The power of steam: Using vapor steam technology to enhance surface preparation
The purpose of this article is to introduce the powder coating industry to the benefits of vapor steam cleaning technology for enhancing surface preparation before parts washing or spray cleaning. Vapor steam cleaning is especially useful for cleaning intricate parts with hard-to-reach crevices and crannies, removing grease and oil from large parts that will not fit into a soak tank before spray cleaning, and precleaning oil and grease off of parts before soaking to minimize contamination of cleaning baths.
Vapor steam technology has been popular in Europe for more than 3 decades. It was first introduced to North America about 15 years ago, primarily for domestic and light commercial surface cleaning in kitchens and bathrooms, for cleaning grout lines on tile floors, and for spot cleaning of carpeting and upholstery. Vapor steam technology works extremely well at removing oil and grease deposits without the use of chemicals, making it safe and effective for the surface preparation necessary for powder coating.