What you need to know about the new direct marketing guidance note
Nadine Mather and Chloë Loubser
Environmentally-friendly aluminium processing plant complies with international legislation
Blue Willow Aluminium in Cape Town has built an automated processing plant in line with international best practice which is hexavalent chromium-free for environmentally-friendly pre-treatment manufacturing.
Recognised as a human carcinogen if inhaled, hexavalent chromium is also what infamously contaminated groundwater in Hinkley, United States, leading to a lawsuit with a multi-million dollar settlement and the movie Erin Brockovich.
Schalk Pretorius (right) MD of Blue Willow Aluminium, Shawn Williams, Wet Chemical Process Technology Partner, Jean van der Westhuizen, Technical Director, and Heinrich Primic, Sales Director
"We have built the first plant in sub-Saharan Africa that fully complies with international legislation and are proud to have created a processing plant which includes the most environmentally advanced and technically sophisticated chemical processes for preparation of architectural aluminium prior to powder-coating," said Blue Willow Aluminium GM, Schalk Pretorius of the Atlantis industrial plant.
Production standards
"Our guaranteed quality comes from the constant reproducible production standards generated by the automated system. Previously, local companies had the frustration of irregular quality with high wastage factors, and were forced to import and hold substantial stock to counter the inconsistencies of local alternatives. We have filled a growing ne ed in the local market for access to world class powder coating technology, which results in aluminium of an equally high quality."
The pre-treatment process begins with the production of ultra-pure water, used throughout the process to provide a transitional medium from one chemical process to the next.
All water fed into the system is used in the process, including the reverse osmosis waste stream. Once the water has fulfilled its function through the pre-treatment process, it is automatically treated and then re-utilised in the garden irrigation system. "The process is so advanced the recycled water is, in fact, cleaner than municipal water that goes into the pre-treatment plant," Pretorius said.
Chemical zones
Aluminium pre-treatment is done in two chemical zones at ambient temperature. The first zone deoxidises the aluminium by removing the oxidised surface layer including all contamination contained with the surface microstructure.
The second zone forms a reaction layer with the aluminium, providing galvanic protection, a layer for powder-paint to adhere and, bare corrosion protection of the aluminium while in transition after the pre-treatment step to the final powder-coating process.
Nordston's most advanced powder coating facility
The powder coating system installed at Blue Willow Aluminium is the most efficient and fastest colour change system available on the market - Nordson's most advanced system available globally. Offering absolute and consistent process controls, the system incorporates the ColorMax Booth, the Encore HD Application equipment, powder feed pumps and the Spectrum HD powder feed centre. "This state-of-the-art powder coating system is truly cutting edge and completes Blue Willow Aluminium's service offering."
