Forklift Truck Maintenance Tips to Fight Corrosion
September 15, 2022
Forklifts are the workhorses of almost every industry. Designed to carry, move, and lift loads in a warehouse or manufacturing environment, these tools do a variety of heavy tasks that make manufacturing, storage, and shipping possible. Many forklifts are used in dry, protected environments. Other times, they are exposed to salts or other harsh chemicals made or used in the production process. Fortunately, a few simple preventative maintenance steps and tools can be used to extend equipment service life and save on costly forklift replacements.
Passivate Existing Rust
The first step is to passivate existing forklift corrosion. Peeling paint and underlying loose rust should be brushed off and the surface primed with Cortec® CorrVerter® Rust Converter Primer. CorrVerter® is a fast-drying water-based one-coat system that converts rusted surfaces to a hydrophobic passive layer and prevents further rusting through a unique formulation of chelating agents combined with a high solids waterborne latex with extremely low water vapor permeability.
Apply Protective Coatings
Once existing rust has been passivated, the next step is to apply an anticorrosion coating such as EcoShield® VpCI®-386 or VpCI®-391 directly over the painted surfaces. EcoShield® VpCI®-386 is a fast drying, waterbased acrylic topcoat that provides excellent multimetal protection. It can be applied clear or tinted to match most custom colors. VpCI®-391 is a water-based removable coating that dries to a thin, clear non-tacky film and has been used with good results for annual maintenance on front-end loaders for fertilizers and/ or deicing salts. Unpaintable metal moving parts may be protected with VpCI®-369, an oil-based wet-film corrosion inhibiting temporary coating/lubricant.
Protect Electricals
Last, but not least, electricals should be protected to avoid corrosion failures and replacements. Protection can be as simple as spraying exposed electrical connections with ElectriCorr® VpCI®-239 and/or placing a small VpCI® Emitter in an electrical enclosure to emit protective Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors.
A Little Preventative Maintenance Goes a Long Way!
While these products may only need to be applied once every year or two, quick inspection during monthly maintenance is a best practice in order to catch any areas that may need reapplication. In the end, a good forklift maintenance procedure with the right tools goes a long way toward helping equipment last longer with a small monthly or annual investment! Contact Cortec® to discuss preventative maintenance for forklifts today:
https://www.corteccoatings.com/contact-us-2/
Keywords: fork lift truck maintenance, forklift maintenance procedure, forklift maintenance tips, preventative maintenance, extend equipment service life, Cortec, protective coatings for forklifts, avoid corrosion failures, corrosion inhibitor, forklift replacement
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