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IMFormation October 2009
FOUNDATION CERTIFICATE
The revised Foundation Certificate course and distance learning module is in place and
it is pleasing to report that students have enrolled for the module and will be examined
in January next. Further students are enrolling now for the next session due for
induction in January 2010.
The existing units have been revised with the technology brought up to-date and further
units written.
There are now a total of 28 units available for study, and a module consists of 15 units
which includes 7 mandatory units – Surface Finishing (description of the technologies),
Corrosion, Environment, Health & Safety, Cleaning & Pretreatment, Sacrificial
Coatings, and Services. Technology blocks of 5 units have been introduced covering
Electroplating, Organic Coating, and Aerospace, applicable to the respective
technology.
The student is then free to select three further units of their own choice to make up the
total 15 units.
Obviously these changes have necessitated some modification to the assessment format.
The examination now consists of 30 multi-choice questions in Section A and 5 short
essay questions in Section B, with the examination time lengthened to 1½ hours. 40%
of the total marks are awarded for section A, 40% for section B and 20% for Tutor
Marked Assessments.
Students who are still studying under the previous format are reminded that time is
running out to take their examination and it is envisaged that the last examination date
under the previous format will be June 2010.
R.R.Read, Chairman Education & Training
* * * * *
Date for your Diary
Wednesday 9 December 2009
Hothersall Memorial Lecture, Christmas Luncheon followed by
Annual General Meeting
Health, Safety & Environment
Health & Safety Executive
HSE announce the new Midland Region Director.
Rosi Edwards has taken over the top job after seven
years as Head of Operations for the Construction
Division for Midlands, Wales and the South West. In
her new role she will oversee the work of HSE’s
staff dealing with a wide range of activities including
education, health services and manufacturing across
both the West and East of the region. Her
predecessor, Nick Ratty, has moved to the HSE’s
operational policy unit in Manchester.
Ms Edwards said: “There is a common
misconception that HSE is there to hamper
businesses, to control them with even more stringent
rules and regulations, but this is simply not the case.
Our role is to ensure that every employee and
member of the public can go about their daily lives
in as safe an environment as possible. There are still
too many firms that needlessly put people at risk by
failing to follow easy and straightforward practices
and it is these businesses we need to target.”
Ms Edwards will be supported in her new role by
Samantha Peace, as Head of Operations in the East
Midlands in November and Peter Galsworthy who
starts as Head of Operations in the West Midlands in
October.
Warehousing Chemicals Safety Guidance
Storing packaged dangerous substances. The
fourth edition of this guide has been updated in the
light of changes in legislation. New sections have
been added to reflect changes to industry practice
and also to take account of the types of chemical
stored covering: aerosols, intermediate bulk
containers (IBCs); storage of hazardous wastes;
information, instruction & training; audit & review;
and process safety & performance indicators.
If you have responsibility for storing dangerous
substances, this book is aimed at you. It will help
you keep chemicals and other dangerous substances
in your warehouse safe and to comply with the law,
whatever the size of your storage facility. It sets out
control measures aimed at eliminating or reducing
the risks to people at work or otherwise, from the
storage of packaged dangerous goods.
Updated Advice on COSHH
Every year many workers are subjected to illness by
contact with hazardous substances. Employers are
responsible for taking effective measures to control
exposure and protect workers health.
HSE has produced a revised leaflet ‘Working with
substances hazardous to health – What you need to
know about COSHH’
Leaflet INDG136 (rev4) – ISBN 978 0 7176 6363 7
is available free from HSE Books – tel: 01797
881165 or can be downloaded from:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg136.pdf
Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit
Values (IOELVs)
The European Commission is progressing a third list
of IOELVs based on the recommendations of its
Scientific Committee for Occupational Exposure
Limits (SCOEL).
The Directive will require Member States to
introduce domestic exposure limits for the
substances listed in the Annex to the Directive,
taking account of the level of the IOELV for that
substance.
Members States will vote on the final text of the
draft Directive following which it will be adopted by
the Commission and published in the Official
Journal.
Member States will then have two years to
implement the Directive.
In the current draft Annex, there are 19 substances
with IOElVs.
Once the Directive has been adopted, HSE will
consult on its implementation and the inclusion of
new and revised workplace exposure limits (WELs)
into the publication EH40.
Revision of the Biocidal Products
Directive (BPD)
The European Commission is proposing to revise the
BPD, which came into force in 1998. Having taken
into account comments from Member States, it is
expected the Commission will submit a proposal to
the Council and European Parliament to revise and
replace the Directive with a European Commission
Regulation.
The main provisions proposed are:
• Extend scope to cover treated materials containing
biocides;
• Require mandatory sharing of vertebrate animal
test data for both active substance assessment and
product authorisation;
• Simplify procedures and data requirements, and
adopt a centralised (E U) authorisation scheme;
• Harmonise the fee structure across Member
States.
HSE Guidance to be available free
The contents of HSE’s priced publications, some 250
items, on health and safety advice and guidance, as
well as detailed information on health and safety
regulations and codes of practice, will be accessible
free of charge to read and print, as from September
2009, on the web.
Hard copy version will continue to be available on a
priced basis for those who prefer or need access in
that particular format.
Why is HSE doing this?
They want to do all they can to help employers fully
understand their legal duties as well as those health
and safety precaution they need to take. They also
want to help safety representatives maintain, and
where possible to improve health and safety in the
workplace.
