The requirements for cleanliness are increasing in many industries. This trend is based on a variety of causes. Components are getting smaller, tolerances less and customers more demanding. The possible sources of contamination are just as diverse. Production, environment, personnel and logistics are the most important.

A rule of thumb says that 80 % of all contamination in sensitive areas is caused by shoes and wheels. Yet, there are solutions to prevent just this. Those who want to prevent the carrying of contaminants have plenty to choose from.

The offers can be easily divided into two categories – dependent on the size of the particle that the user would like to eliminate. The first product class is dedicated in particular to medium and coarse parts. This includes, for example, rubber abrasion or dust. Two sub-categories are competing for the customers in this segment. Dust control mats are one of them. They are similar to an extra-large scraper and consist primarily of synthetic fibres or cotton. The mats can be quickly and easily fastened to the ground with rubber straps.

Nevertheless, there are disadvantages with this method. Users complain, among other things, that floor conveyors transport the dirt on top of mats when they are driven over. And when it is wet, the water would get soaked up by the carpets. In order to bypass these deficiencies, there is
only one alternative: permanently installed dirt trap zones. These are zinc-plated grates with robust brush strips, which can be installed at ground level in the ground or above the floor. The Heute Maschinenfabrik from Solingen/Germany is the inventor of this system for industrial sectors, which is called Profilgate.

The preloading of the patented brushes allows the active cleaning of the treads and the gaps – and all of this without any electricity. The Fraunhofer IPA Institute scientifically analysed and confirmed the effectiveness of the product.

The Heute Maschinenfabrik specializes in applications in production, warehouse and logistics. The only drawback of the integrated solutions remains the relatively high acquisition costs. However, these are compensated for in time through very low operating costs – in contrast to the initially inexpensive fabric mats, which have significantly higher costs throughout their lifecycle.

The second category of dirt brakes for the ground is designed for fine and ultra-fine elements. There are also two rivalling products in this market segment: Disposable tack mats and permanent adhesive mats. The two terms show the functional difference between them.

Dust and other particles stick equally well to each variation. How-ever, the disposable product normally has 30 thin layers coated with adhesive. Once the effect starts to wear off, the top foil has to be pulled off and a new sticky layer is available. The sustainable counterpart must be wiped wet again and again to maintain the effect. One of the providers, Dycem with their headquarters in Bristol/UK, guarantee the decontamination performance for at least three years.

All adhesive solutions have in common that they are not very suitable for medium-sized and coarse particles. Furthermore, they only clean the contact surface of a sole or a wheel – the deeper spaces in-between are left out. Therefore, the optimal effect can be achieved by combining Profilgate with an adhesive mat.