We are a tubing specialist that is capable of offering its clients a wide array of services. This is something we do for all kinds of industrial and domestic applications. One area where we excel is tube drilling. We appreciate it can be time consuming to drill holes in tube yourself and that there is a risk of errors. Since we use expert equipment, we can provide excellent solutions to save you the job and ensure there are no issues.

Something you should know about metal tubes is that they are often in a constant fight against corrosion. Once it begins, it can spread rapidly in some materials and undermine your tubing set up. It is a big concern with types of steel and other ferrous metals. This is why you need to consider galvanising your metal. It can safeguard the tube from corrosion. That will go a long way to increasing the longevity of your systems.

What is galvanisation?

If you are unfamiliar with the process, it is where you add zinc to a metal to protect it. By introducing a zinc layer, you can transform metals with poor resistance into corrosion resistant components.

What you need to keep in mind is that ferrous metals are in danger of corrosion because of the iron content. Elements like moisture, grime, chemicals, and salt attack the metal and produce oxidation. What you end up with is rust, or iron oxide. It breaks metal down and puts tubes in danger of bursting or collapsing.

With galvanisation you defend your metal by adding a zinc layer. It provides protection in two ways. Firstly, it supplies a barrier between the corrosive elements and vulnerable iron. Secondly, it safeguards against galvanic corrosion. However, you need to be careful because finishing services like tube drilling or cutting can damage the zinc layer.

You can take many approaches

As you have heard from the title of this article, there is more than one way to galvanise metal. We want to look at some of them here.

Hot dip galvanising

This is an extremely reliable option. What happens here is that you dip your metal in liquid zinc. Since you can submerge the entire item at once, it is perfect for tubes of multiple shapes.

Electrogalvanising

This method is a little different. First you put the metal in an electrolyte and zinc solution. Then you send an electric current through. Zinc ions will move onto the metal naturally here to add a protective layer.

Metalising

Alternatively called thermal sprays, you spray zinc onto the metal’s surface. This is an excellent way of layering precise zinc protection. You do need a lot of specialist labour and surface preparation though. This increases the costs if you compare to other strategies.

Sherardising

This is a really interesting process. It is also known as dry or vapour galvanising. What happens is you have a rotating drum containing zinc dust and often an inert filler material. You add metal parts to the drum and then heat everything. At high temperatures over 300 Celsius the zinc will evaporate and then diffuse into the metal to create a Zn Fe layer with more corrosion resistance.

Our tube drilling services are invaluable

At Multiform Tubes Engineering Ltd, we offer invaluable services to help customers get the exact products they require. Our technicians are capable of working with various high quality materials. Examples include stainless and mild steel, brass, titanium, and hydraulic tubes. In addition, if you have ferrous metals that have had galvanisation, we can deal with them too.

So, if you need our assistance with tube drilling or other solutions like bending, please get in touch. We are ready to help with tubes for any kind of application.