By: Ben Rowland, Induron T&D Market Manager
Induron has been working with our partners down under, TEN Group, for a few years now to help successfully extend the life cycle of critical electrical T&D assets in Australia and New Zealand. By combining TEN’s national reach and trusted service with Induron’s proven protective coatings, this partnership helps deliver long-term performance and reliability for Australia’s power and infrastructure industries.
In that time, one of the things that became evident was the need for certain certifications when specifying products there. Akin to ISO certifications for manufacturing, and NSF certifications for potable water storage, APAS certifies the appropriateness of the products being used to address the needs of that region of the world.
So, what is APAS?
For an industrial coatings manufacturer looking to gain entry into the region, the Australian Paint Approval Scheme (APAS) certification provides coatings manufacturers with market access, credibility, and a competitive advantage in Australia’s public and industrial sectors. The certification, managed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), benefits both, the owner and applicators/end users, that a product meets rigorous performance and quality standards.
What are the benefits of the APAS certification for the different parties involved?
For the manufacturer, obtaining an APAS certification offers the primary point of access, as it is mandatory for most government owned and essential infrastructure projects. The certification acts as an independent pre-qualification, setting the manufacturer’s products apart from uncertified competitors and providing a significant competitive edge in bid situations. Since APAS verifies and validates conformity to their specifications, individual asset owners and contractors are less likely to require extensive, project-specific product testing, streamlining the sales and procurement process.
For the owner, the primary benefit is the assurance that the coating will meet minimum, independently verified performance standards, specifically designed for the often harsh and unique Australian environment. This lowers the risk of coating failure, premature corrosion, and expensive infrastructure remediation. The certification provides asset owners with the requirement for an “APAS Approved Product” against a specific APAS standard, reducing the complexity and time required for technical evaluation of products during procurement. Additionally, knowing that APAS has vetted products for compliance with local environmental and safety standards provides confidence in using the products on public and private projects.
For the end user/applicators, the certification allows contractors to confidently select certified products from the APAS List of Approved Products, knowing they meet the asset owner’s mandatory specifications without needing to perform their own detailed product verification. APAS also works in partnership with the Paint Contractor Certification Program (PCCP). When contractors (PCCP-certified) use APAS-certified products, it provides a full, system-level quality assurance (People + Product = Protection) for a given project.
After conducting a full audit of Induron’s facilities and processes in Birmingham, Induron and its products have met all the requirements to become a Recognized Manufacturing Unit(RMU) within the APAS system. With this new recognition, it will further allow us to become a trusted partner within the electrical T&D industry in not only Australia, but in efforts to save our existing infrastructure around the globe!