Various methods and chemicals
Choosing the treatment method and chemical
Treatment methods
Manual
Manual (rubbing/wiping) metal treatment is the simplest way to clean a piece. This works very well for small quantities and when not aiming for high corrosivity categories. However, the solution is not cost-effective for large quantities and can cause quality variations depending on the worker’s precision.
Hand-held or high pressure spray
Hand-held or high pressure spray pre-washes are efficient in terms of equipment investment, but may not be cost-effective in terms of labour costs if batch sizes increase. Protective oil removal can be carried out efficiently with a hand-held sprayer on large pieces, for example, before blasting. Collecting, recycling or disposing of wash water can be a challenge, depending on the chemicals and environmental regulations.
Dipping solutions
Dipping solutions (tanks) are generally considered a good alternative to manual treatment, but in terms of capacity, they are no match for automated lines. In tank solutions, the washing performance can vary, depending on the number of wash cycles, the purity and the chemical/water movement. The heating of washes can be very costly compared to the number of items to be treated. Daily quality checks must also be carried out.
Chamber wash solutions
Chamber wash solutions (spray booths) are correspondingly less labour-intensive than tank solutions. The challenge is the constraints imposed by the technical solutions of the washing chamber: The chemicals and water from the washing stages get mixed, the sludge is circulated from one stage to the next, and sediment management is very difficult. A lot of time needs to be devoted to the maintenance and upkeep of washing facilities and plumbing, as well as to monitoring the quality of chemical and rinse water. Heating a large chamber and drying the pieces requires time and a great deal of heating power.
Spray lines
Spray lines (automated lines) have a higher capacity and usually a better washing performance compared to tank solutions. Sometimes, dipping may be a better solution, depending on the shape of the piece (such as pipe sections and enclosure structures). More washing and rinsing steps can be added to automated lines to increase the final quality (e.g. higher corrosivity categories). Daily operations mostly consist of maintaining the quality of chemical and water ratios, but the maintenance operations are correspondingly higher. Automated lines in traditional chemical and rinsing solutions are long and, therefore, the investment costs are high.
PolarCo Oy chemical solutions for different treatment methods
Our principal’s chemicals (processes) can solve typical challenges in the metal pre-treatment industry. In addition to the quality of the end result, the product development has focused on simplicity of use, zero sludge, minimisation of energy and water consumption, and non-toxicity. The products are easy to use and environmentally friendly.
Manual washes
– Alkaline washing / Sache
– Neutral washing / DNAD
– Phosphating / Phostri
Dipping and spraying solutions
Solvent-based one-step solutions
– De-oiling and conversion coating / Toran 3
Water-based solutions
– Alkaline washing / Sache
– Neutral washing / DNAD
– Pickling / DBT
– Phosphating / Phostri
– Purified water solutions / R.O Vesi
– Zirconium passivating / PASS NC2
– Thin film coating / Pronortec or Orgasil
For more information, please visit our Products page.