Jaguar Land Rover, Nitra, Slovakia

Project type:

  •  Manufacturing hall

Application:

  • Jointless floor (300,000 m²)

Partners: 

  • Design engineer: Bollinger Grohmann
  • General & floor contractors: VCES,  Podlahy RK (Paintshop)
  • Owner: Jaguar Land Rover

Located in Nitra, Slovakia, the Jaguar Land Rover manufacturing plant produces over 150,000 vehicles annually. The production consists of three major stages: Body-in-White, painting and assembly. The diverse design requirements for the floor areas where each production stage and sub stage takes place made this a very complex project.

František Zachař, senior project manager with VCES explains how Bekaert assisted with the construction of the paint shop.

The challenge

"The biggest challenge was the design and execution of the concrete spray line on which the pre-treatment and electro-coating takes place. The concrete slab needed to withstand high loads from the main robotic conveyor system, and resist contact with chemicals used in the process. VCES relied on Bekaert’s support to work out a cost-efficient solution.”

The solution

"Bekaert proposed a combi slab solution. This reinforcement combines Dramix® steel fibers with a continuous top mesh to create a liquid tight concrete slab with a calculated crack width of 0.2 mm. This solution created the perfect base to apply an epoxy coating and ensured the necessary load capacity. The design support that Bekaert provided was crucial to achieve these properties. The on-site presence of Bekaert people prior, during and after the construction of each production stage was very valuable. We appreciated the attendance very much as this helped us to intervene quickly when needed."

"For the other floor areas, Bekaert provided guidance in detailing and positioning the joint profiles. They also helped determining the characteristics and requirements of the concrete. To assure smooth handling of the Dramix® steel fibers on site, Bekaert arranged a conveyor belt for the mixing process.”