Big Floors Garage Deck strength (stability) for machining equipment

[Deude_Mann]

I am currently tiling my concrete slab shop floor with Garage Deck Coin-Top tile, this stuff here:

GarageDeck® 24 Pack Garage Flooring Tiles | USA Made | GarageDeck®

GGarageDeck® 24 Pack flooring tile will cover 24 square feet of your garage floor. Quality tiles made in the USA with huge factory warranty

www.bigfloors.com

I have an engine lathe (~ 3500 pounds) and a three-axis mill (~ 2500 lbs) I will be installing in the same shop. For various reasons I would like to place the machines on top of the tiles, and not directly on the slab. What I plan to do is to use 8" x 8" x 3/8" steel plates underneath the six leveling feet on the lathe, and the same plates underneath the four corners of the mill to spread the load out on the floor tiles. I will try to locate the steel plates over the edges of the tiles as much as possible since they are a bit stronger there.

This will result in about 2.7 square feet (or about 9.1 psi) for the load spread on the lathe, and 1.8 square feet (or about 9.8 psi) for the mill. Now, I have talked to Big Floors and they claim huge load ratings for these tiles (10K lbs, or about 69.4 psi) which makes sense somewhat due to the large amount of ribs on the underside of the tiles. This, coupled with the load spreading plates, should give me a stable base for this equipment and be way under the load rating for the tiles. Depending on how well the load distributes across the steel plate, I am somewhere around a 5X - 7X safety factor on the load.

The floor is going down now and I will be ready to move the machines into final position in a few days. Before I do so, it would be good to get feedback from anyone who has placed similar equipment on their Garage Deck or Race Deck type flooring and what their experience has been. Keep in mind it is not just about strength but also stability since these machines, in particular the lathe, rely on a stable base for precision. So parking a 5-ton Bobcat on the surface is not really the same thing, no offense.

The room is insulated and climate controlled so temperatures will be stable. There is nothing between the tiles and the concrete slab.

Thanks in advance all.

 

[RaceDeck1]

Hi - as you guessed, you will have no issue with the weight loads as you have described. We have have had many machine / engine build shops use our flooring with lathes and cnc's with no issues. but have not done a scientific study on vibrations...

Other commercial applications, though not what you exactly outlined

 

[Deude_Mann]

Thanks. Can you name a few of your machine shop clients with lathes and mills on Garage Deck coin flooring?

 

[Firebrick43]

I would say no.

Its plastic, over time it has plastic deformation. I am not saying it can handle the weight, I am saying it will not be static. If not static in dimensions, it will cause the lathe bed especially to twist and have alignment issues. Even concrete can deform over time with heavy loads but not nearly as much as plastic.

We normally have to relevel machines where I work every 10 years or so. Some of the foundations are 4 feet thick. They still move some what.

 

[Deude_Mann]

I am saying it will not be static. If not static in dimensions, it will cause the lathe bed especially to twist and have alignment issues.

Yep that is my concern. The mill is maybe not as big a deal since it has a stiffer platform than the lathe. The bed 'twist' that you mentioned on the lathe and the bed 'nod' IMO are going to be more sensitive to stability issues with the floor.

 

[pcmeiners]

Deude, I agree with Firebrick, I do not like the idea of placing the load on the tiles; if the 2 machines were like most other machines in a shop it would not be critical. Also you do not mention any anchoring of the machines against ever so slight motion due to vibration, temperature, and load. We are not talking economy measures here, 3/8" thick plate is thick enough for distributing weight of machines, but it not going to hurt the cost here going to 1/2 - 3/4" plates, anchored, with the ability to shim for the precision machines under live loads. I over engineer projects, but I very rarely have issues later on, but my advise could be over the top.

 

[Deude_Mann]

I have already purchased and painted the 3/8" plates so I'm saddled with them. They were about $19 a piece (precut, mild steel). I am not planning on anchoring them as of yet. I will see how it goes and add anchoring if need be.

I am going to take a look at what the layout will look like if I cut pass-through holes in the floor tiles for the steel plates so that the plates will rest directly on the slab. If I can make it look decent, and not be a trap for shavings, I may go that way.

These machines are both used, auction-bought machines to be used for occasional prototyping and very limited production.

 

[pcmeiners]

As to setting the plates, anchor cement, Rockite is what we used to use to set plates on concrete spread footings for building steel , leaves no voids under the steel plate, smear it around the plate edges it will leave no openings for shavings or dirt, damp rag cleans up when done, sets in 15 minutes.

 

[larry_g]

When setting up your tools get them level with a level that has calibrated marks on it, Starrett 98 or better. Then check the level every day for a week or better till it no longer requires daily adjustment. Then check it weekly for a few weeks to confirm that it is stable and not moving. Check it monthly after that. If it gets to the point that your tired of it moving then remove the flooring from under the pads and rest it on the cement floor. If this is a larger lathe with more than 4 feet you will have to re-level it a few times till it settles anyway, especially if it has been setting un-level for awhile and has taken on a twist.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[RPH]

I agree with all here that it will not support the equipment. Cars are a rolling load that moves that move. The tools are static loads with hopefully no movement. The plastic will “ cold flow” from the pressure. Grout the plate to the concrete and trim tiles to fit around.

 

[Deude_Mann]

Thanks all for the input.