Platform on concrete and steel in construction
Our entire society is increasingly attuned to guarantees and the illusion that they entail some degree of security. The dictionary even describes the term warranty as "guarantee" or "security. As long as you have a guarantee that you can return a product or that it will last a number of years, you'll be fine....
Unfortunately, however, the fine print is not always well read. This is also the case when it comes to surface technology. For example, within the framework of this discipline, the warranty for coated facade parts is expiring or only valid when regular maintenance is performed. But it can also be the case that the warranty for painted bridge parts is only valid when an independent inspector has looked at it.
IFO's laboratory in Germany.
Unfortunately, however, the fine print is not always well read. This is also the case when it comes to surface technology. For example, within the framework of this discipline, the warranty for coated facade parts is expiring or only valid when regular maintenance is performed. But it can also be the case that the warranty for painted bridge parts is only valid when an independent inspector has looked at it.
Inspections are increasingly used as a means of obtaining greater assurance about the quality of a treated or preserved product. However, they offer by no means a guarantee that nothing can go wrong (see boxed text). "Moreover, it makes a great deal of difference whether the inspection focuses on the entire process or only on the end result," believes Pauline Meijwaard, director of Tiel-based IFO Netherlands, the address for surface technology issues, tests and inspections. "After all, inspection is not a goal in itself and rejection is certainly not. If an inspector is given room to do something more than just measure the end result, his or her added value is many times greater. This is certainly true in the field of surface engineering."
Layer thickness measurements on site. (Image: Eddy Elderman)
Meijwaard therefore makes a plea to involve an inspector much earlier in the process of surface engineering. "Let him or her think along in the process to be applied, the paint system and the procedures. Benefit from the knowledge of where the crucial operations are, where holdpoints can be set and what, if any, repair options are available. Of course, at the end of the process you can start measuring whether the required film thickness is achieved and whether adhesion is good. But if something goes wrong during pre-treatment, it is better to intervene immediately at that moment than to have to conclude that something went wrong along the way. That way quality can be guaranteed a lot better. It therefore follows that quality is certainly not an illusion and that an expert inspector can contribute a great deal to it. However, the certainty that nothing more goes wrong can unfortunately not be guaranteed by anyone."
Materials Research.
The disciplines of IFO Netherlands - Institute for Surface Treatment.
More than inspection alone
Inspection does not guarantee that no more mistakes will be made. It is always a snapshot and the process to be inspected is and always will be human work. Nevertheless, inspection is very useful when done by the right people. Meijwaard is of the same opinion. "Well-trained inspectors who understand the process itself as well as the theory behind it can do much more than just inspect. They can also assess, interpret, adjust, guide and advise. In addition, they are able to determine whether the correct procedures are followed, whether the persons carrying out the inspection are sufficiently qualified and what measures can be taken to prevent errors or, preferably, to improve quality. In any case, all this gives greater assurance that the process is being carried out properly."
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