CLIENT OVERVIEW
- ORGANISATION Penske Australia & New Zealand
- OPERATIONS Commercial vehicles & power systems
- RELATIONSHIP SINCE 2024
THE CHALLENGE
Penske Australia & New Zealand is a leading provider of commercial vehicles, diesel engines, power systems and remanufactured components, distributing products from Western Star Trucks, MAN Truck & Bus, Detroit, MTU and other major brands. Their facility in Kings Park, NSW, manufactures engines, transmissions and drivetrain components to OEM specifications.
During the manufacturing process, finished and in-progress components are stored between production stages and prior to dispatch. Bare metal surfaces — when freshly machined, cleaned or blasted — are highly susceptible to oxidation and surface corrosion during storage, especially in a workshop environment with variable humidity. Even minor corrosion on precision-engineered components can compromise quality standards, trigger rework and delay dispatch.
Penske’s team needed a preservation coating that would reliably protect metal surfaces from corrosion during storage, be easy to apply across a busy workshop environment and leave a clean, non-contaminated finish when removed before final assembly.
OUR SOLUTION
After a structured trial period, beginning with product samples in 2024 and a lengthy evaluation process, Penske’s technical and facilities teams selected Chemron’s Protecta as a suitable preservation fluid for the facility.
Protecta is a highly durable, weather-resistant anti-corrosion coating that forms a dry, non-oily, non-tacky film on metal surfaces. This was a critical requirement for Penske — the coating needed to protect components without attracting workshop dust or leaving residues that could interfere with subsequent assembly or finishing steps.
The product was supplied in large pack sizes and decanted into smaller applicator bottles for workshop use, with Chemron providing GHS-compliant labels for the decanted containers to maintain Penske’s site safety and compliance standards. This practical support, beyond simply supplying the product, was part of what differentiated the Chemron relationship.
Protecta’s formulation provides easily removable, long lasting corrosion protection suitable for both indoor storage environments and components that may be exposed to variable conditions during transit. It is applied by spray, brush or dip, giving the workshop team flexibility across different component types and sizes
RESULTS & OUTCOMES
- > 9 Months Support during critical trial and validation processes
- Non-Tacky Dry film finish — no dust attraction or contamination of precision components
- Temporary Coating that is easily removed by solvent wipe or parts washing
Following a nine-month evaluation that progressed from initial samples through extended workshop trials, Penske’s technical team approved Protecta for operational use and issued a formal purchase orders and commenced supply to the facilities team in January 2025.
The product is now in active use at the NSW facility in Kings Park, protecting manufactured engines, transmissions and drivetrain components from corrosion during inter-stage storage and pre-dispatch holding. The non-tacky, non-oily finish has addressed the workshop’s primary concern — preventing corrosion on precision machined surfaces while not hindering the assembly process later in the production cycle.
Chemron’s support extended beyond product supply to include GHS compliant labelling for decanted applicator bottles and assistance with Penske’s vendor onboarding process. The thoroughness of the trial and the practical support provided during setup have established Chemron as a trusted supplier within Penske’s procurement system, with potential to expand Protecta use to other Penske facilities across Australia and New Zealand.
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
"We trialled Protecta over several months across different component types in different facilities. The non-tacky, removable finish was exactly what we needed — it protects the metal without attracting dust or leaving residue that could affect final assembly. "
Technical & Process Team
Penske Australia
