Inspection Procedure

Q. I’m looking for a written procedure detailing how powder coated parts are inspected for imperfection or flaws. Do you know where I could find something like this? T. K.

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A. The best source for information on developing a quality inspection procedure is available in the book: Powder Coating: The Complete Finisher’s Handbook, published by the Powder Coating Institute. There is an entire chapter dedicated to the identification of defects and test procedures, and I would highly recommend you purchase this book, as it’s an excellent reference.

Generally, quality inspection procedures are developed for individual and unique requirements. What you and your customer think is important about your powder coated product may differ greatly from what someone else may need.
For instance, automotive and appliance quality standards are very different than general metal finishing requirements. Applying these higher standards to your product may only succeed in increasing your operational cost without providing any real benefit to your customer.

Therefore, identify the issues that are important for your product (both looks and function) and test for those needed to verify that you are compliant. Only then will you deliver the quality that your customer expects.