The galvanizing process is one among the harshest operations in metal manufacturing: Equipment must be ready to endure extreme heat, large loads, and a highly caustic environment. Liftlink Technologies is proud to satisfy the demanding material handling needs of galvanizing lines, steel rolling mills, and other critical equipment.
Whether producing complex custom equipment or standard replacement components and parts, Liftlink Technologies supports lifting applications of all types, with capacities up to 100 tons. Our team is recognized as an industry leader in overhead cranes, wire rope hoists, and lots of other lifting products.
Hot-dip galvanizing is that the process of coating steel or iron with a layer of zinc for added corrosion resistance, allowing the fabric to perform with an extended life than chrome steel — and at a lower cost.
Galvanized coatings are achieved through the hot-dip process, which involves immersing the iron or steel material in molten zinc through a multi-step galvanizing line. The resulting material is encased in several layers of zinc and zinc-iron alloys, making it extremely tough. Most galvanized steel features a relatively thick outer coating (3.0-6 mils, 75-150 microns, 1.7 to 3.6 oz./sq. ft.), designed to guard the metal from corrosion in most conditions for 50 to 100 years.
The galvanizing line may be a demanding, highly caustic environment and is more manual than the fabrication process; steel is suspended from crane hoists to be immersed during a series of solutions. The steps include:
• Caustic cleaning, during which the steel is immersed during a caustic solution
- Water rinse
- Pickling to get rid of oxides and mill scale
- Flux solution dip, where steel is cleaned of all oxidation
- Drying to organize for zinc and zinc alloys
- Immersion during a zinc bath
- Final cooling and inspection
Continuous sheet galvanizing, meanwhile, involves uncoiling sheet, passing it through the cleaning steps and molten zinc bath at accelerates to 500 feet per minute, then performing the drying and recoiling processes. These sheets feature a comparatively thin coating (0.45 oz. per side), and thus they’re best-suited for interior applications unless painted after galvanizing.
Since the galvanizing line incorporates numerous hostile materials, cranes and other line equipment like tanks, filtration systems, and furnaces must be specially designed to face up to the environment. Cranes specifically crafted to endure caustic environments will last longer and perform more reliably in these applications, requiring less maintenance and downtime.
These cranes are often bespoke , and are made with galvanized or chrome steel tracks to stop rust and premature corrosion. Galvanized solid bar runway electrification and other tough design elements also can help reduce the damaging effects of the environment.
