In the thermal spraying technology a lot of things have been and still are happening in education and training of personnel and in quality management. The QM-system that was established by the GTS e.V.– the Association of Thermal Sprayers – was pioneer and does an excellent job concerning its requirements. These GTS QM-requirements are meanwhile completed by newly created and internationally accepted EWF-education and training guidelines of supervising personnel and thermal spray workers. These guidelines involve also the new ISO standards of the Thermal Spraying Coordinator and the Approval Testing of Thermal Sprayers. Meanwhile the ETS (European Thermal Sprayer) and the ETSS (European Thermal Spraying Specialist) education and training courses are very much in demand. For the QM-System the standard ISO 14922 Part 2-4 (Quality requirements of thermally sprayed structures) is established, which includes the standard ISO 14918 (Approval Testing of Thermal Sprayers). Here, different destructive testing procedures are required depending on the spray process, which provide useful statements concerning the quality of sprayed coatings. With the GTS-Certification, the EWF-Qualifications and the ISO Standards a System is installed, which meets the increased Demands of Trade and Industry for High Quality Sprayed Coatings.

The GTS certificate, is the only certificate worldwide which, in addition to the quality management elements of DIN EN ISO 9001:2000, includes a personnel, process and, on request, also a product certification for thermal spraying. The rules for certification were worked out by the thermal spray users, i.e. GTS members, themselves and have proved to be very effective. Today, the GTS certificate serves as a basis for assessing a certified GTS member should inconsistencies or legal disputes arise. The certificate demonstrates that the certified company has a visible quality standard and that it also meets specified quality requirements in its day-to-day business operations.

In the field of thermal spraying a lot of things have been and still are happening concerning education and training of personnel. The education and training of thermal sprayers according EWF-Guideline is required frequently in combination of the international standard DIN EN ISO 14918 “Approval Testing of Thermal Sprayers” - especially in the German-language countries. Meanwhile about 13 ETS courses were held at the German Welding Institute. Also interested in the education and training of thermal sprayers are countries like Poland and China. In France thermal spray personnel was educated and trained in a company internal course. Sweden and Norway run ETS courses in cooperation. The EWF education and training course of the ETSS European Thermal Spraying Specialist will be offered by the German Welding Institute in Munich - SLV München - for the nineth time in October 2005. Since about 1993 European Committees of EWF (European Federation of Welding, Joining and Cutting) and CEN (European Committee or Standardization) worked out education and training guidelines and qualification standards of thermal spray supervising personnel and sprayers and established them step by step. The meanwhile created and internationally accepted EWF-education and training guidelines of supervising personnel and thermal spray workers involve also the new ISO standards of the Thermal Spraying Co-ordinator and the Approval Testing of Thermal Sprayers. The ISO personnel qualification and quality management standards result together with the EWF education and training guidelines in a sound QM-system, which meets the increased demands of trade and industry of high quality sprayed coating. Experiences in applying these guidelines and standards are introduced.

Meanwhile thermal spray shops may apply a comprehensive works of application and qualification standards, e.g. in the case of building up a spray shop, qualifying thermal spraying personnel, defining requirements for spraying constructions or parts and testing thermally sprayed coatings. High and reproducible quality of products and services are required by the customer. Concerning national and international competition, also pressure on prices by keeping high and reproducible quality of the sprayed coatings will be in store for spray companies. In the following, actual quality management and personnel qualifying standards are described, which are now available. Experiences of a certifying institution and a spray company made by installing a QM- System and certifying audit may serve to orientation for those who will aim at QM certification. Paper text in German.

Working with qualified personnel means for each industrial company effectiveness and competitiveness. International standards and guidelines help to continue not only on the domestic market. In the recent years a considerable standardisation was made specially in the European Community. In the field of thermal spraying EN standards were and will be worked out, which fix the approval testing of thermal sprayers and the tasks and responsibilities of spraying co-ordinators. At the same time EWF guidelines were created to define the minimum requirements for training and educating spraying personnel. These standards and guidelines will be introduced, showing connections between them. Paper text in German.

ln co-operation with industrial companies, education and training institutes, and universities, an interactive multimedia learn-ing programme was developed. The project was sponsored over three years by the European Community. Structure and contents of this programme are based on the EWF-guideline “European Thermal Sprayer - Minimum requirements for education and training”. The multimedia programme contains the module of theoretical basis of the training course and covers training subjects as spraying processes, base and spray materials, bonding mechanisms, coating characteristics, measuring and testing, environmental and safety aspects. The interactive multimedia programme may be used to shorten the duration of the ETS-course, for spray company internal education and training, for settling into a new job concerning thermal spray technique, or for supporting a training course itself. The multimedia programme will be demonstrated during the poster sessions. Paper text in German.