Quelle/Publication: European Coatings Journal

Ausgabe/Issue: 12/2004
Seite/Page: 42

European bodies update coil coating

standards
CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, has Portugal (IPQ), Slovakia (SUTN), Slovenia (SIST), Spain
Europe-wide membership, work procedures and role. This (AENOR), Sweden (SIS), and the United Kingdom (BSI). In
organization and its associated standards body, ECISS, the addition, Iceland (IST), Norway (NSF) and Switzerland
European Committee for Iron and Steel Standardization, are (SNV) are members from EFTA.
introduced, as is its growing cooperation with ISO, the
International Organization for Standardization. Over the past Counsellors, affiliates and partners
months a three-part standard on coil coated steel products Counsellors are the European Commission and the EFTA
has been published. A number of standardized test methods Secretariat. Affiliates are other national standards bodies of
for coil coated metals are also available. Central and Eastern Europe, which can in principle become
Bernd Meuthen. members of the Union or EFTA, and which therefore can
Against the background of recent activities, it seems become full National Members of CEN by meeting certain
appropriate to refer to the relevant international criteria.
standardization institutions and committees, and summarize Present affiliates are Albania (DPS), Bulgaria (SASM),
their way of working. Standardization of coil coated products Croatia (DZNM), Romania (ASRO), the former Yugoslav
and test methods are also among the key objectives of the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), and Turkey (TSE).
European Coil Coating Association (ECCA) of Brussels. Partner Standardization Bodies (corresponding
organizations) are Egypt (EOS), Serbia and Montenegro
CEN - the European Committee for Standardization (SZS), South Africa (SABS), and Ukraine (DSSU).
CEN was founded in 1961 by the national standards bodies
in the European Economic Community and European Free ECISS - the European Committee for Iron and Steel
Trade Association (EFTA) countries as an independent legal Standardization
organization with its Central Secretariat in Brussels. Since 1986 ECISS has taken over the standardization
The principal issue is the European standard (EN) that activities of COCOR, the Coordinating Committee on the
exists in three official languages (English, French and nomenclature of iron and steel products, a committee
German). CEN national members are bound to comply with originally set up under the ECSC (European Coal and Steel
the CEN Internal Regulations. These stipulate the conditions Community). ECISS, a CEN Associated Standards Body.
for giving a standard the status of a national standard (ASB), is administered by, but independent of, CEN. Internal
without any alteration or by endorsement within six months rules are in accordance with those of CEN. ECISS develops
and that any pre-existing national standard in conflict be draft standards for the definition, classification, testing,
withdrawn. German versions are prefixed as in DIN EN, chemical analysis and technical delivery requirements for
corresponding to BS EN and NF EN. A version in any other the products of the steel industry which are then submitted
language made by translation under the responsibility of a to CEN for further launching.
CEN member into its own language and notified to the The origins of ECISS and its precursor go back to the early
Management Centre (CMC) has the same status as the 1950s and the foundation of ECSC as the very first of the
three official versions. European communities. The process of European
New work items start with a working document prepared by integration began with coal and steel (Treaty of Paris,
a Working Group. The working document becomes a draft ratified in 1952). The Euronorms issued since 1953 had
European Standard (prEN) and, following a customary merely an optional status.
administrative route via the CEN Management Centre, in the
end a European Standard (EN). CEN members are granted ECISS and CEN functions
a six-month enquiry of the drafts and a two-month deadline Functions of the two standards bodies are performed by
of cognisance of the final texts but without any technical Technical Committees (TC), which are responsible for the
changes to them. This procedure is completed by the programming and planning, monitoring and execution of the
ratification by CEN. technical work, and Subcommittees (SC), which are
responsible for a defined portion of the scope of the relevant
CEN membership and relations TC.
National Members (Figure 1) are the national standards Working Groups (WG) are appointed by a TC or SC to deal
bodies (NSB) of the enlarged European Union, EFTA and with a special and limited area of work. They are composed
some Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. They of individual members (experts) from CEN/ECISS members
(1) make up the delegations to the technical committees by and organizations.
finding expertise in each country; (2) vote for and implement All the CEN national members are entitled to nominate
European standards as national standards; (3) provide the delegates to ensure a balance of all interested parties.
secretariats of the committees; and (4) finance more than 50 Strategies identified as achieving CEN- and ECISS-defined
% of the work. In turn they are largely financed by industry, objectives may include, among others:
sales of standards and government grants. - Use of available national, regional or international source
CEN presently comprises in all 28 NSB (listed with their documents (such as ISO standards) on which to base
acronyms) compared with only 18 in 1996. There are 25 European Standards;
from the EU: Austria (ON), Belgium (IBN/BIN), Czech - Where appropriate, cooperation and liaisons with other
Republic (CSNI), Cyprus (CYS), Denmark (DS), Estonia CEN committees and international committees;
(EVS), Finland (SFS), France (AFNOR), Germany (DIN), - information that directly demonstrates the possible use and
Greece (ELOT), Hungary (MSZT), Ireland (NSAI), Italy acceptance of the standards by the affected business
(UNI), Latvia (LVS), Lithuania (LST), Luxembourg (SEE), community.
Malta (MSA), The Netherlands (NEN), Poland (PKN),

