Parent company Stonhard has been into a beverage producer’s premises in Hungary to review a deteriorating floor and have delivered a solution with zero downtime and avoiding a serious operational risk.
In continuous manufacturing environments, failure rarely originates with production equipment in our experience. It more often begins with overlooked infrastructure that only draws attention once it threatens to disrupt output.
At this particular site the poor condition of the flooring in the syrup room had started to compromise hygiene, safety, and production continuity.
At this stage, the issue was no longer technical it represented operational risk embedded within the process environment.
From an operations management perspective, this reflects a shift from reactive maintenance to proactive risk mitigation, where infrastructure failure is treated as a systemic threat rather than an isolated defect.
The response therefore required more than repair. It required eliminating a failure point without interrupting production.
After more than 25 years of service, the syrup room floor had reached structural failure.
Multiple generations of resin coatings and mortars had been applied over original ceramic tiles, creating a layered system that concealed degradation rather than resolving it.
This resulted in a convergence of risks: water ingress accelerating substrate deterioration, delamination undermining load-bearing performance, loss of EHS and hygiene compliance, and increasing exposure to unplanned production disruption.
The requirement was therefore not just technical performance, but intervention without disruption.
The client required a system capable of restoring structural integrity to food-grade standards, while withstanding chemical exposure, mechanical stress, and CIP regimes, and ensuring safe working conditions.
Our colleagues at Stonhard implemented a full build-up resin flooring system, removing all compromised material and rebuilding from a stable substrate upward.
The scope included removal of the unstable substrate and installation of a 420m² integrated system incorporating grout, mortar, and sealer layers.
Structural integrity was restored using Stonset TG6, with Stonclad UR applied for detailing and seamless coving, and Stonclad UT Light as the final textured surface for durability and slip resistance.
Each layer was bacteriostatic, supporting hygiene compliance. Execution within a live environment required a phased strategy.
The syrup room was divided into two zones, allowing continuous operation while installation progressed. However, while this approach ensured zero downtime, it introduced operational complexity, requiring precise coordination and environmental control to mitigate cross-contamination risks.
Foil curtain containment systems were therefore critical in maintaining separation and ensuring both production continuity and installation integrity.
The system also provides an extended service lifecycle, reducing future intervention frequency and enhancing safety and hygiene under continuous operating conditions.
From a strategic perspective, this demonstrates the value of shifting from reactive maintenance to engineered resilience which sits at the heart of all Stonhard solutions.
E-mail us at info@kemtile.co.uk for more information.
