Coating Survey & Inspections S.L.

Dear Client,

Thank you for taking the time to read the CSI coating consultancy document.

We have taken the liberty to provide you with our coating consultancy services should you be interested in using our services for your next new build or refit project.

On any new build or refit project we would strongly recommend that you will try to include a Coating Acceptance and Warranty Criteria within the (re)-finishing contract to avoid unnecessary discussions during the delivery stage of the coating contract and to be able to judge and measure the finished surfaces according to an pre-agreed standard.

This document lists some of the acceptance criteria points in which the paint contractor has to deliver the surfaces to the Client such as:

-          Gloss Unit levels

-          Opacity levels

-          Maximum dust inclusion in High and Low Visibility areas

-          Tape and cut lines

-          Orange peel levels (short and long wave scans)

-          Tension levels

-          Dullness value

-          Distinction of Image

-          Wet and Dry film thicknesses

-          Topcoat hardness values

-          Etc.

We have included a list of inspection methods executed by us during the surveys and follow-up inspections, including their industry standards such as ISO, ASTM and DIN amongst others.

The technical and cosmetical coating inspections are based on the following:

-          Preparing and setting up of inspection plan with the Client and Contractor

-          Inspection/acceptance criteria in agreement with the Client and Contractor

-          Spot-checks i.e. fairing hardness, WFT, DFT, environmental conditions, housekeeping, surface profiles etc.

-          Technical advise in relevant situations

-          Daily application reports verification plus QA/QC

-          Liaison with Owners Representative

Daily fee for consultancy/inspection visits by junior or senior CSI representative are on request.

Budget packages are also a possibility and will be custom prepared.                   

Depending on the actual situation during the new build or refit period like yard standard, QA/QC programs, quality of paint contractor and agreed acceptance criteria, the involvement of C.S.I. may range from 1 to 4 days per two week period or could be just the coating holding points plus final delivery inspection for acceptance and warranty purposes..

A typical new build inspection package involves a one or two day visit per fortnight depending on the size of the vessel.

A typical refit inspection package involves 3 to 5 visits during the preparation and refinishing period.

There are 4 contractual coating holding points (or visits) during the actual exterior application stages which are important to inspect for acceptance criteria and warranty/guarantee purposes. These stages are:

1) Initial inspection of the complete external surfaces to determine the current quality status. This is followed by the preparation of a refit coating system specification, acceptance and warranty criteria. All external surfaces will be scanned and documented on a GA for the purpose of determining any existing corrosion, surface defects or other.

2) Inspection of the anti-corrosion treatment of the substrate prior to the application of the first epoxy primer. The substrate will be checked for surface profile, cleanliness, salt/chloride contamination and the primer layer will be checked for stripe coating, total DFT etc.

Inspection of the fairing layers with regards to Shore D hardness, adhesion (Dolly Test) air-pockets, mixing ratios, straightness etc.

3) Inspection of the epoxy primer layers and/or showcoat for adhesion values, WFT, DFT, pinholes, contamination, detailing etc.

4) Inspection of the delivered coated surfaces in accordance with the agreed contractual acceptance criteria perimeters including but not limited to: DFT, Orange peel, Dust inclusions, Gloss values, Topcoat hardness’s, Opacity, Tapelines etc.

This inspection is followed by an extensive, full documented survey report for warranty/guarantee purposes.

If required by the Client our company can provide, based on the outcome of the survey, a detailed manufactured approved customized coating refit specification which includes a Coating Acceptance and Warranty Criteria.

Our fee for the preparation of these specifications is on request.

Bookings are organized using economical/tourist class fares for traveling and accommodation within Europe but are depending on availability of services at the date of inspection or traveling.  Traveling outside Europe will be on an upgraded level from Economy Class.

Following items, if applicable, are not included and will be charged to the Client accordingly:

-                      Communications e.g. telephone calls, faxes, postal services etc.

-                      Dedicated hours to studies and written reports

-                      Meetings

-                      Availability

-                      Any other extraordinary and requirements

Each consultancy/inspection visit will be either invoiced accordingly or terms yet to be determined and agreed in cooperation with the Client.

On ordering C.S.I. services, an order form will be forwarded which copy should be signed and accepted by a legal representative of the Client, and to be returned by fax.

