In this article, we want to explain the importance of selecting a good coating for lighting columns and poles.
If these elements are not applied a barrier coating that isolates them from any type of corrosive agent, they can end up giving rise to fatal accidents, accidents that have even claimed lives and caused innumerable economic damages due to the devastating effects of the Corrosion as you can see in the photos.
And it is no longer just a matter of an aesthetic issue both for the inhabitants and for the image that it can offer to tourists ... Such wear compromises the road safety, at the electrical and structural level of the columns, and can lead to fatal accidents due to their fall and electric shocks to pedestrians. To this, we should add the laborious planning tasks of maintenance work and its high cost.
What are the necessary coating characteristics for the lighting columns to have a long service life?
It is very common to use conventional paints or epoxies as a final finish for lighting columns.
In order to understand the reason for their degradation, we must first know all the corrosive factors to which they are exposed.
In general, public lighting poles are exposed to highly corrosive environments by being exposed to the environmental conditions of the territory in which they are located. Rain, snow, sun and changes in temperature are external agents that accelerate the corrosive process of materials.
On the other hand, they are also exposed to the urine of dogs, whose acid accelerates the corrosion process, without forgetting possible blows derived from bicycle locks, vandalism, etc.
In coastal environments, abrasion from sand can be very damaging to the coating. In addition, the columns will be exposed to the marine environment, which is considered one of the most aggressive environments. If so, it will be strictly necessary to have a quality coating to ensure its longevity.
In these images you can see the effects of corrosion on metal coated with a conventional product at the bases of the columns:
How to solve the problem and choose the best coating for lighting columns?
To solve the problem, the key is to use a suitable coating and process to ensure maximum corrosion protection of the column bases.
With Plascoat PPA 571, extremely high-performance thermoplastic, we provide a protective membrane greater than 350 microns that provides unique characteristics such as:
- Superior resistance to salt, sea, sand and sun.
- Excellent protection against abrasion.
- Excellent edge and weld coverage.
- Excellent Environmental Credentials - Contains no bisphenol a (BPA), VOC, TGIC, isocyanates, halogens, or heavy metals.
- Smooth surface with "anti-graffiti" characteristics.
- Anti rust properties.
- Dielectric properties.
Is the performance of the PPA proven?
Tests carried out at the Swedish Corrosion Institute have shown that the thermoplastic in the house Axalta, Plascoat PPA571 is one of only three corrosion protection systems, out of a total of 52 tested, that can extend the life of a lighting column by up to 50 years.
Likewise, our experience of almost 40 years in the plastic coating sector supports us. We can boast of having successfully coated thousands of lighting columns and poles, of a wide variety of models. Therefore, we can affirm that we are one of the companies with the most experience in the field. For this reason, numerous municipalities have approved our product after testing its benevolent properties over time.