February 22, 2022

Corrosion-Free Sheet Pan Rims

It’s a serious problem encountered by bakeries, restaurants, foodservice operations, and anyone that uses sheet pans on a regular basis. Corrosion.

Wires used in sheet pan rims are the number one area where corrosion begins. These wires are typically made of cold rolled steel. Cold rolled steel is extremely durable and resistant to breakage and deformation, which is why it is the most popular choice when it comes to manufacturing sheet pan wires; however, when these steel wires encounter water or other liquids that have gotten under the rims of the sheet pans and are not dried properly, corrosion begins to take place, rust will form, and contamination of products begins.

Until now, most foodservice operations have continued using sheet pans with cold rolled steel wires. Once the corrosion has progressed far enough to cause the rim to be discolored, the foodservice operators either throw the sheet pans away and are forced to buy all new pans or they continue using the corroded pans. Sheet pans made with wires other than cold rolled steel have never really been an option…until now. The team at Chicago Metallic has recognized the need for a solution to this problem, which is why we now offer all of our stock sheet pans with aluminum or stainless steel wire options.

The use of aluminum or stainless steel wires within sheet pan rims will eliminate the potential for corrosion, saving your operation time and money. Aluminum and stainless steel both have tremendous corrosion resistance. Aluminum’s chemical properties prevent any rust from forming and stainless steel only rusts under very extreme conditions, which are not experienced in a typical foodservice operation.

In addition to offering pans with different wire options, we also offer sheet pans with a sanitary open bead, semi-curled rim design. These pans are made with heavier materials in order to provide the same rigidity as a sheet pan with a wire in the rim. The unique semi-curled rim design allows bakers and foodservice operators to thoroughly wash and dry the area underneath the rim, leaving no room for corrosion to form.

Health inspectors have been trained to look for corrosion in sheet pan rims; unfortunately, the issue of corrosion is often overlooked as no bakeware manufacturing company has been able to provide a viable solution. But now that a solution is available, health inspectors will be much more likely to deduct points from those foodservice operations where corrosion of sheet pan rims is evident, as the fear of contamination is also present. Foodservice operations should highly consider switching to sheet pans with aluminum or stainless steel wires. Not only will they not have to worry about losing points during the health inspection, but they will also be eliminating the potential for corrosion to contaminate their food products, creating a healthier product, happier customers, and more business!

For more information on our sheet pans with aluminum or stainless steel wires, please contact us.

Contributor:  Mike Macdonald,  Chicago Metallic  –  Vice President of Sales