A rinsed part is held up and watched for about 30 seconds. A continuous water film means the surface is free of oil and grease; beads, dry islands or a film that pulls back reveal residual soil. Operators use it at the exit of the cleaner and rinse stages to judge whether the cleaner is doing its job before money is spent on conversion coating and powder.
Panels are water-breaking right out of the cleaner, check the temperature and concentration on stage one.
Water-break-free just means clean of oil; it does not prove the conversion coating formed.
Also heard as
- water break
- water-break-free test
Related terms
Pretreatment
The cleaning and chemical conditioning a part gets before powder, which decides most of its adhesion and corrosion life.
Crater
A round dimple in the cured film where something with low surface tension pushed the melted powder away.
Conversion coating
A thin layer formed by chemically reacting the metal surface, which improves adhesion and slows corrosion under powder.
Wash
Line slang for the spray pretreatment washer, or for the pass a part makes through it.