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Ways to Combat Rust

Nobody wants rusty parts.  And nobody is happy when they find previously good parts are suddenly covered in rust.

 

Rust or corrosion is a significant issue in manufacturing facilities large and small, impacting resources and increasing operating costs. Rust is difficult to prevent and nearly impossible to anticipate on manufactured parts.

 

When rust occurs, leading manufacturers look to Latem Industries for metal finishing solutions. Here’s how we can help.

 

Understanding Rust

 

What is rust – the short answer?

 

Rusting is defined as the chemical process in which there is a formation of red or orange coat on the surface of the metals. Rusting is a part of corrosion.

 

Surface rust can be spotted or flaky and does not protect the underlying iron, which enables the oxide to grow. With enough time, oxygen and moisture will eventually convert an iron part entirely to rust and disintegrate it.

 

Removing Rust

 

Latem Industries offers various processes to remove rust or corrosion from processed parts.  Let’s review some of these options.

 

Shot blasting

 

Compared to performing rust removal by hand, shot-blasting is significantly faster. It can be very cost effective as well.  The rusty part must be free of any moisture or oils before shot blasting, so a pre-wash/dry may be required.  Shot blasting will remove rust and many coatings, if required, from metal parts.  However, it can damage threads, or delicate surface areas. 

 

Vibratory finishing

 

Vibratory finishing is ideal for parts and components made of softer metals that would be susceptible to distortion or stresses in a tumbling process.  Using a combination of water, media and compounds inside a vibratory bowl, the friction the parts experience removes the rust.  Once the process is complete and the rust is gone, special rust inhibitors are added to the vibratory bowl to ensure the parts and components are protected from recurring corrosion.  Again, another very cost-effective way to do many parts at once.  Part size limitations due to bowl size can be a factor.

 

Tumble barrel finishing

 

Barrel tumbling is a mass metal finishing technique that can be used to remove rust. It involves placing rusty pieces into a horizontal barrel, along with compounds and sometimes finishing media, and using centrifugal force to work a clean surface. Excellent process with smaller parts.  Media lodging can be a concern.

 

Ultrasonic

 

Ultrasonic rust removal involves placing the rusted pieces into a cavitation bath.  Using special rust removal compounds, the rust is removed from the parts.  If pitting has occurred due to the rust, this pitting will not be removed in this process.  However, the ultrasonic process is excellent for threaded, frail, or delicate parts.

 

The best process for removing rust from mass quantities of parts is often determined by the extent of the corrosion and the geometry of the part.

 

Latem Industries Limited offers each of these solutions to our customers.  If you are having issues with parts, small or large, contact Latem and let us work our magic!

 

 

 

 

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