20 Degrees Lower – Benefits Across the Entire Line

Van Rijn Coating, based in Utrecht, has worked with AD Chemicals to demonstrate how a change in pretreatment chemistry can reduce energy consumption, water loss and maintenance requirements within an existing production line.

Improving the sustainability of surface treatment does not necessarily require investment in a completely new installation. Significant gains can also be achieved by taking a closer look at the chemistry used in existing processes.

At Moffel- en Spuitinrichting G. van Rijn B.V., this approach resulted in a switch from conventional iron phosphating to a phosphate-free pretreatment based on AD Chemicals’ PreCoat CPF. The change made it possible to reduce the bath temperature from approximately 52 to 32 °C.

This 20-degree reduction has a direct impact on energy use, evaporation and maintenance. At the same time, the pretreatment still needs to meet the demands of a job coater handling a wide variety of products and substrates.

20 Degrees Lower

Van Rijn Coating operates a pretreatment bath with a volume of approximately 7 m³. Under the previous process, the bath was maintained at around 52 °C. With the new pretreatment, the operating temperature has been reduced to approximately 32 °C.

According to a calculation tool developed by AD Chemicals and benchmarked against practical operating data, the calculated energy saving for this bath is approximately 60%.

The largest saving comes from the reduced amount of energy required to heat the bath and keep it at operating temperature. Lower heat losses and reduced evaporation provide additional benefits.

What makes this case particularly relevant is that these savings are achieved within the existing production line, without the need to replace the complete pretreatment installation.

Less Evaporation, Less Water Loss

The lower process temperature also has a clear impact on water use. At Van Rijn, the calculated evaporation loss has fallen from 12.42 kg of water per hour to 2.88 kg per hour.

Based on eight production hours per day and five working days per week, this equates to approximately 19 m³ less evaporation-related make-up water per year. For this specific component, the reduction is therefore more than 70%.

This should not be interpreted as a 70% reduction in the line’s total water consumption. Rinse water, drag-out, bath replacement and cleaning water are not included in this calculation.

However, the figures clearly illustrate how much influence bath temperature alone can have. Reduced evaporation also means less vapour and mist around the production line, which in turn reduces the load on extraction systems, chain conveyors and other equipment.

Less Sludge, Less Maintenance

Reduced sludge formation is another important benefit.

Traditional iron phosphating can lead to sludge accumulating in baths, pipework, pumps and spray nozzles. This requires regular cleaning and can result in production downtime.

Since switching to the new process, sludge formation at Van Rijn has been significantly reduced. Combined with filtration, this helps keep the bath cleaner and more stable for longer.

Previously, the bath required thorough cleaning once or twice a year. Today, this is typically reduced to around once a year.

For a production company, the benefit goes beyond lower maintenance requirements. Fewer cleaning interventions also mean more available production time.

Flexible Enough for a Varied Product Mix

Sustainability was not the only consideration for Van Rijn. As a job coater, the company has to process a wide variety of products and substrates every day.

PreCoat CPF can be used on materials including steel, aluminium, galvanised steel and stainless steel, allowing a broad range of products to be treated within a single production line.

The process is primarily controlled through pH and conductivity. The detergent component can be dosed separately, allowing cleaning performance to be adjusted to suit the level of contamination and the product mix.

This makes the process easier to control and also creates opportunities for further automation.

Quality Remains the Priority

A more sustainable process only delivers value if coating quality is maintained.
Pretreatment must provide a reliable foundation for paint adhesion and corrosion protection. At Van Rijn, the system is used across a range of substrates and applications.
For products with more demanding corrosion-protection requirements, the pretreatment can also be extended with an additional passivation step.
The result is a modular process concept: as simple as possible, as comprehensive as necessary.

Start With What Is Already in Place

Van Rijn’s experience shows that improving the sustainability of surface treatment is not simply a matter of replacing equipment. By changing the process chemistry, the company has been able to operate 20 degrees lower, significantly reduce the energy consumption of the relevant bath, reduce evaporation and lower maintenance requirements. The broader lesson extends beyond this individual application.

Companies looking to make an existing production line more sustainable should not focus solely on ovens, burners and pumps. Chemical pretreatment also plays an important role in determining energy use, water consumption, maintenance requirements and process control.

Sometimes the greatest gains do not come from replacing the production line, but from making better use of what is already there.

Image: Jeroen Heuts, Managing Director/Owner, Moffel- en Spuitinrichting G. van Rijn B.V.

20 Degrees Lower – Benefits Across the Entire Line

20 Degrees Lower

Categories

Less Evaporation, Less Water Loss

Less Sludge, Less Maintenance

Flexible Enough for a Varied Product Mix

Quality Remains the Priority

Start With What Is Already in Place

Newsletter

Metal Surface Treatment

AD International B.V.

+31 (0) 167 526 900

Visiting address

20 Degrees Lower – Benefits Across the Entire Line

20 Degrees Lower

Categories

Less Evaporation, Less Water Loss

Less Sludge, Less Maintenance

Flexible Enough for a Varied Product Mix

Quality Remains the Priority

Start With What Is Already in Place

Newsletter

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Metal Surface Treatment

AD International B.V.

+31 (0) 167 526 900

Visiting address