The QUALICOAT Specification for architectural powder coating is now well recognised across the UK and Ireland as the quality label to specify. This year there have been a number of powder coaters who have applied for licences to coat to the Specification but 90% of those applications failed to meet the required level of production to be offered licensed status.

The Association of licensed QUALICOAT applicators across the UK & Ireland continues to grow and for those powder coaters who currently do not meet the required level of production the Association is on hand to offer guidance on both plant updates and procedures that will bring them up to the level required to attain a licence which is confirmed by Third party inspection by testing house, IFO, based in Germany. Once meeting the Specification the coater is required to have twice yearly unannounced inspections in order to retain the licence. This is a key aspect to QUALICOAT, consistent, high quality coating for all coating output from a coater using the label of conformity.

Its not just commercial aluminium projects that are subject to architectural powder coatings, all aluminium used in fenestration is covered, from the front door on a residential project to a high rise curtain wall system. A residential system coated to the QUALICOAT Specification with minimal maintenance will offer decades of service life.

The Association held its last members meeting of the year in October with a record number of members present. Four meetings are held each year where members discuss the Industry, legislation and updates to the QUALICOAT Specification. Due to the size of the current meetings and topics to debate, a separate Technical Group has been set up.

The secretariat informed the meeting that membership is likely to increase by a further two powder coaters towards the end of the year who are on final inspections and a further four powder coaters are working towards membership in 2025. It was decided that the yearly Laboratory Technician training course for powder coaters be split in the coming year into a new introductory member day and an update day for existing members. These courses are proving to be very popular with members as they ensure that production testing procedures are fully understood and carried out within the Specification.

The next meeting of the global QUALICOAT Technical Committee will take place in Istanbul in November, at this meeting it is likely that coating of aluminium castings will become part of the Specification. Castings will join aluminium extrusion and sheet as products which can be specified in QUALICOAT.

As of September, Hexavalent Chrome has now been withdrawn in the UK as a pretreatment system, all members will now be using chrome-free pretreatment options. Global research into the testing of samples from QUALICOAT members confirms that the robustness of chrome-free pretreatments now matches those of Chrome-based systems. It was discussed that chrome-free pretreatment alternatives can be affected by bacterial build-up which could affect the pretreatment process. Bacteria is airborne so tanks not in use should be covered to reduce this occurrence. Whilst not a critical issue, research is to be carried out by QUALICOAT as to how this can be reduced and what impact, if any, it has on the pretreatment process.

AMS of Cork were awarded with their certificate for producing fenestration aluminium that meets the QUALICOAT 3.0 Specification for a project that is being completed on the Thames in London. It is understood that this will be the first of many projects in the UK that will be specified in recycled aluminium that meets this high standard and offers extensive sustainability.

The last meeting of the year is traditionally the AGM for the Association and new Chair, Chris Mansfield welcomed Yasmin Panam to the Vice Chairs position and thanked outgoing Chair, Angus Mackie, for his work in leading the Association over the last few years.

After a short break for a a buffet lunch, the Technical Group met to discuss issues that currently face the powder coating process. Most of the meeting was taken up with the discussion about the ‘wet adhesion test’, undertaken by powder coaters as part of their production process. Whilst it is clear that a sample is to be subject to scribing and immersed in boiling water, it is far from clear how the coated sample is to be suspended in the water for the test. A detailed procedure was discussed and agreed which was to be submitted for approval to QUALICOAT so that the test can be uniform and repeatable.

It was agreed that the next Technical Group meeting will take place online with a date to be agreed.

The up-to-date QUALICOAT Specification is freely available for download via the UK & Ireland Association website, qualicoatuki.org and the website offers an up-to-date list of licensed UK and Ireland Powder Suppliers, Pretreatment Suppliers and Applicators including the applicators who carry the Seaside class accreditation. Telephone support is available from QUALICOAT UK & Ireland Head Office in the Midlands on 0330 240 9735, the Association can also be followed on Twitter @Qualicoatuki or on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/qualicoat-uk-&-ireland.