A world leading airline was in need of a world class flooring system for their outdoor walkway.
Delta Airlines operates in a highly competitive market that focuses on providing the best service to their customers. From booking flights and baggage fees, to leg room and inflight safety videos, the players in the airline industry know it is all about the customer experience.
Described as Delta’s “primary gateway to Asia,” Detroit Metro Airport receives over 30 million passengers annually. This significant foot and baggage traffic puts extensive wear and tear onto the flooring. Because of Michigan’s harsh weather, travelers carry salt and water throughout the terminal causing damage to any bare flooring.
Delta’s International walkway became a gross departure from the airline’s high quality customer experience and an unattractive welcoming to Detroit. The walkway had become stained and covered in gum. After spending hours in the air, passengers made a habit of abusing the ground upon landing. Cigarettes and drinks were spilled onto the floor and those occasional four legged travel companions would relieve themselves on the walkway.
Even through Delta’s best efforts to keep the surface clean, the stains could not be removed. Delta recognized this problem, and was in search of a new floor system that would be stain resistant, easy to clean, and functional for years.
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Walkway littered with stains and gum.
MSC Floors’ relationship with Delta began when the airline needed the floors in their hallways and stairways replaced. MSC installed a multifunctional MMA coating system that provided traction control and stain resistant while remaining decorative. Once Delta realized the benefits of this system, they believed they had identified the solution for the International walkway.
The various resinous and polymer floor solutions available on the market provide unlimited potential applications. But an experienced and knowledgeable provider is required to understand the true potential. MSC has access to all the world’s best polymer manufacturers and has the experience in extreme environments that is required to provide the best solutions.
This expertise allowed MSC to answers any concerns and solve any challenges Delta presented. The functional requirements of the floor to be durable, stain resistant, and easy to clean and maintain were provided with the recommended MMA coating. MSC used a BASF coating that cures hard and fast. Creating a floor with a lasting, hard performing surface. This system will not be stained because the surface cannot be penetrated by coffee, cigarettes, or other liquids. Cleaning is simple, too. When the cleaning is needed, simple soap and water with a deck brush will do the job.
When it is time to provide any repairs or a fresh coat, the MMA system ensures a quick and efficient process. The MMA is washed with a solvent solution that restores the coating to it’s reactive state. A fresh coating can be quickly applied and is cured in 20 minutes, again returning the floor to operations.
A close view of the broadcast flaking into the MMA coating.
Delta’s management liked the design of the coating and were satisfied with the high quality craftsmanship provided by MSC’s crews. Although a flooring solution was identified, Delta grew concerned with scheduling the installation over the 16,000 square feet. Delta has only one terminal, so the walkway needed to remain open and accessible for their passengers. There was limited time available to repair and replace the floor, and installation needed to be performed during the early winter months.
To minimize the interruption to their passengers, flexible installation schedules were necessary. MSC was easily able to convenience Delta with overnight installation and a 5 man crew working over a course of 5 nights. The quick-curing MMA coating allows MSC to repair, prepare, and install 4 coats of the system in a single night. The new floor is then ready to be used, causing virtually no interruption to following day’s traffic.
Michigan weather is unpredictable, especially in November. To be prepared for extreme temperatures and conditions, the coating system needed to be able to mix and cure at temperatures below freezing. The MMA system used is capable of curing in temperatures far below freezing without extending the cure time or creating any adverse effects to integrity of the coating.
MSC has experience planning and scheduling service around difficult schedules. Whether it is limited time during plant shut downs or emergency calls, MSC has enough employed professional installers available to get the job done.
Each night, the 5 man MSC Floors crew packed up the semi truck with the required materials and equipment, including a 15 inch Blastrac shot blaster & its companion Blastrac 6-54 dust collector. They arrived to Delta’s International walkway around 9 PM and began the repairing and preparation process of the nightly section. Each night roughly 3,000 square feet was repaired, prepared, and received 4 coatings of the MMA systems. This returned the area to operations by morning.
Scraping and preparing surface for coating.
The preparation process began with sweeping the floor for loose debris. The shot blaster is slowly paced over the concrete to provide an adequate concrete surface profile (CSP). An evenly profiled surface is key to a quality coating that will last. A profile of 16 mils was obtained and the surface was then primed for the coating with a clear primer. A grey body coat was applied with a light broadcast chip or flaking. This provided an attractive dimension to the floor. The surface was specked with multicolored chips, but the grey body coat was still visible. Glass beading was added to the coating to provide texture and traction control. Finally, the MMA coatings were applied. The MMA system cures in only 20 minutes, even in temperatures below freezing.
The BASF MMA coating is chemical resistant and emits no harmful irritants or VOCs. During the curing process the coating will let off a smell that is similar to lacquer finishes. This is a byproduct of the chemical reaction, but is gone after the curing process is complete.
Delta was looking for a a floor system that would provide an attractive and stain resistant surface. But it needed to be easy to clean and maintain. The MMA system provided delivered these functions while remaining versatile enough to install overnight and at extreme temperatures. Neither the rain and snow, nor sunshine and ice will damage the new, outdoor International walkway. It was an easy solution for Delta that will continue to provide their customers with a world class send off.
The International Walkway was exclusively offered to MSC Floors. Delta had experience the exceptional service provided by MSC and was confident they could deliver another high performing system. Delta’s management and representatives were extremely satisfied with the solution. The two companies continue to work together to improve other areas of the Delta terminal at Detroit Metro Airport.
Take a look at the project from start to finish below.
To learn more about MSC and how we can provide you with individually engineered solutions, call us at 1-866-45-EPOXY.