A material for the highest loads

(Copyright: Elmar Witt / Exterior shots: Sylvie Tricot)

(Copyright: Elmar Witt / Exterior shots: Sylvie Tricot)

(Copyright: Elmar Witt / Exterior shots: Sylvie Tricot)

(Copyright: Elmar Witt / Exterior shots: Sylvie Tricot)

Fascinating material with exceptional potential – the combination of unique properties makes rubber an indispensable component of numerous products and applications. From mobility technology to medical engineering and household items – rubber is no longer to be imagined without in our everyday life. Through vulcanization with heat and under high pressure, it acquires its characteristic features: it is highly robust, durable, and permanently elastic. This is exactly the material that the globally active WOCO Group, a medium-sized family business that develops and manufactures functional solutions for the automotive industry, also works with. The enthusiasm for the performance capability of this material prompted the company to equip the laboratory and development building at its headquarters in Bad Soden-Salmünster, Hesse, with rubber as well. Nora floors run throughout the building – from laboratories to fine measurement and oven rooms to office areas. The dark gray norament grano tiles, mostly in the electrostatically dissipative ed variant, prove their high load capacity, good chemical resistance, and easy cleaning.

Durability of 50 years or longer

The WOCO laboratory and development building features an area dedicated to development with simulation and manufacturing technology, as well as a material section where new formulations for elastomer and polymer applications are researched. The in-house laboratory also conducts tests and analyses of materials. "It was only logical for us and the client that the material primarily used by the company is also reflected in the floors of the building," explains architect Gøsta Weber from weber + elsässer architects. The basis of the Nora flooring consists of high-quality rubbers mixed with minerals from natural deposits and other components, such as environmentally friendly pigment colors. The mixture is then vulcanized with heat and high pressure and pressed into shape. Through this process, the floors acquire their permanent elastic properties and resistant surface. Even under heavy use, they show hardly any wear after many years, making them almost indestructible. Service lives of 50 years are therefore not uncommon. An additional advantage is environmental and health compatibility: the floors awarded the "Blue Angel" are free of PVC and contain no phthalate plasticizers or chlorinated polymers.

Highest media resistance – low cleaning effort

The rubber floors are well prepared for all requirements at WOCO and impress primarily with their extraordinary resistance to laboratory media, chemicals, and disinfectants or cleaning agents. "We conducted chemical tests beforehand, some with aggressive substances like sulfuric acid, nitric acid, bio- and standard diesel, as well as an ester softener – the floors passed with flying colors," explains architect Weber. "Even after years of intensive use, the rubber floors still look excellent," emphasizes Sven Beckmann, Head of Facility & Fleet Management at WOCO. "Cleaning works perfectly and is absolutely simple, even in rooms where grinding is performed." Due to their extremely dense surface, Nora rubber floors do not need to be coated. The elimination of time-consuming and costly re-coating makes the floors not only very easy to maintain but also economically viable in the long term.

Suitable for forklift areas

An important aspect for WOCO was also the enormous resistance of the rubber tiles. "Since the floors are traversed by forklifts, they must withstand extremely high dynamic pressure loads, for which they have proven to be very suitable," emphasizes Beckmann. From mechanical stresses to shear and shear forces – norament grano meets all requirements. Thanks to their high elasticity and dimensional stability, the rubber floors also withstand impact effects, for example from falling tools or metal parts. Another advantage: the wear-resistant norament grano ed tiles are volume conductive and therefore retain their electrostatic properties over the long term.

Decisions with foresight – the outstanding chemical resistance, extraordinary durability, lifespan of 50 years or more, and easy maintenance make nora rubber floors the ideal choice for demanding production and research environments.