1,250 meters of stainless steel drainage channels and more

It is a reference project in this sector, according to Willem Verstraete, manager of Sandstra Belgium, with 1,250 meters of stainless steel drainage channels and several hundred more meters of stainless steel sewage. As one of the market leaders in Europe in the field of stainless steel drainage, the Belgian branch of Sandstra is following the project very closely.

Sandstra, like Aviko, is originally a Dutch company, but operates all over Europe. "We are a known party for Aviko and have already carried out many works at the various production sites in the Netherlands and Belgium," says Verstraete. "Knowledge and experience of applying the most hygienic solutions is crucial for a project of this size in Poperinge. We are also very familiar with the French fries sector; a large proportion of our customers are active in it. That was one of the deciding factors for Aviko to partner with us for the new production facility. A phenomenal and prestigious project for us, both in terms of quantities and engineering."

Super-hygienic

Sandstra was involved in the project at an early stage. "Because of Aviko's strong focus on hygiene, safety and accessibility, it was soon clear that an extensive channel route had to be chosen," Verstraete knows. "Usually shorter lengths of gutters are used in multiple locations, but here a continuous main route was chosen. That has quite a few consequences. So to create internal slope, the gutter goes further and further into the depth to a maximum depth of 90 centimeters (!). This makes the drainage section 100% accessible. This is truly unique and also has the advantage that large volumes of water can be drained quickly. In the context of ergonomics, the drainage channels are equipped with tilting grates with comb-shaped, welded support bars, typical of Sandstra grates. It is super-hygienic; thanks to the tilting function, even the underside, traditionally the dirtiest area of the gutter, can be cleaned properly. In this way, the cleaning crew no longer has to take the grates out; they can simply tilt them. That saves quite a bit of time over a length of more than a kilometer."

Sandstra's drainage gutters meet the very highest standards of hygiene, Verstraete confirms. "Instead of the usual horizontal upstand, we work with slanted upstands, so that dirt accumulation has no chance. The channels are always fully welded on site, so that a seamless whole is obtained. A flushing system is also integrated, in which we allow pulses of water to flow through the gutter, so that waste flows are removed smoothly and efficiently and no residue is left behind in the gutter. We can sincerely show our expertise on such projects and follow it up from A to Z. From advice and design to in-house production and installation on site, we do everything ourselves. Clients such as Aviko and Alheembouw have only one point of contact and are ultimately assured of a high-quality stainless steel drainage system."