Since the introduction of The Powder Coating Institute’s (PCI’s) new certification programs earlier this year, it did not take long for the first OEM, a shelter maker in Holland,, Mich., to go through the processes and achieve PCI 4000 certification.

PorterCorp, a shelter manufacturer located in Holland, Mich., first became aware of PCI’s new certification programs when they read the Spring 2009 edition of this magazine. In that issue, PCI announced that Rodger Talbert had joined the team as technical director, and his inaugural column of Talbert’s Technical Corner was published. In that column, headlined, “A New Chapter Begins,” Talbert highlighted the new certifications. Because PorterCorp had worked with Talbert in the past, Eric Pelak, quality manager at PorterCorp, says they decided to call him to see what it was all about.

Certification is the process by which PCI has created an audit program to evaluate the business practices, process elements, equipment capabilities, employee competencies and quality control capabilities of a coater to produce a high quality powder coated product with a high degree of customer satisfaction. Talbert says that it follows the same framework as ISO 9000 and 14000, but that it is better on two fronts:
1. Because it is specific to the powder coating industry, and
2. There is an outcome-based component in the planning elements. Talbert explains, “If you know much about ISO, you know that if you are able to document a process precisely, you can keep being certified under ISO. For instance, do you repeat your process accurately and thoroughly? With PCI’s certifications, we are not just looking to see if you can repeat a process, but if that process puts out a good product. We wanted to have an ‘outcome-based’ certification, and we have achieved that.” 

There are several benefits to becoming a certified coater. Certified coaters can:

• Utilize the expertise of the PCI certification process to evaluate and create a methodology to continually improve and enhance their powder coating process.

• Utilize the PCI world-renowned logo and benefit from the high standards this image brings to elevate their business image.

• Establish their business as a coater that has met an accepted industry standard for coating capability.

• Differentiate themselves from all other coaters and gain access to business opportunities requiring PCI-certified applicators.

• Be highlighted as a certified coater on PCI’s website and in Powder Coated Tough publications.

PCI has developed two programs: the PCI 3000 Certification Program, which is available to all custom coaters applying powder coatings; and the PCI 4000 Certification Program, which is designed and offered to all original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), like PorterCorp, that apply powder coatings. Although these programs are not exclusive to PCI member companies, members in good standing will qualify for significant program discounts.

When asked why certification was important to PorterCorp, Pelak responded, “The certification program that was developed by PCI is very thorough and is a good tool to maintain and continually improve a process. It verifies both to our customers as well as us that we understand that powder coating needs to take into account all aspects of the finishing system and how they relate to each in order to meet the short and long term needs of our customers. It confirms that we have the capabilities and competencies to provide a finish that helps us to stand out as the leader in our industry, which is verified by a globally recognized powder coating association.”

PorterCorp makes pre-engineered and manufactured steel frame shelters, pavilions and gazebos in addition to fabric-covered shade products, site furnishings, bike racks, and more. The company’s products are used in a range of industries, including parks and recreation, schools and urban settings. Bill Porter, CEO and founder of PorterCorp says that their customers expect high-quality pre engineered product designed in relation to shape, color, ornamentation, roofing, plus many other special features. “Most often park buildings become part of a city image and they need to have exceptional long-term performance for exterior exposure and color retention,” he says.

At one time, PorterCorp had outsourced its finishing operation, but in 2003 they decided to bring that part of the operation in house. “We had a desire to better meet and exceed the needs of our customers,” Porter says. “We wanted to create a powder coat finishing system that was designed specifically for our product; that not only allowed us to provide the best finish in the shelter industry but rivaled the best in the powder coat finishing industry,” he says. “We feel we have been successful with this vision and the results have exceeded our expectations. However, we continue to have a drive to continue to improve upon it.” 

He goes on to say that too often the short term is what is taken into consideration when a coating gets specified, which is focusing on the surface characteristics (color, gloss, etc.). The physical characteristics (thickness, hardness, etc.) may then be taken into consideration. Lastly, the environmental characteristics (corrosion resistance, ultraviolet resistance, humidity resistance, color retention, gloss retention, etc.), which provides you with an idea of the long-term performance of a coating gets taken into consideration, and sometimes may even get overlooked. “We designed our finishing system as an engineered coating system that takes into account everything from the material to be coated, surface prep, pretreatment, suppliers, primer and top coat, our employees, etc., which allows us to provide a www.powdercoating.org 33 finish that focuses on the long-term environmental characteristics as well as the physical characteristics, which is going to ultimately be more important to our customers,” Pelak continues. In regard to the short term, Pelak says they also meet the customer’s requirements by offering the most standard colors available in the shelter market as well as capabilities to color match when needed. “By bringing finishing in-house, we are also able to keep quality at a higher level to exceed the customer’s demands,” he says.

Since the summer of 2003, Porter explains that the company has discovered that a powder coated finish can provide fantastic results; however there are numerous variables that need to be taken into consideration or the results could be less than desirable. “This only reconfirmed to us that we made the right move by installing a shot blast and powder coat line. It gave us back full control over the quality of our product,” Porter says.

As far as what offering in-house powder coating has done for its business, Porter says, “It has allowed us to better serve our customers through improved quality, reduced lead time, more effective pricing, more color options, and improved long-term performance.”

He says that since PorterCorp started powder coating in 2003, it has been an evolution. “The opportunities and advancements with powder coat continue to expand and we try to be on the forefront of what’s happening, “which is why our partnership and the certification with PCI made sense.” 

For PorterCorp, the certification process took just under two months after initial contact with PCI. To earn certification, PorterCorp had to do an internal audit of the 12 main areas and the subcategories in the PCI 4000 Certification Program against its current process. Because the company’s line was installed in 2003, all aspects of finishing had already been documented in PorterCorp’s quality management system. “We also have had a mindset here of continuous improvement, which minimized the work required,” Porter says.

When asked if earning the certification was what they expected, Pelak said, “Earning the certification was a great experience. PCI did a fantastic job with the certification program that they developed. It’s a great tool for continuous improvement. It does more than just verify the quality management system and our capabilities and competencies to consistently produce a quality powder coated part. It allows for a third party that is globally recognized in the finishing industry to provide additional insights during the annual audits to improve the process along with our internal audits that PCI will review. The opportunities are endless.” 

Talbert explains that one of the elements of the certification process is, of course, quality. Therefore it is important to know who in a facility is empowered to reject work, and at what stages and for what reasons. According to Pelak, all PorterCorp employees are trained on what is and is not acceptable. “They are able to question and reject any work. If they have any questions whether the work is acceptable, then they will contact quality assurance or their supervisor,” Pelak says.

“PorterCorp is excited to be the first company to receive the PCI certification,” Pelak concludes. “With the certification program that PCI has set up, we expect that it is going to grow fast in the upcoming years.” It looks like PorterCorp has it right. As of press time, two other OEMs were in the process of receiving PCI 4000 certification, and the first custom coater was awaiting final approvals for its PCI 3000 certification.

Sharon Spielman is editor of Powder Coated Tough magazine. She can be reached at 847-302-2648 or via email at sspielman@powdercoating.org. For more on PorterCorp, visit www.portercorp.com. To learn about PCI 3000 and PCI 4000 certifications, visit www.powdercoating.org or email Rodger Talbert at rtalbert@powdercoating.org.

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