The answer is simple. The Laminate Certification process is easy to put in place, it assures quality laminates every time and has a return on investment that is very attractive! In addition, the process is the beginning to the end of laminate quality issues we have been talking about at Industry conferences and committee meetings for years.
Owners and Engineers who specify FRPI Laminate Certification will realize their return on investment by significantly lowering or eliminating the costs of:
|  | Maintaining in house expertise
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| | Specification writing and administration |
| | Inspection and performance testing |
| | Resolving specification nonconformance |
| | Laminate failure corrective action |
| | Initial cost, maintenance and lifecycle |
| | Unknown risk exposure |
Certified Manufacturers who have traditionally produced quality laminates will be able to easily differentiate their products and improve their competitive position as a result. This advantage afforded a Certified Manufacturer will improve their market share through better meeting the needs of the Owners and Engineers who value reliable FRP process equipment performance.
What makes FRP laminates so problematic when compared to other materials? Unlike steel and thermoplastic materials of construction that are mass produced by giant companies and purchased from distributors, small companies that fabricate chemical process equipment manufacture FRP laminates in a job shop one laminate at a time. Although there is some process automation, laminates are made by hand through a very labor intense process for the most part and this introduces process variation. These laminates are typically not certified against any standard as a regular practice, where as in the steel industry each process run is tested and a heat number is marked on material shipped. In many applications there is a considerable risk associated with the reliability of FRP laminates due to undetected deviations from standards or manufacturing practices.
An Industry FRP equipment failure study conducted found that 36% of all equipment reported failed due to laminate degradation, where 79% of the causes of failure involved issues that are significantly influenced by the Manufacturer. Case history after case history of failure shows that many Manufacturers clearly do not understand how or lack sufficient technology, equipment and experience needed to produce quality laminates.
Too many businesses have incurred thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars in corrective action costs per project as a result of Industry’s limited control of laminate quality. Some problems on record have cost as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars to rectify. Industry has consequently lost millions of dollars in profits as a result of not properly minimizing the risk associated with these shortcomings.
Unfortunately these problems have been around since the inception of FRP laminates and are still a noteworthy threat to projects today. Third Party resin selection, detailed specifications, vender qualification and laminate inspection have been professed as solutions to laminate problems for decades. Although some professionals have made a living supporting these services, the efforts overall has made little impact on improving the reliability of laminate performance for Industry as a whole.
To prevent potential laminate quality problems, many Owners and Engineers have traditionally employed an in house FRP guru who was responsible for procedural specifications, vender qualification and in process materials evaluations rather than relying on the Manufacturers performance. With Industry continually trying to do more with less, this method of project management has nearly disappeared. Today, in a number of industries and procurement situations, responsible parties admittedly are not laminate technology or quality control experts, are unfamiliar with all of the risks related to specifying FRP laminates and have a challenge controlling adherence to project specifications they write. Consequently, specifications are more often written that rely on performance of the Manufacturer, with very little if any Owner or Engineer intervention. History has proven this type of approach is a recipe for unnecessary poor laminate performance and cost overruns.
Where do we go from here? Prevent potential laminate quality problems, write FRP process equipment specifications that require FRPI Certified Laminates. The FRPI Laminate Certification process is the Industry watchdog, assuring adequate laminating capabilities are in place, standards are followed and quality laminates are produced. Laminate Certification by FRPI practically eliminates deviations that lead to laminate quality problems and significant corrective action costs for all stakeholders. The Certification process pays for itself by getting results, which is initiated by you.
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