Whitepaper
All About Industrial Matting
A guide to matting types and their use
By John Evans
I
nstalling rubber matting in work areas is an
excellent way to improve the safety, productivity,
and ergonomics of any workplace. Rubber matting
can be used to reduce worker stress and fatigue,
improve safety by reducing slips and falls, and provide
protection from static discharges and electrical shocks.
At CRGI, we carry a full line of rubber matting,
designed to service a wide variety of needs and
applications. Because rubber matting is such a versatile
and useful product, this whitepaper provides an
overview of the types of matting available and the
applications that can be served.
Runner Matting
This is an industry standard mat, frequently used in
office hallways, plant walkways, etc. It is also often cut
into pieces to cover the bottoms of employee lockers,
mezzanines, etc. Runner mat is very flexible, easy to
trim and roll out, and is suitable for indoor or outdoor
applications. Other recent uses have been for dog runs
at training and event facilities, where the matting is
rolled out for the event and then rolled back up and
stored.
Standard industrial quality rubber runner matting is
available in wide rib, fine rib or diamond plate profiles
in various colors and in standard widths of 24” or 36”
wide. The thicknesses available are ⅛” thick or ¼” thick
and typical roll lengths are 25 yards or 50 yards long
depending on thickness selected.
Anti–Fatigue Matting
Anti-fatigue matting is designed to reduce worker
fatigue that results from standing for long periods on
©2014 Canada Rubber Group Inc.
www.canadarubbergroup.ca
[email protected]
hard surfaces. Anti-fatigue mats absorb the shock
from standing and walking on hard surfaces, thereby
reducing the stress placed on legs and feet.
Anti fatigue matting is produced in a variety of styles,
thicknesses, sizes and colors. Some styles have a
yellow safety edge color to alert people to the mat
edge which could prevent tripping. Styles include
rubber ribbed matting bonded to a ⅛” or ¼” thick
closed cell neoprene sponge in standard 36” wide in
part rolls or full rolls. Other styles are PVC and are
available in rolls or mat sizes. All styles reduce fatigue,
some resist oils, chemicals, etc., and the newest styles
can be used in welding stations as they have selfextinguishing properties.
The real key to selection is the end-use and
environment. For example, is the work area wet, or are
there metal filings falling down, so slots or holes in the
mat would keep them off the mat surface? There are
also different qualities of anti-fatigue matting, so
pricing could vary substantially if you buy a generic
mat from a retailer versus custom industrial-quality
matting.
Slip-Resistant Matting
Slip-resistant mats provide additional traction and
secure footing on wet or greasy surfaces. Use of slipresistant mats on these areas allows you to provide a
non-slip surface that prevents slips and falls.
Slip resistant matting is available in 100% recycled PVC
in a variety of styles, sizes, thicknesses and colors.
Most styles are self draining and suitable for wet areas
or industrial applications. Most are easy to clean, slip
1
resistant, easy to cut and fit. Available styles are UV
resistant, flame resistant and self-extinguishing if
ignited. They are recyclable and possess good dielectric
strength, as well as resistance to grease, chemicals and
alkali, reduce noise, etc. PVC styles have optional
connector clips, edging strips, and flooring hooks for
installation. Applications include industrial assembly
lines, work stations, gyms, locker rooms, machine
shops, etc.
Anti-Static Matting
Anti-static mats, or ground mats, eliminate static
electric charges. These mats can be used to protect
sensitive electronics and workers from the unpleasant
effects of electro-static discharge.
Anti-static matting is usually available in widths of 3
and 4 feet. It is manufactured as a bulk continuous
loop pile carpet with conductive fibers fused to a heavy
duty vinyl. Non-slip foam backing and includes stock
grounding cord. Typical mat thickness is 15mm.
Entrance matting
Entrance mats are used in commercial, institutional,
and residential entrance ways to capture dirt, water
and snow from persons entering the building. These
mats reduce and control the incidence of tracked-in
dirt.
