Close
0
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Search
Filters
RSS

Blog posts tagged with 'vanberg specialized coatings'

Good Slat Design Aid in Preventing Swine Lameness
Totally slatted flooring used in group sow housing.
Totally slatted concrete flooring used in group sow housing.

With the majority of U.S. pigs finished in confinement style facilities, a 12-pound weaned pig will spend at least four months on slatted concrete floors. As the industry moves from gestation stalls to group housing designs, slat quality becomes an important factor. Rather than being confined to a small slatted area, sow movement over an entire slatted pen subjects them potential injury from defective flooring design.

Good concrete slat design, construction, and maintenance can minimize foot and leg problems associated with swine production.

The most critical feature in slat design is producing slats with a flat top surface.  Slats with uneven and inconsistent surface place additional stress on pig’s feet and joints.

Level top provides surface that is easier on pig's feet and joints.

Level top provides a surface that is easier on pig’s feet and joints.

Many methods used for producing concrete slats consist of placing wet cast concrete into multiple steel forms and hand troweling to finish.  It is harder to build slats with a consistently flat surface by hand finishing methods.

 

Rotoscreen "striking off" dry cast concrete on mold to apply flat surface on slats.

Rotoscreed “striking off” dry cast concrete from mold to apply a flat surface on slats.

Machined slats are produced with a different process that eliminates the uneven surface found on hand cast slats. Automated Rotoscreeds “strike off” the mold creating a level, uniformly flat top that is easier for pigs to move across.

Machine produced slats

Hog Slat floor slats provide a flat, even surface for pigs.

Slat longevity is an important consideration as worn or damaged areas create uneven surfaces that can injure pigs. Slats built using concrete with a low water-to-cement ratio are longer lasting and more resistant to wear.

The water-cement ratio refers to the ratio of the water weight to the cement weight used in a concrete mix. A lower ratio leads to higher strength and durability but makes the mix difficult to work with and form. For this reason, most slats are produced with wet cast concrete using a water-cement ratio of 0.5. Machined slats are manufactured from dry cast concrete with a water-cement ratio of less than .39.

Cement-Water-Ratio_web

A cubic yard of wet cast concrete formulated with 500 pounds of cement contains 250 pounds of water, while a dry cast mix only contains 195 pounds. As the excess water leaves during the curing process, it creates microscopic pores that reduce the final strength of a slat. Compromised slat strength can lead to many problems down the road, including expensive repairs, equipment damage and injury to pigs and farm personnel.

Wet cast slats by feeder showing exposed aggregate damage.
Wet cast slats by feeder showing exposed aggregate damage and repaired surface with Vanberg Specialized Coatings. 

Maintaining surfaces and edges of slats, as they wear over time, is essential in providing pigs with a comfortable flooring surface. Areas around waterers and feeders are the first to show significant damage. When the need arises for concrete slat repair, choose a repair mortar designed for slat repair versus generic concrete repair products. Mortars designed for slat repairs feature cement and epoxy formulations with higher cure strengths and faster cure times. The amount of damage will determine the type of repair product needed. For simple repairs, less than 1/4″ in depth, a cost effective cement mortar can be used. More severe corrosion requires the use of epoxy mortars to hold the repair patch in place. Hog Slat offers a complete range of concrete repair products from Vanberg Specialized Coatings that can be used to repair worn and damaged slats with minimal downtime. For more information on slat repairs see the DIY video at http://www.hogslat.com/con-korite-xtra-mortar-kit.

Choosing concrete slats with a level surface and uniform openings provide growing pigs and group housed sows with secure footing to minimize foot and joint injuries.

To learn more about Hog Slat’s machine produced slats go to http://www.hogslat.com/concrete-slats.

Comments (0)
Repair Metal Ceilings in Place


I have been in literally hundreds of hog buildings over the course of my travels. It really doesn’t matter who built them, the quality of the metal or the insulation value…..if they have a metal ceiling you will eventually have some rust occurring. The most typical spots to see this are around the air inlets (cold air hitting a warm ceiling) and the along the outside walls where the ceiling metal is rolled over the knee braces (insulation tends to slide down). Over time this metal rusts and needs to be replaced.

Huge job! The plumbing and electrical lines have to be dropped, metal unscrewed, rips in the vapor barrier repaired, replace insulation and slide and fastened new metal sheeting into place.

Those kinds of repairs are the ones that tend to get put off indefinitely. That’s where products from Vanberg Specialized Coatings come in. Rust Converter and EM-15 Epoxy Mastic are used to repair metal ceiling in place.

First, remove all the loose rust you can by scraping or pressure washing.

Second, apply Rust Converter to the visible rust areas. Rust Converter will neutralize the rust, you will see the rust turn from red to black in a couple of minutes.

