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MIL-A-8625 Salt Spray Test Requirement on Type III Anodize?
The latest change to MIL-A-8625 adds a requirement to the Table II Process Control Test section that says, "Type III coating shall be tested for corrosion resistance only when it is specified that the coating is sealed". I don't recall a single customer ever specifying on their PO that their Type III coating will be "sealed", but I do have a lot of customers that get Type III, Class 2, Black Dyed coating.
Since those dyed coatings are always sealed after dyeing, do I need to do the 330 hour salt spray test panels monthly, or since the PO didn't specifically call the seal out as a requirement, can I get away with not doing it - only doing it if I ever get a customer specifying that the coating be sealed?
President - Aerospace Anodizing Shop - Gardena, California, USA
February 1, 2011
Great question; don't wait for your Nadcap auditor to discover this one! Now for my political twist on this one as I'm going to speak out of both sides of my mouth! I've always taken exception to the "Type III coatings shall be supplied unsealed unless otherwise specified" when it comes to DYED, Class 2, coatings. Giving a customer a dyed anodize without a sufficient seal is unreputable and dishonest although, I believe, rampant in our industry and by the specification as written "permissible." Dyeing to me ALWAYS implies SEALED (that is until now!). If I have to start salt spraying all of my Type II and Type III dyed (and therefore sealed) coatings, do I do it for just black or does my blue and red and gold and entire rainbow have to be tested monthly. Who added this to the spec, the salt spray cabinet manufacturers? If I'm asked about this new twist, I'm going with the "the seal wasn't specifically requested by the PO, so I'm not testing for it!" Despite this, I'm still sealing all my dyed product specified or not!
Milt Stevenson, Jr.
Syracuse, New York
February 3, 2011
February 8, 2011
MIL-A-8625F
AMENDMENT 1
15 September 2003
said:
4.3.3.2.3:Corrosion resistance shall be determined on undyed and sealed production parts or
specimen panels (see 4.3.3.2).
That's why we don't test corrosion for dyed parts...
regards
- Chihuahua, Mexico
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