QUALICOAT is an international association that defines quality specifications for coated aluminum used in architectural applications. It aims to assure high quality by establishing consistent standards and continually improving specifications. Benefits of QUALICOAT certification include competitive advantages for licensed plants when bidding on projects in Europe, as QUALICOAT certification is often required. QUALICOAT specifies requirements for coating plants regarding laboratory facilities, production equipment, pretreatment processes, product inspection, and testing to ensure licensed plants maintain high and consistent quality standards.

1. QUALICOAT
QUALIBALmeeting in Belgrade
3 December 2014
Josef Schoppig, Managing Director

2. • Who is QUALICOAT ?
• What are the benefits ?
• What are the main
elements ?

3. QUALICOAT is an international non for
profit association defining Specifications
to assure the quality of coated
aluminium for architectural applications.

4. Benefits of QUALICOAT
• QUALICOAT gives
licensed plants a clear
competitive advantage
when tendering.
• Winning contracts in
Europe without a
QUALICOAT licence is
very difficult.

5. 5
ADMINISTRATION
AC-Fiduciaire SA
Tödistrasse 47
CH-8002
Zürich
www.actreu.ch
Josef Schoppig
Managing Director
ACCREDITED ACCORDING TO
EN-45011 (ISO 17065)
Riccardo Boi (QUALITAL)
Technical Director of QUALICOAT

6. Accreditation since 1997:
no SCESp 045

7. Working Groups
Technical Committee
Executive Committee
Members organised in national and international associations
President
M. Panam, UK
QUALICOAT structure today
Technical Director
R. Boi, IT
Delegate representatives
Secretariat
Managing Director
J. Schoppig, CH

8. The Parties Involved
• Architect / Specifier / Owner
• A building built to specification at an
agreed price and delivered at the
agreed time
i.e. Coatings to look good, protect
the investment and last as long as
possible

9. Applicators Requirements
• Why don’t all applicators become QUALICOAT
licensed
• Only the highest quality applicators will be able to meet
the Qualicoat requirements
– Large investment required in terms of
• Quality System
• Equipment
– Ongoing costs in terms of licence fee and auditing
costs

10. Applicators Requirements
• In-house Laboratory
• Separate from the production facilities.
• Appropriate apparatus and chemicals, independently
calibrated

11. 11
• Selection of suitable standards
• Limit values for the quality assurance
• Testing instructions for in-house and external
control (independent third party control)
• Adaptation of the Specifications to new
developments
The nature of a Quality Label

12. 12
What QUALICOAT does not stand for:
Such quality management
systems are, however, an
asset for each licensee.
QUALICOAT is not Quality Management System
ISO 9000, ISO 16949, or QS 9000 quality
management systems provide procedures
to assure the quality management system of
an organisation.

13. Founded in 1986
QUALICOAT
Further aims
- Sharing technical information
- Implementing innovations
- Issuing testing instructions for in-house control and external monitoring
- Developing market awareness for the QUALICOAT licence
Original mission
– Assuring a high level of quality by establishing
onsistent standards (QUALICOAT Specifications)
and continually improving on them.

14. QUALICOAT Specifications
Pretreatment
systems
Licensed
coaters
Approved
Coating material
systems
Product quality

15. Working groups
Members
organised in
national
associations
QUALICOAT innovation process
Executive and
Technical
Committees
Requirements are
addressed and
relayed
Innovation
requirements
Analysis of
requirements,
development of
proposals

16. Working groups
Members
organised in
national
associations
QUALICOAT innovation process
Executive and
Technical
Committees
Proposals are
addressed and
verified
Implementation in
Specifications
Analysis of
requirements,
development of
proposals

17. Role of the Independent Test
Institute

18. Independent Testing Laboratories
• Inspection & Auditing.
• Perform the testing required
• The inspectors themselves are organised in a separate
association QUALISURFAL (annual inspector’s meeting).

19. Independent Test Institute
• All of the test institutes have to be EN ISO 17025 accredited
for the tests stipulated by QUALICOAT.
• This means that each test and operator is audited and all
equipment is calibrated to a traceable national standard.

