Once the metal is cleaned, treated, and painted, the strip is rewound into a coil size prescribed by the customer. From there, the coil is removed from the line and packaged for shipment or additional processing.
After the primer is applied and cured, then the metal strip enters the finish coat station where a topcoat is applied. Topcoats provide color, corrosion resistance, durability, flexibility and any other required physical properties. Like primers, the topcoat is cured using thermal cure ovens.
Oven
Coil coating ovens can range from 130 feet to 160 feet and will cure the coatings in 13 to 20 seconds.
During this stage, the strip enters the prime coat station whereby a primer is applied to the clean and treated metal. After the primer is applied, the metal strip travels through a thermal oven for curing. Primers are used to aid in paint adhesion, improve corrosion performance and enhance aesthetic and functional attributes of the topcoat.
S Wrap Coater
The S wrap coater design allows for primers and paints to be applied to the top and back side of the metal strip simultaneously in one continuous pass.
The cleaning and pretreating section of the coil coating process focuses on preparing the metal for painting. During the cleaning stage, dirt, debris, and oils are removed from the metal strip. From there, the metal enters the pretreatment section and/or a chemical coater whereby chemicals are applied to facilitate paint adhesion and enhance corrosion resistance.
Dried-In-Place
In this stage a chemical that provides enhanced corrosion performance is applied. This treatment can be chrome free if required.
The accumulator is a structure that adjusts up and down to store material, which makes continuous operation of the coil coating process possible. This accumulation will continue to feed the coil coating processes while the entry end has stopped for the stitching process. As much as 750 feet of metal can be collected.
AZZ is a multifaceted company providing cost-effective metal protection solutions that require zero maintenance.
There are very few places that exist in the country where you can get four different types of finishes at one stop—AZZ is an industry leader for a reason. Watch our video below shot at our facility in Crowley, Texas to learn more about the capabilities and expertise AZZ brings to corrosion protection.
This is unfortunate, because corrosion is much more than unsightly—it is destructive of your equipment, shortening the life of that equipment and requiring costly repairs or even replacement. That is because corrosion—which is a chemical reaction of oxygen with the metal to form oxides that can dissolve, disintegrate, and drive further corrosion—weakens the metal, making it thinner, making it wear faster, and even resulting in holes and breaks.
While up-front costs exist associated with protecting steel products with metal coating solutions such as galvanizing, metalizing or powder coating, the long-term benefits from corrosion more than make up for the initial outlay. In addition to maintenance and monitoring costs, there are potential lost products, lost production time, property damage, injuries, environmental costs, and even damaged public relations. When these costs are considered, the price of long-term corrosion protection is even more compelling.
Corrosion’s economic impact is staggering: A study titled “Corrosion Costs and Preventive Strategies in the United States,” conducted from 1999 to 2001 by CC Technologies Laboratories, Inc., with support from the FHWA and NACE, shows that “the total annual estimated direct cost of corrosion in the U.S. is a staggering $276 billion—approximately 3.1% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).” NACE International did a further study showing the global impact of corrosion to be $2.5 trillion—approximately 3.4 percent of global GDP.
For highways and bridges alone, the cost of corrosion nationwide is $8.3 billion. Corrosion of transmission towers and poles for electric utilities costs the industry $6.9 billion, and in agriculture the corrosion of irrigation systems, livestock containment, and so on costs the industry over a $1 billion. Rather than replacing and repairing already-corroded equipment, we should take steps to proactively prevent corrosion.
AZZ offers a variety of metal-coating solutions, including galvanizing, powder coating, metalizing, and GalvaBar, a galvanized rebar that both provides the protection of zinc and exceptional formability. These solutions are leading the way in protecting our nation’s infrastructure, helping to save billions of dollars annually and making our world safer in the process.
Avoid the high costs of corrosion related maintenance and replacement. Keep your plants up and running, safe and secure from corrosion, with metal protection solutions from AZZ.
To learn more about what AZZ Inc. can do for your business, visit us online at http://www.AZZ.com today!