Plant sanitation is a major issue for food processors, who must consider many factors in maintaining a hygienic environment. When it comes to insulated panels and doors, the main concern is durability.

Will the system they choose allow them to meet strictly regulated sanitation requirements for the long term? The key is to find products that provide a maximum level of sanitation while offering improved durability. Enter Richmond, BC-based Zer-O-Loc.

Zer-O-Loc has bridged the gap with their hygienic envelope — a system of high-performance building products designed to withstand the continual, harsh wash downs required in maintaining a sanitary environment. Food processors using the Zer-O-Loc system notice a tremendous improvement in performance and durability within their plant environments.

Fiberglass reinforced plastic-(FRP) clad panels are key to the Zer-O-Loc hygienic envelope. Factory-laminated FRP is bonded to the surface of Zer-O-Loc’s panels and doors during the manufacturing stage.

“This process allows for a stronger bond between the fiberglass and steel and prevents the more costly, time-consuming, and disruptive process of applying the FRP after paint erosion has already started,” explains Larry Strand, Zer-O-Loc’s general manager.

Zer-O-Loc’s confidence in its products extends to a 10-year warranty on the factory-made FRP panels, which tend to cost more than traditional surfaces. However, Strand points out that the initial cost is worth it over the long haul.

“It may cost more at the outset, but when you consider the overall cost of redoing damaged panels, the investment is small in comparison,” he notes, adding that the panels have already proven a very popular choice among meat and poultry companies upgrading or building new facilities. “In most cases, they are jumping at the chance.”

Zer-O-Loc walk-on suspended ceilings allow maintenance of services above the ceiling while production continues below in a bright, sanitary environment. Constructed from Zer-O-Loc EPS insulated panels, the finished ceiling system is energy efficient, durable, and another key to the hygienic envelope.

Other specialty products manufactured by Zer-O-Loc are a line of hinged and manual sliding cooler and freezer doors that contain no wood in the door leafs or frame components, which makes them ideal for food processing facilities. The company also stresses the importance of choosing the right finishing components and recommends trimming the hygienic envelope in stainless steel, which eliminates the risk of paint erosion and flaking in high wash-down areas. NP