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Expanded Metal Case Studies

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    Slip Resistant Flattened Expanded Metal Grid Grip® Installed at Baker Hughes

    LOCATION
    Houston, TX

    INDUSTRY
    Oil and Gas

    PROJECT OVERVIEW
    Steel flattened expanded metal retrofitted over slippery grating

    SOLUTION
    48" x 120" 3/4 #9 Grade 3 steel flattened expanded metal

    WEBSITE

    The Situation:

    Baker Hughes Incorporated began in 1986 with the merger of Baker International and Hughes Tool Company.  Baker Hughes is known for creating solutions that lower costs, reduce risks and improve productivity in the global oil and gas industry.  They create high-performance products and services to analyze, drill, evaluate, complete and produce oil and gas reserves and then transport and refine the hydrocarbons.  Due to high gas and oil ratio production, heavy oil, high temperatures and abrasive-laden fluids, employees needed a more reliable surface around their assembly area.  SlipNOT® Metal Safety Flooring was contacted by Baker Hughes to provide a non-slip solution to their slick steel grates.

    The Solution:

    Baker Hughes was concerned with the amount of oil which covered their grating, making it difficult for employees. After reviewing the specifications, SlipNOT® provided 48" x 120" 3/4 #9 Grade 3 (Coarse) steel flattened expanded metal to retrofit over Baker Hughes slippery grates.  Environments like Baker Hughes require coarse surface grades because it provides maximum traction and withstands extremely high traffic and heavy equipment . The steel expanded metal was the ideal choice, providing easily installation, cost efficiency and a slip resistant walking surface.

    Steel expanded metal is a strong metal substrate that allows proper drainage of grease and oil.  Expanded metal can be applied to many applications such as stair treads, catwalks, mezzanines, ramps and platforms.

    The Impact:

    SlipNOT®’s steel expanded metal contributed to a safe work environment for Baker Hughes.  It created a productive walking surface, necessary to keep workers and pedestrians on their feet.  An employee from Baker Hughes said "since installing your product, the slip issue was eliminated".

     

    Expanded Metal Grid Grip® Transforms Slippery Walkway at Briggs & Stratton

    LOCATION
    Auburn, AL

    INDUSTRY
    Manufacturing

    PROJECT OVERVIEW
    Expanded metal to replace an existing pit cover

    SOLUTION
    ¾” #9 flattened expanded metal, 20” x 50”

    WEBSITE

    The Situation:

    For over 100 years, Briggs & Stratton has manufactured some of the world’s most reliable and durable lawn mower engines and small engines.  A safety engineer at Briggs & Stratton contacted SlipNOT® about using flattened expanded metal-Grid Grip® to replace a slippery pit cover in an area where oil and coolant made the area hazardous.  They wanted to address potential slip and fall accidents in that area.

    The Solution:

    SlipNOT® provided Briggs & Stratton with flattened expanded metal Grid Grip® in style 3/4” #9 - 20” x 50” for their installation.  Briggs & Stratton was able to weld the expanded metal over the pit cover.  This simple retrofit solution allowed for the oil and coolant to drain through into the pit while creating a safe walkway for their employees to walk on.

    The Impact:

    SlipNOT® provided the most effective way for Briggs & Stratton to keep their employees safe while working in a slick environment.  The flattened expanded metal-Grid Grip® has proved to be durable and long lasting, even in slick conditions.  The slip resistant coating allows for employees to walk over the pit without worrying about having a slip and fall accident.  After installing the expanded metal, the safety engineer stated “We installed the product about a month ago and so far we’ve had no problems. Thank you for a great product.”

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    Expanded Metal Grid Grip® Installed on Rolling Stair Platforms and Landings at Garlock Sealing Technologies

    LOCATION
    New York, NY

    INDUSTRY
    Manufacturing

    PROJECT OVERVIEW
    Expanded metal retrofitted on rolling stairs and platforms around machinery

    SOLUTION
    3/4 #9 flattened expanded metal Grid Grip® with 1-1/4” nosing

    WEBSITE

    The Situation:

    Garlock Sealing Technologies was struggling with safety on their rolling stairs and platforms that are used around machinery throughout the manufacturing facility.  Powders, debris, dust and other slick substances were accumulating on the rolling stairs and platforms, making it unsafe for employees to utilize.

