The Coil Coating Process: Prepainted Steel And Aluminum

Coil coating refers to the process of creating prepainted steel and aluminum. Prepainted steel or aluminum can be found in a high number of household products. From refrigerators to air conditioners and construction material, prepainted steel can be found everywhere. Different coatings can be applied for different demands.

“In some coatings, you are going to need more exterior environment weathering, flexibility, and more impact resistance than you do with other coatings,” says Aaron Small, Corporate Vice President at Kloeckner Metals U.S. and President of the National Coil Coating Association (NCCA). “If we’re going to do roofing and sidewalls, we would often choose either a fluorocarbon, siliconized polyester, or modified polyesters.”

Coil Coating: The Basics

Coil coating is how the coating material is applied to the strip of steel or aluminum. A coil of metal sheet is continuously fed into the process which is controlled via accumulators at each end of the line. They take in a bare coil of metal at one end and let out the finished product on the other end. In the middle, the coil coating process is applied.

“What we do is actually referred to as high-speed, continuous coil coating,” Small says. “What makes high-speed, continuous coil coating possible is the non-stop application of the cleaning, the treating, the coating, the curing, and potentially the leveling, while the sheet is flat, all in one high-speed path through a coil coating line.”

The Key to Coil Coating

The key is being able to maintain a constant speed of the strip through the process. The accumulators allow this by letting the middle of the line to continue running at the prescribed rate while new metal is added at the decoil end, or the finished product is removed from the recoil end of the line.

“You don’t have starts and stops,” Small says. “This allows our coaters to consistently clean, treat, seal, apply a paper-thin coating, cure it evenly, and cool it back down without burning the metal or the coating.”

The Uses Of Aluminum Coil

Aluminum is a truly remarkable metal. Due to its signature properties (malleability, rust and corrosion resistance, etc.) countless individuals have taken aluminum and have used it for numerous applications. If you are like many, it can be difficult to understand what exactly the uses of aluminum coil are. Do not worry. Wrisco has prepared a small list of industries and practices that rely on aluminum coil to get the job done. So if you are curious to know what the uses of aluminum coil are, then continue reading below.

THE USES OF ALUMINUM COIL

TRANSPORTATION

You might be surprised to find out that the construction of most forms of transportation is actually made with aluminum coil. Transportation vehicles such as automobiles and cars are manufactured from aluminum coils. This is because such vehicles will require components that are lightweight, durable and not rust easily since they will be used daily. Parts of most transportation vehicles that rely on aluminum coil for construction include engine components, air conditioners, radiators, wheel hubs, car doors and much more.

ARCHITECTURAL DECORATION

Thanks to its corrosion resistance, strength, and incredible processing and welding performance, aluminum coil will be often utilized a lot for architectural decoration. Other than surface decoration, most building projects rely on aluminum coil to help design structures, doors, windows, ceilings, curtain wall profiles, pressure plates, color coating sheets, etc.

ELECTRONIC APPLIANCES

Although this metal is not as electrically conductive as copper, aluminum coils are often utilized within many electronics. Aluminum is often particularly used in wiring as their corrosion resistance guarantees that wires will last for a long time. This is why objects such as power lines and air conditioners with electrical components are able to withstand the elements for a long time. This is why most electronics, in general, have a fairly long lifespan.

FOOD INDUSTRY

The main reason why food cans are made with aluminum coils is because of aluminum’s malleability, rust and corrosion resistance. Thanks to its malleability, aluminum cans are able to be easily manufactured in mass quantities. Due to its rust and corrosion resistance, aluminum is able to guarantee that the food within the can will be able to stay fresh for a long time. Besides cans, aluminum coils aid in the production of lid caps, bottles and other packaging.

AND MUCH MORE

Aluminum is such a versatile metal. Because of this, aluminum coils are utilized for a wide variety of reasons. Though we have listed some applications above, there are many more industries and practices that aluminum coils are used for. If you find that you need a metal type to help assist you in the production or function of a certain object or item, you very likely might just benefit from purchasing aluminum coil.

Galvanized Steel: Types, Uses, Benefits

What is Galvanizing?

Galvanizing, or galvanization, is a manufacturing process where a coating of zinc is applied to steel or iron to offer protection and prevent rusting. There are several galvanizing processes available, but the most commonly offered and used method is called hot-dip galvanizing.

