As part of the 2023 AMPP Annual Conference + Expo, Valerie Sherbondy and Rick Huntley of KTA-Tator, Inc. presented a workshop called “Coating Failure Investigations — Finding the Cause.” The discussion, which took place Monday afternoon, began with an introduction from presenters and then included attendees in a roundtable discussion format.  

To begin, Huntley reviewed the process of how a failure should be investigated. He stressed the importance of avoiding coming to a conclusion on what may have caused the failure before all of the details have been gathered and the results have been interpreted.

Huntley shared two tips with the group: a goal is to get support (data, etc.) for the hypothesis but also to be sure not to share the early hypothesis with the client, since the perspective may change.

Huntley said that at the end of an investigation, the investigation experts can also make recommendations to the client on how to repair the failure, if requested.  

To exemplify the process and other advice shared, presenters shared three case studies discussing premature coating failures.  

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