Materials and corrosion protection

- scratch- and blast-resistant poles.

Our lighting poles are made of 2 mm high-strenght steel with a Magnelis® coating.

Tuffa miljöer Northcone

Magnelis®

- revolutionary metal coating.

Northcone’s lighting poles are made of 2 mm high-strength steel, covered with an unique coating of zinc, aluminium and 3% magnesium – called Magnelis®. Magnelis® itself is a revolutionary coating with significantly better protection against corrosion than hot-dipped alternatives on the market. Magnelis® is C5 , which provides all of Northcone’s lighting poles with a strong, long lasting protection in tough environments with acids and ammonia. 

Below is a short description of Magnelis® as well as short info about other materials and protection on the market.

Info

Northcone’s lighting poles are effectively protected agains corrosion and blasting

We are very confident stating that our lighting poles have the best corrosion and blasting protection on the market. Why?

1. High-strength steel

First of all the lighting pole itself is made of high-strenght steel. This means a steel that already from the start has a higher “stretch and breaking limit” than normal soft steel used in a regular pole. the higher stretch limit means that the surface is a lot harder and more protective towards scratches, bumps and other such impacts.

2. Magnelis®

Secondly the Magnelis® itself, which is a metallic coating, is harder and a lot more resistant than other treatments like hot dip galvanizing. In comparison you need a lot more forze to crack and scratch the Magnelis® surface. At the same time Magnelis® is a lot stronger than “Rotlack”. Rotlack is a plastic coating which could more easily be rubbed off.

3. Magnesium oxide

On top of the high strenght steel and the Magnelis® coating there is also a third layer of protection –  the oxide layer. This is an additional layer that is only available on our poles.

4. Self-healing process

Magnelis® has an extremely effective self-healing mechanism and can heal up to 6 mm wide scratches and cutting edges. In comparison a hot dipped galvanized pole can heal only 1 mm.

5. PH values

Magnelis® is also more resistant to high pH values (more alkalic environments) than aluzinc and hot dipped galvanized alternatives. Normally wet concret has a pH value of 12, whereas dry concrete has a lower value. Magnelis® can stand up to pH 12 which makes it perfectly well protected for wet and alkalic foundations.

6. SITAC

Overall Magnelis® is tested and approved by SITAC for usage in C5 environments 15 years. In Sweden there are only a few locations which reaches C4 environment, and just a few days per year. Independent tests therefore show that our poles have a tecnical lifetime of 35 years. As a customer you don’t have to worry about corrosion and blasting. The poles will last for many, many years to come.

Different corrosion levels

- for all poles.

When choosing a lighting pole from Northcone, you don’t have to worry about how the sourrounding environment might affect the pole, thus which coating to choose. All our poles can handle corrision level C5 – the toughest corrosivity class, as standard. The poles can easily be placed both in the Swedish archipelago, or on a snow covered road in Finland. Likewise, you don’t need to worry about the quality of your future maintenance. Our poles will do well anyway.Overall, our manufacturing and basic quality is so good that we meet TRV requirements for 30 years without any post-treatment requirements

For other products on the market, however, it is important to find out the specific environmental requirements that apply to the installation and thus which choice of surface protection to be ordered.

The most common surface treatments on the market and their properties are described below:

Characteristics

Wet coat painting is a process in which you pre-treat the material by cleaning and blowing, then painting with primer, intermediate paint and topcoat. The corrosion level becomes C4-C5M (high – very high ex marine environment), but normally gives a slightly inferior UV resistance and scratch sensitivity compared to other painting methods.

Root varnish (iron glue epoxy) is a type of gray lacquer wet lacquer which in several manufacturers is sold as an extra option – a “rust protection” on the material. Increase the service life of the pole in environments that are aggressive, such as winter salted roads or coastal areas. Rotlack meets the highest corrosivity class ie C5M for 15 years (very high, ex marine environment).

If you choose Northcone’s poles, you do not have to pay extra for this option or worry at all, as the pole already in its basic version of Magnelis, already meets the requirements in the toughest environments C5.

Steel is generally the most widely used metal in the industry. Its only major disadvantage is that it rusts very quickly in many environments. For steel to rust (corrode) in ordinary environments, access to both water and oxygen is required. The most common method for protecting steel objects is therefore to use a metal coating of zinc, applied via a hot-dip galvanizing method that keeps moisture and oxygen away from the steel surface.

To protect against rust via hot dip galvanizing gives a corrosivity class around C3 (moderate). The advantages, however, are that the process is cheap. Often, however, one needs to improve the surface further, for example by painting later

Thermoplastic coating is a method where heat is used to melt a plastic powder over a metal in order to obtain a long lasting and more environmentally friendly corrosion protection. Thermoplastic increases the life of the product and reduces maintenance costs. The protection meets the requirements in extremely aggressive environments such as salt water, high concentrations of chemicals, wet or humid environments and in large temperature variations. It also provides a high resistance to scratches and physical impact. When the surface is solid, porous and strong, it also becomes more hygienic, dirt repellent and easier to clean. The corrosion level is C5M (very high, marine) and it also has very good UV resistance.

Powder coating is an environmentally friendly coating method that is often used in difficult environments or when there are requirements for long life, combined with great choice of color choice. The painting process has been developed for, among other things, the automotive industry and is adapted for steel, galvanized steel and aluminum. The corrosion level is C5M (very high, marine) and gives good UV resistance.

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If you want a quote or buy lighting poles, contact us below. If you are a consultant, we are more than happy to help if you have any questions or concerns.