Galvanized steel is among the most popular steel types because of its extended durability, having the strength and formability of steel plus the corrosion protection of the zinc-iron coating. The zinc protects the base metal by acting as a barrier to corrosive elements, and the sacrificial nature of the coating results in a long-lasting and high-quality steel product.

This versatility makes it applicable to a variety of projects and industries, including agriculture, solar, automotive, construction, and so on. Below, we aim to provide a comprehensive description of how galvanized steel is processed, different galvanization methods, its benefits, and how it is used in these various industries.

The steps in the galvanizing process are as follows:

The steel is cleaned in a degreasing solution

After being cleaned, the steel is pickled by being lowered into a vat of diluted hot sulfuric acid

The steel is then fluxed in an aqueous solution (typically zinc-ammonium chloride)

After the flux, the steel is galvanized through immersion in a vat of molten zinc

Afterward, the steel is inspected for consistency and a complete coating

What are the advantages of galvanized steel?

Many different industries utilize galvanized steel primarily because it has such a wide array of benefits for industries to take advantage of, including having:

Low initial cost compared to most treated steels. In addition, galvanized steel is immediately ready to use when delivered. It does not require additional preparation of the surface, inspections, painting/coatings, etc. sparing companies more costs on their end.

Longer life. With galvanization, a piece of industrial steel is expected to last more than 50 years in average environments, and can last over 20 years with severe water exposure. There is no maintenance required. The increased durability of the steel’s finished product also increases the product’s reliability.

The sacrificial anode ensures that any damaged steel is protected by the surrounding zinc coating. It doesn’t matter if the steel section is completely exposed; the zinc will still corrode first. The coating will corrode preferentially to the steel, creating a sacrificial protection to the areas that are damaged.

Rust resistance from the zinc coating. The iron elements in steel are incredibly prone to rusting, but the addition of zinc acts as a protective buffer between the steel and any moisture or oxygen. Galvanized steel is very protective, including sharp corners and recesses that couldn’t be protected with other coatings, making it resistant to damage.

Different methods of galvanizing

As stated above, there are several different processes for galvanizing steel.

What Are The Strongest Metals?

What is the world’s strongest metal? This is one of those questions that sounds simple enough but is actually quite complex. When it comes to metal, making direct comparisons based on strength doesn’t work. Why? First of all, because there isn’t a single, universal scale for strength. At best, there are four. In today’s blog, I’m going to outline these four types of strength as they relate to metallurgy before giving some insights and comparisons of the metals leading the pack in terms of strength. Let’s get started.

DETERMINING THE STRONGEST METALS: TYPES OF STRENGTH

TENSILE STRENGTH

Tensile strength refers to a material’s ability to resist tension. In other words, it looks at the amount of strength required to stretch or pull something apart. A material with low tensile strength would pull apart more easily than a material with high tensile strength.

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

Compressive strength refers to a material’s ability to withstand being squeezed together (compressed). To test compressive strength, an external force places pressure upon a material, tracking to what degree the material can resist size reduction. A widely accepted test for compressive strength is Mohs Hardness Test. The test relies on a scale which rates minerals from 1-10, or softest-hardest.

YIELD STRENGTH

Yield strength refers to a material’s ability to withstand permanent deformation or bending. It’s a way of testing the elastic limit of a given material. Usually determined via a bend test where two ends of a beam or bar are gripped and stress is applied. The intent is to discover how much stress it requires to exceed the material’s yield point, or the point at which the material will not return to its original shape upon removal of the stress.

IMPACT STRENGTH

Impact strength refers to a material’s ability to withstand a blow without fracturing or shattering. In other words, it’s a method for determining the limit of how much energy a material can absorb via impact.

What is a Corrugated Metal Roofing Panel?

A corrugated panel has a repeating wavy or rippled pattern across its design. It was the first mass-produced metal panel design in the United States. These panels can be used for roofing, siding, decking, and flooring. Corrugated panels are connected by overlapping the sheets, and then securing them in place with exposed fasteners. Trapezoidal rib panels are often mistakenly referred to as corrugated roofing.

The most common corrugated materials include coated carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and copper. Even non-metal materials are corrugated as well.