Company News and Products
Atotech opens new Biotechnology
Global chemical supplier Atotech, a member of the
TOTAL group, opens its latest investment in
Guangzhou China this September.
Atotech is an internationally recognised partner to the
surface treatment and metal finishing industry. A
world leader in chemical processes and equipment,
the company continues to invest in research and
development despite the current global recession,
with over €51 million having been invested during
2008.
The biotechnology laboratory and production facility
opened on 24th September at their Guangzhou site,
which was followed by a seminar on Advanced
Green Technology. Heading the opening ceremony
was Mr Reinhard Schneider, Atotech President and
Mr Francois Cornelis Total Vice-President.
This new facility represents a significant expansion
of the company’s biotechnology focus and will
support business growth in China and across Asia.
Atotech is an industry leader in green paint shop
technologies, with processes for degreasing, metal
treatment, paint removal and the detackification of
paint oversprays.
In the UK Atotech operates from its headquarters in
William Street, West Bromwich. In addition to
supporting the needs of local customers, the building
hosts a global research and development team
focused on a range of technology areas, which
includes paint support.
Pexa
Pexa, a leading supplier of high technology materials
to the aerospace and defence industries, has launched
its new Minitank dispensing systems for non-agitated
paints and solvents.
Easy to install and simple to fill, use and clean, it
eliminates tiresome decanting of paints and solvents.
The Minitank range, manufactured in West Yorkshire
from stainless steel, can be wall mounted, and is
available in two sizes with capacities of 5l and 15l
and is specially designed for quick and easy
dispensing.
Commented Jim Rowbotham, Pexa MD “It is our
vision to develop our product range to offer our
customers quality products and solutions that are the
best on the market. The Paxa Minitank does just that,
giving an efficient, clean and accurate dispenser for
paints and solvents”.
Further information available at www.pexa.co.uk
Schloetter
• A new Black Trivalent Passivate specifically for
zinc coatings, especially those for alkaline zinc
deposits: SLOTOPAS Z 50 produces:
• Intense black decorative film
• Temperature stability
• Excellent corrosion resistance equal to, and is
some instances better than Cr6 alternatives
• Performance further enhanced by application of
SLOTOFIN sealants
For further information telephone 01386 552331 or
Email: sales@schloetter.co.uk
Surface Engineering Association (SEA)
The SEA has a new chairman – Huw Williams
Huw is Managing Director of Serfilco Europe, the
well-known plating equipment supplier and a Vice
President of The Institute of Metal Finishing.
We wish him well in this new role.
Congratulations to David Elliott and Diana Blair for
receiving the ‘Trade Association Newsletter of the
Year Award 2009’ sponsored by UK Publications.
IMF News
Senior’ Meeting
The talk by John Sargent on ‘Restoring and gold
plating the High Altar Cross of Coventry Cathedral
was well received.
Thanks expressed to Peter Farr for providing wine,
and to Anne Chapman, who as always, does the
washing up and ensures the room left clean and tidy.
New Affiliate & Sustaining Member
Patel, Jayantilal Quinetiq Ltd
Fraser Cleaning Technologies Ltd
24 Grange Road
Houstoun Industrial Estate
Livingston EH54 5DE
Tel: 01506 443058, Fax: 01506 443161
Email: sales@frasertech.co.uk
Web: www.frasertech.co.uk
Supplier of cleaning equipment and chemicals,
electronic soldering products, single & multi stage
ultrasonic and spray washing equipment, solvent
and aqueous chemistries and waste minimisation
equipment.
Hothersall Memorial Lecture
“Nano electrodeposition for magnetic
layers”.
P.L.Cavallotti
CMIC Dep. Politecnico Milano Italy
Nanostructured layers in one dimension, two dimensions
or as nanodots can be obtained through electrodeposition.
Electrocrystallization must be carefully controlled in
order to define it at a nano level. A rational approach to
the electrodeposition processes in order to control them
is presented, taking into consideration and comparing the
electrokinetic behavior of the elements and the
electrodeposit structure, resulting from the electron
exchange reaction at the cathodic surface. Transient
electrokinetic parameters were obtained with the
secondary current pulse technique, where a square
galvanostatic pulse of few ms duration is overimposed on
the cathode while electrodeposition is running.
Two parameters are measured, the transient Tafel slope
and the adsorption pseudo-capacitance; whilst a third
parameter the diffusive time constant must be introduced
if the overvoltage does not arrive to a steady state during
the short pulse period. These parameters are related to the
growth of different structures; this is important for most
deposition processes, but in particular for nano
electrodeposition of magnetic layers. Examples of one
dimensional structures are the magnetic layers of hard
cobalt alloys, of importance for magnetic recording and
MEMS. Local control of growth can be obtained with
cellular electrodeposition, giving metallic fibrous single
crystals with deposition of non-metallic stuff at grain
boundary. In the case of soft magnetic layers the nano
electrodeposition of two-dimensional single layers, for
magnetic field shielding and for GMR or spin valve
multilayers, is examined. Nano electrodeposition with
templates of porous anodised alumina or porous silicon is
also examined and possible methods to obtain highly
ordered arrays of nano wires and nano dots presented.
Events – postponement
One-day Symposium and Table-top Exhibition on the
‘Testing of Surface Coatings’ originally scheduled for
October 2009 has been postponed until March 2010.
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