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 Quelle/Publication: European Coatings Journal
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The work programme ECCA. 25 Parts have already been published (Table 1).
The ECISS work programme is dealt with by 21 Technical
Committees. Among others, these include: An update on coil coated steel standardization
- TC 13: Flat products for cold working - Qualities, The EN 10169 standard for coil coated steel consists of
dimensions, tolerances and specific tests (uncoated hot or three parts: EN 10169-1:2003, Continuously organic coated
cold-rolled steels and cold-rolled steel sections); chairman, (coil coated) steel flat products - Part 1: General information
J. Dawance; secretariat held by D. Jacobs, IBN/BIN; (definitions, materials, tolerances, test methods),
- TC 27: Surface coated flat products - Qualities, superseding the 1996 issue; prEN 10169-2:2004, Part 2:
dimensions, tolerances and specific tests; chairman, P. Products for building exterior application, replacing ENV
Fnders; secretariat held by H.-F. Hach, FES im DIN; and 10169-2:1999; and EN 10169-3:2003, Part 3: Products for
- TC 27/SC 1: Continuously organic coated (coil coated) building interior applications.
steel flat products; chairman, B. Meuthen. ECISS/TC 27/SC 1 began work in 1992 tasked with
updating the Euronorm EU 169-85 for continuously organic
European standardization and the role of CEN coated steel flat products. This Euronorm was prepared by a
CEN is contributing to the objectives of the European Working Group established in the late 70s and was the first
Economic Area with technical standards which promote free standard of its kind. It is common practice for existing
trade, the safety of workers and consumers, interoperability standards to be reviewed about every five years to
of systems and technologies, environmental protection, determine whether any need exists for some major editorial
exploitation of research and development programmes, and or technical amendments. The transposition into EN (Part 1
public procurement. The foremost aim is to facilitate the since 1996) did not pose any problems.
exchange of goods and services through the elimination of Work was then started on compiling supplements Parts 2
technical barriers to global trade, thus ensuring the and 3, governing building exterior and interior applications,
interoperability and interchangeability of safe and high since these are the prime sales markets. WG 2 and WG 3
quality products and systems. were founded for this purpose, with B. Creton and J.
The use of standards by industry and the social and Mnigault, BNS (Bureau de Normalisation de la Sidrurgie),
economic partners is always voluntary; however, European Paris, since renamed BN Acier, acting as convenors.
standards are sometimes related to European legislation WG 2 (Exterior applications) applied considerable efforts
(Directives), and conformity to such standards may between 1992 and 2003 in developing, first of all, a
constitute a presumption of conformity to the legal pre-standard (ENV 10169-2:1999). This was only recently
requirements of the Directives which must be met by transposed into prEN 10169-2:2004. The final standard is
manufacturers before certain products can be traded legally due to be published in 2005. In the period 1997 to 1999, WG
within the Single Market. A European standard embodies 3 (Interior applications) succeeded in drafting the new EN
the essential principles of global openness and 10169-3:2003. In their source English versions, the three
transparency, consensus, technical coherence and national standards together have some 60 pages.
commitment.
What's in the standards
ISO - International Organization for Standardization The usual contents are: Foreword, Scope, Normative
One cannot report on standardization without mentioning references, Terms and definitions, Designation, Information
ISO, the worldwide federation of national standards bodies, to be supplied by the purchaser, Substrates and organic
constituted as far back as 1947, with its Central Secretariat coatings, Requirements, Inspection and testing, Marking,
in Geneva, Switzerland. Its current membership comprises Packing and dispatch, Storage, Disputes, Annex, and
national standards institutes from 148 countries, working in Bibliography.
partnership with international organizations, governments Regarding "Scope" (Part 1): The standard is not applicable
and industry, business and consumer representatives. to organic coated tin mill products, electrical steels and steel
Official languages are English and French. Final Draft strapping. Alongside the updated standards for the steel
International Standards (FDIS) become Standards (ISO). substrates, all three parts now include many of the new
Implementation is, however, optional only. parts of the EN 13523 series, Coil coated metals - Test
methods (Table 1). "Terms and definitions" list altogether 45
A growing cooperation definitions for the coil coating process, coating systems,
ISO and CEN work closely together according to their building applications etc.
Vienna Agreement (1991): Technical cooperation under the
VA, where the work is done by CEN following a formal Acknowledgements
notification of interest received by CEN from ISO (VA CEN The author would like to thank all ECISS experts, the SC 1
lead) or vice versa (VA ISO lead). Parallel synchronized secretariat and BN Acier for their unfailing commitment to
procedures are applied in either organization for the these ECISS activities.
approval processes.
The growing cooperation between CEN and ISO may be Reference
characterized by CEN/TC 139 "Paint and varnishes" [1] F. Ferron, European Standards for Coil Coated Metals -
(secretariat held by DIN) established in 1988 and its Test Methods (EN 13523), Proceedings, ECCA 38th
counterpart ISO/TC 35 "Paint and varnishes" established in General Meeting, Salzburg, June 2004
1947. Over the past years, an increasing number of ISO
standards, particularly on terminology (SC 1) and test Table 1: EN Standards on Coil Coated Metals - Test
methods (SC 9) have already been transposed into the CEN Methods
network (as EN ISO). (EN) ISO standards are referred to, EN 13523-0:2001
whenever applicable. Coil coated metals -Test methods
However, the specific work on test methods for coil coated Part 0: General introduction and list of test methods
metals has since 1995 been the responsibility of CEN/TC EN 13523-1:2001
139/WG 9 "Coil coated metals - Test methods" (convenors, Part 1: Coating thickness
F. Ferron / H. Hughes) in cooperation with and supported by EN 13523-2:2001

