Technology
T
Guide to Quality Control Inspection Duties
By Brian F. Connell, Anti-Corrosion Inspection Services, Gilberdyke, UK
amiliarity with vari-
ous instruments used
in the course of their work is essen-
tial for coatings inspectors. They should not
only know the types of instruments and how
to use them but also be confident in the results
they have obtained with these tools of their
trade.
This month’s checklist, which is the last in
a nine-part series on quality control in the in-
spection of protective coatings work, outlines
the instruments used for basic, specialised,
and specific contract inspection projects.
The information in this series has been in-
tended to be used as the basis for developing
in-house quality control procedures or for
communicating company requirements for ex-
ternal inspection services.
64 PCE November 2000
MAINTENANCE TIPS ■ The company is responsi-
ble for providing all coatings
inspection equipment and tools (includ-
ing protective clothing).
■ In view of the various locations, specialist
projects, and specific contracts, equip-
ment can be categorised as follows:
1) standard basic equipment,
2) specialised equipment, and
3) specific contract equipment.
■ At the start of their employment, coatings
inspectors should be provided with the
following standard basic equipment:
Part IX: 1) whirling hygrometer,
2) thermometer and spares,
Instruments
3) wicks and spares (to connect the
wet bulb to the water reservoir in a
whirling hygrometer),
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4) steel surface temperature gauge,
5) relative humidity / dew point chart (slide rule),
6) surface profile gauge,
7) surface profile comparator,
8) pipe pit gauge,
9) 10x magnifying glass,
10) set of calibration shims,
11) set of wet film thickness combs,
12) dry film thickness gauge (Type 1, pull-off),
13) air pressure gauge and needles,
14) telescopic inspection mirror,
15) torch (flashlight),
16) knife,
17) measuring tape, and
18) briefcase.
■ It should be the inspector’s responsibility to ensure the
security and maintenance of equipment issued to him
and to notify the office immediately of any loss, break-
age, or malfunctions.
■ Selected equipment may require regularly scheduled ser-
vice or recalibration by the manufacturer. Thus, the in-
spector should notify the office four weeks ahead of time
so a replacement can be provided.
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Technology
■ All equipment should be used strictly in accordance
with the appropriate specification, the manufacturer’s
recommendations, the relevant national or European
standards, or as defined by the office in consultation
with the client and in agreement with the coating con-
tractor.
■ The company should have specialised inspection equip-
ment that would be supplied for special projects and re-
turned upon its completion. These items are outlined be-
low:
1) dry film thickness gauge (Type 2, electro-mag-
netic induction),
2) steel surface temperature gauge (battery operated),
3) paint inspection gauge (destructive test),
4) adhesion tester (cross-hatch cutter),
5) adhesion tester (pull-off),
6) holiday detector (wet sponge),
7) holiday detector (high voltage), and
8) foil thickness gauge (surface profile).
■ In addition to the specialised range of inspection equip-
ment, specific projects may require the following equip-
ment, which also should be returned to the company
upon completion of the project:
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1) balancing scales and weights,
2) WPG (weight per gallon) cup,
3) sieves for measuring blasting media (355–2500
range, set of seven),
4) ion detection test strips, and
5) measuring containers.
■ The company should provide the coatings inspector with
the most appropriate national or European standards rel-
evant to the general activities in the surface preparation
and painting process. In addition, copies of specific stan-
dards should be provided when required but then re-
turned to the company upon completion of the project.
Following is a limited range of relevant standards:
1) BS 729, Specification for Hot Dip Galvanized Coat-
ing on Iron and Steel Articles (alternatives: ISO1459,
1460, and 1461);
2) BS 2451, Specification for Chilled Iron Shot and Grit
(replaced by BS 7079: E3 and E4);
3) BS 2569:1, Protection of Iron and Steel by
Aluminium and Zinc Against Atmospheric Corro-
sion (replaced by BS EN 22063);
4) BS 4232, Specification for Surface Finish of Blast
Cleaned Steel for Painting (replaced by BS 7079:0, A1,
A1 [supplement], and C1–C4);
5) BS 5493, Code of Practice for the Protection of Iron
66 PCE November 2000
and Steel Structures Against Corrosion (partially re-
placed by Parts 1–8 of BS EN ISO 12944);
6) BS 7079:A1, Preparation of Steel Substrates Before
Application of Paints and Related Products: Visual As-
sessment of Surface Cleanliness;
7) SIS 05-59-00, Swedish Standard (Pictorial)—Sur-
face Preparation Standard for Painting Steel Surfaces
(superseded by ISO 8501, the equivalent of BS
7079:A1); and
8) European Scale of Re-surface Rusting of Painted
Surfaces.
(Note that although some of these standards have
been replaced, they may still be referenced in client
specifications, usually with the comment “or latest re-
vision.”)
■ Specific tests (i.e., adhesion pull-off, cross-hatch, paint
film thickness, holiday detection on painted surfaces, or
specific gravity tests, etc.) on painted surfaces are cov-
ered in ISO or BS standards. If specified in the client’s
specifications, these standards should be provided by the
company when required.
(Brian F. Connell, the author of this series, can be reached at
Anti-Corrosion Inspection Services by telephone or fax: +44
1430 440722, or by e-mail: brianconnell@anti-corr.co.uk.)
Copyright ©2000, Technology Publishing Company