Industrial facilities are facing relentless pressure to cut energy bills and carbon footprints. Big capital projects like solar arrays or new machinery take time and serious budget, but there’s a far simpler place to start: cutting out the washing and degreasing line altogether. Standard practice has long been to coat raw metal parts in heavy oil or grease for transit. The problem is that before painting, welding, or assembly, plants have to heat up massive chemical baths and run high-powered blowers to dry everything off. That process burns through gas and power while leaving behind tanks of hazardous waste. Switching to Cortec® VpCI® packaging lets plants bypass the washing stage altogether. Parts arrive clean and ready for production, which immediately cuts energy use and waste.
Turning off heated wash tanks and forced-air drying ovens removes thousands of kWh in monthly gas and electricity usage. It also eliminates chemical solvent baths, removing harmful VOCs from the shop floor and improving worker safety. Without the delay of washing and drying parts, production lines run faster, boosting overall production speed
Manufacturing in Croatia with Global Standards
EcoCortec®, Cortec® Corporation’s European manufacturing plant, operates on a closed-loop model with its own recycling system to eliminate waste. Located in Beli Manastir, Croatia, the facility produces environmentally safe VpCI® anti-corrosion packaging for global export. VpCI® technology forms a microscopic vapor layer on metal surfaces to block corrosion inside the package. Upon unpacking, the vapor dissipates completely without leaving any film or residue. Parts arrive clean and ready for immediate welding, painting, or assembly, eliminating the need for chemical washing lines.
To meet different applications and shipping requirements, EcoCortec® offers this wide range of packaging materials:
VpCI® Films and Bags - Manufactured using advanced processing technologies, EcoCortec’s recyclable plastic films and bags come in various sizes, from small top-seal bags for nuts and bolts to heavy-duty sheeting for large industrial equipment. To help plants meet strict sustainability targets, the lineup also includes options made with PCR (post-consumer recycled) content, as well as fully biodegradable and compostable films.
VpCI® papers- offer recyclable and fully repulpable protection for single-item packaging, parts interleaving, and layer separation. Options include creped, reinforced, grease-resistant, and ESD-safe paper, as well as moisture barrier alternatives to traditional wax or polyethylene coatings.
Specialty Products & Emitters – For added protection in compact or harsh environments, VpCI® emitters and foam inserts provide localized corrosion inhibition alongside cushioning and desiccant action. Options like the USDA-certified BioPad® deliver high-performance protection using biobased non-woven materials.
Switching to VpCI® packaging gives manufacturing plants a direct way to lower energy costs, manage less hazardous waste, and meet corporate carbon targets. Replacing traditional rust oils with VpCI® technology changes everyday shop floor operations for the better. When VpCI® materials are built right into the packaging step, facilities can skip the wash and dry stages altogether. That means shutting down heated chemical baths and high-volume air blowers, which cuts electricity and gas usage while removing toxic solvent waste from the floor. It's a simple process upgrade that keeps operators safer, reduces unit production costs, and makes daily manufacturing much simpler.