ALFED FINISHING SECTOR GROUP NOTES OF MEETING HELD THURSDAY 6 JULY 2023, ARDEN HOTEL 3.00 PM ATTENDANCE In Person Gary Mothersole Jan Lukaszewski (JL) Chris Eastwood Lee Hathaway Giles Ashmead Chris Mansfield Peter Watts Angus Mackie
BASF Chemetall ALFED Akzo Nobel Akzo Nobel Powdertech Tomburn United Anodisers Vertik-AL
Joined Virtually Emily Foster Sharon McBride Richard Allman Alex Rogers Greg Fowler Mark Bartleton Dominic DeSousa Richard Elliott Dario Fuentes Clive Gray
ALFED ALFED Akzo Nobel Almetron Architectural Aluminium Coatings Ash & Lacy CMK Treatments Exlabesa Exlabesa Kluthe
(In the Chair)
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting, in particular those joining the meeting for the first time. Group introductions were made.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE were received from: Carl Albrow Naveen Sandhu Nadine Bloxsome Pat O’Hara Ronan McGrath Gary Dent Craig Johnson Richard Shaw Mo Panam Yasmin Panam Roger Ablett Kirsty Davies-Chinnock
Architectural Aluminium Coatings Akzo Nobel ALFED AMS AMS Architectural Powder Coatings Architectural Powder Coatings Axalta Barley Chalu Barley Chalu Hydro Professional Polishing Services
NOTES FROM LAST MEETING – 28 MARCH 2023 The notes were agreed as a true record by GA, Seconded by CM and signed off by the Chairman.
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MATTERS ARISING NOT ON THE AGENDA At the previous finishing meeting, JL had been requested to prepare a paper identifying powder coating problems and their causes. The idea of the paper is that it will be made available to architects and systems houses in addition to coaters. JL presented a draft document in word format which identifies powder coating problems and suggests possible causes. The word document is to be circulated to all finishers for review and comment and particularly for examples of photographs and pictures of defects to be added. The document will then be turned into a PowerPoint lecture. The objective being to present the finalised document at the next finishers meeting. Contributors are requested to add pre-treatment causes and effects on powder coating. A copy of this draft document is attached to these minutes. ACTION: ALL
ESTAL MATTERS No updates were received from Ian Rogers ESTAL Representative. Ian was unable to attend the last meeting which had been concerned with planning the ESTAL Congress to be held in Budapest in September. Ian Rogers is intending to attend the Congress and will then be in a position to provide feedback on the ESTAL Congress and also a detailed summary to the Finishers group at our next meeting in November. ACTION: IR JL had been participating in the ESTAL Working Group on BAT (Best Available Techniques) which thus far has been scoping out what should and should not be included. Following a reminder from ALFED to ESTAL enquiring about the situation on the termination of the use of Hexavalent Chromate we were advised that European Courts of Justice had recently annulled the decision of granting an authorisation in 2020 (see further details below).
TECHNICAL MATTERS Hexavalent Chromate ALFED had raised a complaint to UK REACH about their responses to multiple enquiries on the situation of continued use of Hexavalent Chromate in the UK. Subsequent to this finishers meeting further information was obtained which clarified the situation and is now summarised here: DEFRA set the UK REACH policy, e.g. decide what comes under UKREACH and/or needs regulating/banning. UKREACH are responsible for enforcing the DEFRA REACH policies. UKREACH are part of the Health & Safety Executive, so the Health & Safety Executive are the enforcement body. In Europe the effect of the annulment of hexavalent chromate like the annulment of a marriage, means that the law never existed, so hexavalent can continue to be used until such time as the EU courts overturn the annulment. DEFRA are seeking legal clarification on the effect of the annulment in the UK; however, this is believed to be the UKREACH legal situation. UKREACH grandfathered EUREACH legislation, including the expiry date of September 2024 for hexavalent chromate. After Brexit, the UK no longer recognises EU laws or EU Legislation or EUREACH including the annulment. Therefore, in the UK the expiry date of September 2024 is still law, unless
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appeals were lodged before March of this year for continued specific uses. No appeals have been lodged for the use of hexavalent as a pretreatment for architectural aluminium. Summarising, in April 2023 European Courts of Justice upon legal action initiated by the European Parliament against the European Commission annulled the Commissions REACH authorisation decision C(2020) 8797 of 18 December 2020. ECJ determined that the commission did not analyse in enough detail the alternative technologies. The Commission now has one year to reject the authorisations. This now changes the deadline in Europe to 20th April 2024 and not 21st September 2024. At this stage it is not possible to say what the outcome of the legal action will be. In the EU both an early ban April 2024 and a renewal of the authorisation after September 2024 are possible. As the UK no longer follows EU rulings the deadline in the UK remains September 2024. Copies of the EU and UK REACH documents have been circulated by JL to all Pre-treatment manufacturers in the finishing group for comment or further information. ALFED is a participant of the Metal Industry Liaison Group and has raised the issue of Hexavalent Chromate and UK REACH at the meeting to be held on 19th July. ACTION: GM and JL will review all of this information and publish a clarifying document. It was noted that the expiry/termination date of the use of Hexavalent Chromate in the UK was incorrectly stated as September 2023, not 2024 on the ALFED Website. Action: SMB
Implications of Qualicoat changing powders labelling to actual gloss value Qualicoat has announced that its specification for powders will now carry an actual gloss value. ALFED has been contacted by several systems houses and architects for explanations and clarifications. This has raised the whole question of how gloss is measured and the standard method for measuring gloss. The finishing group powder manufacturers were requested to produce a document on gloss testing and on gloss values. ACTION: All Powder Manufacturers in attendance were asked to produce a document. Drafts should be sent to JL for compilation. Offers were received from Akzo Nobel, Sherwin Williams and Axalta to present at the next finishers meeting the topic of specifying and measuring colours including CIE, colour coordinates and delta. ACTION: JL to follow up and co-ordinate with Akzo Nobel, Sherwin Williams and Axalta teams. JL advised there were no other Technical Matters that needed to be discussed amongst the group.
ALFED HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT The HSE are continuing to carry out spot checks on aluminium machining operations, specifically looking at bacteria monitoring and containment of mist sprays. About 30% of all visits result in enforcement actions. Finishing members machining or cutting aluminium should note this.
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TRAINING • • •
17th July – World of Aluminium: Intermediate course for new starters/semi-technical covering all aspects of aluminium 25th July - Advanced learning programme for business leaders in the aluminium sector (online) 6th Nov - Peter Watts, Chair of QUALANOD extended an invitation to the finishers to participate in the QUALANOD Technicians Training Course
AOB None ALFED EVENTS • 13th/14th Sept - UK Metals Expo • 19th September – Parliamentary Breakfast Briefing • 30th November – Annual Dinner The Chairman encouraged all members to keep checking the ALFED website and email comms for further updates re ALFED Training and Events.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING 23rd November 2023 – Hybrid meeting Location: Arden Hotel, Solihull.
There being no further business, the Chairman thanked everyone for their attendance and the meeting closed.
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