    The Solution:

    A manufacturing engineer from the fluid sealing technology company contacted SlipNOT® Metal Safety Flooring to find a non-slip retrofit solution for the existing rolling stairs and platforms.  Steel expanded metal Grid Grip® was chosen for the slip resistant retrofit solution because of the easy handling and low costs it offered.

    The engineer did not want to completely replace the entire portable stairs and platforms, so five (5) pieces of 3/4 #9 flattened expanded metal Grid Grip® were custom fabricated with SlipNOT®s all metal slip resistant steel coating applied to the top side of the metal grid.  The expanded metal grid was custom ordered formed with a 1-1/4” nosing to provide additional grip protection, ensuring safety for employees that utilize the portable stairs and platform.

    The portable stairs and platforms are used daily to provide easy accessibility to all machines, whether for daily maintenance duties or for repairs.  The expanded metal Grid Grip®was ideal for this situation because of the lightweight properties and simple installation it provided.

    The existing rolling stairs and platforms are continually exposed to slick additives such as dust, powders and oils, so the openness of the expanded metal Grid Grip®will allow for easy passage and prevent any build-ups of unsafe substances.

    The Impact:

    Garlock Sealing Technologies has been so impressed by the flattened expanded metal grid, additional rolling stairs and platforms will be addressed and retrofitted with the expanded metal Grid Grip®.  The metal Grid Grip®was the best solution because of the easy installation and easy maneuverability it presented as well as the instantaneous slip resistance it provided.

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    Galvanized Flattened Expanded Metal Retrofitted Over Grating Stairs at Newmont Mining Corporation

    LOCATION
    Elko, NV

    INDUSTRY
    Metals and Mining

    PROJECT OVERVIEW
    Flattened expanded metal retrofitted over existing stairs

    SOLUTION
    Customized 3/4 #9 flattened expanded metal

    WEBSITE

    The Situation:

    Newmont Mining Corporation needed a quick and durable retrofit solution for their existing slippery metal grating stairs.  Slips, trips and falls frequently occurred on the metal grating stairs during the snowy winter weather and had proven to be unsafe.  The metal grating stairs were installed in front of their office buildings and employees were constantly struggling to keep their footing due to the slippery grating surface.  Newmont Mining Corporation was looking for a easy retrofit solution to place over the existing grating stairs.

    The Solution:

    A services/planning employee from Newmont Mining Corporation contacted SlipNOT® Metal Safety Flooring to work out the details about retrofitting options for the existing slippery grating treads.  A sales representative from SlipNOT® helped determine that galvanized steel flattened expanded metal was the best retrofit solution for the four sets of office stairs.

    Newmont Mining Corporation ordered twelve (12) pieces of customized 3/4#9 flattened expanded metal retrofit stair treads.  The retrofit expanded metal treads were ordered in customized sizes of 11” x 44” and 11” x 36”.

    The expanded metal retrofit stair treads were chosen for this application because of their easy installation and instant safety.  The expanded metal retrofit stair treads also provide easy passage of snow, light, air, water and moisture just as the original existing bar grating did for them in the past while providing a 100% slip resistant coating allowing for 100% shoe to surface contact.

    SlipNOT® Metal Safety Flooring has a variety of slip resistant coating options for all metal substrates.  In this case, Grade 3 (Coarse) was chosen because of the extreme durability and coverage it presents.  Grade 3 (Coarse) is often used where there is high traffic and where areas are exposed to extremely slick conditions.  SlipNOT® cannot guarantee that the slip resistant surface applied to the expanded metal retrofit treads will completely eliminate the slippery factors created by snow and ice, but can increase foot to surface traction unlike the original surface option.

    The Impact:

    The galvanized steel retrofit expanded metal stair treads installed with ease and solved the slippery surfaces with minimal effort.  Not only did the SlipNOT® retrofit expanded metal treads provide instant safety once installed,  they were cost efficient and allowed for the existing grating treads to maintain in place without complete replacement or removal.

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