The damaging effect of ultraviolet rays on human beings is well known. People who get too much direct exposure to the sun can develop such maladies as skin cancer, premature wrinkling, and eye damage, just to name a few. But people can generally find shelter out of the sun when it gets too hot. But consider expensive heavy equipment that can’t be stored in a shelter. Repeated exposure to UV rays will cause damage to heavy equipment that goes beyond the merely cosmetic. In fact, excessive UV rays can cause damage that could make the equipment non-functional.
What can be done to prevent this if no shelter is available?
Transhield, an innovative engineering and manufacturing company headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana, has the solution. The company manufactures lightweight and customizable industrial- and military-duty fabrics to cover and protect outdoor heavy equipment. The fabrics possess Transhield’s patented vapor corrosion inhibitor delivery system, which employs physics and chemistry to provide state of the art protection to machinery, heavy vehicles, infrastructure, and other exposed equipment. Our custom-fit covers are widely used in industrial, marine, aviation, wind energy, and military environments.
Here’s how they work:
Paint
One of the first signs of UV exposure is faded paint. But this is only the beginning. In heavy equipment, paint protects the metal underneath. Exposure to UV rays causes the paint to break down, usually starting with cracking and delamination of the paint. This exposes the metal to corrosion, which in turn leads to more paint degradation, and thus to more corrosion. Transhield’s patented fabrics, which are customized to fit any equipment, provide an atmosphere protected from outside elements, including moisture and UV rays. Transhield’s patented adhesive additive delivery system with vapor corrosion inhibitors (AAD-VCI) is infused in selected fabrics. Within this enclosed fabric cocoon, the VCIs migrate inward toward the metal and provide an enveloping corrosion protection. The paint is protected, and corrosion is prevented.
Rubber Components
Rubber is especially vulnerable to UV rays. Exposure causes rubber to harden and become brittle, and then to crumble and become non-functional. It’s not just vehicle tires that are susceptible to breakdown, but also other heavy equipment rubber components such as seals, gaskets, hoses, and cushions and pads. Transhield’s fabrics block 99% of UV rays, providing extraordinary protection and added life span to rubber and other components.
Ballistic Glass
Ballistic glass in military vehicles is layered. UV rays and extreme temperatures can cause differential heating between the layers of glass. This can cause cracking or warping of the glass, which allows moisture to penetrate between the layers. The moisture chemically changes the adhesive holding the layers together, which causes discoloration of the glass which impairs visibility while driving. Transhield’s fabrics not only protect glass from UV rays, but also provide moisture and heat protection within the interior of the covered space.
Electronics
Nearly all heavy equipment contains intricate and fragile electronic components. UV rays can bring about extremely high temperatures. High temperatures, along with extremely fluctuating temperature changes, can cause solder to soften or melt, seams to crack, internal circuit platforms to delaminate, and moisture protection seals to disintegrate. Hydraulic systems, cables, alternators, pumps and thermostats are all susceptible to damage. This leads to catastrophic breakdowns of the equipment requiring unscheduled maintenance. Transhield’s UV-deflecting fabrics provide exceptional protection, and the three-layer design inhibits damaging UV penetration.
Clearly, maximum protection from UV rays is an imperative when selecting heavy equipment and vehicle covers. Since 1994, Transhield’s custom-fitted covers have provided maximum protection from the elements and UV rays in innumerable applications.
Want to know more? Visit us online at Transhield-usa.com for more free resources and a detailed description of our technological capabilities.