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Bespoke drain solutions by Craft Flooring
Vanessa Ashmore • Aug 12, 2021
Commercial and manufacturing facilities understand the need for a well-designed, hygienic, durable, adaptable, cleanable, and serviceable drain system. Working closely with the engineering and production teams we can design a suitable full-service drain solution, commission the manufacture thereof, and then install the system in line with the specified requirements.
In addition to the drain system, we can also design and install specialist chemical and cementitious screeds, heavy industrial coatings, and industrial tiling systems to give a superior finish to the drain installation. All our solutions are underpinned by a warranty of up to ten years and as the supplier and installer of our products, there are no arguments about split responsibilities in the unlikely event that there is a problem with the installation.
Sustainable design
Designing a suitable drain system requires thorough knowledge of the project and/or facility. Below is a list of the elements that drive the design of a drainage solution. All the components must be considered in concert to achieve a workable drainage system.
- Viscosity – The consistency of the substance being discharged directly or indirectly into the drain system.
- Temperature – The temperature of the media affects the viscosity and flow rate of the material.
- Velocity – The volume of material discharged into the drain system at any time must be drained out as quickly as possible.
- Floor flow rates – Any material discharge onto the production floor must be drained into the drain in the shortest possible time.
- Floor panel size – Panels must be designed to contain any indirect discharge in designated areas to limit the potential for cross-contamination.
- Flow restriction points – When assessing potential restriction points, the number of drain openings is a key consideration.
Protecting transition areas
It is the transition area between the floor drain and the floor protection system that is most susceptible to failure. The mass material that surrounds and anchors the drain must be specified to address the loading capacity, a point that is unfortunately often overlooked.
To extend the life-cycle of the drain we recommend placing a durable, high-strength chemical mortar infill in the drain recess to support the drain’s dynamic loading capability. The drain grid must be designed to withstand the impact of materials handling equipment and fabricated with appropriate grade stainless steel so it does not bend or buckle. The drain’s load handing capacity can be further improved by reinforcing the drain profile with stainless steel tubing to mitigate the stress of tensile surface bed movement.
Choose your stainless steel with purpose in mind
The choice of stainless steel for a drain system design is ultimately driven by the mechanical and chemical loads it is expected to carry. While mechanical load will dictate the thickness of the stainless steel, the chemical load will determine the appropriate grade of stainless steel.
To deliver a sustainable long-term drainage system the metallurgist charged with specifying the wall thickness of the effluent system must also consider the chemical and thermal loading capacity of the drain.
The most common stainless steel grades used in drain design are as follows:
- AISI 304L is the most versatile grade of stainless steel and a popular go-to for stainless steel projects. As a low-carbon stainless steel, as indicated by the ‘L’, it can withstand normal clean-in-process temperatures and chemicals.
- AISI 316L is also a low-carbon stainless steel and is well-suited to particularly corrosive and high-temperature environments.
Maintaining drain hygiene
Over the years we have designed and installed drain systems for the food and beverage sector, pharmaceutical manufacturers, retail outlets, and commercial facilities. Our advice is to plan for the long term. In fact, we would encourage engineers to over-specify underground drains to accommodate future production or capacity expansion. Updating a drain system is a costly and disruptive exercise; absorbing the cost of over-specification now could save money and avoid many headaches in the long run.
An optimally designed drain will self-clean to maintain its flow capabilities, with well-designed access points (manholes, hatches, and rodding eyes) that make it easy to flush out any blockages, contributing to the hygiene of the facility and limiting production downtime. If your organisation is green-minded it is worthwhile considering environmentally friendly drains that require significantly less water to flush out solids.
Effluent piping – The backbone of all drain systems!
As manufacturing technology becomes more advanced and equipment manufacturers are able to double or even triple their manufacturing capacity using the same amount of space used ten years earlier, it is important to be forward-thinking when designing effluent pipes. A drain system designed with a 20-to-30-year horizon will substantially reduce manufacturing, maintenance, safety, and hygiene costs over the lifecycle of your asset.
In our experience material failures are often the result of chemical erosion and abrasion within the effluent drain system. Investing in the appropriate grade of steel for your environment at the outset, while it may appear more costly in the short term, it will save you in the long run.
In conclusion
Consult a qualified, experienced engineer and seek advice from drain manufactures who have much input to offer. A clever design that anticipates all the pain points and accommodates easy access maintenance and cleaning points with well-placed rodding eyes and manhole covers will mitigate expensive maintenance and future plant engineers will surely thank you for it.
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About Kagetec A brand of van Koetsveld & Grimberg, Säureschutz, Kagetec was founded by the late Mr. Michael van Koetsveld more than 30 years ago. Mr. van Koetsveld’s legacy lives on with his three sons running the now global industrial flooring company. As Group CEO, Mr. Daniel van Koetsveld drives the global commercial division, whilst Mr. Oliver van Koetsveld is the Europe CEO and Mr. Jan van Koetsveld the Global CEO. The Kagetec Head Office is based in Heek, Germany with partnerships established in the USA (Kagetec LLC), the UK (Kemtile Hygienic Flooring (Ltd)) and, of course, Kagetec South Africa (Pty) Ltd. In this blog we will unpack the quality industrial flooring solutions offered by Kagetec that are also underwritten by a performance warrantee of up to ten years.
Kagetec is a German company with some 35 years’ experience, whose purpose-designed resins sets them apart from other industrial tile installers. More than just a tile, installation technique or resin medium, Kagetec is a total system that relies on the sum of its component parts and installation methods to provide highly technical flooring systems well-suited the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. Kagetec South Africa are the accredited installers of Kagetec systems in South Africa and a turnkey solutions provider from raft to finished floor surface. Collaborating with your project professional team on the design of the floor, we work to gain an understanding of the mechanical, thermal, and chemical loads the floor will be exposed to. In addition to the life expectancy and panel sizes of the floor, ascertaining the composition, volume and viscosity of any fluid discharge, as well as the exposure timeline will allow us to recommend a system that will best address your needs. Tiles are available in a variety of colours, thicknesses, and offer varying degrees of slip resistance. Our product offering also includes channel- and floor drains, unique to Kagetec, which we also install ourselves. The Kagetec GFK system Kagetec GFK is a unique and incredibly strong system that uses plastic mesh reinforcing set in the epoxy slurry adhesive between the tiles and the bedding medium. The GFK system is ideal for high stress areas, especially those subject to temperature extremes. Kagetec GFK is an ideal solution for food and beverage manufacturing and pharmaceutical facilities. We offer a 10-year performance warranty all tile installations, Ts & Cs apply. GFK system methodology A heavy-duty chemical mortar is applied to the concrete raft; this can be bonded or unbonded installation. A high strength fiber mesh is installed, and a base coat resin is applied on top. The Hexalith tiles are embedded in accordance with the tile layout provided by the professional design team. A chemical resistant grouting is applied into the tile joints and the movement joints (i.e. construction, isolation or expansion joints) are filled in line with the design specification. Skirting and wall tiles can be matched with the floor tiles for a uniform aesthetic. Depending on the project program or financial considerations the GFK system is available in seven- or 14-day loading capability. Contact sales@kagetec-sa.co.za for a quote.
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