This article has been prepared in order to introduce Qualicoat closely known by the manufacturers in the paint world and to provide clear information. First, let us redefine Qualicoat for our producers who do not know what it is.
Qualicoat is headquartered in Switzerland and is a quality system and certification body. In 1986, several national associations covering coatings of architectural parts created a quality label organization called Qualicoat.
Their aim was to raise and standardize the level of quality across Europe, setting out the rules that apply to the paint industries. Firms in all five continents have licenses and since then the number of national and international associations has continued to increase.
Thanks to its efforts over the past decade, Qualicoat has played a key role in improving the quality of painted aluminum systems used in architecture structures.
The aluminum industry, coating materials suppliers, and pretreatment chemical manufacturers have been represented on the Qualicoat committees from the very beginning, thus exchanging ideas between coatings and their suppliers.
Qualicoat members are national or international associations that have signed a Master License agreement with the Quality Control Association Qualicoat in the Varnishing, Paint and Coating Industry. These are called General Licensees.
These associations in the world have the authority to give Qualicoat trademark approval to the Companies that are working on coating systems of aluminum for architectural structures.
What are the benefits of Qualicoat approval certification?
Receiving the Qualicoat tag and compliance:
• Licensed facilities provide a significant competitive advantage over their competitors,
• Customers receive coated products that meet standards and clearly defined quality and performance criteria,
How to get a Qualicoat approval certification?
Qualicoat is an international standard that is expanding rapidly and making itself accepted all over the world. Product certifications
are done in general scope under the main topics as below.
Liquid and Powder manufacturers – Qualicoat certificate, Chemical manufacturers, producing Chrome-free Chromate – Qualicoat certificate, Coaters, producing Aluminum profile and coating them with Qualicoat approved powder – Qualicoat certificate, Decorator (Applicator of decorations), Aluminum + Qualicoat approved powder + Qualicoat approved film applicators - Qualideco Certificate, Film Supplier (Supplier of paper or plastic film) – Qualideco Certificate, Coating Applicator, Powder manufacturers corresponds to film – Qualideco Certificate.
It is possible to define shortly the march of this process in our country, Turkey as below;
1- Firstly, Producer must be member of AYID to get any of the certificates written above.
2- The Producer must make an official application to AYID with technical documents reflecting the product information regarding the conformity it wishes to receive.
3- AYID informs the Inspector for audit of the Producer If It deems the application.
4- The Inspector conducts two audits, the first of which is announced and the second is unannounced, regarding the producer’s request and whether the Producer meets the requirements according to the latest Qualicoat requirements in the field of production.
5- As seen in the audit reports kept in these inspections, if the Producer proves that it fulfills the requirements (necessary laboratory equipment is provided, surface treatment and paint lines are kept under control and necessary checks are performed regularly, etc.) from the production area inspected depending on the demands of the Producer, after the 2nd inspection powder paint /powder coated Aluminum profile/ chrome-free chromate chemical/film is taken by the inspector, as well as witness samples, all sent to the Laboratory, which is approved by Qualicoat and accredited according to EN ISO 17025 standard.
6- The Qualicoat Laboratory carries out the tests according to Qualicoat requirements and the Laboratory informed to Qualicoat, AYID and Inspector about the test results.
7- If all test results are satisfactory, Qualicoat sent to AYID approval certificate for the Producer and the Producer start to use Qualicoat label at their product packages.
8- Sustainability of quality conformity of the product is controlled per a year with renewing tests under the same methods.
As seen above steps Qualicoat, AYID, Inspector and Test Laboratory are organizations that have to work in a coordination about determination of provide conformity.
AYID; General Licensee of Qualicoat in Turkey
Inspector; Independent person, inspected and approved by Qualicoat.
Test Laboratory; Independent and autonomous, inspected and approved by Qualicoat and had been accredited according to EN ISO 17025 standard.
In this article, detailed information will be given for powder paint manufacturers which are particularly interested in this certificate. Qualicoat management committee collects producer, laboratories, licensors, auditors under the same roof every year and records all suggestions, ideas and works for the development of the Qualicoat quality system. These meetings lead to Quality system continuously developing and renewing. It is easily possible to reach free the latest
Qualicoat standard by using web address on internet to see clearly information what is the requirements. It is beneficial to inform that this standard is written in English. As you can see, Qualicoat standard from the first edition has been updated sixteen times.
Let’s give the following information about powder coatings;
According to Qualicoat standard powder dyes are separated 4 different models regarding to their Class and 3 different models regarding to their category.
