In 1986 several national associations, encompassing powder coaters of architectural profiles, formed the QUALICOAT organisation. Their goal was to raise and standardise the quality of powder coating across Europe, laying down rules applying to their industry. Firms in many European countries have since directly or indirectly become members of QUALICOAT. The aluminium industry was represented by delegates on the committees from the outset. This ensured information sharing among wrought aluminium producers and coaters. Today QUALICOAT membership extends beyond Europe with associations in Australia and South Africa and producers of coating materials in Asia, America and Europe. Membership is open to all national associations of coaters, the European Aluminium Association and producers of paints, powders, dyes and chemical products.
Following the growth of licenced applicators in the UK & Ireland the QUALICOAT UK & Ireland Association was set up in 1998 as a licensing body for the region to help further expand the QUALICOAT Technical Specification.
QUALICOAT is a quality label organisation committed to maintaining and promoting the quality of lacquering, painting and coating on aluminium and its alloys for architectural applications. To determine whether or not a coating meets a customer’s requirements, the results need to be measured against the Technical Specification. On behalf of customers who have products coated, QUALICOAT defines comprehensive quality requirements and monitors their compliance by licensed plants worldwide. As a result, purchasers of coated aluminium receive a premium-grade product delivering long-term value with good quality. Since its formation in 1986 QUALICOAT has made a great contribution in assuring the quality of aluminium products used in architecture.
Angus Mackie – QUALICOAT UK & Ireland Chair
Most of the general licensees or national associations work together with a testing laboratory accredited according to EN 45001. These laboratories are bracketed together in the “QUALISURFAL Agreement Group” recognised by the European Organisation for conformity assessment (EOTC). In countries without a national association, QUALICOAT engages experienced inspectors to review the licensees’ performance. Licensees who fail to meet the requirements of the Technical Specification can lose their licence. The latest editions of the Technical Specification is available from the Association website www.qualicoat.net
The Technical Specification is regularly added too with a rewrite taking place every six months to encompass enhancements which are researched and presented to the directorate in Zurich. This research is undertaken by working groups consisting of members across the globe and once ratified, is added to the Technical Specification with all licenced members expected to adopt within a given timescale. Licenced coating members are inspected twice yearly to ensure that their production meets the current Technical Specification. To ensure the widest uptake of the documentation continues to be freely available from the Association website without cost.
In the UK and Ireland the Association are proud to support 25 licenced architectural powder coaters who service the majority of projects in the UK & Ireland through systems companies and their installers. In order to maintain the highest quality, the supply chain continues to be vertically integrated with a wide range of equipment manufacturers, powder suppliers and chemical pretreatment systems providers are also required to be licenced members of the Association with their products meeting the requirements of the Technical Specification.
QUALICOAT UK & Ireland members will celebrate their achievement in reaching this milestone at their next meeting in November. Anyone wishing to attend as a guest should contact the association directly.
The current QUALICOAT Specification is also freely available for download via the UK & Ireland associations website, qualicoatuki.org and offers an up-to-date list of licensed UK and Ireland Powder Suppliers, Pretreatment Suppliers and Applicators. Telephone support is available from QUALICOAT UK & Ireland Head Office in the midlands on 0330 240 9735, the Association can also be followed on Twitter @Qualicoatuki or on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/qualicoat-uk-&-ireland
