PROTECTION AGAINST CORROSION

Painting and Metallizing

15401_340x225 Our painting and metallizing plants specialize in surface preparation, metallizing and painting large-scale steel components. Featuring an indoor/outdoor lift capacity of up to 135 tons automated and hand-operated equipment, these plants offer a major competitive advantage and are the best-equipped in the industry. Moreover, in-plant access to rail transportation at the Quebec City, QC and Claremont, NH facilities allows Canam to receive and ship oversized components across Canada and the United States.

 

Our Painting and Metallizing Facilities

  • Quebec City, QC: 70,000 sq. ft. (6,500 m2)
  • Claremont, NH: 40,000 sq. ft. (3,720 m2)

View our metallizing projects

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Surface Preparation 

Our plants feature grit blasting booths that can accommodate multiple large-scale projects at one time:

  • Height: 22 ft. (6.7 m)
  • Width: 30 ft. (9 m)
  • Length: up to 125 ft. (38 m)
  • Floor recovery system that allows for uninterrupted operation without loss of abrasive

A Wheelabrator Roller Conveyor, which is an automated grit blasting unit, completes the array of surface preparation equipment:

  • 5.3 ft. x 18 ft. (1.6 m x 5.5 m) opening that can handle 150 feet long girder

Poutre_peinture_A25Our paint shops are equipped to receive components of all sizes that require the application of sophisticated protective coatings such as zinc, epoxy, urethane and top quality multi-coat systems. Every effort is made to obtain a high quality and attractive finish that meets customer expectations. The paint shop is certified under the American Institute of Steel Construction’s (AISC) Sophisticated Paint Endorsement (SPE).

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Since the turn of the 20th century, thermal spray coatings, more commonly known as metallizing, have been used in a broad range of corrosion protection applications. However, this technology has not been widely used in the bridge industry until more recently due to competitive pricing and updated technologies.

Using current technologies, modern application techniques, inspection programs, and limited periodic maintenance, a sprayed metal coating can provide an indefinite service life well in excess of 30 years.

Metallizing is a zinc-based spray-on corrosion protection option for structural steel bridges that provides two types of protection:

  • Barrier protection:
    The spray coating itself provides an impervious barrier between the environment and the steel surface, keeping out water and chlorides that eventually lead to oxidation.
  • Cathodic protection:
    This cathodic protection is akin to the protection provided by zinc-rich primers or galvanizing. If the base steel becomes exposed, the cathodic nature of zinc protects the steel by sacrificing itself.

Canam-Bridges is one of the only North American bridge fabricators to provide fully integrated, in-house metallizing services. These services are carried out of three coating facilities that handle large-scale structural steel and metal bridge components. Our semi-automatic proprietary process allows us to pass savings on to owners, providing competitive pricing compared to any other corrosion protection system. Our process also provides a more consistent application profile than hand-applied methods. Ultimately, our efficiency means more savings for bridge owners.

 

Key takeaways:

  • Metallizing provides both barrier and galvanic (self-sacrificing) protection from corrosion
  • No size and/or shape limitations reducing the need for field splices and reducing transportation costs
  • Emits no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 100% recyclable
  • Metallizing is a cold process requiring no cure or dry time, and steel can be handled almost immediately, reducing schedule and increasing fabricator throughput
  • 99% zinc unsealed thermal spray coatings pass Class B slip performance requirements

Download the summary of our questions and answers on metallizing

Metallizing: A Choice Solution for Corrosion Protection of Steel

36478Various lifting machinery with a capacity of up to 135 tons are used to transport components during the various stages of the treatment process.

In-plant access to rail transportation at the Quebec City, QC and Claremont, NH facilities allows Canam to receive and ship oversized components across Canada and the United States.

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