Outstanding corrosion protection with single-component, water-based immersion primer
Friedr. Ischebeck GmbH is a medium-sized, family-owned business that manufactures product solutions in the fields of geotechnical engineering, formwork and shoring systems, distributing them globally from its headquarters in Ennepetal, Germany. The majority of bare steel pipes and steel assemblies are coated to protect them from corrosion. To reduce the use of organic solvents and make the manufacturing process and the products more environmentally friendly, the company decided to switch to a water-based coating material.
By building a new coating plant and using the water-based single-component immersion primer Hydrapid-1K-AC Immersion Primer 5406 from Brillux Industrial Coatings, the company, based in Ennepetal, North Rhine-Westphalia, not only improved the quality of the coating but also reduced solvent consumption from 15 tons to around 800 kg per year.
Our editorial team spoke with Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Janitzky, Plant Manager at Friedr. Ischebeck GmbH, and Dr. Rolf Roesmann, Head of Research and Development for Wet Coating Systems at Brillux Industrial Coatings, about the transition and the company's experience with the new immersion primer.
Mr. Janitzky, could you give us a brief overview of your company and the range of services you offer?
We develop products and solutions that make work on construction sites easier, faster, more cost-effective and safer – innovative and high-quality products that are structurally highly resilient. Friedr. Ischebeck GmbH is one of the leading manufacturers in the field of geotechnical engineering as well as formwork and shoring systems in Germany and globally. Our company history began in 1881: when the blacksmith Friedrich Ischebeck acquired a small drop forge and tool factory in Ennepetal and specialized in manufacturing vises.
in 1901, his son Ernst Ischebeck built a malleable cast iron foundry, where we still produce cast products today. In the 1930s, Ischebeck moved into the civil engineering sector, producing the first steel trench struts and later steel shoring systems, which today are mostly made of aluminum. The next milestone came in the 1950s with the company’s entry into building construction, initially with steel formwork props and later with patented modular systems made of aluminum. With the development of the “TITAN” injection anchor, we successfully expanded into geotechnical engineering in the 1980s and 1990s. To this day, our company is still family-owned and is now run by the fifth generation, Dipl.-Wi.-Ing. Björn Ischebeck and Dr. Lars Ischebeck.
So you have a high export share?
Yes, our export share is over 60%. Our patented TITAN micropiles have become the standard in the construction industry for ground reinforcement in difficult subsoils and are used for slope stabilization on railroad lines and freeways or for the foundation of high-voltage pylons and bridge piers on construction sites all over the world.
With our 18 subsidiaries, we are represented all over the world, in New Zealand, Dubai and Argentina, and offer our customers needs-based solutions and high-quality products that are “Made in Germany”. This structure ensures that we have relatively constant capacity utilization throughout the year despite the winter-related construction slump.
Your company is not only a specialist welding company and welding training company for aluminum and steel, you also operate a relatively new immersion priming system.
Yes, that's correct. The majority of our products are provided with an anti-corrosion coating. In the past, a solvent-based synthetic resin varnish in red-brown and black was used for this purpose. The coating was applied in a basin embedded in the floor. This worked very well for many years.
What led to your decision to change to a new immersion priming system?
With the old conventional paint, we were consuming almost 15 tons of solvent per year. This was not compatible with the VOC Directive, the 31st BImSchV (German Federal Immission Control Ordinance). We therefore decided to install a new immersion priming system to reduce solvents.
Could you please briefly describe the new coating system? Which system technology is used?
The system is designed for coating steel and comprises a 4-zone pre-treatment with alkaline degreasing, neutral degreasing containing surfactants, ultrapure water rinsing and a final corrosion-inhibiting passivization. The steel components are then dried in the adhesive water dryer at 130°C for 15 minutes and then cooled in the cooling station with fans.
This pre-treatment is followed by the actual immersion priming. The new dip tank is 30 cubic meters in size and is filled with 43 tons of coating material. We first had to strengthen the hall floor for this enormous weight. For this purpose, the ground in this area was reinforced and stabilized with our own TITAN micropiles from the geotechnical sector.
How long have you been operating the new coating system and how long have you been working with Brillux Industrial Coatings?
The plant has been in operation since 2014. However, we have been working with Brillux Industrial Coatings for over 25 years. We know each other well and we work well together. Brillux supplied us with the synthetic resin paint in the past and is now supplying the Hydrapid-1K-AC Immersion Primer 5406.
In addition to the physical proximity, we particularly appreciate the fact that we are so well looked after by the Brillux team and that someone is always available.
Dr. Roesmann, you were closely involved in the changeover to the new immersion priming system and the new water-based immersion primer. Were there any particular challenges that had to be overcome?
The reduction of solvents had to be implemented very quickly, but experience shows that planning and implementing such a facility takes time. The decision was quick and easy because the requirements for corrosion protection at Ischebeck were met by the current coating solution.
Planning and construction of the immersion priming system took about a year. It also took some time before all the settings, including all the details such as the tilt angles of the racks, were perfect and the system was running as desired. Conventional painting continued during this time, so that production at Ischebeck was able to continue smoothly.
What requirements does Ischebeck place on the coating material?
At Ischebeck, bare steel pipes or steel assemblies for formwork and shoring systems must be coated to protect against corrosion. As the material to be coated is primarily pipes that need to be coated inside and out, dipping is the simplest, most efficient and most economical application method. The nature of the painted goods also requires the coating material to provide a high level of edge coverage. Furthermore, quick drying is also essential for rapid further processing.
Mr. Janitzky, are you satisfied with the transition and the coating results?
Yes, we are very satisfied! By switching from solvent-based synthetic resin paint to the water-based immersion primer Hydrapid-1K-AC Immersion Primer 5406, we were able to significantly reduce our solvent consumption. Instead of 15 tons per year, we now only use around 800 kilograms. This means we fully comply with the requirements of the 31st German Federal Immission Control Ordinance. Not only is the new immersion primer plant more environmentally friendly, but the coating quality has also improved overall.
Dr. Roesmann, could you explain the improvements in quality?
Dr. Rolf Roesmann: Our Hydrapid-1K-AC Immersion Primer 5406 contains around 2.5% coalescing agent, significantly reducing emissions at Ischebeck The entire coating process is now better and more professional. Starting with the multi-stage pre-treatment, which ensures a much better preparation of the substrate compared to the initial situation, but which is also necessary for the water-based immersion coating. Of course, this also has a direct positive effect on the coating results.
With a coating thickness of at least 40 µm, the requirements for corrosion protection with C4 high in accordance with DIN EN ISO 12944 are more than fulfilled. Hydrapid-1K-AC Immersion Primer 5406 dries very quickly, impresses with its good early water resistance and also delivers excellent mechanical values.
It is important to know that water-based 1K hydro coatings such as Hydrapid-1K-AC Immersion Primer 5406 require adequate surface preparation for good adhesion. This can be done either automatically, as in the case of Ischebeck, through chemical pretreatment or partially manually through mechanical sandblasting and/or hand degreasing. Given that Ischebeck’s production processes involve the use of lubricants, etc., the parts need to be cleaned using fully automated chemical pretreatment. Manual preparation was not feasible or cost-effective due to the high production volumes.
Our wet coating range offers a wide variety of options and flexibility, including air-drying and oven-drying systems as well as chemically curing products. We have products for different application methods, one- and two-component systems, and even solutions for specific requirements such as anti-graffiti coatings. At Ischebeck, the focus is on corrosion protection, so Hydrapid-1K-AC Immersion Primer 5406 is used. If the priority had been on oil and chemical resistance, we would have recommended our Hydro-Immersion Prime Coat 5401.
