RESIN IS RESIN… RIGHT?
A standard industrial resin floor might be designed to withstand people, pallet trucks, forklifts and general warehouse traffic.
But a robotic floor has a very different job, and so does resin flooring for robotics.
Robots repeatedly travel defined routes, meaning their wheels can pass over the same narrow sections of floor millions of times.
And that means standard resin falls short.
STANDARD RESIN
Designed primarily around conventional industrial demands such as durability, chemical resistance, hygiene and general traffic.
RESIN ENGINEERED FOR ROBOTICS
The system also needs to consider the interaction between robot + wheel + floor, including:
Traction – the surface needs predictable grip so robots can accelerate, brake and manoeuvre consistently. If the environment is susceptible to liquids, spills or debris the floor needs to help the Robot manage this safely.
cGMP – Floors in pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics and many other industries must meet strict cleanliness and impermeability standards. Current Good Manufacturing Practice is globally recognised by the major administrations: FDA, MHRA, PMDA, Health Canada, TGA, MFDS, ANVISA to name a few.
Micro-vibration – tiny surface irregularities that a person might never notice can be transmitted through a robot’s wheels over millions of movements. This can create lots of in-life service issues for the Robot.
ESD control – where required, the flooring system needs to manage electrostatic discharge around increasingly sophisticated automation equipment. Not always essential but this needs careful consideration.
Fixed-path wear – unlike conventional warehouse traffic, robots repeatedly use the same routes, concentrating enormous numbers of cycles onto a relatively small proportion of the floor. The floor surface acts like a meniscus in a knee – a shock absorber from the heavy and repetitive activities above.
Surface consistency – it’s not simply about creating a floor that looks smooth. The surface needs to perform consistently wherever the robot travels. No lumps or bumps as this can be a big contributory factor for Robot health issues.
Cleanability – dust, debris and contamination can affect the environment robots are operating within, making a cleanable, controlled surface important. Clean floors are critical for the happiness of robots. It aids vision for navigation and avoids excessive wear from micro-particles that can embed within the wheels.
OUR PEDIGREE
We’ve been working in robotic environments since 2018, investing in R&D, we understand how flooring performs under automation.
That experience has driven the development of bespoke resin solutions specifically engineered for robots, not conventional industrial resin adapted for robotic use.
So the difference isn’t simply better resin. It’s resin flooring engineered for a completely different type of traffic – backed by years of specialist experience.
If you need help about resin flooring for robotics… Get in touch.