The Fast Path to Permanent Safety

Summary

At Trane's 2-million-square-foot facility in Clarksville, Tennessee, traditional floor marking products couldn't stand up to the environment. Oily floors and heavy forklift traffic meant that tape and paint were failing almost as fast as they could be applied. By moving to Brady LED projected marking solutions, Vallen helped Trane transition from a constant maintenance headache to a more reliable safety solution.

The Problem

A costly maintenance loop

Floor markings are essential for safety, but in a high-traffic manufacturing environment, they're notoriously difficult to maintain. Trane was facing two primary issues:

• Adhesion failure: Constant exposure to industrial oils and grime prevented paint and tape application
• Mechanical wear: Forklifts and dragged pallets frequently tore up tape.

To keep the facility compliant and safe, Trane was caught in a cycle of regular maintenance, often on weekends. A four-person crew would often spend Saturday and Sunday scraping, cleaning and repainting lines — only to have them disappear again within weeks. With a labor burden of approximately $80 per hour per person, the recurring cost of these temporary fixes was not sustainable.

The Impact

Better safety and operational efficiency

The shift to projected lines delivered immediate results for the Clarksville facility:

• Labor recovery: The maintenance team is no longer losing weekends to floor prep and painting, freeing up time for more critical facility tasks
• Material savings: The facility eliminated the constant need for spray paint (previously 72 cans every six months) and replacement tape
• Consistent safety: Unlike paint that fades or tape that peels, the projected lines remain crisp and bright 24/7, ensuring pedestrian and forklift lanes are always clearly defined

The Partnership Advantage

Removing barriers in the sales process

For Vallen sales representatives, complex safety challenges don’t have to mean complex sales cycles. This win at Trane demonstrates how the Vallen-Brady partnership turned a more technical solution like LED projectors into a straightforward win for the customer. When implementing LED projectors, take the following actions:

• Identify the pain: Look for oily floors, abrasive traffic or customers struggling with the cost of frequently replaced floor tape
• Communicate the value: Move the conversation from "price per roll of tape" to "total cost of ownership" and labor savings
• Bring in the experts: Brady provides all the scoping forms and support to ensure the right hardware is selected for the environment