Pretreatment / Cleaning
Pretreatment is the process of removing both organic and inorganic soils to prepare parts for finishing. At Westside Finishing this is done using an iron phosphate solution that we apply in one of three ways depending on the size of the part. The iron phosphate solution not only cleans and etches the part, it also provides a better surface for coating adhesion and adds enhanced corrosion protection. The three methods of pretreatment in our Western Mass facility include our three stage conveyorized washer, our batch cabinet washer and a manual wand system.
Conveyorized, Three Stage Washer
- This system has the capability to do a 3' wide x 5' tall x 8' long part.
- The first stage consists of the iron phosphate solution at a temp of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The second stage is a plain water rinse.
- The third stage is another rinse which incorporates a sealing agent. The sealing agent aids the iron phosphate in its adhesion properties and corrosion resistance.
- After coming out of the third stage the part travels directly into a dedicated dry off oven and when it emerges at the end is fully dry.
Cabinet, Two Stage Washer
- The cabinet washer, unlike the conveyor, is loaded manually using a hoist or forklift.
- This machine has the capability to wash parts up to 92" tall that will fit on a 96" diameter turntable.
- The first stage utilizes an iron phosphate solution at a temp of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The second stage is a plain water rinse.
- The part is then moved into one of our batch ovens to fully dry.
Manual Wand System
- We can wash parts of virtually any size by utilizing our power washing area and manual wand system.
- Through this system we apply an iron phosphate solution at 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After the iron phosphate we run plain water through the machine to rinse the part.
- The part is then moved into one of our batch ovens to fully dry.
Please contact us to learn more about the pretreatment and cleaning of any part, big or small!