-wearing and chemically resistant floors along with a bespoke drainage system.
The global brand provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services across the globe. The company’s edible oil refineries demonstrate international standards and refining capabilities, adhering to stringent specifications for the maintenance of product quality, oil stability and food safety.
This particular refinery needed its floors upgraded following some recent equipment and process modifications that had taken place. The previously installed resin floor system which was epoxy-based had become denatured and had broken down by constant exposure to edible oils.
The F&B brand selected Kemtile based on a number of factors; Kemtile’s industry reputation for providing high-quality flooring materials best suited for the F&B industry, its strong track record in managing and executing replacement flooring, and along with Stonhard, delivered that all-important “single source” service, having developed a relationship with the brand at an international level.
Over two months, the Kemtile team worked hard to meet the challenging brief required by the refinery. Kemtile’s flooring teams removed all the existing finishes including 450m2 eroded and contaminated screed. The team then installed new bespoke stainless steel drainage channels along with new concrete laid to “falls”. The concrete was then overlaid with Stonclad UT, a heavy-duty polyurethane floor finish.
Stonclad UT is a high-impact resistant mortar which exhibits excellent abrasion, thermal shock, thermal cycling and chemical-resistant characteristics, making it ideal for the food and beverage industry as well as any other applications requiring this type of HACCP-accredited system.
The spokesperson from the F&B brand said: “We chose Kemtile for their excellence, single-source service, and the reliability of their solutions. Their solution will withstand harsh conditions and chemicals in our refinery, allowing our operations to run smoothly.”
“Despite the challenging conditions including restricted access, many tanks and equipment to work around, and time restraints, the Kemtile team worked hard to overcome these difficulties and deliver the project on time.”
George Morton, Account Manager at Kemtile who led the project, commented: “This project was particularly significant, enabling us to demonstrate our excellence of working in challenging conditions. Our team worked collaboratively in an area contaminated with oil and full of equipment and tanks and ensured we completed the works on time.”
“As part of the project, we’ve also provided a complete warranty, with yearly visits to the refinery on project completion. We’re confident that our chemical-resistant solution will demonstrate great durability, allowing the brand to run operations smoothly and safely.”
