With an Ally Like ZERUST, There Isn’t Any Rust Battle You Cannot Win

Hello to the world of rust protection. I have over 30 years of experience working as a packaging engineer across multiple industries. Additionally, I have spent the last 24 years working for a Tier 1 global powertrain OEM supplier. At our facility, we assembled parts and sub-components that were shipped worldwide. One of our biggest challenges was contamination left on parts after manufacturing and assembly. This often resulted in rust forming during storage or shipping. As a packaging engineer, I was part of a dedicated rust team, tackling the ongoing rust battle. As a result, our role was to proactively and reactively improve the protection of the parts from rusting in our daily rust battle.

The Reality of the Rust Battle

Annually, our company would invest thousands of dollars on rust issues and the ongoing rust battle (you never really stop the risk). But, quickly, I learned the best advantage for this rust battle is “who you use” as an ally to combat the rust, making a significant difference in your ability to provide a long-term solution.

When Rust Impacts More Than Performance

For example,a customer complaint during our ongoing rust battle complaint about some parts shipped to India. Our customer provided us with some photos of the received parts. The photos revealed some small rust spots (10mm) on the parts. We assured our customer that the rust would not affect the part’s performance, but the rust’s presence created an impression on the customer that the parts were of poor quality. We quickly learned that even though the rust did not affect the performance of the parts, it left a substantial impact on our company’s reputation as a high-quality OEM supplier in this rust battle.

Investigating the Root Cause with ZERUST®

As part of our effort to win the rust battle, we contacted ZERUST and asked them to come out to our facility to inspect the manufacturing process, finished parts, and packaging. The first step was lining the corrugated shipping box with ZERUST VCI bags to provide an improved “VCI rich environment.” This, however, did not provide a fix to the issue, so the next step was to look at the manufacturing process, from component stamping to the final packaging. The ZERUST team called this their Z-CIS methodology. They collected product samples, drew samples of all the processing fluids from the production line, and took those tests to their laboratory for comprehensive testing. This is the advantage of having a supplier like ZERUST to collaborate on rusting complaints and strengthen your rust battle strategy.

Solving the Problem with a System Approach

I would always joke that working with ZERUST was like watching CSI (Corrosion Scene Investigation), with their ability to investigate any corrosion issue at our facility. Having ZERUST as a resource made my job easier especially when navigating a complex rust battle, with their ability to review packaging improvements with VCI material being a cornerstone in our problem resolution. What made ZERUST a trusted ally was their ability to deep dive into any rusting issue during the manufacturing process. This includes packaging, storage, and handling.

But wait, there is more! ZERUST was instrumental in evaluating the washing, stamping, and rust preventative application process. Their Chemical group helped us review and improve the preventative maintenance of the part washer and stamping fluids. They taught us the importance of maintaining the wash machine by emptying and thoroughly cleaning it before it’s charged with a fresh wash chemical and RO water. With the use of the Z-CIS methodology (or as I call Corrosion Scene Investigation), ZERUST identified that the wash fluid was contaminated and the root cause of the accelerated corrosion on the parts. With an ally like ZERUST, there isn’t any rust battle you cannot win.

Building Confidence with Data-Driven Results

When dealing with customers worldwide, the logistics of transit testing is challenging to get a quick evaluation and results of proposed changes to the packaging/process. Additionally, it becomes challenging to convince customers that your proposed changes will work when other changes have not worked previously. With science being universal, the ability to have ZERUST provide the quantitative analysis behind steps taken helped to ensure the customer that the proposals we presented were objective-based and not subjective.

Have a question for me about my experience working with ZERUST? Comment below!

-Scott

Scott McCrary

Scott McCrary

I have over 30 years of experience working as a packaging engineer in various industries and had spent the last 24 years working for a tier 1 worldwide powertrain OEM supplier. At our facility, we assembled parts and sub-components that are shipped all over the world. I have used Zerust® products and Z-CIS® services for many years. I have since joined another company and am sharing my experience working with Zerust®, in hopes it may help others with their own corrosion issues.

 

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