R-Tile F1 partner – installation of the R-Tile at the Baku Grand Prix
The R-Tile interlocking loose lay flooring system reached the pinnacle of garage and industrial flooring by being installed in this year’s F1 Baku Grand Prix pit lane garages. The project was a long time in the making with a massive effort by the sales and project management team. From start to finish the team received amazing praise for their customer service with prompt replies and an excellent customer experience at the forefront of all R-Teks projects.
Heavy duty requirements
The project requirements meant that the R-Tile was the perfect product for the needs of an F1 pit garage. The heavy-duty environment required a solution that could handle heavy foot traffic, heavy equipment, and most of all F1 cars that carried a heavy price tag and technical requirements. The process began with choosing the R-Tile textured tile, the most popular product offering a slip rating of R10 and a seamless look once installed. It is seen to be the best flooring solution for the needs of any garage both residential and commercial. In addition, the tiles needed to have the ability to be printed on and designed which can be seen in the photos. The F1 team required various logos and colours to be included on the floor which the R-Tile textured offered with no issue.
Protection needed – The fire and chemical resistance
With the technical and safety specifications at a very high level within the pit area the floor specification was a very important element. With chemical and fire risks the purchasing of the correct flooring was of paramount importance and again the R-Tile met every requirement and more to ensure the safety of any space and the users of the install area. During the manufacture of the R-Tile it has been produced and engineered to have materials added to the process to ensure the tiles are fire retardant and are not damaged by most chemical spillages. With highly flammable liquids and other such obstacles the R-Tile was perfect for the pit garages.
Things can get loud in the pits – The R-Tiles sound absorption properties
Workshops and garages can be loud at the best of times, never mind with over 40 crew and an F1 car making enough noise to have anyone grabbing for ear protectors. R-Tek introduced anti-noise pollution properties into the product with a unique manufacturing process that means the floor absorbs sound thus protecting users. When the race organisers heard this they were over joyed that the product they had chosen had this amazing added benefit.
The F1 and R-Tek sustainability promise and strategy
F1 have set a sustainability strategy in place for zero carbon emissions from factory to flag by 2030 and with the R-Tiles incredible sustainability claims of having a product made from 100% recycled material and then being 100% recyclable at the end of use. It was a no brainer for the race organisers to use this ground-breaking product. With recycling and saving the planet becoming more and more prevalent the R-Tile is a favoured product by large companies making promises to cut their carbon footprint in as many elements of their business as possible. Why not start from the ground up!
Busy garages need a floor that is quick and easy to clean
A drum of oil spills or fuel is dropped on the floor, one of many spillages and accidents that can happen in a pit lane as well as any other commercial or residential garage. The R-Tile offers excellent cleaning properties with a wear layer and has been specifically engineered to be easily cleaned. The research and development team at R-Tek have spent months testing various elements of flooring that need to be improved and added these elements to the design of their flooring solution. The cleaning of the floor was one of the first questions the team at F1 asked of the project manager and were very happy to hear of its excellent specifications.
Used by other big brands
As well as F1 the R-Tile is used by some of the biggest brands around the world and its continued growth means the list is growing rapidly. Now operating on over 20 countries around the world the exponential growth had led to more machinery and a new factory being added in recent times. With brands such as amazon, Tesco, Jaguar Land Rover, and air bus using the product in their factories and warehouses the R-Tile name is now becoming an industry leading product.
Continued success
With such success of the R-Tile at the Baku Grand Prix F1 organisers are now going to expand the use of the R-Tile in other areas. The future looks extremely bright for this flooring solution. The host of advantages have made the entire project a massive success and meant that the R-Tile has now even been touted by some of the F1 teams for their own factory workshops.
Visit www.r-tekmanufacturingltd.com for more details on the company and product range.