Third, mix the two part EM-15 Epoxy Mastic together and either roll or paint it on the metal for a hard, moisture resistant coating that preserves the metal and protects it from further damage.

Vanberg produces a repair kit (EM15-1K) with everything you need to get started. You can go to www.hogslat.com and order it today.

Comments (0)
Galvanized Metal Roof Repair with AMC-100L

90 degrees, bright sunshine, no rain in the forecast and a light wind; perfect conditions for a firsthand look at roof repair.   Last winter I sat in on a training session with Vanberg Specialized Coatings when they covered the basics on their exterior metal coating product, AMC-100L or Aluminum Moisture Cure Urethane.  The results in the training labs were impressive, and I wanted to get some field experience using the product.

The site chosen was not a livestock building, but a storage building erected in 1968.  The 44 year old galvanized roofing was structurally sound but was starting to show large areas of surface rust.   I greeted Jim and Steve from Vanberg Coating, and we started on the process.

First they sprayed the roof down with a power washer to remove any dirt, bird droppings or loose rust.  Any areas with heavy rust were hit with a wire brush and loose nails were hammered down.  Once the roof was dry, we moved on to the next step.

The second step of the process was to apply VSC Rust Converter to the rusty spots.  Rust Converter chemically changes rust to a stable, insert compound.  Jim poured the Rust Converter into a pump sprayer and applied it to the rust spots that Phillip rolled out behind him.  Steve finished the process by sweeping the semi-dried surface lightly with a broom to smooth out any bubbles.

The results were a little surprising.  In the training demos, the samples that we applied the Rust Converter turned almost immediately jet black.  On this roof, the color was more of a dark red with black edges. The areas with light rust colored up dark red and only the heavy rust areas that penetrated to the carbon metal below showed up as black.

Day two was a carbon copy of the first day only with a little more wind that steadily got stronger as the morning progressed.  The original plan called for applying the AMC-100L with an airless applicator, but Steve and Jim decided there would be too much over spray with the existing breeze.  So instead we applied paint with rollers and paint brushes.  With me straddling the ridgeline and painting it with a brush, Jim and Steve rolling out the slopes, we moved right along.  While I would suggest using an airless applicator for a project this size, the fact we rolled this on by hand does prove the versatility of the product.  The AMC-100L dried quickly into a BRIGHT silver colored surface.  You could feel the heat reflecting off the roof so I would think the attic would also stay somewhat cooler.

Probably no place is as tough on metal roofs as when they are used on poultry and livestock buildings.  AMC-100L is great option for repairing rusty roof areas before they have to be replaced.  AMC-100L also works great to repair rust spots on feed bins.  You can try AMC-100L in a kit by ordering on line from our web-store at http://www.hogslat.com/vanberg-coatings-amc100l-metal-repair-kit or by going to any Hog Slat and Georgia Poultry stores near you. They carry a full line of Vanberg Specialized Coatings metal and concrete repair products in stock.

One final note here.

You will probably be surprised at the consistency of AMC-100L; as you’ll be expecting a thick, heavy product like latex paint.  In fact, it’s actually more of a thin, watery stuff.  I didn’t wear gloves when applying the AMC-100L because it was a hot day and I planned on washing it off when we were finished.

Bad idea. Nothing would take it off my hands and arms.

Not solvent.

Not gasoline.

Not paint thinner.

Not even finger nail polish remover.

I ended up taking an 80 grit foam sanding block and literally sanding it off my hands!

So beware and wear gloves and long sleeves.  This is tough stuff!

Comments (0)
Stop Interior Rust with WMC100

Now that cold weather has set in, you may have noticed some condensation on the metal ceilings in your poultry or swine buildings.  Most noticeably, these areas are around the air inlets and rolled ceiling along the sides of the building. In some cases, the metal may be starting to show rust and even developed holes and cracks.

Although these rust areas may be small now, they will continue until the ceiling “rusts through” and needs to replaced.    This is an expensive job because of the labor required to drop auger, electric and water lines plus remove and replace the steel and fasteners. Also additional down time between groups needs to be allowed.

Hog Slat offers a repair product called WMC100, a Moisture Cured Polyurethane White Coating that is specially designed for metal ceilings in confinement building.  WMC100 is single component epoxy that repairs and protects interior steel surfaces.

Simply remove any loose rust by scraping or wire brushing.   The surface is then treated by brushing on Rust Converterwhich chemically neutralizes rust by converting it to a stable black compound.  As Rust Converter is applied, rust will turn black and a clear acrylic layer is formed over it.  This acrylic layer also prepares the metal surface to bond to the WMC100.  If there are holes or tears in the metal you can cover them with VSC Seam Tape. WMC100 is rolled or brushed on and the repair is complete.