Cat.1: mat dyes, 0-30 Gu
Cat.2: semi-gloss-satin dyes, 31-70 Gu
Cat.3: gloss dyes, 71-100 Gu
Class differences come up regarding to the performance showed of the powder dyes against to Corrosion and Sun light resistance tests. Some tests and test durations to show differences are given table below.
Now, let’s give information about the test laboratories and the tests to be performed. The right to test according to Qualicoat Standard on 5 continents has been granted to only 9 Laboratories worldwide. You can see this list in the table below.
As you can see, I would also like to inform you that we, as Metaltek Technology Laboratory, is happy and proud to be a Qualicoat approved laboratory that can perform Qualicoat tests in our country.
Our laboratory has prevented our manufacturers from going abroad for test suitability. Our laboratory, which is equivalent to International Laboratories, gave us the opportunity to introduce us to the world as a Turkish brand.
Which tests are done on a powder coating that meets the Qualicoat requirements? Samples are taken from the Producer applying for Qualicoat first approval, in 3 colors, 2 kgs each. Along with these powder paints, one aluminum panel covered with these paints is requested from the manufacturer.
Gloss control is performed on these panels first. In order to determine the distance from the reference color on the product suitable for the gloss, the color deviation is checked over the original HRA type RAL cards and if the compatibility is within the limits in terms of color, the paint is accepted to start the tests. These colors are main colors, and the colors written below must be tested in the first application. The producer can add the application for metallic color if he wishes. These colors will be as follows.
For Class 1-1.5 and 2;
1- RAL 9010- White
2- RAL 5010- Blue
3- RAL 3005- Red
4- If needs RAL 9006 -Metallic
It is first passed through surface preparation baths by the laboratory using suitable aluminum (5005 and 6060 series) panels and then chromated with Chrome-free chromating chemical.
The chromating chemical used had been approved by Qualicoat. Aluminum panels, whose surface treatment is done correctly, are covered with powder paints by considering the curing temperature and duration in the technical data sheet sent by the Producer.
On the powder paints ready for testing and coated with an average film thickness of 60-80 μm, Mechanical, corrosion and aging tests are performed successively. These tests are as follows. The tests are done on 3 panels and the acceptance criterion is the success of 2 of the 3 panels.
Tests done are as below:
1-Gloss,
2-Film thickness,
3-Dry adhesion,
4-Bucholz,
5-Cupping,
6-Bend,
7-Impact,
8-Humidity resistance,
9-Acetic acid salt spray,
10-Accelerating weathering test,
11-Polymerisation,
12-Mortar Resistance,
13-Wet adhesion,
14-Resistance to humid atmospheres containing sulphur dioxide,
15-Water Spot,
16-Florida Naturel weathering.
The laboratory carries out the first 15 tests written above and send the test results to Qualicoat, AYID and Auditor. If 15 test results are satisfactory, the first temporary approval, called P number by Qualicoat, is given to the Producer via AYID.
The Producer starts to use Qualicoat label with given P-xx number temporary approval for their powders tested packages. If the laboratory test results are unsatisfactory for the primary colors, the Producer is informed, and the process starts again.
Meanwhile, the Laboratory prepares new test panels for proper test results, according to Classes, to take the natural aging test in Florida, and sends them to the Qualicoat laboratory on duty.
Specially coded panels are tested for desired test times in Florida according to Classes. If the test results are satisfactory for all primary colors, not just Metallic, Qualicoat will notify the General Licensor that it makes the temporary compliance permanent, but the metallic color is excluded.
If there is an unsatisfactory test result after the Florida test, even in 1 of the primary colors, the first confirmation is canceled and the Producer restarts all processes.
As the Florida test continues, 2 of the 3 new colors announced by Qualicoat at the beginning of the year are selected by the Producer, and the renewal process starts over the same tests.
The auditor does not need to come in the renewal processes. the Producer must send the 2 colors it has chosen and if any the metallic color, to the laboratory together with 1 painted panel for testing until the end of May, every year.
The aim here is to ensure that powder coatings containing colors in the entire RAL catalog go through tests over the years. Similar applications and processes are available for all label rights compliance, such as Qualideco, Qualanod, and the possibility to easily access and review every standard requirement from the Internet is possible for all manufacturers.
Tuncay Katırcı
Chemical Engineer
Metaltek Laboratory Manager
Metaltek Teknoloji Laboratuvarı
