Amerex is constantly innovating to meet customers’ needs by listening and improving its products. Quality, service and innovation are at the forefront of their operations. Amerex has developed and implemented a new corrosion-resistant paint process for all vehicle systems agent cylinders, nitrogen cylinders and their brackets by infusing zinc into the primer coat.
While this product improvement doesn’t affect the extinguisher price, it will better protect the agent cylinders. Now available, these high-performing extinguishers serve their on-road vehicle systems and Kodiak off-road vehicle systems found in the transit, mining, waste management, agriculture and forestry industries. This strategic product improvement will protect these critical components against corrosion from hazardous materials that can eat paint away.
Demanding Advanced Corrosion Protection
This process can cause significant damage to the agent cylinders found on the waste vehicles
Amerex strives to deliver the best in service and product development, updating features when needed because their customers’ needs and best interests are important to them. This environmentally friendly and innovative paint process provides a more effective solution for rugged markets such as waste management and city transit that demand advanced corrosion protection.
These are the areas Amerex expects to see the biggest improvement. In landfills, waste residue from the markets served can over time combine and break down. This process can cause significant damage to the agent cylinders found on the waste vehicles. It’s Amerex goal to minimize these risks for their customers wherever possible. The new formula with the zinc-based primer provides extra corrosion protection for these vehicles that are exposed to harsh materials.
Corrosion-Resistant Primer
Paint can also be chipped over time from handling heavy debris, exposing the primer coat. This new paint further protects the integrity of the agent cylinders, enabling them to last longer and power through the everyday dirt and grime they experience. Another area Amerex is seeing corrosion is with city buses in the Northeast.
By introducing this more corrosion-resistant primer, customers will benefit from a better
Specifically, in the winter, agent cylinders that are mounted close to the ground to the undercarriage of transit buses corrode from salted roads. After roads have been salted for snow, the salt lingers and is reactivated when roads melt and refreeze, and especially so if it rains. This creates a saltwater bath on the agent cylinders. These vehicle systems need to be protected from outside terrain and conditions. By introducing this more corrosion-resistant primer, customers will benefit from a better, longer-lasting product at the same price.
Vehicle Fire Suppression Systems
Amerex has seen the effects of agent cylinder corrosion on these vehicle systems themselves, and it has motivated them to innovate and create a solution to fulfill this need. While there’s not a noticeable physical difference in the agent cylinders, their lifespan will be substantially improved.
Once applied to the cylinder, the zinc-based primer adheres in the paint oven at Amerex production plant
Once applied to the cylinder, the zinc-based primer adheres in the paint oven at Amerex production plant, resulting in a more corrosion-resistant paint finish. Development of the new paint process began more than a year ago, and since then, Amerex has spent thousands of hours researching and testing it. These agent cylinders have undergone strenuous testing and are ready to serve Amerex customers in the field.
Having The Proper Fire System
Improving the longevity of their vehicle system extinguishers reinforces the Amerex mission to serve, innovate and constantly improve the quality of their products. Vehicle fire suppression systems are vital to the mass transit, mining, forestry, agriculture and waste management industries. The ever-present dangers make having the proper fire system on the vehicle so important.
Alan Fulton is the Vehicle Systems Product Manager for Amerex. Alan has been a part of the vehicle systems team for 27 years and the past 23 years have been as product manager. From his vast experience in the industry, Alan has seen it all. His industry knowledge plays a key role in the product development efforts at Amerex.
