NEWS & VIEWS
HDGASA
In certain parts of the country where corrosion levels are high, there is substantial demand for galvanising services. Users include small businesses or semi-professional DIY ventures producing steel items that include gates, burglar-proofing, fencing, or trailers, this according to the Hot Dip Galvanisers Association of South Africa( HDGASA). The Association aims to support the growth of emerging enterprises in this sector.
“ To optimise the protection provided by galvanising, micro-entrepreneurs must understand their role: for example, inserting venting and drainage holes, as well as other technical requirements,” HDGASA Marketing Manager, Anthony Botha, points out.
“ Micro-enterprises should understand that hot dip galvanising is a final phase in the downstream supply of steel products. It is therefore a finishing, rather than an applied coating. It is not paint or something you can put on yourself.
“ There are some misconceptions around what the market perceives as‘ cold’ galvanising. This refers to a zinc-rich paint, applied to tiny items in non-aggressive environments. In hot-dip galvanising, an item is dipped into a kettle of molten zinc at 450 ° C. There is a significant difference in the outcome.”
In South Africa, youth unemployment is currently about 60 %, and government is considering youth training programmes in welding and metalworking.
The Association states it has a distinctive‘ open door’ approach to educating and equipping micro-enterprises – small businesses – to adopt hot-dip galvanising, the widely preferred method of corrosion control for steel.
“ We provide technical support to microenterprises online via the Association’ s website and respond to phone and email enquiries. This provides ground-level entry to education on galvanising for emerging businesses,” Botha concludes.
About the Association
HDGASA also provides training and information to end users, engineers, consultants, contractors, specifiers, designers, and architects through courses, presentations, technical research papers, plant tours, and advisory support during the design phase of projects. Additionally, it works closely with regulatory and standards authorities to establish quality standards that influence the corrosion control and related industries.
Botha emphasises that the steel itself determines galvanising quality. Once an item has been manufactured and the dye is set, there is very little a galvaniser can do. Different types of steel have varying chemical compositions that react with zinc to produce specific finishes, ranging from bright, shiny, silvery galvanising to dull, grey finishes. Corrosion control remains the primary priority, with aesthetics a secondary consideration.
Paint can be applied, but the right choice of paint and preparation is essential:“ There is much information on our website( www. hdgasa. org. za) about how to prepare galvanising for a paint coating.”
Well galvanised steel items can be readily recycled.
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