When the final product must be "snow white," all manufacturing elements are carefully monitored, right down to the facility’s floor. For AstenJohnson in Jonesboro, Georgia, covering those details means covering their floors with Tennant Floor Coatings.

As Ken Fekete, Manufacturing Manager, says, "It’s extremely important for us to keep areas where our press fabric contacts the floor very clean, so dirt doesn’t transfer to the final product. We find that by using a coated floor, we can easily identify areas with dirt contamination, and clean it up much easier than with conventional floors."

Press fabrics are a critical component of paper manufacturing. In fact, paper machines cannot run without them. In addition to acting as a conveyor and de-watering element, press fabrics play a major role in affecting the final characteristics of the paper such as sheet smoothness, which is critical in printing paper grades.

As a supplier to all major paper producers in North America, AstenJohnson realizes the importance of their industry leadership position. And floor coatings play a part in that status. "The ISO certification calls for our operators to ensure floors are clean before placing press fabric on them," says Fekete. "Any type or size of contaminant, from floor dust and dirt to grease spots, is a concern to us. Our goal is to eliminate contamination completely." Tennant coatings help AstenJohnson achieve that goal in a manufacturing area that runs twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The attention to cleanliness isn’t just for appearance. As Fekete explains, "Dirt causes the need to rework the fabric. This ties up several pieces of machinery that would otherwise be used to manufacture new fabric, thus reducing productivity and increasing costs."

Price, quality and durability were key factors in their decision to use Tennant Floor Coatings. And AstenJohnson is pleased with the results. "As part of our ongoing effort to maintain our facility in top condition, all uncoated areas will receive Tennant Floor Coatings," states Fekete. "We are in the process of redoing all of our floors, but the expansion area is truly the showcase of our entire manufacturing facility. When customers enter this room, their mouths drop open. A well-lighted area where the floors are crystal clear and clean. It creates a lasting impression on the customer."