ATLAS Food & Dairy Flooring Systems
- Atlas Minerals and Chemicals
- Mar 1
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
Atlas offers two primary food and dairy plant floor systems, both engineered for maximum protection against chemical attack (primarily from in plant sanitizing processes), bacteria and physical abuse.
The Atlas “Furnane System” has been used continuously since it was patented in 1952. Over 70 years and well over 50,000,000 square feet of service have served our customers well.
Originally the Furnane System included the use of red “dairy brick” placed into an epoxy bond of Red Furnane Setting Bed and grouted or jointed with an epoxy, epoxy novolac, furan or vinyl ester resin-based product depending on service.
Benefits of the Furnane System:
Ease of installation by a qualified installer
High temperature and thermal shock resistance
Extremely durable (some floors exceed a 30 year life!)
Low maintenance cost life cycle
Does not show traffic or wear
More recently introduced is the Atlas “VTF SYSTEM”, or Vitrified Tile System. In this system tile are placed with joint widths as narrow as 2-3mm into a bond coat of VTF Setting Bed. Joint width is commonly obtained by use of “self-spacing” tile. The floor was initially power grouted to provide smooth, consistent jointing throughout the floor.
Both Furnane and VTF Floor Systems provide the same features, though VTF via vitrified tile offers:
Tile are available in a number of surface finishes, colors, shapes and thickness
Excellent dimensional stability due to its manufacturing process
Very low absorption (fully vitrified as low as 0.5%)
Extremely durable
Optimal aesthetics
So which to use?
That commonly comes down to owner/end user preference. Furnane floors have decades of proven service, hence the reluctance to change. Additionally, an owner may desire to retain the same “look” for uniformity purposes in facilities expansion.
The VTF System is often preferred by European based owners as that is the tile more commonly used in Europe.
Can the two systems be tied to one another?
Yes! The most common method is placement of an expansion joint between the two finishes.
Whichever System is chosen, is the correct one to use. The basics remain the same for both, it remains important to review all cleaning processes, temperature, chemical exposure and mechanical loading along with any unique details to the facility.
Currently Atlas is involved with projects that incorporate the historic red “Dairy Brick” using the Furnane System and the VTF System, each is the right choice for the selected environment and the customer!
Sometimes it is just in the details.
