Corrosion protection improvement validation with the use of salt spray testing

Abstract

Corrosion protection is important for customers purchasing expensive machines and expectation of high quality, which corrosion is not providing. Corrosion will cause warranty claims and costs. Improvements or changes on requirements need to be evaluated in reliable and fast way, which salt spray testing provides.

Gathering information in practice is in the center of this study. Verification of supplied serial parts, as mainly all brackets and supports are painted prior to delivery and thus corrosion protection has been performed by suppliers or their suppliers. Test´s are performed according to internal-, ISO- and ASTM standards on their application for purposes of testing.

Multiple parts and / or test plates were able to be tested simultaneously to fasten process. 3 complete tests of 1000 h were performed with more than 100 individual particles. Suppliers paint performance and different paint processes were evaluated and improvement actions determined accordingly. Dual-layer painting was found to be effective on high corrosion requirement level parts when E-coat is not a possibility as pre-treatment withstanding up-to 1000 h. E-coat was found to be more effective past 500 h on parts with single-layer top-coat, however most valuable is to have design that fit´s the purpose.