Design for Galvanizing

It is important that steel fabrications be properly designed for hot dip galvanizing. Proper design is an integral part of the galvanizing process. Poor design can lead to safety issues, poor coating quality, additional costs, and failure to meet delivery dates.
The following tips will help you avoid these issues.
1. Contact Galvan Industries during the design stage of your project. Our decades of experience and expertise will help ensure that any concerns are properly addressed prior to galvanizing.
2. Follow good venting practices to allow your fabrication to be properly processed in our cleaning, pickling and galvanizing processes. This will ensure that any air inside the fabrication can escape and allow the molten zinc to safely fill any cavities. Failure to design in proper venting can lead to explosions that can damage your steel and endanger our personnel. As the steel is withdrawn from the galvanizing kettle, the venting holes also allow excess zinc to drain out and air to flow back in. Any undrained zinc will add unnecessary increased costs and produce a poor-quality coating.
We know that your steel work will have precise design criteria. The quality of the galvanized finish is of the highest importance to us at Galvan and to you, our customers.
ASTM A385: Practice for Providing High-Quality Zinc Coatings (Hot-Dip), often referred to as “the Design Spec”, provides specific details on design practices such as venting/draining, welding, steel selection, etc. to ensure the best quality product after galvanizing. The size and location of venting holes must be carefully considered.
When your steel arrives at our plant, Galvan production specialists will review all paperwork and inspect the steel to ensure that it meets proper specifications for galvanizing that will meet ASTM A 123 requirements. We’ll let you know immediately if we find any isses that could cause safety or quality problems with your work, and help you identify the best solution.
Make following proper design techniques - and contacting Galvan in advance for questions and advice - part of your routine. It will help ensure the highest quality coating, lowest cost, on-time delivery and support a safe working environment in our plant.
Galvan can provide you with printed copies of design guidelines, present a “Design for Galvanizing” seminar at your location, and we’re available by phone or in person with advice to help you get a high-quality galvanized finish on every job.
Contact Galvan Industries today.