Industrial Rust Removal Methods

New to industrial rust removal? Here is a breakdown of various methods.

According to The Monticello News:

“We have all seen rust at some point in our lives, whether on the bumper of your car, an old bike, or a metal gate. Depending on how much you love your car, this rust doesn’t usually cause too much alarm and can usually be taken care of with a little elbow grease. But what about when your business depends on removing rust, not just from a bike chain, but from giant metal beams, entire industrial machines, or even the hulls of ships? You’re going to need a lot more elbow grease! Fortunately, these industrial rust removal methods get the job done.

Mechanical Buffing

“This is what you might call a good old-fashioned method of rust removal. It involves bringing out the tools, from sandpaper and steel wool to heavy-duty stripping disks and grinding wheels. This method is highly labor-intensive but is great for attacking thick rust on wider, less detailed surfaces, such as the sides of vehicles. However, the aggressive nature may be murder on a preexisting paint job and on metal surfaces you want to treat with greater care.

Rust Removal Solvents

“At home, we often take a rusty metal tool and bathe it in a solution with baking soda or vinegar to get rid of rust. While those won’t quite cut it in the industrial world, there are some liquids that can help get rid of industrial-level rust. Simply scrub the commercial solvent of your choice on the metal and voila, a brand-new finish. Naturally, this is a pretty appealing option for companies that want to save on cost and labor. The one catch is that commercial solvents mainly work on surface-level rust that has not yet gone deeper into the metal.

Shot-Blasting

“Shot-blasting removes rust from metal surfaces by shooting the metal with tiny abrasive objects such as steel beads, literally shooting off the rust in the process. This incredible technology can clean rust off anything from small metal piping to an entire forklift. The catch is that you need to get your hands on shot-blasting machinery, which is not as easy to come by as a stripping disk or other rust removal tools.

“In some ways, industrial rust removal methods aren’t so different than domestic methods. They simply require bigger tools, a knowledge of the best methods for each job, and much more elbow grease.”

Original Source