NACE Keeps the Corrosion Out of Coatings

NACE International, The Corrosion Society, is a professional technical society dedicated to the prevention and control of corrosion. The organization offers technical training and certification programs, sponsors conferences, and produces industry standards and reports, publications and software. Established in 1943, NACE has more than 15,000 members worldwide, provides education, and communicates information to protect people, assets, and the environment from the effects of corrosion. Over the last three years NACE has been working closely with the Federal Highway Administration and CC Technologies to complete the federal funded Corrosion Costs and Preventive Strategies in the United States. The Study, which will be available to the public in May 2002, will focus not only on the cost of corrosion, but also go into the details of the benefits of corrosion control and prevention. This is an important component of the Study and will be a key tool for industry and government. With the total cost of corrosion to the U.S. amounting to $276 billion per year, the preliminary findings of the Study show that for the marine sector the annual cost of corrosion is over $2.7 billion — addressing the costs associated with waterways, ports, and ships. It should be noted that this is a low estimate since the corrosion costs of harbor and other marine structures are not included. The key method for controlling these costs is the utilization of coatings. As a leading resource for corrosion prevention NACE has an expanded library of publications related to coatings, and more specifically marine coatings, and an more than 70 standards/reports related to coatings. On-the-Job Training is Key Coatings technology during the last 10 years has had a dramatic increase. The industry has gone from relying on multicoated thin-film technology to single or dual coat thick film technology. Along with these changes has come a greater requirement of surface cleanliness, shorter recoat times, and greater control of the curing process.

Despite the pressures of adopting these new coating technologies, the general consensus has had a positive impact. One of which was a greater need for training to combat coating failure. For more than 20 years NACE has provided quality training in the coatings industry with its Coating Inspector Program. Incorrect application is a leading cause of coating failures; as a result, the use of a third-party coating inspector is vital to any coatings job. The comprehensive NACE Coating Inspector Program prepares coatings professionals for the demanding role of being a third party coating inspector as well as being a part of an overall job team. Inspectors play an integral role on a job site by verifying that correct materials are applied according to the owner's specifications. Coating inspectors check for proper surface preparation and ambient conditions at the paint application site. They also make sure that the materials have been properly applied by taking measurements and conducting tests on the finished coatings works. Detailed documentation and effective communication skills through a project are the keys to an inspector's success.

Those who work in the protective coatings industry find it helpful to know what trained coating inspectors know — and what they are looking for on a job site. A solid understanding of inspection fundamentals will help contractors, blasters, paint applicators, fabricators, and specification writers do better work as part of a coatings application project. Facility owners, maintenance personnel, and technical sales reps will also benefit by understanding the inspector's point of view. NACE offers CIP Session 1, which is an intensive presentation of the basic technology of coating application and inspection over a full 60 hours of personal instruction and practice. This course provides both the technical and practical fundamentals for coating inspection work on structural steel projects. This course involves lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on training with equipment and instruments in an actual working shop. Multiple qualified instructors present the material and the class is concluded with both written and practical examinations.

Learn "how to" information that can be applied immediately to your job: • Intensive and personalized training; • Gain the knowledge and personal experience of the industry experts who developed and teach the program; • Enhance your opportunities and performance in a corporate setting or as an independent contractor; • Network with colleagues in your industry; • Learn how to effectively work with all levels of management in a non-competitive setting. This session is designed for coating inspector trainees but will also provide project engineers, quality assurance managers, contractor, painters, technical sales representatives, blasters, paint applicators, maintenance personnel, and other interested persons with a basic understanding of coatings application and inspection. There are no prerequisites to attend this class.