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Quality Control of Industrial Painting Operations: - Krishnamoorthi V
Quality Control of Industrial Painting Operations: - Krishnamoorthi V
Painting Operations
-Krishnamoorthi V
Webinar Content
• Industry standards for coating application QC
• Developing a quality control plan for painting
• Navigating a Technical (Product) Data Sheet
• Measuring ambient conditions and surface temperature
• Witnessing mixing, thinning and application procedures
• Calculation and measurement of wet film thickness
• Dry film thickness measurement
• Post-application testing
Cure/hardness
Holiday/pinhole detection
Adhesion
Identifying application defects
Learning Objectives/Outcomes
• Completion of this webinar will enable the participant to:
Describe the industry standards that pertain to coating application
Prepare a Quality Control Plan for painting
Describe the content of a Technical (Product) Data Sheet
Measure environmental conditions and surface temperature prior to
coating mixing
Evaluate mixing, thinning and application procedures
Calculate and measure wet film thickness
Measure dry film thickness
Perform post-application testing
Industry Standards for Coating Application
• SSPC-PA 1 Shop, Field and Maintenance Painting of Steel
• SSPC-PA 2 (frequency and tolerance of coating thickness
measurements on steel)
• SSPC-PA 9 (frequency and tolerance of coating thickness
measurements on concrete)
• ASTM E337 (use of whirling/aspirating psychrometers)
• ASTM D4414 (wet film thickness measurement)
• ASTM D7091/D6132 (dry film thickness measurement)
• ASTM D5402/D4752/D3363/D1640 (drying, curing, hardness)
• ASTM D5162/D4787 (holiday/pinhole detection)
• ASTM D3359/D6677/D4541/D7234 (adhesion)
SSPC Paint Application
Specification No. 1 (PA 1)
• Shop, Field and Maintenance Painting of Steel
• Common specification reference
• Contains 14 Sections:
1. Scope 8. Shop Coating
2. Description 9. Field Coating
3. Referenced Standards 10. Repair of Damaged Coatings
4. Definitions 11. Appl. Proc. For Coatings
5. Pre-application Procedures 12. Curing & Handling
6. Factors Affecting Application 13. Inspection
7. Application Methods 14. Safety & Environmental
Purpose of a Quality Control Plan
• Provides QC Inspector with:
A systematic inspection and testing plan that
covers all phases of work in sequence
A written document that lists what to inspect, how
to inspect and the acceptance criteria
A tool to enable an inspector to navigate through
and extract inspection check points from the
specification
• May be a required contract submittal
Benefits of a Quality Control Plan
Coating specifications can be complex documents
Specifications typically contain the quality
requirements for a coatings project
Good inspection doesn’t happen by accident; it
requires planning
QC plans make specification compliance more
streamlined and complete
Provides a key communication tool between QA
and QC inspection personnel
Sample Quality Control Plan
Inspection Technique/ Frequency of Standard Spec. Acceptance
Item Instrument Tests Test Method Reference Criteria
Reference (mock) (mock)
Verify ambient Electronic Before mixing SSPC-PA 1 3.4.1 Air: 50-100°F
conditions psychrometer and every 4 Surface: 50-110°F
hours; changing RH: <85%
conditions ST > 5°F DP
Verify Visual Prior to primer SSPC-PA 1 3.4.2 Properly installed
installation of application & maintained
protective
coverings
Dry Film Calibrated Area coated ASTM D 7091 3.4.7 3-5 mils
Thickness of Type 2 gage during the SSPC-PA2
Primer verified for previous work
accuracy shift, per SSPC
PA2
Holiday Low voltage After topcoat ASTM D5162 3.4.10 No pinholes or
Detection wet sponge application holidays
detector
Product Data Sheets
Prepared by the coating
manufacturer
An “instruction manual” for
the coating
Technical & marketing
information about the
coating
ASTM F 718 provides a
standard specification for
marine paints
Product Data Sheets, con’t.
• Typically contain:
Brand name of the product
Generic type of the coating
When/where the coating can be used
Compatible coatings
Product weight and volume solids content
Theoretical coverage rate
Product Data Sheets, con’t.
Often contain:
Recommended level(s) of surface preparation
Recommended dry film thickness
VOC content of the coating (as manufactured)
Adjusted VOC content dependant on amount and type of thinner
Performance data (adhesion, abrasion resistance, etc.)
Recommended methods of application
Mixing and thinning instructions
Pot life, induction time
Drying times (dry to handle, dry to recoat)
Cure times
Recoat times
Method to verify cure
Product Data Sheets Vs.
Specification Requirements
• Product data sheets contain recommendations
• When the PDS and the project specification differ,
the specification is the governing document (contract)
• The specification may invoke the PDS
• QC inspector should note discrepancies/vague
information and advise the owner at the bidding stage
and at the pre-job meeting
Environmental Conditions for
Coating Application
• Air Temperature (min. &
max.)
• Relative Humidity (min. or
max)
• Dew Point Temperature
• Surface Temperature [min.
