From Villahermosa, Mexico, during the IMCORRS 2023 conference, Francesco Solari CEO Inspenet , had the privilege of interviewing José A. Padilla, Executive Director of Coating Consulting Services , who presented valuable strategies to control corrosion and maximize the life of coatings, especially in corrosive environments such as Offshore platforms.
Padilla, with more than 36 years of experience in the industry, stressed the importance of paying attention to the often underestimated coatings that play a crucial role in protecting new and used assets. He noted that a lack of knowledge and the misperception that applying coatings is similar to painting a house have led to insufficient preservation on numerous Coating Consulting Services projects.
During the interview, Padilla shared the essential steps to ensure the effectiveness of coatings. From rigorous specification of materials and operators to preventing design defects such as cavity corrosion and sharp edges, Padilla stressed the importance of addressing these issues from the construction stage to avoid downstream problems for asset owners.
The expert stressed the need to raise awareness about the importance of coatings and corrosion protection. In this regard, he emphasized the need for training and education in the industry so that professionals can understand and apply appropriate corrosion control techniques.
Jose Padilla also shared details about his initiative, the Train the Painter Academy, which offers training and certification programs for coating professionals. The academy focuses on the comprehensive training of inspectors and applicators, ensuring they have the knowledge necessary to carry out their work with excellence.
Regarding his experience as a consultant, Padilla shared an important anecdote from Coating Consulting Services where pressure to complete a project resulted in premature coating failures. He stressed the importance of not unfairly blaming inspectors and reminded that painting is one of the last stages in construction, so underlying problems can emerge after delivery.
The IMCORRS 2023 event left a positive impression on Padilla, who highlighted the growing participation and interest of the community in learning more about corrosion control and coatings.
Their website: https://coatingconsultingservices.com/
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