The Situation:

In December of 2008 a Building and Facility Engineer at the Ford Motor Plant contacted SlipNOT®.  A sales representative from SlipNOT® went to the plant to meet the engineer and see the problem.  In the assembly area, Ford Motor Company was using fiberglass grating.  The grating was becoming slippery and beginning to corrode in sections where they placed and removed part containers.  The engineer wanted to replace the existing grating with SlipNOT® Grip Grate® however the fiberglass product had some features that he wanted to maintain.  The bars were 5/8” wide and there was a 3/8” open area between the bars.  He needed our replacement material to provide a slip resistant surface, have the openings large enough to allow assembly machine oil overspray to drain into a below floor level filter yet be close in spacing so wheeled carts could move smoothly over it.  He also wanted the product to be able to support occasional accidental lift truck traffic.

The Solution:

SlipNOT® recommended Ford to use 11 Space (11W4) light duty welded steel 1-1/2” x 3/16” grating with a SlipNOT® Grade 2 Steel coating.  This Grip Grate® product was not only slip resistant, it had openings that were only 1/2” wide by 4” long; ideal for wheeled traffic but open enough for fluid to drain.  The solution was readily available and reasonably priced.  SlipNOT® has been providing Ford with safety solutions for decades.  Other Ford facilities have utilized SlipNOT® products for applications such as axle and transmission lines, engine lines, conveyors, catwalks, mezzanines, dock levelers around stamping presses, machining areas, trench grating, flume and pit covers, crossover platforms, aisle plate, transition plates, ladders, stairs and many others.

The Impact:

SlipNOT® met Ford Motor Company’s needs with Grip Grate® which does not corrode like the other product they have previously used.  In addition the grating fit nicely and allowed the fluid in the area to drain, be filtered and recycled.  It also allowed the wheeled carts to move smoothly.  The product was such a success they decided to duplicate the order.