Industrial Etching Plants
Design, supply and installation of industrial acid etching plants for aviation and other industries
Galvatek has 38 years of experience in delivering surface treatment plants to the aviation industry worldwide. Our plants have been used by major OEMs, including GE, Pratt & Whitney, Boeing and Airbus and their suppliers.
We deliver entire plant projects, from planning and designing all the way to installation and start-up. We also provide service agreements that cover regular maintenance, remote monitoring, repairs, spare parts, modernisations and modifications. We deliver plants that are ready to use and ensure their operations even after delivery.
Related links:
CASE: Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Typically applied chemical processes for Galvatek etching plants:
- alkaline cleaning
- acid etching
- chemical milling
- descaling
- desmutting
Typical chemicals applied in etching processes:
- sulphuric acid
- nitric acid
- hydrochloric acid
- hydrofluoric acid
- fluorosilicic acid
Typical components processed by Galvatek etching plants:
- Nickel-base components
- Steel alloy components
- Titanium alloy components
Typical parts include blades, fan discs, compressors, HP / IP turbine discs, rim / full cover plates and various other parts.
Candovent process ventilation reduces costs and enhances safety
Etching plants use extremely strong acids that corrode material from the surface of components. As a result, occupational safety and environmental protection must be prioritised when using these chemicals.
Candovent process ventilation is an innovation that has been developed by Galvatek to effectively extract vapours from chemical tanks. It eliminates the need for plant operators to wear special safety gear and prevents damage to the plant structure and ventilation system from corrosive vapours. The tanks are made from either stainless steel or special plastics, depending on the customer’s preferences. Samples can also be taken from the baths safely from external sampling points.
Candovent process ventilation saves not only the environment but also money. Depending on the climate, the air entering the plant has to be either cooled or heated. Candovent process ventilation can reduce heating/cooling costs by up to 90 percent compared to traditional ventilation systems. Candovent process ventilation also uses up to 20 times less air than traditional plant ventilation systems.
Automation offers consistent quality and efficiency
Galvatek chemical milling plants have an extremely high level of automation. The automated systems cover both process control and production control by constantly monitoring and adjusting chemical processes while also controlling material handling. As a result, payroll expenses can be reduced by up to 70 percent compared to manually operated plants. Automated plants are also much safer than manually operated plants.
Galcont automation improves efficiency and offers consistent high quality. The automation ensures that each component receives the exact same treatment. It also documents the process automatically, which provides traceability.
The Galcont system is easy to integrate with existing plants and IT systems. The automation can be used to optimise material handling, production, temperatures, processing times and dosages. All data is stored automatically in a database that makes it easy to compile reports and trace the processing of individual components, even years later.
Wastewater treatment and NDT in the same package
Galvatek can supply wastewater treatment systems and non-destructive testing (NDT) lines for all surface treatment plants. Galvatek is responsible for the entire delivery of the etching plant, wastewater treatment plant and NDT lines.
Following etching processes can be applied as a preparation for non-destructive Testing (NDT):
- Chemical Etching
- Macro Etching (also known as Deep Etching)
- Blue Etching
- Ferric Etching
- Pre-FPI Etching and Pre-PFD Etching for aluminium, titanium and steel
