Using VCI Film to Take the Corrosion Concerns Out of Metals Shipment

November 8, 2022

When manufacturers package metal equipment or components and send them off to a new destination, they are putting the items at the mercy of the shipping company and the unpredictable environment through which they will pass. One serious question that should not go unanswered is whether the metals are sufficiently protected against corrosion. Fortunately, Cortec’s wide range of VCI/VpCI® Film options offer a wealth of effective but easy to use packaging material to help with metals preservation.

Why Corrosion Protection During Shipping?
The goal of manufacturers is to have their goods arrive at the customer’s site in like-new condition. Extensive corrosion or even rust spotting quickly disqualifies the product from acceptance and reflects poorly on the manufacturer, who is responsible to restore or replace the compromised part. This can be a costly and time consuming procedure. It can also mean the customer is unable to install the part when needed, creating a domino effect on facility operations and profits. Meanwhile, manufacturers have to deal with many corrosion risk factors. Shipping parts from a warm climate to cooler temperatures is just one concern. This drop in temperature can cause humidity to condense inside product bags, leading to condensation corrosion. The situation is even more extreme during export shipment overseas because of the proximity to salt-laden air and often high temperatures that accelerate the corrosion process. Matters are worse for oversized equipment that must be transported on the back of a flatbed truck or topside on a ship exposed to the full brunt of the atmosphere.

Why Use VpCI® Film for Shipping?
VpCI® Film is an excellent material to incorporate into the packaging process—either by itself or in combination with other Cortec® VpCI® packaging materials. In addition to providing a physical barrier against oxygen and moisture entering a package, VpCI® Film contains Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors that form a protective molecular layer on metal surfaces inside the package. Since these molecules vaporize and diffuse throughout the package, it is not necessary for every metal surface to be in direct contact with the film in order to enjoy active corrosion inhibition.

Using VpCI® Film can be as easy as slipping a few nuts or bolts into a VpCI®-126 Top-Seal Bag and closing the zipper, shrink wrapping large equipment with VpCI®-126 HP UV Stretch Film, or stretch wrapping metal units on a pallet with Cor-Pak® VpCI® Stretch Film. VpCI® Film comes in different thicknesses and is available with or without UV resistance to match the outdoor or protected shipping conditions specific to each application. For example, it would be ideal for a large piece of equipment shipping topside to be wrapped in heavy-duty MilCorr® VpCI® Shrink Film; whereas a shipment of small parts in boxes inside a truck may only need some VpCI®-126 Gusseted Bags to use as a protective liner. VpCI® emitting materialscan be added inside the packages as needed when an extra dose of Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors is desired for large volumes or intense shipping conditions. Upon arrival at their destination, the parts or equipment can be used immediately—no special cleaning is required to remove the protective molecular layer!

How Can VpCI® Film Be Used for Shipping?
The benefits of VpCI® Film for shipping extend to multiple parties and situations. In addition to manufacturers achieving protection on parts shipped to customers, suppliers shipping components to assembly plants or companies transporting equipment from one facility to another also stand to benefit from VpCI® Film as a practical “insurance plan” against rust. Possible applications include the following:

Transporting gauging equipment from one plant to another
Solving rust problems on stamped auto parts going overseas
Individually wrapping oil filters or propeller blades
Shrouding giant metal rings (ferrules) for the nuclear industry
Stretch-wrapping heat exchangers
Readying giant injection molds for export shipment
Preparing turret brakes for overseas shipment and indefinite storage
Packaging large racks of computer systems up to company specs

There are many ways to tackle corrosion protection when getting ready to package metals for shipment. VpCI® Film is a great tool as a standalone or complementary solution. Contact Cortec® today to develop the best integrated VpCI® Film packaging solution for your needs and take the corrosion concerns out of metals shipment: https://www.cortecpackaging.com/contact-us/

Keywords: corrosion concerns, metals shipment, VCI film, packaging solution, package metals for shipment, metals preservation, Cortec, corrosion protection
during shipping, corrosion risk factors, solving rust problems

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