Hot-dip galvanizing is a fairly common way to protect iron and steel objects from corrosion nowadays. It consists in immersing the products in hot zinc, resulting in a thin coating on them. Moreover, although the galvanizing procedure is relatively long, it makes it possible to forget about the painting of the treated objects for many years (in some conditions, the zinc layer lasts up to a hundred years), since they can cope with minor damage themselves.
But it is impossible, having received a product, to start its processing at once. First, it is necessary to carry out several preparatory actions: degreasing (to remove oil), washing, etching with a solution of sulfuric acid, washing again (to get rid of acid residues), fluxing, drying and, finally, cooling to the desired temperature. Only after that you can proceed to the actual galvanizing, being sure that the contact between zinc and steel or iron surface will be maximum.
In the main shop you should pay attention to the huge baths, which are filled with zinc temperature up to 420 degrees Celsius. Their size is explained by the fact that large objects (scaffolding, power lines) should be placed inside without disassembly. A special hood cools steam, removes dust and filters harmful fumes to meet environmental standards. After loading into one of the baths with the help of a bridge crane for a certain period of time (from three to ten minutes depending on the size), the products are taken out and sent to be cooled: first to the open air, then to one of the warehouses. After that, the hot-dip galvanizing process can finally be considered complete, and the object can be packaged and used.