Surface finishes plus

Extended testing procedures at Rittal

Our extended testing procedure – Surface Protection Plus – tests materials at system level. In other words, the entire product, rather than just the individual part, is subjected to the testing procedure in the respective application spectrum.

  • Geometric influences are also taken into account
  • Testing with real test media
  • Optimum material selection and combination
  • Test procedure for corrosion protection (component-oriented and design-focused)

Dependency of corrosion on the local ambient conditions, e.g. corrosion rates with low-alloy steel:

  Average corrosion rates in µm/annum
  North Sea Mediterranean Persian Gulf
Atmosphere 50-70    
Spray water zone 140 140 190
Alternating immersion zone 80 50 50
Low water zone 210 160 130
Permanent immersion zone 30 40 40
Sea bed 20    

 

  • Test procedure for corrosion protection

    • according to standard regulations such as EN, IEC, ASTM

    Pros: Identical scale, comparable

    Cons: Purely component-based (e.g. sheet metals only)

  • Extended test procedure (Rittal)

    • Testing at system level (complete product instead of just individual parts)
    • Geometric influences are also tested (edges, gaps, ...)
    • Testing with real test media

    Pros: Practical, optimum choice and combination of materials for the respective application spectrum (coated steel, stainless steel, aluminium, zinc)

  • Constructive corrosion protection

    • Avoidance and sealing of gaps
    • Suitable material pairings
    • Organic coating wherever possible