7 Must-Have Industrial Inspection Tools in Any Toolbox

Hiring “just anyone” to perform protective coatings maintenance can cause even high-performance coating systems to fail. As a responsible asset owner, if you want to protect your investments, maximize your tanks’ longevity, and improve safety for both workers and the environment, only work with AMPP Certified Coating Inspectors and reputable contractors to prevent the following coating maintenance problems:

1. Cracking and Eventual Peeling of Paint

One of the most common maintenance errors is the coating separating from the tank’s surface. Delaminated or peeling paint can happen for two reasons:

  • The surface has oil, grease, dust, or other contaminants before painting.
  • The topcoat is incompatible with the primer or old coating underneath.
  • Using too much paint or not waiting for the coating to dry in between layers leads to stress buildup.

AMPP Certified Coating Inspectors from Industrial Inspection Group can prevent this problem by overseeing surface preparation and application procedures. We also conduct adhesion tests to ensure that the coating sticks to the surface as intended.

2. Insulation-Induced Corrosion

Poorly maintained metal surfaces, including pipes and valves (up to 400°F), corrode faster under wet conditions, and insulation worsens the problem by trapping moisture on the substrate. High temperatures also speed up corrosion, especially when insulation is involved.

Choosing the right coating for your maintenance project provides a protective barrier regardless of operating conditions. If you need assistance, Industrial Inspection Group can offer coating recommendations that match your assets’ functionality and stability needs.

3. Amine Blushing

Applying epoxy coatings in adverse conditions (e.g., high humidity or damp environments) can leave a tacky, waxy, or hazy film on the surface called amine blush. This film weakens the coating’s adhesion quality, consequently impacting your investment in the health and longevity of your assets. Airborne contaminants can also stick to the tacky surface, making it difficult to clean your industrial tanks, ruining aesthetics, and detracting from the professional appearance of your plant.

Prevent amine blush and other mishaps by entrusting your coatings maintenance project to our experienced inspectors, specifiers, consultants, and all-around leaders. Please read our previous blog post, Importance of Hiring Independent Coating Inspectors, to find out how we can organize and manage your project through to completion.

4. Sudden Rust Breakthrough

Although all steel eventually succumbs to corrosion, structures with protective coatings should not rust within a few years. When a protected metal surface prematurely corrodes, factors such as chemical exposure, improper surface preparation, or coating incompatibility are often to blame.

To slow or prevent corrosion, Industrial Inspection Group can help you choose a system with a rust-inhibiting primer, a high-build coating to optimize surface protection abilities, and an ideal coating for your specific operating conditions.

5. Tank Contamination

From acrylics and epoxies to polyurethanes and fluoropolymers, different coating types offer distinct advantages in terms of performance. For example, if the content of a potable water tank made consumers sick after a recent coatings project, it could be because the lining applied did not comply with NSF 600 standards. The wrong coating can infuse drinking water with harmful levels of contaminants and jeopardize public safety. Know the Questions to Ask When Choosing a Water Tank Liner to avoid this oversight.

AMPP Certified Coating Inspectors act as quality management systems, supervising projects to ensure they’re done right according to instructions and specifications. Contact us today if you need a dependable team to implement an error-proof protective coatings maintenance plan.