Anodizing is an electrochemical process whereby standard aluminum is immersed in a chemical bath and exposed to a strong electric current. This enhances the natural oxide layer of the aluminum and creates a thick, hard exterior surface which helps to protect the metal from further oxidation and makes it more durable, low maintenance and easy to dye a variety of colors.
At Schaumburg Specialties, we’re experts at rack anodizing and many of our clients request that we custom build or customize their racks to include this process. Whether you’re in the food and/or meat production, commercial baking, aerospace, marine, manufacturing or medical/pharmaceutical industries, anodizing your pan racks can be a low cost, environmentally sustainable and highly effective way of increasing your production efficiency, boosting your branding and improving the lifespan of your equipment.
Continue reading as we reveal five key reasons why anodizing your racks can be a really good idea…..
Five Key Benefits Of Anodized Racks
#1. Increased Durability And Corrosion Resistance
Anodizing makes aluminum highly resistant to corrosion and further oxidation, even in harsh environments. The anodized layer is integral to the metal and much harder than the raw aluminum surface, which substantially increases its scratch and wear resistance and makes it less prone to chipping, peeling, or flaking.
Such protective properties can undoubtedly help increase the durability and lifespan of your equipment and means anodized aluminum production equipment is ideal for heavy use and/or in outdoor applications such as commercial bakeries or seafood and meat processing plants.
#2. Long-Lasting Color & Aesthetic Appeal
A great benefit of anodizing your production equipment is the long-lasting vibrant color that it can afford. The oxide surface on anodized aluminum is composed of deeper pores than those of standard aluminum, so liquids such as lubricating oils and dyes are soaked up much more effectively.
Such porousness means anodized aluminum can be dyed in a variety of colors, making it popular across a huge variety of industries and applications to differentiate between products and to boost branding (more on this below). The colors are highly resistant to ultraviolet (UV) rays and do not chip, peel or fade, providing long-lasting aesthetic appeal.
#3. Easy Product Branding & Identification
Many people wonder about the advantages of color anodizing racks over just simply anodizing them! Well, there are several advantages!
Color anodizing your racks (whether that’s the top of the rack or the whole!) means you can clearly and quickly identify different products and production areas, which is key to free-flowing operations in a busy workspace.
In addition, you can differentiate between products, clients and parts of a production line, as well as ensure food safety regulation compliance by being able to segregate raw/cooked, allergen/non-allergen, gluten-free and kosher foods etc. Color coding can facilitate a more streamlined approach to your operations, helping to improve production efficiency.
Color anodizing can help with product ID’ing and segregation
Adding a splash of color can also work wonders for your branding. In the modern, competitive marketplace, having a strong brand identity is extremely important and by opting for production equipment in your own branded colors, you can extend and consistently apply your brand image to key production areas of your business.
At Schaumburg Specialties, our range of color-anodized oven racks are available in blue, red, gold, green, clear and black and we’re experts at incorporating anodizing into our custom builds and customizations.
One recent project saw our team customize racks by color anodizing for premium pet food manufacturer, Moretti Freeze Dry, to help differentiate between pet food products and various stages of production and boost the efficiency and effectiveness of the company’s working operations.
If you’d like to learn more about color anodizing and how it can form part of your custom build or product customization project, please reach out to our friendly team of experts to discuss your requirements.
#4. Low Cost, Low Maintenance
Another key benefit to your business of anodizing production equipment is that it doesn’t cost too much when compared with other finishing methods. In addition, because of its impressive durability and resistance to wear, weather and corrosion, anodized aluminum also has a longer lifespan than untreated aluminum or other coated metals, reducing the need for replacements or repairs and making it cost-effective in the long run.
It’s also extremely low maintenance, which is a crucial advantage in busy production environments when the time to stop operations and conduct a deep clean isn’t always possible. Anodized surfaces are super easy to clean and you can even use aggressive cleaning chemicals without damaging the finish and the integrity of the metal.
#5. Sustainable & Food Safe
Anodizing is a sustainable, non-toxic process with minimal environmental impact. This is important when increasing numbers of consumers expect – and are willing to pay more for – products that are manufactured using sustainable, eco-friendly processes.
Being non-toxic also means that anodized aluminum is widely used in food processing, medical devices and other sensitive applications.
Order Your Anodized Aluminum Racks from the Masters at Schaumburg Specialties!
Here at Schaumburg Specialties, metal fabrication and top quality finishing solutions are in our DNA. Contact us to discuss your rack anodizing requirements and start benefiting from anodized aluminum equipment today!