An industrial floor that lasts and lasts

Decades-long durability under extreme stress: For the Schleuniger Group, the decision made 18 years ago to equip production halls and logistics areas at the Swiss site in Thun with rubber floors from nora systems has paid off. Since 2001, the high-performance all-rounders have met the highest demands: they are extremely robust, their electrostatic discharge capability remains permanently intact, and they are easy to clean. Additionally, the rubber floors offer ergonomic advantages – a factor that was particularly important to Schleuniger AG as a responsible employer.

Permanent electrostatic discharge capability and flawless appearance

Schleuniger AG, headquartered in Thun, Switzerland, is a global technology company and a leading provider of solutions for the cable processing and testing industry. The company represents the wire processing division of the publicly traded Metall Zug Group and employs over 900 people worldwide across three continents. Schleuniger's customers are primarily suppliers to the automotive, entertainment, information, and communications industries. When it came to outfitting the production halls in Thun with a new floor in 2001, the choice quickly fell on flooring systems from nora systems. In industry, floors must withstand enormous static and dynamic loads. In Schleuniger's production halls in Thun, mainly forklifts and hand pallet trucks, but also other floor conveyors, are used daily and place high demands on the floor. The conductive rubber floor norament lago ed – the predecessor of norament grano ed – installed 18 years ago, easily withstands these high stresses and still maintains a flawless appearance. The discharge capability has also remained unchanged to this day. "We are impressed with the durability and resistance of nora rubber floors. Because the heavy loads that have been acting on our floors for 18 years have so far caused no damage," says Marcel Pfammatter, Infrastructure/Rental Team Leader at Schleuniger. Thanks to their high, permanent elasticity, nora floors also resist impact forces caused by falling tools, hose couplings, or metal parts, protecting them from damage at the same time.

High ergonomics – for a health-promoting work environment

Moreover, nora floors impress with their good ergonomic properties. Properly designed workstations can significantly contribute to job satisfaction. Especially employees who walk or stand for several hours often suffer from considerable muscle tension. It is also a fact that the body tires faster on hard surfaces than on elastic floors. Rubber mats, due to their high permanent elasticity, facilitate hours of standing and walking – back and joints are noticeably relieved. The employees at Schleuniger in Thun are also convinced of these major ergonomic benefits: "It’s very comfortable to walk on nora systems floors. Even after several hours on my feet, I have no back pain or similar complaints after work," says Pascal Hänni, warehouse clerk at Schleuniger.

Easy to clean and straightforward to refurbish

Another advantage: nora floors are easy and environmentally friendly to clean due to their extremely dense surface, which helps reduce maintenance costs. Minor damages can be easily repaired using nora pads. "The nora floor is very easy to clean, almost without chemicals. Even after many years in our production hall, the floor looks almost new again after refurbishment, which only involves cleaning with nora systems' cleaning pads. Additionally, there is no surface coating that could be destroyed and would need to be replaced later at a cost," confirms Pfammatter.

Many requirements – one solution: The use of rubber floors by the Schleuniger Group pays off in the long term as an indestructible all-rounder.

Building data

Project: Production halls and logistics areas Schleuniger AG, Thun, Switzerland
Client: Schleuniger Group, Thun, Switzerland, www.schleuniger.com
Architect: Scheidegger + Moser Architekten AG, Gwatt, Switzerland
Product: norament® 926 lago ed, color 4644, installed area approx. 3,600 m²
Installation: 2001
Application: Production halls, logistics
Photo credits: Waldemar Hauke (Compart-Media GmbH)