Virily Editor
Preventing corrosion of automotive parts during storage and transport gives manufacturers somewhat of a conundrum. When machinery, parts or equipment is to be left unused for any length of time, manufacturers must work to prevent damage from the surrounding atmosphere. After all, it doesn’t take long for moisture to rust and seize moving parts, damage surfaces and wreck idle automotive components when they are not being used regularly.
Given the natural elements such as moisture, heat, cold and a host of other little tricks provide an ever-present risk, protecting automotive parts and keeping them ready and waiting to be used with good storage provision is a must. Finding a product that makes preservation and protection for the delicate moving components within engines and other components is certainly a challenge, but not one that automotive companies cannot overcome.
The main issues to consider
Preventing the ingress of the elements that cause corrosion will remove the risks associated with storing and transporting parts throughout the automotive industry.
Traditional preventative measures such as oil misting and greasing require time and manpower to apply and clean off and for particularly large or difficult to reach areas, so this can be a complex process.
While in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, production and transport hit a well, it has been widely reported that there is light at the end of the tunnel within the automotive industry particularly in the electric vehicle market and for aftermarket parts, servicing and spares.
Reports also state that recessionary periods last around two years, which means manufacturers need to protect already manufactured parts and gear up for the return to normal levels. They will require effective anti-corrosive packaging to ensure that parts are protected and ready when needed.
With the advent of modern packaging materials such as aluminium barrier foil packaging, the problems of protection are less pressing. Businesses such as Protective Packaging Ltd and their expertise and experience in providing packaging solutions certainly offers much for the automotive industry in terms of corrosion protection for automotive parts.
The benefits of aluminium barrier foil
As a barrier material, aluminium foil is one of the best methods for protecting automotive parts. There are various reasons why this is the case. Firstly, there’s no need for additional preservation methods, which require cleaning and can be difficult to apply. Products are protected from moisture, oxygen ingress, UV rays, grease and many other corrosion-causing elements. There are also static dissipative laminates available for anti-static products.
Other benefits include reduced need for desiccants, reduced waste, reduced need for modified atmospheric warehousing and flexibility on size and shape.
A flexible, convenient solution
Aluminium barrier foil packaging offers the simplest, most convenient way to protect all sizes and shapes of mechanical and electrical parts, from large engines to small components. You will find 2 and 3-dimensional bags, carton liners, sheets and rolls available. The versatility to be sized to meet exact requirements means that waste can be reduced, making them an efficient cost-effective means to protect and preserve automotive parts both for short- and long-term storage and during transport.
Foil has one of the highest recognised barrier protection properties, scoring highly in tests carried out on product shelf life, preservation and integrity against water vapour, gas and odour also water and oil resistance. Tests have also highlighted that any laminate structure involving aluminium foil as one of the layers offers the best in terms of barrier protection. Therefore, if you’re storing auto parts for any length of time, a solution that involves aluminium barrier foil is certainly worth consideration.
