Getting the most of your precoating

How can you get the most from your salt based precoating? Precoats are designed to produce a uniform crystal structure on the surface of the wire to increase pick up of the dry lubricant.  The key to getting the most from your salt based Precoat is regular bath maintenance to ensure proper crystal structure. The crystal structure is affected by:

• Water quality used for making and topping up the bath. Your CONDAT representative can have your water analyzed for hardness, pH, chlorides etc.
• Concentration ranges can be found on the Product Data Sheet. It is important to stay within the ranges listed. Higher concentration is not necessarily  better. An over concentrated bath will impact the performance of the coating: some salts will dissolve while others will remain undissolved resulting in an unbalance in the bath composition and as a result the composition of the coating. Your CONDAT representative will help you to define the best parameters for your downstream drawing processes.
• Temperature should be maintained as per the Product Data Sheet  to give an optimal  coating. The higher the temperature of the bath, the quicker the drying.
• Correct drying time is needed to ensure good crystallization.
• Wire Preparation should ensure the wire surface is free of scale, clean and neutralized if acid cleaned
• Bath maintenance should include regular concentration testing. Your CONDAT representative can  arrange for additional sample testing using our Lab services if necessary.

For more information, contact your Condat specialists who can propose the most suitable solution for your need.