Strictly within 7 days as of from invoice date.

Part of the coating survey includes collecting of photographic evidence of executed tests and/or defects or deficiencies found during the time of inspection.

It is the Clients responsibility to obtain a photo camera security clearance for the CSI inspector for the duration of the coating survey.

The yard or Client has the right to randomly check the collected data on the memory disc/stick from the CSI inspector to verify if the collected photographic data is relating to the project surfaces.

Should you have any further questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

The following described tests methods are generally used to verify the condition of the applied coating system on the exterior surface areas of the vessel.

Cross Hatch Tests are executed to verify adhesion between the topcoat/primer layers and underlying epoxy fairing compound systems.

Based on the expected Dry Film Thickness of the topcoat coating (50-125 micron) the 2mm spaced cutter with 6 teeth is normally used.

The test method plus test instruments are in accordance with industry norm ISO 2409 for the performance of adhesion tests.

The results of the test are based on the following ISO scale description:

0 or None: The edges of the cuts are completely smooth; none of the squares is detached

1 Detachment of flakes of the coating at the intersections of the cuts. A cross cut area not significantly greater than 5% is affected.

2 The coating has flaked along the edges and/or at the intersections of the cuts. A cross cut area significantly greater than 5% but not significantly greater than 15% is affected.

3 The coating has flaked along the edges of the cuts partly or wholly in large ribbons, and/or it has flaked partly or wholly on different parts of the squares. A cross cut area significantly greater than 15% but not significantly greater than 35% is affected.

4 The coating has flaked along the edges of the cuts in large ribbons and/or some squares have detached partly or wholly. A cross cut area significantly greater than 35% but not significantly greater than 65% is affected.

                           5 Any degree of flaking that cannot be classified even by classification 4.

These are instrument widely used to test soft materials: rubber, various resins, epoxy and normal fairing compounds, wood, leather, Formica etc.

A point (needle) penetrates the material under spring pressure, with a variable force. A direct reading is displayed on the dial which is graduated from 0 to 100 Shore Hardness Units.

All the instruments can be used hand held or on a stand. The stand is designed to carry the load of 12.5 N of Shore A, or an additional load to obtain the 50 N used in the Shore D.

The test is executed with a calibrated hand held Shore D meter in accordance with DIN 53505 and NFT 51109.

The Shore D test measurements are carried out to determine the hardness of the individual fillers.

Measurements are randomly taken of the areas.

A correct Shore D result in accordance with the manufacturer’s specification indicates a full and correct cure cycle (drying curve) and adequate mixture of the two components.

Like the wave-scan DOI, the optical profile of high gloss surfaces is detected using a laser light source. An additional, infrared - high energy LED allows measuring the same structure spectrum (0.1–30 mm) on medium gloss surfaces.

The dullness measurement is recorded with state-of-the-art CCD camera technology. It gives information on the image forming qualities of the surface caused by structures < 0.1mm.

AW-4840 wave-scan dual High to Semi Gloss du < 65, linear range

AW-4846 wave-scan II High Gloss Surfaces du < 40, linear range

du < 0.1 mm, Wa 0.1 to 0.3 mm, Wb 0.3 to 1 mm, Wc 1 to 3 mm, Wd 3 to 10 mm, We 10 to 30 mm

Repeatability1 du < 40: 4% or > 0.4 du > 40: 6% or > 0.6

Reproducibility1 du < 40: 6% or > 0.6 du > 40: 8% or > 0.8

Object Curvature radius > 500 mm

Min. Sample Size 35 mm x 150 mm

Scan Length 5 / 10 / 20 cm

Resolution 375 points/cm

Memory 1500 readings

Interface USB 1.1

Light Source Laser diode, LED and IR-SLED

Laser Energy < 1 mW (Laser class 2)

Dimensions 150 x 110 x 55 mm (5.9 x 4.3 x 2.2 in.)

Weight 650 g (1.5 lbs)

Power Supply rechargeable battery pack or 3 Mignon AA Batteries (alkaline or rechargeable) approx. 1000 readings

Temperature Range operation: +10 °C to 40 °C (+ 50 °F to 104 °F) storage: 0 °C to 60 °C (+ 32°F to 140 °F)

Surface areas are visually inspected with different microscopes and angle flexible mirrors for each inspection purpose.

