Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/752514
processes, and materials that were used to finish the large architectural alu- minum components. The facts con- cluded that the only finishing attribute that was provided to the end use cus- tomer was "temporary color." Where do we go from here The take-away from all of this testing and discovery work was the realization that no one can escape and hide from the facts that are easily proven by science. The sad part of this debacle is that the owner never thought that he was doing anything wrong. The owner, through his testimony, all but admitted his ignorance of what is required to produce an acceptable coat- ing for commercial architectural use. There was a complete lack of knowl- edge of the processes, materials, specifi- cations, and quality test requirements for architectural finishing work. Admit- ting that he did not understand the scope and responsibilities of the job shop's roles for this project did not help his defense whatsoever. To the general contractor, the fabricator, and the end use customer's advantage, there are indeed specifications, standards, guide- lines, processes, procedures, and mater- ial established for this exact scope of work. The case was settled between the insur- ance companies at arbitration for an undisclosed amount and never made it to trial. There was overwhelming evi- dence that proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the job shop did not follow even the very basic aspects of industrial metal finishing protocol to any finish- ing standard. Unfortunately, this story and ones like it have become all too common as small wannabe job shops attempt to take on projects that are clearly beyond their skillsets and equipment capabilities. When these self-proclaimed "Job Shop Finishing Companies" are wrongfully awarded business with automotive, mil- itary, aerospace, medical equipment, and architecturally specified work, they often end up in major financial and legal trouble. If their potential cus- tomers would have made any attempt at due diligence to qualify the finishing company by conducting a quality sur- vey, audit, and first article approvals for testing prior to assigning contracts, problems like the aforementioned would not have occurred. General con- tractors that rely on implied profession- alism as the only means of qualifying their sub tier outsourcing needs, and do not exercise due diligence, are prime for failure. May the buyer beware; you may not always get what you pay for. There is more to quality metal finishing than JUST COLOR! In conclusion To close, I would like to share the covenant that guides our finishing com- pany to success. The Custom Coater's Pledge. As Pro- fessional Custom Coaters, we will always: Say what we will do! Do what we say! And be able to prove what we did with adequate testing and documentation! We will stay within our knowledge and equipment skillsets and expertise. As metal finishers, we will not try to be everything to everyone. We promise to never depend on "Quality by Chance." We believe in and are disciplined to provide "Quality by Design." We understand that quality is defined as a measurable degree of excellence. We promise to control the quality of all the finishing process provided to our cus- tomers by proactive implementation of our formal total quality management system. We will comply with all finish- ing specification requirements using established quantitative and qualitative measurement tools, methods, and con- trols with respect to the physical, sur- face, and environmental characteristics of the finishes we provide. These finish- ing quality attributes will be realized by the use of the defined policies, proce- dures, work instructions, processes, materials, specifications, testing, and standards that have been proven to meet or exceed customers' expectations and requirements. We will always strive to be considered a valued partner and act with dignity as an extension of our customer's business. To provide any- thing less is unacceptable. PC Editor's note For further reading, see Powder Coating m a g a z i n e ' s w e b s i t e a t www.pcoating.com. Click on Article Index and search by subject category. To submit a question, click on Problem Solving, then scroll to Coater's Corner. Michael W. Cravens is president of Powder Fin- ishing Consultants, Inc., Yorba Linda, Calif., and president of IKON Pow- der Coating, Inc., Ana- heim, Calif. With more than 3 decades of experience in the powder coating industry, he has written numerous articles and a training series. He is also a video producer, a seminar leader, and a member of many finishing industry organizations, includ- ing the Powder Coating Institute. This column discusses problems encoun- tered by powder coaters during the daily operation of their powder coating lines. These are in-the-field experiences from coaters. Its intent is to provide practical information to line personnel who coat all day to help them improve in their work. If you would like to contribute to this col- umn, contact Alicia Tyznik, editor, at 6 5 1 / 2 8 7 - 5 6 2 0 , o r e m a i l a t y z n i k @cscpub.com. 24 POWDER COATING, November 2016