Finishing - September-October 2021

8 NEWS www.finishingmagazine.co.uk
’Introducing QUALICOAT 3.0’
By Angus Mackie - QUALICOAT UK & Ireland Chair
Targeted results
Guyson International has recently installed a Guyson Euroblast 7PF
(Pressure Fed) blast system into Merlin Archery, a leading designer and
manufacturer of tournament shooting archery bows. The blast cabinet
is used to deliver a uniform bead blasted cosmetic surface finish on
their range of machined compound bows and to enhance the surface
topography of components before anodising.
After successful blast trials to meet the surface finish requirements,
overseen by Ben Jones the owner of Merlin Archery, were conducted
at Guyson's Skipton headquarters and manufacturing site, which has
remained open and fully working throughout the pandemic, Mr Jones
was happy to sign off on purchasing the new blast system.
The chosen Euroblast 7PF blast system is from Guyson’s premier
industrial quality range and delivers exceptional component access,
with doors opening to the front, top and side, and facilitates easy
loading of components into the internal blast chamber; which in this
instance has the width of 1480 mm to accommodate the longest of the
CNC machines aluminium compound bow parts.
Merlin Archery's blast system comprises a Guyson Euroblast 7PF
blast cabinet, model 75/16 Cyclone Reclamator, G27 Pressure Pot and
Guyson C400 dust collection unit and delivers fast (up to four-times
faster than suction fed systems), effective blast finishing on a vast array
of components. Large armhole sleeve/glove assembly allows the
operator greater flexibility of movement when blasting and external
roof-mounted LED lighting coupled with light coloured rubber curtain
lining offers additional cabinet protection and good contrast for parts
visibility.
SFChina on track
The 34th edition of SFCHINA is
on track to open its doors from
November 16 to 18, 2021 at Hall
E1 of the Shanghai New
International Expo Centre
(SNIEC), P.R. China. This year
we have planned a total gross
exhibition area of over 11,000
square metres. Over 190
exhibitors from 15
countries/regions (as of Aug 9,
2021) will showcase their new
products, services and solutions
in 3 exhibit zones, including
‘Electroplating & Finishing
Technology’, ‘Environmental,
Safety & Protection’ and ‘Coating
Applications & Coating Products’.
In addition to the physical
exhibition, SFCHINA will be
accompanied again with an
Online Show this year, bringing
exhibitors and visitors together
and helping them to match
businesses in a hybrid format.
Although the global pandemic
has somewhat constrained
market growth, the finishing
industry is consolidating and
picking up the pace as global
manufacturing industry has
gradually recovered in the
second half of 2020. Asia is
taking the lead globally due to
thriving construction and
automobile industries in
developing countries like India
and China.
In 1986 several national associations encompassing coaters of
architectural parts formed a quality label organisation called
QUALICOAT. The aim was to standardise procedures and increase the
quality of powder coatings for its membership.
As an association it is our membership who continue to work
together and undertake research which enables the QUALICOAT
Standard to be updated on a yearly basis. The aim of the membership
continues to be to produce the highest quality coatings for extended
life expectancy. With membership that includes the coaters,
pretreatment suppliers and powder manufacturers QUALICOAT
licences members encompasses the complete supply chain.
QUALICOAT is a worldwide organisation which works to a single
standard, so a specification by an architect in London for a
QUALICOAT finish will be coated to the same standard in any city
across the globe. Membership continues to grow and includes all of
the professional architectural coaters in the UK & Ireland. To ensure
standards are maintained coating members welcome unannounced
inspections twice a year by an association nominated test house.
Members who fail the inspection could loose their QUALICOAT
licence.
As with any applied finish, pretreatment is crucial to ensure that the
bond of the finish is maintained, one of the crucial elements is the alloy
substrate and its cleaning. In the QUALICOAT standard and the BS EN
1279, the surface is to be etched with acid or alkaline to remove
impurities which is followed by a pretreatment system that seals the
substrate and creates the key for coating adherence. QUALICOAT 3.0
goes further by looking at the alloy structure itself.
With the extensive research completed by the QUALICOAT
membership it is now recognised that the alloy makeup can effect the
extended life expectancy of the powder coating. Enter the
QUALICOAT 3.0 Label for premium corrosion resistance class.
The QUALICOAT 3.0 Label allows for the use of both primary and
recycled aluminium and is to be awarded to the aluminium extruder.
Aluminium QUALICOAT 3.0 requires an aluminium grade 6060 or
6063 where the relationship between alloying elements, extrusion
quality, microstructure and corrosion potential meet the details laid
down in the appendix of the latest QUALICOAT Standard. A
QUALICOAT 3.0 specification will require a coating member to carry
the ‘Seaside’ class membership as this is a prerequisite coating
procedure for QUALICOAT 3.0.
The aluminium extruder will then get the "Aluminium QUALICOAT
3.0 grade" Label after a satisfactory result the following tests; an
Optical Emission Spectroscopy test; an Anodic Cyclic Polarisation test
and an Metallographic Study.
QUALICOAT 3.0 will be driven by specifiers who are looking to
achieve even higher levels of robust coatings for extended service life.
Further information is available from QUALICOAT UK & Ireland.
The next QUALICOAT UK & Ireland members meeting takes place
on 19th October 2021, at the Arden Hotel & Leisure Club, Solihull ,
please contact the General Secretary, Jan Lukaszewski, via the
QUALICOAT UK & Ireland website, should you wish to attend. For
details on the availability of various colours and finishes contact any
QUALICOAT UK & Ireland member for more information. For
updated information about the use and specification of QUALICOAT
in the UK and Ireland, please visit the UK & Ireland Association website
at www.qualicoatuki.org
Finishing – September/October 2021