20. QUALISURFAL
Sharing experience
Conducting interlaboratory tests
Inspectors
QUALICOAT structure
Laboratories
accredited to ISO 17025

21. Over 400 licensed coating
plants worldwide
Over 500 approved powder
systemsat 31.10.14
Today – across the globe
QUALICOAT

22. From 5 to18 national and
internatioal associations (members)• 1986: Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland
• 1987: Netherlands
• 1989: Portugal
• 1993: Greece
• 1995: Hungary
• 1997: Turkey
• 1998: Australia, UK and Ireland
• 1999: Germany
• 2001: Poland
• 2006: Middle East
• 2006: Mexico
• 2008: Japan
• 2009: China
• 2013 Russia
• 2014 QUALIBAL

23. APPROVALS (paints)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011
number of approvals
valid systems
cancelled systems

24. APPROVALS
• First approval granted on 17.7.1987 to a French supplier
• First approval granted on 15.7.1995 to a supplier from
outside Europe
• First system cancelled on 28.6.1991

25. LICENCES
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011
Development of licences

26. LICENCES (on all five continents)
• First licence granted to an European coater on 22.7.1986
(Belgium)
• First licence granted to a coater from Africa on 11.11.1994
(Morocco)
• First licence granted to a coater from Asia on 11.01.1999
(Lebanon)
• First licence granted to a coater from Australia on
04.07.2000
• First licence granted to a coater from the Americas on
23.03.2001 (Colombia)

27. Today – in Europe
QUALICOAT Over 350 licensed coating
plants across Europe
At 31 October 2014
Austria
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Greece
Italy
Ireland
Latvia
Netherlands
Poland
Romania
Switzerland
Turkey
Cyprus
Croatia
Portugal
Russia
Spain
Sweden
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Belgium
Bulgaria
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Belarus
Hungary
Albania
Source of flags: CorelDrawCliparts and Wikipedia

28. Today – outside Europe
QUALICOAT
At 31 October 2014
Over 50 licensed coating
plants outside Europe
Australia
Bahrain
China
Columbia
Dominican Republic
Egypt
Israel
Kuwait
Lebanon
Mexico
Morocco
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
Tunisia
United Arab Emirates
IndiaArgentina

29. Public Relations in the UAE
First licence granted on 15 March 2000

30. Public relations in „down under“ in 2000
30 April 2001

31. Public Relations in India
First licence on 14 December 2012

32. • Architects
• System manufacturers
• Global metal construction companies
• Consultants
• Building companies
Growing demand for QUALICOAT

33. QUALICOAT requirements

34. • Laboratory facilities
Requirements for coating plants
Requirements for coating plants

35. • The coating plant must have laboratory facilities.
• The laboratory must be sufficiently equipped to analyse
process solutions and test finished products.
• Laboratory facilities
Requirements for coating plants

36. • Plants must meet the requirements in the current
QUALICOAT Specifications.
• The layout of the facilities should be designed to avoid
contamination.
• Each plant must have a drying oven.
• Laboratory facilities
• Plant and equipment
Requirements for coating plants

37. In-house control – pretreatment
• Chemical parameters and temperature 1x per day / bath
• Conductivity of water 1x per day
• Temp. of pretreatment and rinsing baths 1x per day/ bath
• Etching degree 1x per week
• Stoving conditions 1x per week
• Weight of conversion coating 1x per day
• Laboratory facilities
• Plant and equipment
• Pretreatment
Requirements for coating plants

38. Etching
• At least 1g/m² for AA 6060 and
AA 6063 alloys.
• Etching is not specified for rolled
products and castings.
• The etching degree shall be
monitored regularly.

39. Chromate pretreatment
EN ISO 3892
• Weight of the chromate conversion coating:
– Chromate treatment (yellow) between 0.6 and 1.2 g/m².
– Chromate-phosphate (green) between 0.6 and 1.5 g/cm².
• Final rinse max. 30 µS/cm.
• Coating maximum 16 hours after pretreatment.

40. Anodic pretreatment
• All impurities must be eliminated.
• Anodic film with a thickness of 3-8µm.
• Final rinse max. 30µS/cm.
• Coating maximum 16 hours after pretreatment.
• Continuous monitoring of baths and finished products.

