Australia. Melbourne's famous Star Observation Wheel has been carefully protected from corrosion. It uses a quick-drying polysiloxane coating that protects the steel structure and the high-gloss white color of the cover is the perfect reflective "screen" for the wheel on its nights of lights.
The Melbourne Star was built with approximately 1,200 tonnes and opened at Christmas 2013. The steel structure has been painted using international coatings of the AkzoNobel brand. Instead of the frequently used three-layer system, Brendan Mutimer, Project Manager at AkzoNobel selected a first of two Interzinc 52 layers and an Interfine 979 polysiloxane system. The adhesion and quick curing properties helped keep the project on time without compromising corrosion protection standards for the job.
The coating was sprayed to the complex steel sections after manufacture, followed by retouching after the segments were assembled on site. The fast drying performance of the coating allows for an almost uninterrupted application process.
Mutimer attributed the success of the project to true team effort across the company, including strategic collaboration on detailed specifications, warranties, maintenance plans, visits and meetings, random inspections, troubleshooting and uninterrupted product supply.
