There is a trend away from serrated grating because while it is suitable for some applications, there are others where over an extended period it will no longer provide the underfoot traction required to ensure safety.
Floor grating is never a case of one size fits all, and according to Lance Quinlan, national technical sales consultant at Andrew Mentis, in certain applications the serrated feature on the grating surface becomes filled with grime. “This means that the serrated edge, chosen for this specific feature, no longer functions as a tractive surface and does not provide adequate grip,” he explains.
Andrew Mentis has more than sixty years’ experience producing floor grating at its ISO accredited manufacturing facility and is known as the benchmark product across Africa. Quinlan says it is always important to not only consider the finish of the floor grating selected for an application, but also critical to look at how the grating is being manufactured.
Mentis Flat Top floor grating is manufactured from slit coil material which provides the major advantage of having the flat top finish for which this product is named. This is unlike other manufacturers in the industry where the top of the flat bar has a rounded finish due to the manufacturing process at the mills. The disadvantage of the rounded top is that it will give little to no grip underfoot.
In addition to its Mentis RS40 (40/40) floor grating which is considered the benchmark product across a range of industry sectors, Andrew Mentis, long ahead of the curve when it comes to providing solutions in floor grating, has also engineered a specific floor grating product that has a unique positive/raised non-slip characteristic on the flat bar section.
“While we do offer the serrated top if requested, we prefer to supply positive non-slip to our customers,” says Quinlan. “By serrating the bar the strength of the grating can be reduced by up to 25%. We see that as an uneconomical use of steel which does not translate into value for our customers.”
By manufacturing the flat bar section with this unique raised dimple feature, Andrew Mentis has provided a grating which offers a far better tractive surface than just the plain Mentis flat bar grating and the Mentis serrated grating, while retaining the same strength as the flat top product.
Mentis Rectagrid RS40 (40/40) Non-Slip grating is available ex stock in panel sizes of 2400 mm by 1200 mm. And importantly, for customers who have specific application requirements the floor grating can be tailored to meet the specific drawing requirements. It is also available in mild steel unpainted, bitumen painted and galvanised.
This highly engineered floor grating product is produced at Andrew Mentis’ world class facility at Elandsfontein, Johannesburg. The company offers a full technical advisory service to assist to customers in the selection process, and Quinlan says this service has become increasingly popular with industry.