41. Alternative pretreatments
• Alternative pretreatment methods may
only be used if approved by QUALICOAT.
• Coating plants shall comply with the
requirements stipulated by the chemical
suppliers and in the QUALICOAT
Specifications.

42. • Appearance
• Coating thickness
• Gloss
• Laboratory facilities
• Plant and equipment
• Pretreatment
• Inspection of finished products
Requirements for coating plants

43. Appearance
(from a distance of 3 to 5 metres)
• No scratches through to the base metal
on the significant surface.
• No visual defects on the surface, e.g.:
– excessive roughness, runs, blisters,
inclusions, craters, dull spots, scratches, etc.
• The colour and gloss must be even
with good coverage.

44. Coating thickness
EN ISO 2360
Coating system requirements – minimum coating thickness
Powder coating
• Classes 1 & 2: 60μm Class 3: 50μm
• Two-coat powder system (1 & 2): 110 μm PVDF: 80 μm
Liquid coating
• Two-coat PVDF system: 35 μm
• Three-coat metallized PVDF system: 45 μm
• Silicone polyester without primer: 30 μm (minimum 20% silicone resin)
• Water-thinnable paints: 30 μm - 50 μm
• Two component paints: 50 μm

45. • Coating thickness must be measured on the significant
surface.
• Average (5 measuring points) must not be less than the
specified minimum value.
• None of the values measured may be less than 80% of
the minimum value.

46. Gloss
ISO 2813 – incident light 60°
Requirements:
• Category 1: 0 - 30 +/- 5 units
• Category 2: 31 - 70 +/- 7 units
• Category 3: 71 - 100 +/- 10 units

47. Gloss
ISO 2813 – incident light 60°

48. • Gloss
• Coating thickness
• Dry and wet ahesion
• Indentation
• Cupping test
• Bend test
• Impact test
• Machu test
• Saw test
• Polymerisation test
• Acetic acid salt spray resistance
• Laboratory facilities
• Plant and equipment
• Pretreatment
• Inspection of finished products
• Testing of test panels
Requirements for coating plants

49. Adhesion
EN ISO 2409
• A cross-cut down to the
substrate is made on the
test panel.
• Then the adhesive tape test
is performed.
Requirements: viewed with the naked eye, the coating
must not show any sign of cracking or detachment.

50. Indentation
EN ISO 2815
To determine a coating’s surface hardness.
Requirements:
• The indentation resistance according to Buchholz must be at least 80 with
the specified coating thickness.

51. Cupping test
EN ISO 1520
• To test elasticity of coating.
• Classes 2 and 3 must pass the adhesive tape
test.
Requirements:
- Min. 5 mm for powder coatings (Classes 1
and 2)
- Min. 5 mm for liquid coatings, except:
- two-component paints: min. 3 mm
- water-thinnable paints: min. 3 mm
- Min. 5 mm for electrophoretic coatings

52. Bend test
EN ISO 1519
• To determine elasticity of powder coating on deformation.
• Adhesive tape test additionally performed for Classes 2 and 3.

54. Impact test
for powder coatings only
• Class 1 (one- and two-coat systems)
Energy: 2.5 Nm: EN ISO 6272: / ASTM D 2794
(impactor diameter: 15.9 mm)
• Two-coat PVDF powders
Energy: 1.5 Nm: EN ISO 6272/ ASTM D 2794
(impactor diameter: 15.9 mm)
• Class 2 and 3 powders
Energy: 2.5 Nm: EN ISO 6272/ ASTM D 2794
(impactor diameter: 15.9 mm)
Followed by adhesive tape test

55. Impact test
for powder coatings only

56. Machu test
on sections only
• Accelerated corrosion test
• Cross-cut with a width of 1 or 2 mm.
Requirements:
• No infiltration exceeding 0.5 mm on both sides of the scratch.

57. Machu test

58. Acetic acid salt spray resistance
ISO 9227
• Corrosion processes are accelerated in a corrosive atmosphere (e.g.
acetic acid salt spray) with increased temperature.
• Classes 1 & 2 (1000h), Class 3 (2000h)
Requirements:
• No blistering in excess of 2 (S2) according to ISO 4628-2.
• Infiltration of max. 16 mm² per 10 cm length is allowed.
• Length of any single infiltration must not exceed 4 mm.