For example; areas are inspected with a Peak microscope X 50 magnification.                                                                                   

Goal: to verify the adhesion value between a substrate and coating product or the adhesion value between coating products such as fairing compound and the next respective coating product according to the manufacturer specification.

A test dolly is bonded to the coating using an epoxy adhesive. The 106 instrument houses a spring arrangement which applies a lift force to the dolly.

When the dolly is pulled off the surface, an indicator on the scale shows the numerical value of adhesion expressed in terms of the force required to remove the dolly.

Test from low adhesion values of 5-30PSI (0.05 - 0.2 N/mm²) up to 500 - 3200PSI (5 - 22 N/mm²)

For an approximate value in kg/cm² multiply N/mm² by 10

Note: (0) is nominal zero

Used in accordance with ASTM D451, ISO 4624 and BS EN 24624 test methods.

1.7 Gloss Level Readings                                                                                                                    

Increasingly, specifications and standards require an assessment of gloss. Gloss measurement is necessary to monitor the uniformity, compatibility, or possibly the deterioration of any protective gloss finish.

Gloss is an important aspect of coating finish. In order to allow comparison of measurement values an international standard was established. To identify a difference over the complete range from matt to high gloss, 3 geometries are used; 20°, 60° and 85° measured perpendicular to the surface being inspected.

The coating Gloss levels in the areas are measured in accordance with ISO 2813, under an angle of 60º to initial calibrate the instrument settings on the paint film followed by the correct perpendicular geometry angle of 20º, 60º or 85º with a calibrated 401or 402 Novo-Gloss Glossmeter.  The values are given in G.U. (Gloss Units)

NOTE: A standard warranty with regards to Gloss Units for a Linear Polyester Polyurethane topcoat normally states:

“No loss of gloss exceeding 20% in the first year and 30% in the next 6 months, compared with the initial gloss value measured at the date of acceptance of the coatings, measured according to ISO 2813”

5 readings are taken within one (1) square meter in each area. The average reading of the 10 measurements is the outcome of the test.

Example:

Highest reading:            … %

Lowest reading:            … %

Average reading:           … %

Whereas comparators allow the estimation of surface roughness, by both touch and sight, the Elcometer 122 Testex Tape allows the user to measure the peak-to-valley height of the profile and record it.

Elcometer 122 Testex Tape consists of foam with a non-compressible backing. The foam side is rubbed into the surface providing a permanent mould of the profile.

The Elcometer 124 Thickness Gauge is then used to measure the peak-to-valley height of a surface profile formed in Elcometer 122 Testex Tape.

50 micron is subtracted of all the readings, which is the thickness of the foam with the non-compressible backing.

The Elcometer 138 Bresle Kit and Patches is being used to determine surface chloride contamination level.

Chloride salts are extracted from the surface using the Bresle patch method and the chloride content of the test solution is measured using a Conductivity Meter.

CSI generally uses two test methods based on the following International Standards:

Salt Chloride levels are normally measured after each blasting session performed on the exterior substrate and interior of the tanks.

The PIG test method is a destructive test to measure the thickness of a coating which is over certain coating/substrate combinations and to also measure individual layers of a multi-layer coating system.

1. Take the coated product
2. Using the marker, mark a line across the coating
3. Using the PIG, make a cut at right angles to the marker line, all the way down to the substrate
4. Using the microscope, measure the number of graticule divisions across a coating layer, using the sharp cut.

5.      Using the Scale factor (number of microns or mils per division), calculate the coating thickness

The Elcometer 456 FNF Integral Probes is used as a non-destructive dry film thickness gauge for flat or uneven surfaces. The large 'Bigfoot™ ' probe allows for consistent and repeatable results.

Following International Standards are applicable:

                                   The SP60 is a sphere spectrophotometer, designed to give fast, precise and accurate color measurement information on materials ranging from paper and paint to plastics and textiles.

CSI uses the instrument to determine if the Contractor has achieved full hide (opacity) of the applied final topcoat in accordance with the manufacturer opacity data for the particular topcoat.

