The Ultimate Guide to Preventing Corrosion During Lay Up
When preparing a manufacturing facility for periods of inactivity, preventing rust and corrosion is crucial for extending the lifespan of your equipment and machinery. Whether dealing with steel machinery, concrete structures, or complex air and water systems, proper layup procedures are vital for maintaining your assets. Rust and corrosion can cause irreversible damage, leading to costly repairs, production delays, and operational inefficiencies.
The key to safeguarding your manufacturing equipment is the application of high-quality rust prevention products. In this guide, we’ll break down the essential steps for laying up a facility and highlight the rust prevention solutions from Cortec® that offer the best protection for your assets during downtime. Your facility’s equipment, structures, and systems will stay rust-free and protected from deterioration.
Key Areas to Focus on During Facility Layup:
1. Protecting Structural Elements: Concrete and Steel
2. Protecting Electrical Systems: Control Panels and Motors
3. Air Systems: Preventing Rust in Piping, Compressors and HVAC Systems.
4. Water Systems: Fire Protection Systems and Boiler Lay-Up
5. Manufacturing Equipment: Lathes, Drills, and Grinders
6. Work in Progress and Finished Goods Protection
1. Protecting Structural Elements: Concrete and Steel
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Concrete Foundations, Walls and Ceilings:
- Wash all surfaces to remove contaminants (10% solution of VpCI®-414).
- Visually inspect for damage.
- Repair damaged areas using MCI® repair mortar.
- Coat all concrete surfaces with MCI®-2020 or MCI®-2021
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Steel Structures:
- Inspect for areas of rust and/or peeling paint.
- Power wash or use high pressure air to remove loose rust and contaminants.
- Determine if cross-section in rusted areas meets acceptable design parameters.
- To address rust:
- Option 1: Convert hematite to magnetite using CorrVerter® Rust Converter Primer; then topcoat with EcoShield® 386.
- Option 2: Remove rust with VpCI®-423; remove VpCI®-423 with 10% solution of VpCI®-414; and topcoat with EcoShield® 386.
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Loading Bay Doors:
- Clean with 10% solution of VpCI®-414.
- Spray all hinges, rollers and guides with CorShield® 369 Wet Film Corrosion Inhibitor and Lubricant.
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Fasteners, Locks, Hinges:
- Spray with CorShield® 369 Wet Film Corrosion Inhibitor and Lubricant.
2. Protecting Electrical Systems: Control Panels and Motors
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Control Panels, Power Panels and MCC:
- Deenergize the system.
- Spray all contacts and exposed metal with ElectriCorr® VpCI®-239
- Insert appropriately sized emitter:
- VpCI®-105 protects 5 ft3
- VpCI®-111 protects 11 ft3
- VpCI®-308 Pouch protects 35 ft3
- If vented, shrink wrap with either MilCorr® VpCI® Shrink Film or VpCI®-126 HP UV.
- Closed Frame Motors:
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Open Frame Motors:
- Deenergize system.
- Remove any rust with VpCI®-423
- Remove VpCI®-423 residual with 10% solution of VpCI®-414
- Coat exposed machined surfaces with VpCI®-391
- Insert VpCI®-101 Device into junction box.
- Fog ElectriCorr® VpCI®-239 into motor core.
- As a minimum, shrink wrap fan end with either MilCorr® VpCI® Shrink Film or VpCI®-126 HP UV.
3. Air Systems: Preventing Rust in Piping, Compressors and HVAC Systems.
- Piping: Purge and fill air lines, gauges and reservoirs with air pumped through VpCI® Powder.
- Compressors:
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HVAC Systems:
- Spray evaporator and condenser coils with 10% solution of VpCI®-414 to clean.
- Spray evaporator and condenser coils with VpCI®-337.
- Place VpCI®-308 Pouch inside HVAC enclosure.
- Shrink wrap with either MilCorr® VpCI® Shrink Film or VpCI®-126 HP UV.
- HVAC ducting: Close air register and fog with VpCI®-337 at 1 oz/ft3.
4. Water Systems: Fire Protection Systems and Boiler Lay-Up
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Fire Protection Systems:
- Wet systems: Drain the system and recharge the system adding VpCI®-649 at 1% by weight to the water.
- Dry systems: Set up system to force air being fed into system through a bed of VpCI® Powder.
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Boilers:
- Drain
- Add Boiler Lizard® pouches (one per 1000 gallons to water side or fog with Boiler Dragon™ at 1 oz/ft3.
- Fog fire side with Boiler Dragon™ at 1 oz/ft3
- Fog all piping with Boiler Dragon™ at 1 oz/ft3
- Spray all valve stems, bushings, packing body and bonnet nuts with CorShield® VpCI®-369 Wet Film Corrosion Inhibitor and Lubricant.
5. Manufacturing Equipment: Lathes, Drills, and Grinders
- Deenergize equipment.
- Remove any rust with VpCI®-423
- Remove VpCI®-423 residual with 10% solution of VpCI®-414
- Lubrication side: depending on type of lubricant apply one of the below products by fogging at 0.5 oz/ft3 or add to oil at 5% by volume.
- Guides, screws and surfaces subjected to relative motion: coat with VpCI®-369D.
6. Work in Progress and Finished Goods Protection
- Clean with a 10% solution of VpCI®-414
- Spray with either ElectriCorr® VpCI®-239 or CorShield® VpCI®-369 Wet Film Corrosion Inhibitor and Lubricant.
- Wrap with appropriate VpCI® Film or VpCI®-Paper.
Conclusion: Protect Your Manufacturing Facility with Cortec®'s Premium Rust Prevention Products
Laying up a manufacturing facility is a critical task to ensure that your machinery, equipment, and infrastructure remain in excellent condition during periods of dormancy. Rust prevention is key to avoiding unnecessary repairs, downtime, and maintenance costs when operations resume.
If you’re ready to safeguard your manufacturing facility with the best rust prevention products on the market, explore our full range of solutions today. Cortec® Corporation's rust inhibitors are designed to keep your facility running smoothly, even during extended periods of inactivity.
Disclaimer: This article contains information from "Layup of Manufacturing Facility", written by Cortec Corporation, originally published on: https://www.cortecvci.com/layup-of-manufacturing-facilities/.