At Data Center Floor Tiles, we’ve recently seen a major uptick in the demand for aluminum raised flooring panel options for data centers, cleanrooms and manufacturing environments. Raised access floor manufacturers believe the demand for elevated aluminum access floor panels will continue to rise in 2023 and beyond.
Why is the demand for raised aluminum flooring increasing?
The most likely scenario taking place is the increased demand in semiconductor device fabrication in the US domestic market. Fabrication includes the manufacturing of chips such as computer processors, microcontrollers and memory chips. Previously, major industry chip manufacturers relied heavily on China and Asian countries to produce their integrated circuit (IC) computer chips in overseas plants. The process typically being the manufacturing and then shipping stateside of the products to the domestic consumer. A variety of aluminum raised floor factors make this ever increasingly difficult. Chip manufacturers and technology companies are receiving heavy pressure via political and US government policy changes to reduce foreign dependence on chip manufacturing. In addition, sanctions and taxes have put further pressure on manufacturers bringing fabrication plants and chip production stateside. The result is domestic companies and manufacturers are now scrambling to create production facilities to accommodate the high-tech demands of chip production.
What makes raised aluminum flooring ideal for micro chip manufacturing plants?
The load capacity strength, lightweight anti static floor nature and particularly the magnetic properties associated with aluminum access floors makes it the perfect easy to install raised access flooring option for the production of computer chips. Often times manufacturing facilities have tremendous load requirements. A woodcore floor panel is suitable for standard office applications. However, woodcore does not meet the weight requirements and demands of a semiconductor production plant facility. Additionally, the nature of woodcore being a fibrous wood-based material makes it a poor candidate because of fire requirements in manufacturing facilities.
With woodcore floor panels being unsuitable for semiconductor fabrication plants, the next obvious choice is steel and cement filled access floor. A steel panel certainly meets the load and fire requirements for manufacturing. However, the heavily specified computer micro chip manufacturing facility requires extreme caution when it comes to magnetic properties of building materials. A steel floor panel unfortunately has the ability to conduct magnetic attraction. Paramagnetic materials required in chip manufacturing makes steel panels a poor candidate for chip fabrication.
The best choice for raised floor in a computer chip manufacturing facility is high quality aluminum raised flooring. Aluminum raised access floor panels are extremely strong, with the ability to meet and exceed loads offered by steel and concrete filled panels. Aluminum also under normal circumstances is not magnetic, mainly because of the crystal structure. The result is the most effective flooring solution to prevent contamination and defects in the high demanding manufacturing and clean room environment.
Obtaining aluminum raised floor panel system
The large uptick in demand for aluminum raised floor systems is causing the domestic access flooring panel industry to re-evaluate their product lines. In the past, the demand for aluminum flooring in the domestic market has been light. As a result, many manufacturers shut down their aluminum raised flooring production lines and facilities because of lack of demand. Currently, there is an increased demand in the domestic market. However, this demand leaves few product options for building construction managers and general contractors to choose from. Most of the large domestic aluminum raised floor manufacturers stopped producing US manufactured product around 20 years ago. With die cast aluminum demand at an all-time high and square foot and square meters inventory nearly non-existent, contractors and companies in need have found few options for fulfillment.
Previously, when US demand was low, the need for aluminum floor tile panels in Asian microchip production skyrocketed. The result of past demand is currently most aluminum floor manufacturers are located in China. In the current market this presents a problem. Because of policies set over the past two years, importing Chinese product is now ever increasingly difficult and is also cost-prohibitive. Additionally, many US based companies are being called on to use domestic products vs. imported asian materials.
Fortunately, at Data Center Floor Tiles, there are a variety of solutions to fulfill the demand for aluminum raised floor tiles. Our creative solutions, include a large stock of tile types including refurbished aluminum floor tiles. We source refurbished tiles from facilities no longer in need of their aluminum products. Data Center Floor Tiles has the ability to take in, store and inspect the stock. We then refurbish the floor tiles with new HPL (High Pressure Laminate). The result is essentially new aluminum floor tiles available immediately to install in your access floor systems. We also offer new solid aluminum floor tile solutions and high flow perforated aluminum tiles.
How to purchase aluminum raised floor tiles
The experts at Data Center Floor Tiles are here to support your raised aluminum flooring needs. Our sales team is ready to source your replacement tiles and offer the best solution for your specific project. Contact us now for panel inventory questions and support.