Instrument data:

• Lightweight, compact, portable instrument
• Diffuse/8° sphere optical geometry
• Fixed 8mm aperture
• Large, easy-to-read graphical LCD display
• Opacity and color strength measurement
• Flip-back target shoe for flexible use
• Simultaneous measurement of both specular component included and specular component excluded

• Analysis graphs: BAC1, BAC 2, ADC
• Working range: Ra 0.01 to 75µm (0 to 3mils), Ry/ Rz 0.02 to 300µm (0 to 12mils)
• Cut-off lengths: 0.08, 0.25, 0.8, 2.5, 8mm (0.003, 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, 0.31”)
• Sampling: x1, x3, x5 Digital filter and recording magnification.
• Statistics: minimum, maximum, standard deviation, pass ratio, frequency distribution.
• Parameters include: Ra, Ry, Rz, Rt, Rq, Sm, S, Pc, R3z, mr, Rpk, Rvk, o c, Rk, Mr1, Mr2, Lo, Ppi, R, AR, Rx, A1, A2.
• RS232 output to statistical printer or PC.

Improved mechanical resistance is part of many quality requirements. One important criteria for assessing this feature is hardness.

Depending on the requirements there are various methods for testing hardness.

The pencil hardness test is perhaps the best and easiest form of hardness test which can be used in the field.

Pencils are pushed into the sample and the coating hardness is identified by the trace generated.

CSI uses the Elcometer 510 instrument which enables the pencil lead to be maintained at a constant force of 7.5 N and at the appropriate angle of 45°.

Test pencils are fabricated by Faber – Castell and are the 9000 series.

The test method is in accordance with the following industry standards; ASTM D 3363, ISO 15184, BS 3900 E19, ECCA T4 and EN 4.45.1

Following paint film hardness defects can be determined:

Chlorides deposited on a surface by contaminated abrasives during blasting can cause a coating to fail prematurely. Contamination can build up – particularly if the blast media is recycled several times.

CSI uses the Elcometer 134A which is an easy to use, accurate field test which allows the CSI inspector to determine if the abrasive is contaminated with chlorides and thus prevent costly surface related failures.

Chloride Ion testing can now be achieved quickly and accurately using a novel extraction method, based on the CHLOR*EXTRACT™ solution.

During the application of a coating, the presence of moisture in the environment, or on the work surface, often results in a poor quality finish. Problems such as poor adhesion of the coating or premature corrosion of the substrate can occur. To determine the likelihood of moisture affecting the quality of the finish, it is essential that the surface temperature, air temperature, relative humidity (RH) and Dewpoint are all measured.

This infrared, laser thermometer has a wide temperature range of –32°C to 420°C and an optical resolution of 20:1, allowing the CSI inspector an accurate, non-contact surface temperature measurements to be taken. The instrument can measure objects as small as 13mm.

Features include:

• Precision, glass optics for accurate, non-contact temperature measurement.

• Temperature range from –32°C to 420°C.

• Fast, 0.3 second scanning of cold and hot spots.

• Exact measurement of objects as small as 13mm.

• Optical resolution of 20:1.

• Laser sighting with narrow beam aiming for accurate readings

The Skipper Plus calibrated meter operates on the principle that the electrical impedance of a material varies with its moisture/solvent content.

To measure / detect moisture/solvents, the two co-planar conductive rubber electrodes are pressed onto the surface.

The instrument measures the electrical impedance of the material being tested by creating a low frequency alternative electric field between the electrodes.

This field penetrates the material under the test area up to a dept of approximately 30 mm (1.25 inches), depending on material being tested and range used.

The very small current flowing through the field is inversely proportional to the impedance of the material.

The instrument detects this current, determines its amplitude and, after processing, drives the pointer of the moving coil meter to the computed moisture/solvent value.

Although the instrument does not distinguish the difference between solvents and/or moisture, it does provide an indication between the levels of liquid contents within the coating system on different exterior areas.

0.9

30                                                                                                                    1.1

40                                                                                                                    1.3

50                                                                                                                    1.6

60                                                                                                                    1.8

70                                                                                                                    2

80                                                                                                                    2.2

90                                                                                                                    2.5

100                                                                                                                  2.7

The above figures from Range 2 are based on a report from Eolas, the Irish Science and Technology Agency.

As the readings can be severely affected by density, conductivity, depth and thickness, these figures should only be used as a guide!