With manufacturers under
pressure to ensure plant assets operate at maximum capacity and efficiency levels at all time, setting priorities for maintenance and
preventative measures can be a challenge.

Faced with production downtime and financial losses, it can be tempting for manufacturers to delay renovating a failing or damaged flooring
surface or choose poor quality materials that are unable to meet long-term outcomes.

Representing a very real, and very common scenario faced by industrial clients, the project at Thumbs Up demonstrates how innovations in
resin flooring technology coupled with the skill and expertise of the flooring applicator can work in tandem to address this problem and help to
alleviate the headache associated with looming production outage.

Based on Dumer’s Lane since the company was founded in 1978, Thumbs Up (Bury) manufactures and supplies plastic housewares and
storage products to various supermarkets and high street retailers throughout Ireland, the UK, Germany, Italy, France and Spain.

The manufacturer employs over 250 staff, carries more than 20,000 product lines and operates at an annual production capacity of 73 million
pieces per annum running the plant around the clock 365 days of the year. Any downtime required to carry out routine maintenance
and refurbishment could result in significant financial losses.

It was for this reason that the client, after initial consideration, rejected UltraSyntec’s original specification of Flowcrete UK’s time-proven
Flowcoat SF41 system. Despite meeting the necessary strength, durability and resistance criteria, the system did not offer the swift
return to service required by Thumbs Up managing director, Richard McGuiness.

Armed with the knowledge that a scheduled maintenance day in May 2014 offered a 12 hour window in which to carry out all substrate
preparation, priming and system application works as well as deliver a trafficable surface across 1300m2 of production space,
UltraSyntec recommended a second system, Flowfast Rapide Topcoat.

The specification called for the entire area to receive vacuum assisted shot blasting to prepare the substrate with diamond grinding at all
transitions between floor and walls.

This was followed by a priming layer, one coat of Flowfast Rapide Topcoat in dark grey with bauxite aggregates broadcast over the product
whilst still tacky in order to achieve an anti-slip profile, before applying a second coat of Flowfast Rapide Topcoat.

Based on methyl methacrylate (MMA) chemistry, Flowfast Rapide Topcoat offers the same performance characteristics as Flowcoat SF41 with
the addition of an accelerated rate of cure (typically between one and two hours).

In many instances, there is no need to remove the existing floor covering in refurbishment scenarios as MMA can be installed directly onto old
or new concrete as well as asphalt, tiles, metal or wood, ensuring additional timesavings.

In late 2013, UltraSyntec installed a 10m2 trial area in the middle of Thumbs Up’s production hall. Witnessed by Richard
McGuiness, the client was satisfied that in just three hours the trial surface had undergone all steps outlined in the specification and
had been successfully returned to service.

A six-month trial period served only to demonstrate that the material’s profile offered the necessary strength, durability and resistance needed
to withstand the heavy demands of Thumbs Up’s daily and relentless processes including frequent fork and pallet truck traffic, heavy
machinery and impact.

The project was finally carried out in conjunction with the client’s routine maintenance day in May 2014, taking a total of 9 hours to complete the 1300m2 area.

“We were impressed with how quickly the trial area was installed and fully operational. The six-month testing phase demonstrated the strength
and wear resistance of the material. We are very happy with our new floor,” commented Richard McGuiness of Thumbs Up.

Satisfied with the install and on-going performance of the material, Thumbs Up are working with UltraSyntec and Flowcrete UK to install a
second phase representing 4000m2 in its production hall.