Cantilever racking

The paint process for Cantilever System

The basic components of cantilever racking are madefrom hot-rolled IPE or IPN beams. These beams providethe system with greater load-bearing strength andimpact resistance.The beams are covered with calamine, a layer of impuri-ties produced on the surface of steel from heatingduring the rolling process. This layer must be properlyremoved before painting, in order to ensure that thepaint adheres correctly, a basic requirement for rustprevention.Chemical treatment is not sufficient to remove thecalamine.The complete process by which Mecalux treats theseparts consists of three consecutive phases: - Shot-blasting to remove the calamine.- Painting.- Polymerising in a drying oven.Shot-blasting consists of removing the calaminemechanically, through the high-pressure impact of small steel balls. These balls break the calamine andremove it from the surface. They also remove any layersbetween the calamine and the surface of the beam, thereby preventing rust starting points from devel-oping.At the same time, all dirt and the lubricant used in themachining process are removed, leaving the part inperfect condition for applying paint and ensuring it willadhere properly.The painting phase is carried out automatically immedi-ately after shot-blasting, thereby preventing rust devel-oping between phases. The paint used is blue acrylic (RAL 5001), with a thick-ness of 50 micras and polymerised in a drying oven.In the case of the arms, once shot-blasted, they aretaken to an automatic chemical pickling tunnel (toremove any possible rust produced between phases), after which they are painted with orange water-solublepaints (RAL 2001) and dried at high temperatures.