This product line is available in a wide variety of styles
such as drop ins for floor wells or mats with thousands
of scraping “fingers” to remove dirt, snow and hide it
from sight. Some styles contain PVC bars and inserts
and others have high density brushes inserted. These
mats are used for aggressive removal of dirt, mud,
snow, grit for ski clubs, industrial or office entrances,
construction trailers. Typical sizes are 24” x 32”, 32” x
39” and 36” x 72” for the concierge entrance mats with
a bevel.
Food Service Matting
CRGI is your one-stop shop for all food service matting
needs. We offer a full range of non-slip, anti-fatigue,
drainage, and grease-proof mats for use in food service
environments.
A new product that we are now offering is non-slip
matting for walk-in freezers and kitchens. This matting
is thin enough to fit under the door threshold so that it
©2014 Canada Rubber Group Inc.
www.canadarubbergroup.ca
[email protected]
can cover both the entrance and exit floor area of the
freezer if needed.
Grease-proof and cooking oil-proof matting is also now
available. These mats are invaluable for use in fry
areas, food-preparation areas, production lines, and
other environments, such as garages, whose floor
surfaces are subject to oil and grease contamination.
Electrical Switchboard Matting
This matting is used to insulate workers in high-voltage
work areas and cover floor surfaces around high
voltage electrical apparatus, fuse boxes, switchgear,
control panels, transformers and heavy machinery.
Switchboard mats meet and exceed parameters of
ASTM D-178-01, Type 1, Class 2 Dielectric Test 30,000
volts when new. Black fine rib matting is supplied as
36” wide x 75 foot-long rolls, or as cut-to-size mats.
This matting is available with an orange safety stripe
running the length of the roll, and can be cut into
individual mat sizes for use in front of electrical panels
or equipment.
Heated Walkway Mats
Electrically heated mats are a relatively new product to
melt snow for safer walkways and stairs. The mat plugs
into standard 120 V or 240 V outlet, thereby
generating heat to melt snow at a rate of 2” per hour.
The mat is built with reinforced non slip rubber and is
designed to be left outdoors for the entire winter. It
comes complete with fastening grommet holes and
connector cables to expand the size. Two different
product qualities are available: lighter-duty for
residential use, and heavy-duty for commercial
applications.
Coco Matting
Economical, biodegradable and 100% natural fiber
scraper mats are still available and used in
entranceways to scrape away dirt and snow from
shoes. Typical sizes range from 14” x14” up to 48” x
72” Thicknesses are typically 1¼”, and weights are 14
ounces per square foot
Used Heavy-Duty Conveyor Belting
Used conveyor belts are sometimes used as mats or
runners in non critical applications and where cost is a
2
factor. Typically used belts are good on one side and
worn on the other side and not suitable to be used as
conveyor belts any longer. Common thickness is in the
½” – ¾” range and widths can vary up to 96” wide;
usually 24”-48” is most common width selected.
Pricing varies on the condition of the belt, but used
belts are always lower-priced than new and offer an
alternative solution for horse stalls, cow stalls, golf
driving ranges, outdoor walkways, floor pad for placing
steel coils, etc. A disadvantage to using used conveyor
belting is that it often contains traces of whatever
product it was previously conveying, meaning that
there is the risk of harm if touched or inhaled. In
recent years, imbalances in supply and demand have
made used belting increasingly scarce, resulting in
higher prices.
John Evans is a Territory Manager for CRGI. He can be
reached directly at [email protected].
For more information about any of the products and
services described in this Whitepaper, please contact:
Canada Rubber Group Inc.
405 Lake Road
Unit #3
Bowmanville, ON L1C 4P4
Canada
Tel: 905-725-9800
www.canadarubbergroup.com
[email protected]
©2014 Canada Rubber Group Inc.
www.canadarubbergroup.ca
[email protected]
3