Easier to install and stronger than its counterparts, scaffolding manufactured by the inline galvanizing process has become the material of choice. Consider its improved resistance to impact, abrasion, corrosion and it is easy to see why the market has fully embraced these superior products over products manufactured through hot dip galvanizing process.

Electrical conduit products are extensively produced utilizing the inline galvanizing process. No alternative process like hot dip galvanizing or usage of pre-galvanizing strips can match the quality or production efficiencies of the Zinc-Tech™ inline galvanizing process for the production of electrical conduits. This is the reason that every major producer of these products utilize inline production technology.

Authored by Peter Chifo, Jr.  Interior Coating  The interior surface of the tube is coated with end use specific coatings. These can range from low friction, high slip conduit coatings to heavy zinc rich coatings which will provide maximum corrosion protection properties. 

Authored by Peter Chifo, Jr.  For many years galvanizing and coatings have been applied over welded steel tubular products to provide protection against corrosion, enhance product appearance, and make the product more suitable for a specific end use. The vast majority of these coating systems were off-line operations that were cumbersome, labor intensive and required a significant amount of factory floor space. By the nature of their design, these off-line systems usually required work-in-process inventories, which often resulted in higher production costs. Recently, tube and pipe producers have been working to integrate as many operations in-line as practical, with the goal of optimizing efficiencies within the tube or pipe mill.

Authored by Peter Chifo, Jr.  (A segment of this blog was originally published in The Fabricator) Exterior Secondary Coating Operations  While galvanized tubulars and shapes provide considerable protection against corrosion, their performance and aesthetics may be further enhanced through application of a secondary coating or hybrid coating process. In addition to galvanized substrates, un-coated black mechanical tubes may utilize these secondary in-line processes to add utility, performance and value presenting many opportunities to non-galvanized tube and pipe producers. These secondary coating operations primarily act to shield the underlying substrates by forming a distinct protective barrier which insulates the surface from potentially harmful elements. In general to be effective coatings should possess the following properties. The coating should be continuous and substantially impervious to its subject environment while remaining resistant to damage such as abrasion or scratching. It should not electrolytically accelerate the attack on its substrate. Finally, the coating should exhibit good adhesion and ductility if the end use of the base product is intended for fabrication. It should be noted that coatings for application over tubular products are considered to be specific use formulations. They are meant to perform specific tasks with regard to corrosion protection, product aesthetics or in some cases to provide a materials advantage to allow the use of a more economical component. It is not uncommon for these coatings to require some degree of on-line tuning to optimize their performance and compensate for process or other production variables. Once these final modifications are completed the coatings will rarely require anything other than proper agitation to achieve their intended performance.

Our process applies a fully fused zinc coating to the exterior surface after seam welding. This is  beneficial in that the total circumference of the tube is coated with zinc. This provides an equal amount of protection over the entire surface of the tube including the weld seam. Unlike products manufactured using pre-galvanized materials with a metallized seam, the weld seam does not have the same level of protection as the body of the tube or pipe. It is widely accepted that metallization of the weld seam will fail far more rapidly than the pre-galvanized material. The following graphic illustrates typical performance of various products tested under the ASTM-117B Salt Spray Standard. 

Authored by Peter Chifo, Jr.  (A segment of this blog was originally published in The Fabricator) Methods for Galvanizing Tubulars and Shapes At present there are four production methods being employed to produce galvanized tubular products. Three of these are well known and only a brief description of each is provided. The fourth continuous process not being as widely known is presented in more detail. Pre-Galvanized Strip with Metallized Weld Seam This method utilizes pre-galvanized strip in lieu of un-coated steel strip. As the zinc coating is melted away at the weld seam during the welding process, a metallized spray is directed over the seam to provide corrosion protection. The inability to provide corrosion protection to the weld seam equal to that of the pre-galvanized strip makes this product susceptible to premature failure and is thereby practical for limited environments and usage. While this process requires minimal capital investment this is typically offset by the high cost of raw material which can be quite unstable due to wide fluctuations in balance of market supply and demand. Electro-Deposition or Electroplating

Our process design of Zinc-Tech™ ILG rapidly heats and cools the tube during application of zinc. A distinct benefit of this process is both higher yield and tensile strength. The following graphic will illustrate a comparison of products manufactured utilizing the Zinc-Tech™ process as compared to products manufactured by the hot dip method. 

Authored by Pete Chifo, Jr. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN TUBE & PIPE TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE  This article will inform you of the vast opportunities available to tube producers to expand into rapidly growing, profitable markets through utilization of the inline galvanizing process. While In-Line galvanizing systems have been used for over three decades by a relatively small group of producers, market expansion for its end use products have made the process attractive to a variety of tube producers worldwide. Traditionally the most common finished products for In-Line systems have been electrical conduits and fence tubes. Recent developments in line designs and technologies have enabled a number of new uses which can be manufactured more efficiently and far more cost effective than by other galvanizing processes. To begin, I would like to identify the most common alternative methods of galvanizing tubular products and shapes.  They are: Hot Dipped Galvanizing Electroplating Operations Conversion of Pre-Galvanized Strip While admittedly there are a few inherent advantages of each of the preceding methods, their disadvantages far outweigh their value to tube producers. As the technology of these methods are widely known, I will not address the details of these designs. Instead I will present the case of why the In-Line process is far more valuable to the modern-day producer.

A common misconception has been lingering in the galvanizing industry for decades: "The thicker the zinc coating, the better!" - Customer Many manufacturers who are eager to reduce their production cost and the prices for their customers know, a thicker zinc coating does not always result in better product performance. However, it is often difficult to explain this to the customer who often doesn't completely understand why. And, since a handful of end use products do benefit from a thicker coating, selling products with low zinc weight can sometimes become a struggle. So, which is it now? Does zinc coating thickness or zinc weight really matter?