The Challenge
Mikon Products, a family-owned liquid and powder paint business in Oxford, Connecticut, needed a phosphate cleaner for use on various substrates with a multitude of unknown contaminates. They also needed to address flash rusting issues before oven drying and wanted to add an in-process corrosion preventative that would not impact paint adhesion.
The Approach
Hubbard-Hall went on-site to review the company’s equipment and process. Ultimately Mi-Phos 22PW EX was recommended. Mi-Phos 22PW EX is a liquid concentrate that cleans and produces a tenacious phosphate undercoating on steel and some alloys of zinc and aluminum.
Used on zinc plate, aluminum, and terne plate as a cleaner, smut remover, and to prepare surfaces for painting, it cleans and applies phosphate in one step. In addition, Hubbard-Hall recommended Emerald Seal 303, which functions as an in-process flash rust inhibitor. Emerald Seal also provides additional corrosion protection for metal under paint or adhesive coatings.
The Outcome
The new cleaner went into production at Mikon Products after an installation process that management described as “went simple and smooth.”
Before changing their chemistry, the company ran sanders 8 hours per day in each department. With Mi-Phos 22PW EX, this step was virtually eliminated. More importantly, Mikon found themselves using
50% less chemistry. “Great for us, bad for you,” they joked.
Since changing chemistries, there have been no adhesion or corrosion issues. With a marked reduction in rejects, and less labor needed to correct problems, Mikon Products has realized an overall increase in per-day production of +30%-40%.
