Not all floor gratings that claim to have a flat top surface actually do, but unfortunately this is something that is commonly misunderstood in the industry and often leads to specifiers and buyers using a product that will not meet the requisite parameters on a project. Grating made from flatbar (not slit strip) has a rounded or mill-edge which explains the differentiation between "true" flat top and "pretend" flat top.
Lance Quinlan, national technical sales consultant at Andrew Mentis, says the company is the only producer of floor grating that is able to supply a product that has a true flat top surface.
“This is a significant differentiator in the floor grating market and is something that should be factored in when making the decision to specify or purchase flat top floor grating. If it isn’t then specifiers and buyers are comparing apples with pears,” Quinlan says.
He explains that Andrew Mentis, with its over 60 years of experience in the manufacture of floor grating products, has continued to invest in the correct equipment and infrastructure to be able to produce the most appropriate finish on its range of floor gratings. Having the best-in-class manufacturing facility coupled with an in-depth knowledge of floor grating applications has enabled the company to stay abreast of international trends and offer the African market world class floor grating products.
“We are the only facility that purchases coiled steel and makes use of our own slitting process which is engineered to produce a truly flat top surface,” Quinlan says. “What is important is that our Mentis Flat Top floor grating has a non-slip surface as a result of this manufacturing process and this significantly enhances the safety of our product.”
This highly engineered floor grating product is produced at Andrew Mentis’ ISO-accredited facility at Elandsfontein, Johannesburg, and is manufactured using a pressure locking system pioneered by the company.
The locking characteristics guarantee the structural integrity of the product and further enhance its integrity. The transversals on the floor grating are positively and permanently locked to the bearer bars and the locking method at the intersections is designed to use the full depth of the bearer bar when calculating loads. This attention to detail ensures that the load bearing capacity is top of mind when design and manufacturing is undertaken.
Mentis Flat Top floor grating is available ex-stock in open ended systems 2 400 mm by 1 200 mm with bearer bar sizes of 25 mm by 4.5 mm, 30 mm by 4.5 mm and 40 mm by 4.5mm. Various apertures are available including Mentis RS40 (40/40mm), RS40 (45/40mm) and RS40 (45/50mm) in unpainted mild steel, bitumen painted mild steel and galvanised. Andrew Mentis also carries certain quantities of RS40 (40/40mm) in stainless steel, 3CR12 and 304.