The material is inspected for adequate venting and draining holes and is then suspended by wire in readiness for the pre-treatment process. To find out more about venting and draining please visit the ‘Design for Galvanizing’ page in the Technical section.
A multistage pre-treatment process ensures the steel is free from rust and other surface contaminants before being immersed in a solution of flux which ‘wets’ the steel improving the quality of the galvanizing.
Once dry the steel is lowered into a bath of molten zinc which is heated to 450oC. An alloy layer is formed on all surfaces, both internal and external, as the steel makes contact with the molten zinc. Additional layers of zinc are formed on top of the alloy layer during the time the steel is immersed in the bath.
The galvanized steel is inspected and any surface irregularities, wire marks or ash deposits are removed. It is then packaged up and returned to the yard in readiness for dispatch.
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Size Capability
Our galvanizing bath in Elgin measures 10.5 m long x 1.1 m wide x 2.5 m deep which allows processing of steelwork of up to 14 m in length and 1.05 in width.
Our galvanizing bath in Cumbernauld measures 7 m long x 1.2 m wide x 3 m deep which allows processing of steelwork of up to 10.5 m in length and 1.15 in width.
The width of an item is usually the main determining point on whether an item is suitable for galvanizing. The metal will expand as it is heated in the zinc bath therefore an expansion tolerance must be allowed for at the design stage.
The maximum lifting capacity for an individual object is 4 tonnes at both plants.