Case Studies

Manufacturing

Case Studies:

Met-ALL TERJ Improves Cleaning and Inhibits Rust While Reducing Operational Costs

OPPORTUNITY:
The customer is a refurbisher of steel propane gas bottles, for heating, cooking, and illumination devices. In their refurbishing process, they first shot blast any excessively

soiled and corroded bottles, then run the bottles through one of two washers. The first washer is a 2-stage spray washer, consisting of a cleaning and rust preventative step, followed by a rinse. The second washer is a 1-stage spray washer, consisting of a single cleaning and rust preventative step. The bottles are then painted, refilled with propane, labeled, and stored on skids for delivery to distribution sites.

In this process, the customer was utilizing a competitor’s alkaline cleaner in the spray washers to remove cooking grease and other soils from the steel tanks. However, the grease was not removed enough for the paint to wet out properly, resulting in a high percentage of rework. The customer was also concerned about corrosion, as the slow-drying, water-based paint system allowed for rust to form on the metal surface, which ultimately bled through the paint.

THE DUBOIS SOLUTION:
DuBois partnered with the customer to implement Met-ALL TERJ, a multi-metal safe cleaner and rust inhibitor, designed for use in low-temperature, high-pressure spray wash systems. Met-ALL TERJ is not only effective at removing heavy carbonized soils, but it has an excellent detergent package that is able to penetrate difficult greases and oils and quickly remove them from the surface of the part. Met-ALL TERJ exhibits low foaming at water temperatures as low as 80°F (26.7°C), saving energy and eliminating risk of foam-over, and contains a no-VOC cleaning package, allowing It to clean better and longer.

RESULTS AND BENEFITS:
Met-ALL TERJ was introduced to the spray wash systems at just 1.5% concentration. Early in implementation, a tank was shot blasted and cleaned with the Met-All TERJ. The bare tank was then accidentally left hanging on the conveyor in the washer over the weekend. On Monday morning, the tank was discovered, inspected, and to the customer’s surprise, was found to be completely corrosion-free.
The DuBois Solution provided a product that delivered excellent cleaning and rust protection at a reduced total process cost. The Met-ALL TERJ completely removes the soils and inhibits corrosion, allowing the paint to wet out properly, drastically reducing rework caused by paint defects. The customer no longer experiences corrosion prior to painting, even when the parts are not coated for an extended period after cleaning, and even found there was less need to shot blast before cleaning, further reducing operating costs. In all, the customer experienced significantly reduced overhead and increased output, considerably improving their operation.

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