Heavy equipment is an integral part of everyday industry. It is also an expensive investment, making it critical for equipment owners to extend asset service life as long as possible. Where corrosion threatens to shorten that lifespan, Cortec® recommends several protective coatings to enhance preventative maintenance.
Why Does Heavy Equipment Age Early?
Heavy equipment is often used in harsh environments. Fertilizer loading at barge docks, coal moving at power plants, and material handling at sauerkraut factories are just some of the activities that can quickly age fork trucks and front-end loaders, causing paint to peel and surfaces to rust. Even manufacturers face the challenge of keeping equipment in like-new condition when it is shipped overseas and sitting outdoors in a distributor’s show yard for several months before resale.
Coating as Part of Routine Maintenance
Two Cortec® Coatings stand out as excellent options for delaying corrosion on heavy equipment. Both can be applied un-tinted over bare and painted metal surfaces or matched to a desired color scheme. Both are water-based and allow for easy cleanup. EcoShield® VpCI®-386 is a permanent coating that inhibits corrosion at a very thin DFT (dry film thickness) and has a VOC of 0.6 lbs/gal (72 g/L). VpCI®-391 is a removable coating that dries to a hazy non-tacky film and has a low VOC of 0.4 lbs/gal (48 g/L). The latter is a great option for shipping new equipment as well as for performing annual preventative maintenance, as it can inconspicuously be left on for extended periods or sprayed off with an alkaline cleaner. Two other helpful maintenance coatings are CorrVerter®, a water-based rust-converter primer that can be used for restoration on previously rusted surfaces, and VpCI®-369, an oil-based wet-film corrosion inhibitor good for moving parts.
Add a Layer of Protection to Assets
Some environments cause heavy equipment to age more quickly than others. Applying a Cortec® permanent or removable coating is a great addition to the normal maintenance routine, providing inconspicuous protection to painted and bare metal surfaces. Contact Cortec® for more tips on heavy equipment corrosion preventative maintenance.
Keywords: anticorrosion coatings, coatings for heavy equipment, heavy equipment, slow down aging on heavy equipment, heavy equipment maintenance, maintenance tips for front end loaders, extend service life, Cortec, preventative maintenance, rust prevention
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