Protective coatings
AMPP and SSPC coating standards, explained
AMPP, the Association for Materials Protection and Performance, formed from the merger of NACE International and SSPC, the Society for Protective Coatings, and now maintains both bodies' standards for surface preparation, coating application and coating inspection. The core set covers surface preparation grades such as SSPC-SP 10 / NACE No. 2 near-white blast, dry film thickness measurement under SSPC-PA 2, environmental conditions during application, holiday detection and adhesion testing, and inspector certification. These standards govern how a coating job is specified, executed and verified; they do not decide whether a substrate is fit for service, which the inspection codes and API 579 cover.
What the standard requires
Surface preparation
The specification names a preparation grade, and the inspector verifies it against the written standard and the visual reference before any coating goes on. Surface profile is measured and recorded, because adhesion depends on it.
Environmental conditions
Ambient temperature, relative humidity, dew point and substrate temperature are measured before and during application, and coating stops when the substrate is too close to the dew point or outside the manufacturer's window.
Dry film thickness under SSPC-PA 2
DFT is measured with a calibrated gauge at spot and area frequencies the standard defines, with acceptance based on spot and gauge-reading limits relative to the specified minimum and maximum. The statistics, not a single reading, decide acceptance.
Holiday detection and adhesion
Where the specification calls for it, the cured film is tested for pinholes and holidays at the voltage the standard sets, and adhesion is verified by pull-off or cross-cut testing with results recorded per location.
Hold points
The inspection test plan defines hold points where work cannot proceed until the inspector has verified the previous stage: surface preparation, primer, intermediate and topcoat. Each release is signed.
Inspector certification and records
Coating inspectors hold AMPP certification at the level the specification requires, and the daily record carries every measurement, the instrument used, and the calibration behind it.
What the record must carry
- Asset, area, coating system specification and the manufacturer's data sheet in force
- Surface preparation grade achieved and measured surface profile
- Ambient, substrate and dew point readings with times
- DFT readings per coat with gauge, calibration and SSPC-PA 2 statistics
- Holiday and adhesion test results by location
- Hold point releases with inspector signature and time
- Exceptions and rework with their resolution
- Inspector certification level and identity
How intelliSPEC handles it
intelliPAINT is the coatings module: it carries the hold points as workflow gates with approve, reject, hold and owner sign-off transitions, coating DFT verification with the statistics SSPC-PA 2 acceptance rests on, and coating exception reports for the readings that miss. Instrument profiles bring DFT readings in from DeFelsko and Elcometer gauges over Bluetooth, so the value, the instrument and the time are recorded together rather than transcribed. Passive fire protection appendices cover fireproofing coatings, and the hash-chained audit trail with per-signer identity shows who released each hold point.
Answers
AMPP and SSPC coatings standards questions
What is the relationship between AMPP, NACE and SSPC?
AMPP was formed when NACE International and SSPC merged. It now maintains the standards both bodies published, and many still carry their original designations, such as SSPC-PA 2 for dry film thickness or the joint SSPC-SP / NACE surface preparation grades. Specifications written to the older names remain valid references.
How is dry film thickness accepted under SSPC-PA 2?
Readings are taken with a calibrated gauge at spot and area frequencies the standard defines. Acceptance is based on the spot averages and individual gauge readings staying within limits relative to the specified minimum and maximum, so the decision rests on the statistics of the set rather than one reading.
What are hold points in coating inspection?
A hold point is a stage in the inspection test plan where work must stop until the inspector verifies the previous stage and releases it: surface preparation before primer, primer before intermediate, and so on. Each release is signed and timed, and skipping one is a defect in the record even if the coating turns out fine.
What environmental conditions have to be recorded during coating?
Ambient temperature, relative humidity, dew point and substrate temperature, measured before starting and at intervals during application. The substrate has to stay above the dew point by the margin the standard and the manufacturer set, and those readings are among the first things a coating failure investigation looks for.
What certification should a coating inspector hold?
AMPP maintains a tiered coating inspector certification, and the project specification states the level required for the work. The inspector's certification level and identity belong in the daily record along with each instrument's calibration.