All posts by Paul Edwards

We are pleased to announce the first issues of certificates of conformance against the new number plate standard BS AU 145e:2018 are due for completion very shortly after commercial and technical traceability reports have been prepared and reviewed. We would like to thank all of our clients for their patience as some of the new clauses of the standard have been difficult to work with, both technically and practically. Now these issues have been resolved the time-frame for 145e conformance shall be significantly reduced.

Paul Edwards

Technical Director

AWL Ltd

AWL would like to remind all of our number plate testing partners that duplicte controls are required when submitting samples for clause 11. These are to be used as visual comparisons with exposed samples after 5 cycles of the thermal resistance test to aid assessment. Although the schedule within the standard states just x1 sample set is required to satisfy this clause, please send us x2 sample sets per construction type. Many thanks.

As ISO 12944 parts 6 and 9 (old ISO 20340) becomes more popular at AWL Ltd we are receiving more false requests for information and costs for performing this series of tests. The requests are normally from persons who say they are consultants for legitimate existing companies mainly located in the Far East.

These ‘consultants’ do not use the company domain when contacting by email for the company they state they are representing, nor will they call you directly by phone for contract review discussions (although they will say they have tried).

So please watch out emails that contain requests for ISO 12944 information and costs which are closely followed by requests for your company information, accreditations and bank details!!. Our policy at AWL is to contact the company for which they say they are representatives.

If they are false requests they will either not reply or deny representation by these individuals. As a word of advice never offer your testing services to individuals who use untraceable Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or iCloud email domains unless they are well known to you. It is our experience that legitimate technical consultants use a company domain.

No point in naming names here as these are highly likely to be false.

Common sense really but these twisted fuckers know how to make an email look genuine. Don’t get caught out.

The irony and frustration at AWL remains that after all of the additional costs required for conformance to BS AU 145e : 2018, no controls are yet in place regarding the laminator used to produce a number plate unit.

AWL is of the opinion that inclusion of an approved laminator, or at least compulsory requirements for a laminator should be provided within an annex of the new standard after its next revision.

It has been our view for many years that without controls here, poor quality number plates in terms of adhesive delamination and other related effects will continue to hit the market place despite the use of good quality acrylics, adhesives, printing and reflectives.

There is also the danger of course that poorly laminated number plate units submitted for testing may fail certain clauses of the standard despite being manufactured from high quality components. Samples are required to pass all clauses of 145e before a certificate of conformance can be issued.

Manufacturers of high durability paint systems should be aware that the laboratory performance test for off-shore and related structures has been replaced by ISO 12944-9 : 2018. There are no changes to the test cycle but the long exposure period of 4200 hours may be reduced when systems are tested alongside other laboratory performance tests in accordance with ISO 12944-6. These may include water condensation, water or chemical immersion and neutral salt spray testing depending on the durability rating required. https://www.awlltd.co.uk/corrosion-testing/

Again, a big thank you to all at AWL for helping maintain ISO 17025 accreditation for 2018 / 2019. Challenge now is the transition to the new version for 2019 and additional scope for all clauses BS AU 145e : 2017 for our number plate manufacturing customers.

A big thank you to all at AWL Ltd for their contributions to achieving successful registration to ISO 9001:2015. The standard is significantly more robust than the 2008 version but suppliers who hold 2008 registration shall remain approved. May I take this opportunity to thank and congratulate all our suppliers who have also made the transition so far. This provides us with the confidence to keep you on our approved suppliers list for consumables and capital equipment. Unfortunately suppliers without at least current ISO 9001:2008 or an equivalent externally audited quality management system shall no longer remain approved.

We are pleased to introduce our extended corrosion testing capability using the Ascott CC, XP and IP series of cyclic corrosion testing chambers allied to an Ascott air conditioning unit which enables fast cooling between segments from ambient to -20C.

Due to increasing demand for test profiles such as Volvo ACT II*, Ford CEPT 00.00-L467*, VW PV1210 and SAE J2334, AWL Ltd have chosen Ascott corrosion testing chambers due to their precise control of temperature and humidity, ease of programming, pleasing aesthetic low level load design and customer service.

For more information regarding our increased capability for cyclic corrosion and salt spray testing please contact us.

*manual method of salt spray application.

AWL are pleased to announce additional scope for its UV weathering and Taber abrasion testing capability.  ISO 16474-3:2013 specifies methods for exposing coatings to fluorescent UV lamps, heat and water in apparatus designed to reproduce the weathering effects that occur when materials are exposed in actual end-use environments to daylight, or to daylight through window glass. The coatings are exposed to different types of fluorescent UV lamps under controlled environmental conditions (temperature, humidity and/or water). Coatings are exposed to different types of fluorescent UV lamps of specific narrowband wavelengths under controlled environmental conditions (irradiance, temperature, humidity and / or water spray). Different types of fluorescent UV lamp may be used to meet all the requirements for testing different materials. Different types of fluorescent UV lamp may be used to meet all the requirements for testing different materials. Evaluations of results are covered by various parts of the ISO 4628 standard. General guidance is given in ISO 16474-1. NOTE Fluorescent UV lamp exposures for plastics are described in ISO 4892-3. Fluorescent UV lamp exposures for plastics are described in ISO 4892-3 for which AWL are also accredited.

ISO 7784-2:2013 / BS 3900:E14 specifies a method for determining the resistance to abrasion of coatings, for which two loaded, freely rotatable but eccentrically arranged abrasive rubber wheels affect the coating of the rotating test specimen. Rotary Taber abrasion testing at AWL is in high demand due to the ability to provide very accurate relative abrasion performance data. AWL are also accredited by UKAS for testing in accordance with ASTM D4060.

Another ISO 9001 audit with zero non-conformances. Well done to all that helped us achieve this. Challenge now is to conform the new version which takes into account risk analysis of the business both technically and financially. ISO 17025 audits (UKAS accreditation) due shortly so none of us are sitting on our hands! Thanks again to all at AWL for your contributions. Paul Edwards, Company Director.