When David McCreery launched QMaxx Products Group, the world was still relying on 70-year old technology to try to prevent rust and corrosion. In fact, McCreery looked at some of these technologies as part of his initial efforts to understand the principles of rust prevention.

Two things were clear:

- Rust and corrosion is an expensive problem: The annual direct costs in the United States represent more than 3 percent of GDP. That’s more than the annual cost of all natural disasters combined.

- And lubricants were not keeping up with technology: Many top-selling lubricants in the United States had been on the market for decades without any significant efforts to keep up with changing industrial and consumer needs.

TECHNOLOGY TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF METAL

Once he realized that existing products delivered mediocre performance at best using environmentally unfriendly chemicals that in some cases were banned in the United States, McCreery scraped any ideas of building on the past.

He knew it would take out-of-the-box thinking and 21st-century technology to change the way consumers and industries approached rust prevention.

McCreery took his ideas for improving the technology to some smart chemical engineers and researchers and spent 18 months on extensive research and testing to formulate the core technology. As the new formulas developed, he used focus groups, local shows, country fairs and shooting competitions to showcase his products and collect consumer feedback. He also listened as manufacturers and industrial leaders shared their priorities and product-specific needs.

The result is a product line of All-in-One cleaners, lubricants and rust preventatives that extend the life of metal by breaking the rust cycle and reducing friction.

QMaxx Products Group has taken a radically new and different approach to the rust challenge:

First, it breaks the rust cycle by keeping water—the main catalyst in the rusting process—away from metal. The patented heavier-than-water formula prevents moisture from coming in contact with metal. Water doesn’t simply bead up on an oily surface; QMaxx formulations are heavier than water to literally drive any moisture away from a metal surface.

Second, the formulations are engineered to form a powerful intermolecular bond with metal. The result is a durable, long-lasting barrier against rust, corrosion, dirt and other particulates. By bonding with metal, QMaxx products can perform while remaining dry to the touch. And they don’t wipe off.

Third, QMaxx formulations are surprisingly thin by design to penetrate deep into the metal surface. Unlike the oily coatings of many competitive products, QMaxx displaces the moisture that collects in the smallest pits, pores and crevices of metal’s surface. When there’s no place for moisture to collect, the oxidation process can’t get a foothold.

Fourth, the formulations are designed to extend the life of metal. While that certainly means preventing rust and corrosion, it also means cleaningdeep into surface pores, dissolvingany previous rust and freeing rust-frozen parts and lubricatingmoving parts to reduce the wear and tear that can weaken metal. Every formulation combines cleaning, lubrication, rust prevention and protection for metal.

Given these All-in-One properties, one might wonder why the QMaxx Products Group is a family of formulas. That’s the fifth aspect of this groundbreaking approach to rust-preventing lubricants: From the beginning, McCreery’s goal has been to deliver performance in a formula that is environmentally friendly.

For this reason, the ingredients in each product are carefully blended and balanced to do a job…with not a drop more than necessary. Because the requirements to displace snow and ice differ from those needed to protect against highly caustic saltwater and road salts, which differ from the requirements of a rust-preventing gun-cleaning oil, the QMaxx Products Group has invested in developing multiple formulations. All products start with the patented core technology, then are carefully tweaked and balanced to meet the challenges of specific job and environmental conditions.

But the QMaxx Products Group story doesn’t end here. In some ways, it is only just getting started as the company is now deep into development of the next generation of high-performance, bio-based products. At this time, the bio-based Mil-Spec gun-cleaning oil has passed phase one Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) testing and is on schedule for approval in the fall.

The QMaxx Products Group is working with early support from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) to yet-again revolutionize the rust-prevention lubricant market with a family of highly environmentally friendly products.