Rigging products are often subjected to conditions where corrosion may be a
factor. Today, we're going to give you a brief overview of some of the materials
and finishes that are most often used in the manufacturing of rigging fittings,
cable, and chain. Understanding this may aid you in making the best choice for
your application. Many rigging fittings come in two
different material types: stainless steel and carbon steel. The advantages of
stainless steel are more corrosion protection and superior finish. The
advantages of carbon steel are more strength and lower cost. The products
shown here are both half-inch machinery eye bolts. The one on the left is made of
carbon steel and the one on the right is made of type 316 stainless
steel. Note the difference in working load limit and price. When it comes to
stainless steel, there are two types that are used to make rigging products: Type
316 and Type 304. As you can see here, there is no detectable
difference when new. The primary difference between the two is chemistry.
As you can see, Type 316 has more Nickel and Molybdenum than type 304;
and these elements make Type 316 more resistant to corrosion and
chemicals. The presence of those elements also make Type 316 stainless
steel more expensive than type 304. It should be known that type 304 stainless
can pit and rust. So, for that reason in salt water and corrosive environments
Type 316 stainless steel is recommended for greatest service life.
With the exception of a few items, most of all of the stainless steel rigging
products offered on E-Rigging.com are Type 316 stainless steel. Carbon
steel products are made from several different alloys of steel, and chosen for
their physical properties to match the application. When produced
they are unfinished and subject to rusting. To combat corrosion, these type of products
are Hot Dipped Galvanized, Zinc Plated, Yellow Zinc Chromate Plated, painted or
just coated with the rust inhibiting oil. Of the finishes used to apply to carbon
steel rigging products, Hot Dip galvanizing is the most protective. Hot
Dip Galvanizing is the process of dipping steel into a bath of molten Zinc
which forms a thick chemically bonded layer of zinc on top of the steel. Less
protective than hot dip galvanizing is Zinc Plating. Zinc Plating is the process
of running a steel component through an electrically charged bath where a thin
layer of Zinc bonds to the component. Zinc Plating provides decent corrosion
protection in a nice even finish and a lower cost than hot dip galvanizing. Zinc
Plated products can be used outdoors, but will exhibit signs of rust much sooner
than hot dipped galvanized products. Yellow Zinc Chromate is basically the
same as zinc plating. The difference is the Yellow Chromate added to the Zinc
for tanning purposes. This finish is often used to distinguish Grade 70
transport chain and fittings. Some rigging products are coated or painted
with a variety of colors. In some cases, the coatings are simple enamel type. For
items such as lever and chain hoist components are powder coated. This tail
board block shown here was blast cleaned and sprayed with enamel. The last finish
we'll talk about is referred to as self colored. This is because it has no Zinc
or paint to protect it. However, these parts are blast cleaned after they have
been produced and a rust inhibiting oil is then applied. We hope this video has
cleared up any questions or concerns you might have about the materials and
finishes available in some of our rigging products. If you have any further
questions, please visit our website and check out our knowledge base
and please subscribe to our YouTube channel for more
information on various rigging topics.
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