Like BMW, DHL, and M&Ms, some companies have become so familiar that they are just known by their acronym. In the water and wastewater industry two such companies are BSC and CRC.
With BSC standing for Bearing Service Company, and CRC standing for Corrosion Reaction Consultants, the meeting of the two in an industry driven by movement, and defined by its corrosive environment, makes for a partnership that has come to be relied upon.
Iain Faber, National Channel Manager at CRC Industries, describes how corrosion can be a significant issue in water and wastewater facilities.
“You’ve not only got the water, but you’ve got abrasive particles that generally flow at high rates both through plant treatment and distribution networks. Then there’s going to be additional chemicals and oxidants that are ever present as well as with grey water collection and recycling that include chlorines or any of the other sort of chemicals. Then there’s also the high PH levels of that water and wastewater treatment water.”
As Steve Keown, National Product Manager at BSC, states, the rotating pieces of equipment that are in these contexts must be insulated.
“Normally everything from moving joints, whether it be a water gauge or whether it be on an aerator, that is exposed to those sorts of environments has got to be protected.”
This is where CRC’s range of corrosion inhibiting products comes in. Whether used at the point of installation, during refurbishment, or as part of a plant overhaul, the cathodic protection offered by CRC’s coatings can ensure plant longevity.
“You’ll get longer component life with the most appropriate surface treatment and sometimes those need to be completely rejuvenated as well,” said Keown.
Within this range are an array of application-specific products, designed for the water and wastewater industry.
“The most effective range of galvanic rust protection products contain zinc to help stop rust and rust creepage. This is due to zinc being a metal that has a low galvanic potential and a small tendency to corrode. CRC has a zinc protection range that is able to treat welding points that will then colour match and also provide ongoing protection. When you have a look at our colour range they’re for specific applications, so whether it’s clean water or waste water allocating blue or green or whether it’s a safety requirement where you’re allocating yellow, or whether it’s a general plant where you’re allocating white,” said Faber. “It’ll actually makes the products resistant to scratching, etching, and corrosion.”
While the most obvious candidate for this kind of protection are surfaces or equipment made of iron or steel, Faber highlights that other pieces of equipment require corrosion protection.
“You can also look at maintenance in terms of electrical, whether that’s control panels or control rooms. We’ve also got corrosion protection for electrical facilities so whether that’s water, dust, air, corrosion on electrical panels, control rooms, or UV resistant coatings.”
To ensure that the right product is used in the right context, BSC will apply their expert knowledge of the water and wastewater industry.
“The application is always defined, and once the application is known and any challenges with that application – whether they be historically known or just presented – are taken into consideration, then we look at the product,” said Keown.
BSC is represented nationally around Australia with staff ready to assist in the application of a corrosion inhibitor.
“BSC has a team of sales representatives nationally that work out of each BSC location. We’ve got sales managers who will come out for site calls,” said Keown. “If you’ve got something specifically that needs to be looked at or checked, we’ll come out and look at it, if it’s something that requires the engagement of our engineering teams, we’ve got a team of highly skilled engineers, that can assist if it gets to the engineering level.”
This team is backed up by CRC’s 50 years of operations and manufacturing in Australia, as well as it’s 60 years of global history and international expertise in product development and testing. Faber explains how this is imparted to BSC representatives.
“We go through and allocate how these products are used in industry and how they align with BSC’s water and wastewater segment focus. The fact that we’re market leading and trusted in the industry makes it a really good business relationship because we’re both trusted in our individual segments so that when we join forces we’re obviously at a higher level of respectability in the market.”
Keown also noted the closeness of the relationship.
“BSC is a national distributor of the CRC range of corrosion protection products, our staff are trained by the CRC technical department, and they also work closely with them on applications when required.”
“With BSC being known for outstanding customer service and after hours contact for emergency call outs, you can certainly be assured of customer service at a very high level.”
