Kingspan Access Floors Limited - In line with our ongoing product development programme we will be introducing two new pedestal designs in 2007!

The first of these will be the Kingspan Alpha V, which is a product designed to the PSA MOB Specification for performance up to heavy grade, as with earlier designs the Alpha V will be available for use on all Kingspan raised floor systems and has been independently tested and approved by the UK's leading independent UKAS accredited laboratory; BTL (test certificates are available from Kingspan Technical Services).
Until existing stocks are exhausted, we will be dispatching the Alpha IV and Alpha V designs to the same projects but as the performance and design of the two components are very similar and they are both independently tested this will not be more than a very minor aesthetic change.
The second new design is the Alpha III which has been introduced to provide an enhanced product for use in deep floor voids for heavy & extra installations such as data centres. With data centres there are generally reasonable lead times which enable us sufficient time for the manufacture & delivery of pedestals but occasionally & as programmes dictate procurement times can be reduced which has presented certain challenges in the past so the R&D team were charged with producing a new design which would offer an enhanced product and enable us to offer an enhanced service level by building stock.
After considerable market study the R&D team have designed a new pedestal, the new Alpha III, which we will keep in component form in standard stock sizes in Hull until the particular building has been surveyed to determine the precise length / height of pedestal that is required and then these will be produced by Kingspan in Hull, assembled and dispatched to site. The result will be a quality pedestal for deep floors in data centres that is available from stock!
Data sheet are being issued in December which will show the design of both of he new products along with their performance etc.
In recent months questions have been raised in small sections of the market regarding “zinc whiskers” and we considered it appropriate to issue a Technical Bulletin explaining the phenomenon , something that has been raised in the USA but is “quite new” in the UK. The Technical Bulletin (Kingspan Access Floors 25973.06) is available from Kingspan Technical Services but the following is an extract from that document:
Since the discovery of the zinc whisker phenomenon over 50 years ago, zinc whisker formation has not been identified on any hot-dip galvanized steels.
ALL Kingspan Access Floors raised flooring panels are produced using the hot dipped galvanized steel method.
We have also been asked, on a very limited number of projects for a “zinc whisker free” pedestal / under structure and we are pleased to announce that a nickel plated alternative for all of our pedestals is available to order, which is zinc whisker free. Obviously the lead times for these products should be taken into account when discussing particular projects.

Email: danielle.clayton@kingspan.com