Hempel launches new fast drying direct-to-metal single-coating

International coatings manufacturer launches a new anti-corrosive coating with a curing time of just 60 minutes. Combining primer and top-coat in a single coat, the coating promises to increase line-speeds for heavy machinery and prefabricated steel manufacturers by at least 50 per cent compared to standard two and three-coat systems.

26.11.2012

Hemparea 55973 is a single-coat anti-corrosive coating suitable for C3 corrosive environments. Based on polyaspartic fast-cure technology, it is the only C3 classified coating on the market that can be handled within one hour at 20°C (50 %RH).

According to Anders Voldsgaard Clausen, Group Segment Marketing Manager at Hempel, the new coating could help increase line-speeds in a number of manufacturing industries, from wind tower production to railcar manufacturing.

“A standard C3 classified anti-corrosive coatings system takes between four and twelve hours to dry depending on the coating system, which can mean a huge bottleneck in a production line, especially for manufacturers that use two or three-coat solutions,” Clausen explains. “By reducing that curing time to one hour, Hemparea makes it possible for manufacturers to vastly increase line speeds and so reduce production costs.”

Hemparea releases very few volatile organic compounds into the environment. It can be applied manually or with robotic spray equipment directly to metal.

“We really believe Hemparea can be of great benefit to a large number of customers who want to improve efficiency and production times,” Clausen says.

“If a wind tower producer, for example, uses a protective coating with a six-hour drying time, each wind tower section has to sit in the production hall for almost an entire shift before it can be handled. If the producer switches to Hemparea, that waiting time will be reduced to less than an hour, which means six times as many sections can be completed in one shift.

“Also, the hall may need to be heated in order to allow the sections to dry. By reducing the drying time, the manufacturer will reduce the amount of energy consumed per section produced.”

The new coating is officially launched worldwide on November 26, 2012.

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