Simple varnish fix yields big savings          

Mechanic Brandon Thurber and colleagues at the District 6 shop lamented that aluminum valves, floor plates, and mounting covers on truck frames needed to be replaced twice a year because of salt corrosion. So they decided to do something about it. The solution was simple.

One day they discovered that spraying the components with “Sprayon Red Insulating Varnish” preserved the metal, reducing corrosion and replacement costs. Now they only have to replace the parts when they wear out or break.

Total annual replacement cost for the components was about $48,000, figuring $800 for each of the district’s 60 trucks. Estimated annual cost of varnish and labor to apply it is $8,000, yielding a savings of $40,000 per year.

“We are pleased with the cost savings, not to mention the innovation,” said Shop Foreman Ron Miller (pictured above).

Published 09-01-17