Pretreatment is supposed to be simple.
Set it up. Run the line. Parts come out ready to coat.
That’s the promise, anyway.
But the more complicated the chemistry, the more attention it demands. Extra checks. Extra adjustments. Extra eyes on the process just to keep things steady. 👀
At CPI, we designed Steelcote™ to do one thing: take the complexity out of pretreatment.
Steelcote™ Zirconium is our phosphate-free pretreatment chemistry, proven to stay consistent across shifts and reliable under real production demands.
Steelcote™ keeps pretreatment simple, steady, and—best of all—drama-free. Just give us the word and we’ll walk you through what it could look like on your line. Get in Touch.
How Steelcote™ Keeps Pretreatment Drama-Free
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3-Stage: Combines cleaning and coating in one step, best suited when soils are lighter or when space and operator time are limited.
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Phosphate systems generate heavy sludge that clogs washers, eats up operator time, and racks up hauling bills. Steelcote™ eliminates it completely by running phosphate- and heavy metal–free. No sludge. No sealer stage. No hazardous waste to manage. Just a cleaner process from start to finish.
3. Stable Across Shifts
Production rarely looks the same from one shift to the next—soil loads vary, operators rotate, and throughput changes with the season. Steelcote™ keeps pretreatment stable under those real-world conditions. Baths are managed with simple titration checks, no additives required, so performance holds steady even when production isn’t.
4. OEM-Validated Performance
Passing in a lab is one thing. Passing on the line is another. Steelcote™ has been validated in both agricultural and automotive supply chains, consistently meeting corrosion and adhesion requirements under OEM standards.
5. Longer Bath Life, Less Waste
Steelcote™ extends bath life to 6–12 months, reducing the number of cleanouts and the volume of chemistry needed. It also uses up to 60% less water than phosphate systems, lowering operating costs and cutting waste treatment. Less downtime. More uptime.
A Closer Look at the New 3-Stage Option
We touched on it above, but CPI’s newest zirconium solution deserves its own spotlight. Steelcote™ 1750 is our latest pretreatment solution, combining cleaning and coating into one stage to deliver a true phosphate-free 3-stage process.
3-Stage Setup: Steelcote™ 1750 Cleaner/Coater → Rinse → Rinse
Why it matters:
- Simplifies the washer layout with fewer tanks and less floor space
- Eliminates phosphate sludge and HAZMAT waste
- Easy to manage day-to-day with simple titration checks
👉 Request the 1750 Spec Sheet and see how the 3-stage process works in real production.
💡 Got a specific chemistry problem? Contact us we love a good challenge.
