Gas Pump Sheet Metal

Metal Thickness Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have selected their sheet metal thicknesses according to the strength required in the part. Thickness is usually expressed in "gauge" numbers, ranging from 24 gauge to 18 gauge in pump and dispenser applications. The larger the gauge number, the thinner the metal. It’s quite common for an aftermarket sheet metal supplier to cut his costs by stepping down the OEM gauge size, say from 22 to 24 gauge, hoping the customer won’t notice or doesn’t care. DurEquip’s products always equal or exceed the OEM thickness. Here are the decimal equivalents of common gauge sizes; production thicknesses have a tolerance of about plus/minus 0.003":

24 ga 0.0239" 22 ga. 0.0299" 20 ga. 0.0359" 18 ga. 0.0478"

Common Materials

430 Stainless Steel is an inexpensive stainless alloy that was once used widely by the OEMs. Most of them have stopped using it, however, because it is very prone to salt corrosion. (YES—stainless steel can rust!) 430 continues to be a favorite of cheap aftermarket sheet metal suppliers. DurEquip avoids using 430 except in a few Tokheim applications where 430 was originally used and where 304 is not available in the required finish and thickness. A magnet is all you need to detect this alloy.

304 Stainless Steel is the preferred material for pump and dispenser sheet metal and is now used by DurEquip and most OEMs. It achieves high corrosion resistance through increased nickel content compared to 430 but is, of course, significantly more expensive. 304 has the best corrosion resistance of any commercially-available alloy but it will still rust in some coastal (extreme salt) areas. A magnet will not stick to 304 stainless steel.

Cold-Rolled Steel (CRS) is the most economical material but it must be painted and is prone to corrosion. (Don’t forget to allow for the paint thickness when measuring a CRS panel’s thickness.) Many C-Store chains and jobbers, even those using full-door decals, are switching from CRS to stainless because the stainless doesn’t need to be replaced every couple of years. DurEquip’s standard CRS products are always "powder-coated" in white (or your choice of custom colors). This is a baked finish that’s tougher than normal paint. We can also match most custom colors and can paint economically in batches as small as 25. Please contact us with your needs.

Galvanized Cold-Rolled Steel is a new material that is just entering the marketplace. Galvanized (zinc-coated) steel has always been the most economical choice for rust resistance. The catch is that it has been almost impossible to make paint adhere to the zinc. (That’s why you normally see galvanized steel used bare, especially in industrial and agricultural applications where appearance is secondary to durability.) Recent developments motivated by the automobile industry’s trying to reduce body corrosion, however, have resulted in heat-treated zinc coatings that will hold paint well. One of these, trade-marked "Galvanneal" was developed by United States Steel. Dresser-Wayne was the first major manufacturer to begin using this material and is now warranting their galvanneal panels for four years.

DurEquip’s products for Wayne dispensers use Galvanneal steel wherever this is Wayne’s specification for the OEM product.

DurEquip’s standard products for other OEMs do not use Galvanneal because of its additional cost. If you need painted sheet metal for demanding environments, however, please contact us for a quotation. We can supply panels made of Galvanneal material cost-effectively even in relatively small quantities. Coastal (Salt Air) Locations Coastal locations present a major problem to marketers who want their gasoline equipment to always be looking its best. The reason for this is that all commonly available steels, including stainless steels, will rust in this environment. The lifetime of the metal is highly variable, depending on local conditions, but it is not unheard of for new dispensers to show traces of rust on 304 stainless within a few months AFTER installation. Some operators have even decided to use only painted CRS in coastal locations, having found that the extra lifetime of stainless steel is not enough to justify its extra cost. DurEquip, in cooperation with one of the United States’ largest convenience store chains, has conducted some laboratory and field experiments with various kinds of sheet metal in salt environments. Please call us for additional information if you have needs in this area.