Why NWL Inc. switched from Pickling Paste to the TIG Brush

NWL Inc. manufactures custom transformers and power supplies, specializing in high voltage power conversion equipment. They faced challenges removing oxidation in welds without compromising integrity. Using the TIG Brush, an electrochemical cleaning machine, they can continue to deliver high-quality products to their customers.

NWL Inc.’s challenge

NWL used to passivate their stainless steel using either pickling paste, oil or remove oxidation using a wire brush. However, to meet customer required specification, they had to create a stainless steel tank to house their transformer. This process of removing oxidation in the welds without compromising their structural integrity was a difficult endeavour.

The solution & result

They tried four different methods of passivation, which either resulted in subtle changes to the color of the welds or made no improvements at all. After recognizing the difficulty, they recalled a video about electrochemical passivation and then discovered the TIG Brush.

The main challenge they faced was passivating the discolored weld seams on their radiators. Since the radiators were made of thin stainless steel, removal with mechanical methods was not an option, and pickling paste took several hours of manual labor to remove. After using the TIG Brush for electrochemical passivation, it worked perfectly on both hard-to-reach radiators and typical weld seams.

“Here at NWL, we do intermittent passivation of stainless steel. After finding TIG Brush, we found that it saved both production time and created a better finish on our welds. We would recommend TIG Brush to any manufacturing facility that works with stainless steels and wants to have a mirror-like finish on their welds to give their customers a product they are confident in.”

Robert Doroshow
Mechanical Engineer, NWL Inc.