That’s all there is to it!

The great thing is all these repairs can be done in place….no need to remove auger, water and feed lines.   You can do small repairs as they occur and stop them before they become bigger problems.

Hog Slat makes it easy to try WMC100 with a kit, part number WMC100-KThis kit contains 1 quart of WMC100, 1 pint of Rust Converter and four pieces of VSC Seam Tape; everything you need to repair up to 50-60 sq. ft. of ceiling metal. For various sized project needs, Rust Converter is also available in a 13 oz. spray can and WMC100 can be purchased in gallon or 5 gallon sized pails.

 

For exterior metal repair projects, Hog Slat offers AMC100 in various sizes as well as in a kit. Learn more about all our Vanberg Specialized Coatings metal repair products here.

Stop in your local Hog Slat, Georgia Poultry or Eastern Shore Poultry Services store or order the WMC100 kit online at http://www.hogslat.com/venberg-coatings-wmc100-metal-repair-kit

 

Comments (0)
Anchor Bolt Repairs are fast with EPO-SET 400

It’s not news to pork producers that hogs are hard on equipment. Just normal wear and tear will damage even the stoutest equipment.

One tough repair is a loose anchor bolt in concrete walls or floors.   Whether it’s a wall bracket, divider panel or gestation stall leg, they can all work loose with the constant “banging” from large hogs.  This not an easy repair; typically the anchor has to be removed and the hole drilled either larger or deeper to hold a new stud.

The new EPO-SET 400 makes this repair much easier.

EPO-SET 400 is a two-part polymer especially formulated for repairing loose anchor bolt studs. Simply clean the loose debris out of the hole around the anchor.  Place the mixture into the void and it sets up in ten minutes with full strength in two hours.

EPO-SET 400 gun_edited-1

EPO-SET is  easy to use because of the unique dual cartridge system for use in a standard caulking gun.

EPO-SET chambers_edited-1

The standard sized tube contains two separate chambers that mix inside the static mixing nozzle.  No need to buy an expensive two-tube caulking gun or mix the two parts in a tray before using.  Just squeeze the handle and the blended mixture comes out the nozzle.  Makes it easy to direct into holes and cracks in concrete.

Back Camera

You can watch our video at http://hogslat.com/epo-set-400  to learn more.

Comments (0)
Vanberg Coatings Joins Hog Slat at EuroTier

Vanberg at Eurotier

Joining Hog Slat in our booth this year at EuroTier was Paul Vanberg and his son Matt from Vanberg Specialized Coatings.  Vanberg Coatings products are recognized in the U.S. industry as the premier repair and protection products for both concrete and metal.

Vanberg_color_logo

The concrete product line includes:

Con-Korite.  Our “go to” for repairing broken slat edges and restoring corroded slats. (see more…..)

Eco-Crete.  Good choice for routine repair on all concrete surfaces. (see more…..)

Armor-Rock.  The tough stuff!  Use around feeders and waterers to protect slats from aggressive chemicals and pig traffic (see more…..)

Metal repair products include:

EM-15 Epoxy Mastic:  Used for interior repairs on metal ceilings and walls. (see more…..)

AMC-100 Coating:  Exterior use on roofs and feed Bins. (see more…..)

con-korite

Paul commented, “This was Vanberg Coatings first exposure to a world-wide audience.  I’ll tell you one thing all livestock and poultry producers have in common,”

“They are pretty tired of using products that have not worked!”

“We introduced products used successfully for years in the U.S. to a whole new group of producers. Working with Hog Slat makes our products available in Europe, China and Latin America.”

Comments (0)
Vanberg Roof Repair...2 Years Later

Over the holidays I had a chance to check on a roof repair project Vanberg Coatings applied in June of 2012.

The building was erected in 1968 and the roof metal was basically sound but showing rust.

100_0999

Vanberg’s exterior metal coating product, AMC-100 or Aluminum Moisture Cure Urethane, was applied.  The results looked great then…..and the roof still looks great today…..over 2 years later.   For more on Vanberg Metal Coating products, click here.

Vanberg roof_2

Comments (0)
Vanberg DIY Con-Korite Video

slat repair with Con-Korite

New video showing how to mix and apply Con-Korite.  Con-Korite is our best selling product for repairing severely worn and damaged slats.   Featuring Pure Concrete technology, it simply lasts longer than other repair mortars. It comes as a complete kit (Con-Korite Xtra Mortar Kit) or  as a 55 lb. pail ( Con-Korite).  Pick one up at your local Hog Slat store or order online at www.hogslat.com

Comments (0)