Why Most Coating Applicators Don’t “Test to Specs”

For example, Magni 565 from Magni Coatings is an approved coating system to meet John Deere specification JDM F13. DECC is certified by Magni to apply their coatings.

Magni themselves have gone thru the validation process to prove their coating recipe can meet the performance characteristics as defined by John Deere. Among corrosion resistance, these other performance characteristics include Coefficient of Friction requirements, Torque/Clamp Force requirements, Cathodic Protection requirements, Temperature Resistance, and Ductility requirements.

During the validation process with John Deere, Magni determined that their coating application process recipe for Magni 565, if followed in accordance to their recommendations, would meet all of the above requirements.

So if a Magni certified coating applicator applies a coating via the application process parameters as set by Magni themselves, the coating applicator can certify that they applied a coating in accordance to JDM F13…but they are not certifying that they themselves are producing a part that meets said spec.

Other than normal process control checks (thickness, cure, adhesion), the coating applicator typically will only sign up for corrosion resistance (salt spray) testing. If the part has adequate coverage to pass salt spray, it should have adequate coverage to pass all of the other tests as well. Those additional tests, in turn, would be the responsibility of the customer.

In the end, a coating applicators certification is essentially a statement that the coating was, indeed, applied correctly and that they have verified as much. For instance, if applied correctly, a coating applicator has no control if the coating has a certain coefficient of friction…that performance characteristic is in the coating makeup and therefore would not be a test conducted by the applicator.