Flowcrete hygienic flooring installed at Australian creamery

Founded in 1924 by pioneers Edith and James Daubney, Bannister Downs Dairy Farm, located in Northcliffe, Australia was named as such thanks to Edith’s maiden name Bannister. Passed down through the generations, the farm is now managed by the Daubney’s grandson and his family.

Following the deregulation of the dairy industry in the millennium year, the Daubney family saw an opportunity to process and bottle milk in its own creamery facility.

In the pursuit of excellence, every aspect of the facility was carefully planned and considered from the ground up. To ensure that the creamery maintained unrivalled hygiene, the hard-wearing, chemical resistant polyurethane resin system Flowfresh SR was installed.

Flowfresh SR contains Polygiene®, an antibacterial additive that can eliminate up to 99.9% of bacteria on the floor’s surface when combined with a regular cleaning regime.

Thanks to its high level of chemical resistance, Flowfresh SR was ideal for the silo area, kitchen, processing, mixing, ingredients and filling rooms, where there would be a high chance of produce being spilled or dropped.

In a similar vein, the polyurethane resin system is resistant to temperatures from -15 °C to 90 °C, meaning that there would be no risk of floor failure in the working cool room, freezer, cool storage room and ambi chamber areas of the facility.

Regular exposure to foodstuffs and varying temperatures can take its toll on lesser floors over time. For example lactose in dairy is a natural sugar, which can be corrosive to a floor’s coating if there is daily exposure. Strong chemical cleaners used to wash away spillages of this nature can have a similarly corrosive effect on the floor if the correct properties are not specified. Therefore, having a high chemical resistance was imperative to Bannister Downs Dairy.

The durability and abrasion resistance of Flowfresh SR was extremely important in the dry store, carton room and loading dock, where packaged produce would be stored, transported and loaded onto distribution vehicles. Areas of point loading are often at the mercy of heavily laden pallets and forklift trucks carrying weighty items. Moving heavy materials can cause wear on the floor, and abrasions are extremely likely to occur if items are dropped or dragged along the finish over an extended period of time.

For all food and beverage facilities, coving can form an integral part of the flooring system. It creates a sealed finish between the floor and wall joint, leaving no gaps for bacteria to reside, grow and multiply. The coving utilised in The Creamery, combined with the seamless, impervious Flowfresh SR finish, ensures that any spilled produce is quickly and easily cleaned away.

To enhance the hygiene of this system further, Flowfresh SR contains Polygiene®, an antibacterial additive that can eliminate up to 99.9% of bacteria on the floor’s surface when combined with a regular cleaning regime.

With frequent, in-depth cleaning being necessary in such an environment, the slip resistance of Flowfresh SR helps to maintain a safe environment at all times.

Aside from being functional, Flowcrete was also able to supply custom colours for the facility. Light grey, blue, cream and powder blue were used to provide a clean, fresh aesthetic that mirrored Bannister Downs Dairy’s branding.

The high performance, aesthetically pleasing nature of the floor is sure to be appreciated when the creamery expands to include a café and a viewing area, where consumers can watch the production process before sampling the produce.