Pilatus aircraft works

In the year 1939 the Pilatus aircraft works were founded in the Swiss locality of Stans. With an affiliate in Switzerland and further affiliates in the USA and Australia, the Pilatus group today is the global leader in the manufacture of single-engine turboprop aircraft.

Within the framework of the upgrading work in June 2008 at the head office in Stans, the old solid oak parquet in the hangar was upgraded for the first time in 40 years. This upgrading placed high demands on the sealing, since the surface should have maximum resistance capability due to the very high level of mechanical and chemical stressing.
After different test processes, the parquet specialists of the company Bourqui GmbH from Meggen (Switzerland) decided to employ the Pall-X 98 two-component sealing from the Pallmann brand for the processing of the 2,600 square meters, which was developed especially for floors subjected to extreme stressing.

Surface treatment
Priming

First of all, the parquet layers of the old solid oak parquet were sanded off with the aid of a belt sanding machine in sanding operations with 36, 60 and 80 grain size. The surface sanding with 100 grain size was implemented with a special double-equipped Trio sanding machine. Then the floor was cleaned again.

For the priming of the old floor, the solvent-content primer Allbase was used, since the surface was contaminated with residue, such as oils. The decision to apply Allbase in two application operations was made by the application technician of Uzin Tyro AG, in cooperation with the company Bourqui GmbH, in order to achieve a sufficient blocking effect. The drying time between the first and second application of the primer was approximately 30 minutes.
 

Sealing:

After the finished primed floor had dried for approximately 3 hours, the laying personnel could begin with the application of the water-based, two-component sealing agent Pall-X 98. First of all, the varnish and hardener component were mixed thoroughly with each other. Due to the extreme requirements on the resistance of the floor, the varnish was applied in three layers with the aid of an application roller for water-based varnishes. In this case, the rolling was begun at the edge and then applied first transverse to and then in the direction of the grain. The drying of the individual protective coatings was implemented overnight in each case. Before the last application, the surface was once again sanded off with a Pallmann mesh screen grain 120 (rotary machine) and cleaned carefully with the aid of an industrial vacuum cleaner. The surface finish was then implemented again with the stress-resistant covering varnish.

The result of the work in the large hangar was fascinating. Strong load-carrying capacity, combined with an appealing appearance, increased the visual value of the old workshop and nevertheless satisfied the extreme demands in everyday use.

Laying operation company Bourqui GmbH
The company Bourqui GmbH from Meggen, which was founded in 1960 near Lucerne, specializes in the laying of exclusive parquet floors. The company, which is already in its second generation of management, employs a total of four employees and is mainly active in Switzerland.