How to Clean and Protect Your Parts with One Chemistry

Q: What kind of storage are you targeting for your corrosion protection?
A:  Well, we target it. We simulate storage inside a warehouse or inside a truck where rain is not actually raining on the part, but you’re in a very humid and hot environment. This could be the summertime in Michigan or Malaysia.

Q:  Do you recommend different chemical concentrations for winter and summer with the really difficult parts like I mentioned before, cast steel?
A: Normally, we do well with this steel product. We’ll typically recommend 3 to 5% in the wintertime and in the summer will go up a couple of percents to 5 to 7%. That’s in the wash and the rinse.

Q: Did these products leave a visible film on parts?
A: They can. It depends on how much the concentration is that you’re running and how long you need protection for. For most cast parts where you have a rough surface, you don’t see the corrosion inhibitor left behind, but you will see the RP left behind on the very shiny, machined surface, the stamped part. Usually, it looks like a very mild or slightly white film, or it can appear to be similar to water spots.

Q: Will these combination cleaner R.P. products pass salt spray testing?
A: The answer is no. These are water-based RP products, and the RP will be rinsed off in an even misting salt spray test. Salt sprays are normally used for coated products like powder coated products, for example, to test the integrity of the coating.

Q: Final question, can I clean both aluminum and steel in the same cleaner RP product?
A:  The answer is yes, and a lot of companies want to do this today. I didn’t say much about the aluminum product, but we do have a very nice combination cleaner RP product for doing both steel and aluminum. Our West Coast regional manager Scott Cain will be giving a Tech 2 Tech presentation on this subject in the near future. Please tune into that one.