59. Acetic acid salt spray resistance
ISO 9227

60. Acetic acid salt spray test
ISO 9227
on sections only

61. Evaluation of the negative result
of acetic acid salt spray reistance (max. 16mm2)

62. Sawing test
• Samples are cut with a saw to test the coating quality.
Requirements:
No cracks or chips are allowed.

63. Polymerisation test
for liquid coatings only
• A swab saturated with solvent is rubbed lightly back and forth
over test panels for 30 seconds.
Requirements:
• Ratings 3 and 4 are satisfactory.
• Ratings 1 and 2 are unsatisfactory.

64. Polymerisation test
for liquid coatings only

65. • The coater must maintain records of:
– Production
– In-house control
– Customers’ complaints
• Laboratory facilities
• Plant and equipment
• Pretreatment
• Inspection of finished products
• Testing of test panels
• Examination of records
Requirements for coating plants

66. First inspection of coating plants

67. First inspection
Repetition of first inspection
Second inspection
QUALICOAT licence will
be granted
QUALICOAT licence will
not be granted
First inspection of coating plants

68. Routine inspection of
coating plants

69. Routine inspection of coating plants at least twice (two positive inspections)
Monitoring of the following requirements:
Laboratory equipment & production
Pretreatment & materials
Finished products & test panels
Records
Acetic acid salt spray test (once a year)
Machu test (once a year)
Require-
ments
met?
Licence to use
the quality label
will be renewed
Licence to use the
quality label will
be withdrawn
immediately
Second inspection
within one month

70. QUALICOAT requirements for
coating materials – latest
developments

72. 7 Jul 2011 FLORIDA WG

73. POWDERS
Class
1
Class
2
Class
3
Class
1½

74. RAL “families”
Failure in one RAL colour (colour change) during the annual
routine testing after Florida exposure, could be an indication of a
technological deficiency affecting several colours and not just
the RAL colour in question.
The present QUALICOAT requirements state that only the RAL
colour failing will be banned. The status of other colours is not
affected.

75. RAL “families”

76. RAL “families”

78. Critical colours
• “critical” means that either the suitable pigments for
these colours are not available or that QUALICOAT does not
support these colours.
•It can also be considered a kind of warning that these
colours are not suitable.
• The following list will be considered the current state of
the art but should be revised every year.

79. 12 SOLID CRITICAL RAL COLOURS
RAL 1003 RAL 2004 RAL 3015 RAL 4001
RAL1012 RAL 2011 RAL 3017 TOTAL 1
RAL1018 TOTAL 2 RAL 3018
RAL1028 RAL 3020
RAL1033 TOTAL 4
TOTAL 5

80. Special application
SEASIDE

81. SEASIDE
• Quality designation within QUALICOAT
• Designed to meet higher corrosion protection requirements
in coastal areas

82. SEASIDE - pretreatment
3 techniques
Type A: simple acid etching
• The total etching degree of all acid steps must be at least 2g/m².
Type AA: dual etching (alkaline etching and acid etching)
• The total etching degree must be at least 2g/m².
• The etching degree in each step must be at least 0.5g/m².
Type OX: anodic pretreatment
• 3-8 μm film thickness

83. Surface preparation
having been investigated
PRETREATMENT
CYCLE
DEGREASING ACID ATTACK ALCALINE ATTACK ACID ATTACK
AA2 (A) X X X X
AA1 (B) X X X
A2 (C) X X X
A1 (D) X X
OX X X X X

84. Modified Filiform corrosion test

85. Cleaning

86. Statistics : negative inspection results

87. New investigations
• Definition of corrosion classes
• Extension of the label to other applications
• Correlation between accelerated weathering and outside
exposure test

88. • About the QUALICOAT quality label
• Lists of licensed coating plants and approved coating and
alternative pretreatment systems
• Specifications
Information
To learn more,
please visit
www.qualicoat.net

89. Thank you for your attention and
WELCOME TO QUALICOAT!