Galvanizing is a zinc based coating that is applied to steel strip to resist rust and oxidation. It is characterized by a spangled finish and is used to make products such as household heating and ventilating ductwork or guard rails along the sides of a road. The steel strip is coated by either a hot dip process or an electrolytic process. A hot dip galvanizing line uses a zinc pot which acts as a hot zinc holding tank. The steel strip passes through the zinc pot and the zinc adheres to it. As the strip cools, the galvanized coating hardens. An electrolytic galvanizing line has a long rectangular tank which utilizes an electrical charge to help the zinc adhere to the steel strip. Most galvanizing lines are continuous and may have a temper mill or tension leveling built in after the galvanizing section. 

The galvanizing line is a demanding, highly caustic environment and is more manual than the fabrication process; structural steel is suspended from crane hoists to be immersed in a series of solutions. The steps include:
1. Caustic cleaning, in which the steel is immersed in a caustic solution
2. Water rinse
3. Pickling to remove oxides and mill scale
4. Flux solution dip, where steel is cleaned of all oxidation
5. Drying to prepare for zinc and zinc alloys
6. Immersion in a zinc bath
7. Final cooling and inspection

The combination of outstanding mechanical equipment, furnace, air wiping, and post-treatment sections leads to increased plant competitiveness, with excellent coatings for all the required steel grades, maximized production capacity, and low environmental impact.
Further highlights of the GEIT galvanizing lines are low operating costs and high process flexibility for the production of a wide range of different products and coating types.
GEIT hot-dip galvanizing lines are the preferred choice for coating steel for automotive applications.
The quality of the finished product complies with the demands of the higher added-value market.
The metal coating line can target several markets in terms of steel grades and alloying type.
In a vertical configuration, the galvanizing line is able to produce all steel grades, from soft-forming up to dual-phase, TRIP, and martensitic steels.