Finishing - May-June 2023

8 NEWS www.finishingmagazine.co.uk
Angus Mackie, QUALICOAT chair, looks at maintaining the
architectural powder coating colour
Registration open
Registrations for the world's leading trade fair for industrial coating
technology are already at an excellent level one year before the next
edition of the event opens its doors. From 9 to 12 April 2024,
PaintExpo will once again be providing a global showcase for the latest
trends in industrial coating. The who's who of the coating technology
industry exhibits at PaintExpo 2024 in Karlsruhe.
With around 430 exhibitors from 27 countries and more than
9,000 trade visitors from 57 countries, PaintExpo was successfully
restarted in 2022 following the pandemic break. More than one in
three exhibitors travelled from abroad. Visitors included a large
number of key decision-makers, specialists and managers, with around
90 per cent of visitors to the previous PaintExpo able to influence
investment decisions in their companies.
Shift in sales
Datacolor has announced a shift in its sales organization in the Nordic
countries. Following the retirement of a long-term partner, Datacolor
will transition from using agents to directly engaging with customers in
Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. This strategic move
underscores Datacolor's ongoing commitment to maintaining high
customer satisfaction and staying closely connected to the market.
The decision to adopt a direct sales model aligns with Datacolor's
dedication to providing the same level of professionalism that their
agent demonstrated over the past 25 years. To ensure seamless service
support for customers, Datacolor has hired Marcus Lehto, who will
continue to serve and support clients as he has done in previous years.
Hot dip alternative
A global manufacturer of
playground equipment and
urban furniture is partnering
with AkzoNobel to replace hot
dip galvanizing (HDG) with a
more sustainable alternative.
CEMER, A Turkish business,
has switched to an Interpon
Redox powder coating system
which not only delivers the anticorrosion
performance the
business needs to compete on a
global stage, but also helps
CEMER to meet its sustainability
ambitions.
Burak Eroglu, chief production
officer at CEMER, says that the
system, comprising a primer and
topcoat, is helping the business
to compete on the international
stage: “Working with AkzoNobel
has helped us further improve
the quality of our equipment.
The durability of the powder
coatings helps to guarantee that
our products will last in extremes
of hot and cold and all climates,
in any of the 75 countries in the
world where our products are
used.”
As with any applied finish exposed to British weather, it is
important that a maintenance regime is put in place to keep it
performing and looking well for many years. If neglected, over
time atmospheric pollutants are deposited on the surface of
finishes and if not removed, these pollutants can affect the colour
and surface finish. So what should we be specifying by way of
finish and maintenance?
Aluminium window and facade longevity starts with a high
quality aluminium substrate pretreatment followed by a quality
powder coat finish as provided by a licensed QUALICOAT
applicator. Often overlooked in the specification process, the
pretreatment of the aluminium substrate is crucial as this process
needs to completely seal the surface of the aluminium, whilst
offering a good key for the powder coating to adhere to. Despite
the powder coating being of a consistent thickness, powder
coatings are air permeable and if the pretreatment is poorly
applied or non-existent, oxidisation of the aluminium substrate
over time will cause the finish to lift. QUALICOAT UK & Ireland
applicators are routinely inspected by independent test house IFO
to ensure the latest QUALICOAT specification is being adhered to
which ensures that a robust consistent pretreatment is applied.
Once handed over to the client, in normal use such as in cities,
the powder coat finish should simply be washed down at yearly
intervals with clean water or with a ph neutral mild detergent
solution in water.
Whilst the original colour of the powder coating can be affected
over time by contaminants in the atmosphere, we also need to
consider UV degradation. Ultra violet light can fade rich colours,
especially rich bold red’s and blue’s. UV exposure can also finish
gloss levels.
Elevations exposed to sunshine and effected by UV degradation
can display a surface ‘chalking’, which is appears as a whitening
of the surface. Chalking is caused by UV radiation which brings
the binder in the powder coat to the surface and is not an
indication that the powder coating has failed but is an indication
that cleaning has been neglected. Again, regular cleaning cycles
should keep any chalking to a minimum.
Powders can be supplied in various grades of durability to suit a
project application. Premium powder compositions use more
expensive and robust materials to offer life expectancies well
beyond thirty years and often similar life expectancy of the
building itself. QUALICOAT has created quantifiable performance
classifications for architectural organic coatings. In Europe there are
three distinct classes of performance - Classes One, Two & Three.
The key parameter to distinguish the performance of these
classes is their ‘weathering’ ability. That is to say, the ability to
maintain a consistent colour and gloss level over time. On new
and refurbished commercial building projects, powder coated
facades will always be accompanied with a cleaning and
maintenance regime from the company who coated the aluminium
profiles. Crucial to any maintenance regime is preventative
maintenance and powder coating is no exception, if the coating
has become damaged, exposing the aluminium, it should be
repaired as soon as possible. For repair, either contact the original
coater, or approach any QUALICOAT approved applicator who
can normally offer guidance.
Finishing – May/June 2023