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 Quelle/Publication: European Coatings Journal
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Part 2: Specular gloss

EN 13523-3:2001
Part 3: Colour difference - Instrumental comparison
EN 13523-4:2001
Part 4: Pencil hardness
EN 13523-5:2001
Part 5: Resistance to rapid deformation (impact test)
EN 13523-6:2002
Part 6: Adhesion after indentation (cupping test)
EN 13523-7:2001
Part 7: Resistance to cracking on bending (T-bend test)
EN 13523-8:2002
Part 8: Resistance to salt spray (fog)
EN 13523-9:2001
Part 9: Resistance to water immersion
EN 13523-10:2001
Part 10: Resistance to fluorescent UV light and water
condensation
prEN 13523-11:2003
Part 11: Resistance to solvents (rubbing test)
prEN 13523-12:2003
Part 12: Resistance to scratching
EN 13523-13:2001
Part 13: Resistance to accelerated ageing by the use of heat
EN 13523-14:2001
Part 14: Chalking (Helmen method)
EN 13523-15:2002
Part 15: Metamerism
prEN 13523-16:2003
Part 16: Resistance to abrasion
prEN 13523-17:2003
Part 17: Determination of adhesion of strippable films
EN 13523-18:2002
Part 18: Resistance to staining
prEN 13523-19:2003
Part 19: Panel design and method for atmospheric exposure
testing
prEN 13523-20:2003
Part 20: Foam adhesion
EN 13523-21:2003
Part 21: Evaluation of outdoor exposed panels
EN 13523-22:2003
Part 22: Colur difference - Visual comparison
EN 13523-23:2002
Part 23: Colour stability in humid atmospheres containing
sulphur dioxide
prEN 13523-24:2003
Part 24: Resistance to blocking and pressure marking
In preparation: Part 25: Resistance to humidity Part 26:
Resistance to condensation

The author:
-> Dr Bernd Meuthen studied Chemistry and obtained a ScD
degree at the University of Bonn/Germany. He worked at the
Hoesch Steel Group in Dortmund and Wuppertal in charge
of R&D pre-coated steel products (1959-1990). He is
chairman of ECISS/TC 27/SC 1 and ECCA German Group.
This paper was presented at the ECCA 38th General
Meeting, Salzburg/Austria, June 2004.

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 Quelle/Publication: European Coatings Journal
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Seite/Page: 42

Figure 1: Map of Europe with CEN membership countries (EU=brown, EFTA=green,

affiliates=yellow, partners=red, non-members=blue).

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