5 °F (3°C)] above Dew
Point Temperature
• Wind Speed (max.)
Significance of Conditions
• Air Temperature
Too cold or too hot can affect coating application & curing
• Relative Humidity
Too damp or too dry can affect coating application &
curing
• Surface Temperature
Too cold or too hot can affect application & curing
• Surface temperature at or below dew point
temperature will result in condensation
Significance of Conditions, con’t.
• Wind Speed
Too windy can affect application (dry spray) and cause
overspray damage
• Mixing/application of coatings under adverse
weather conditions can void the manufacturer’s
warranty and is considered a specification non-
conformance
Ambient Conditions & Surface
Temperature
• Measuring Instruments
Sling Psychrometers*
Battery-powered
Psychrometers*
Electronic Psychrometers
Analog, Thermocouple-
type & Non-contact
Surface Thermometers
• Dial-Type Thermometer
Position & stabilize for
minimum of 2 minutes
• Thermocouple-Type
Thermometers
Stabilize quickly
• Infrared (non-contact)
thermometers
Watch distance
Assessing Wind Speed
• Analog wind meters
• Digital wind meters
• Rotating Vane
Anemometers
Air flow inside
containment
Wind speed
Documenting Ambient Conditions and
Surface Temperature
Condition Data
Date 2/15/12
Time 0900 hours
Dry Bulb Temperature (DB) 16oC (60oF)
Wet Bulb Temperature (WB) 13oC (55oF)
Depression (DB-WB) 3oC (5oF)
Relative Humidity 73%
Dew Point Temperature 11oC (51oF)
Surface Temperature 15oC (59oF)
Wind Speed 11 km/Hr (7 mph)
Measurement Location West side of tank, ground level
Significance of 5°F (3°C)
• Theoretically, a small (<1°F)
increase (surface temperature
over dew point) will preclude
moisture formation
• Minimum increase of 5°F (3°C)
compensates for:
Instrument tolerances
Varying conditions
Changing conditions
Location and Frequency of Data
Acquisition
• Location • Frequency
Dictated by where the Prior to mixing of
work is being performed coatings
(e.g., inside vs. outside of Four-hour data collection
a containment; balcony of intervals is common
elevated storage tank vs. More frequent
ground level) measurement if conditions
If interior, with are changing
ventilation in operation
Shops: Blast or Paint bay
area
Inspecting Mixing Procedures
1. Verify components are within
the manufacturer’s shelf life
(and stored properly)
2. Check PDS for mixing
instructions
3. Measure coating temperature
after all components are
thoroughly blended
4. Straining required?
5. Thinning required/allowed?
6. Induction time required?
7. Pot life monitoring
Inspecting Thinning Procedures
• Verify:
Correct type of thinner is
used
Calculation of thinner
quantity is accurate
Graduated containers are
used to measure thinner
• Consider impact on local
VOC regulations
Calculating the Target
Wet Film Thickness
• Sometimes the wet film thickness will be listed
on the PDS (many times it is not)
• Arriving at the target wet film thickness is
necessary to arrive at the specified dry film
thickness
• Must be adjusted based on the amount of
thinner added
Calculating a Target Wet Film
Thickness
• Calculating Target Wet Film Thickness
SCRIBE AN “X”
INTO COATING
TO SUBSTRATE
REMOVE TAPE
APPLY TAPE AND QUICKLY
RUB ONTO SURFACE
Tape Adhesion (D 3359) Method “A”
(> 5 mils)
Rating Description
5A No peeling or removal
4A Trace peeling or removal along the incisions
3A Jagged removal along the incisions up to 1/16” on either side
2A Jagged removal along the incisions up to 1/8” on either side
1A Removal of most of the coating from the area of the “X” under
the tape
0A Removal of coating beyond the area of the “X”
Tape Adhesion (D 3359) Method
“B” (< 5 mils)
SCRIBE A CROSS-
CUT PATTERN
INTO COATING TO
SUBSTRATE
APPLY TAPE AND REMOVE TAPE
RUB ONTO SURFACE QUICKLY
Tape Adhesion (D 3359) Method “B”
(< 5 mils)
Ratin % Description
g
5B 0% Edges of cuts completely smooth
Pulling mechanisms
include:
Spring
Pneumatic
Hydraulic (shown)
Record psi (Mpa) and
location of break
Illustrations of Various Locations of
Break 1
2 3 4 5
Identifying Coating Application
Defects
• Multitude of defect types
• Identifying type, causes
and remedies is
challenging
• Acquire a pictorial
reference guide
• Sources:
ASTM standards
Fitz’s Atlas 2™ (shown)
Summary
• During this webinar, we have described :
Industry standards for coating application
Developing a quality control plan for painting
Navigating a Technical (Product) Data Sheet
Measuring ambient conditions and surface temperature
Witnessing mixing, thinning and application procedures
Calculating and measuring wet film thickness
Dry film thickness measurement
Post-application testing
Identifying application defects
Quality Control of Industrial
Painting Operations
THE END
William D. Corbett
KTA-Tator, Inc.