PICOCLEAN

FAIRLAWN TOOL & DIE REMOVES RUST EASILY AND SAFELY, SAVING TIME AND MONEY. PICO CLEAN X-RUST, THE NEW GENERATION PH NEUTRAL LIQUID CLEANER, PROVIDES A RUST-FREE SURFACE THAT DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH SUBSEQUENT OPERATIONS.

Rust and corrosion are always potential problems when working with cold rolled steel (CRS). Despite the best preventive efforts, manufacturers such as Fairlawn occasionally experience troublesome rusty parts caused by seasonal humidity, locations near bodies of salt water, long-term indoor storage, unprotected shipping methods, condensation, and coolant residues. When rust occurs, harsh chemical treatments such as acids or high pH caustic solutions are often recommended to remove the reddish brown coating. Fairlawn rejected theses options because of safety and the high expense of waste treatment.

In the past, Fairlawn had been using a hand scrubbing method with an abrasive and solvent-oil corrosion inhibitor. Although the rust was removed, the process was expensive because of high labor costs, lengthy time to clean small parts, incomplete removal in recessed shapes such as threads, and the latent film on the parts that would smoke during welding.

PICO Chemical developed PICOCLEAN X-RUST in 2004 in response to customers' requests for a product that would remove rust quickly, easily and safely. PICO believed that a water based pH neutral concentrate was the economical answer. Instead of trying to chemically dissolve rust as older methods had done, PICO attacked the problem by looking at the bond that rust forms with the base metal. An important formulation consideration was using a non-toxic chemical.

The concentrated liquid is typically diluted with water at 15% to 25% and used at ambient temperatures in a soak application. The time it takes to remove rust will vary from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the rust's severity and the metal alloy. Higher alloys take longer, but some customers speed up the process by heating the solution or by using hot water for make-up. According to PICO's chemists, the solution has a long useable life because the chemical action is only at the rust and base metal interface. Rust actually falls off the surface and collects in the bottom of the cleaning equipment's reservoir. Because the solution is light colored, the derusting action is often evident under the right light in a clear or reflective container. For best results, the container should be stainless, plastic or porcelain coated.

PICOCLEAN X-RUST's bath life is determined by the amount of surface metal derusted and the severity of the rust. As the solution ages, the rust removal process slows and the solution will change color. Adding more PICOCLEAN X-RUST concentrate can refresh the cleaning solution.

Fairlawn has been successfully derusting CRS 1018 grade with PICOCLEAN X-RUST for almost one year. Rusted parts are immersed in 20% solution at temperatures from 140° to 160° F in a 30-gallon utility tank from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Fairlawn's normal service water, which is fairly hard, is used to make up the solution. There is no agitation or special racking used. Parts are placed in the solution so that all surfaces are exposed to the derusting fluid. Afterwards, parts are rinsed off in cold water and air blown dry.

Rick Dolan, Fairlawn's Quality Assurance Manager, states: "The parts look great and the quality of the overall process has improved." Marc Singer, Production Manager, is achieving reduced costs compared to the older method because of lower labor expenses and shorter turn around times. Marc has noticed that the solution slowly changes color from yellow to green to blue before it has to be rejuvenated or dumped. Marc says that "a gallon of concentrate goes a long way, at least a lot longer than we expected. We are not only pleased with the performance, but also the chemical costs are very modest when we consider the high labor costs and time involved. On some parts that have internal threads, we had great difficulty getting the rust manually removed from the threads. But with PICOCLEAN X-RUST, they come completely clean."

Although Fairlawn takes every precaution to prevent rust, some factors such as supplier errors, long part storage times, seasonally high humidity, and salt laden air from Chesapeake Bay are out of their control. As Rick Dolan puts it: "We now have a relatively quick and low cost method for correcting a problem instead of potentially scrapping parts or taking production workers' time from their main duties."

Despite preventive measures, all manufacturers that process steel and cast iron can have rust problems that are a drain on productivity and profits. PICOCLEAN X-RUST has proven to be a cost effective method of dealing with rust without using harsh, dangerous chemicals or an expensive mechanical method, especially for hard-to-reach places that can be soaked. PICOCLEAN X-RUST maintains the integrity of steel or cast iron surfaces so that down stream operations are not interfered with.