Ms.Clara talks about paint finish in handles

We all know how delicate paint finish is on furniture handles.

Unlike chrome-plating and anodized coating that work really well, paint is more delicate and it is more likely to get damaged in adverse situations.

However, it is impossible to rule out paint finishes, especially with the infinite range of colours available and it adapts to any requirement (in fact, we have dozens of colours created exclusively for some of our clients!).

At NA we have developed a new type of paint, it is more resistant than the normal paints and we are certifying it internally by working on our own standard, which is endorsed by other UNE standards that already exist.

So, when we make these paints, they undergo different resistance and reliability tests that enable us to determine whether we are on the right track or not.

Today I want to tell you what these tests actually involve. Come with me to our laboratory!

Resistance to cleaning products

It seems like a trivial test, but nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, it is the most realistic test to try out the resistance of the finish that is going to cover a handle in a domestic environment.

For 4 hours the handles are exposed to agents like bleach, acetone, sanitary cleaner, lipstick, toothpaste…and, for shorter periods, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda sol.25%), shoe polish, hydrogen peroxide (oxygenated water sol.30%), etc.

Once these chemical compounds have been removed, the marks that they make are studied to classify any deterioration of the shine and/or the colour, according to a scale that will (or will not) validate this test.

Scratch resistance

We use one test, which is internationally recognised (called ASTM D3363), to determine the scratch resistance. We check the damage done to a lacquer by scratching the surface with pencils of different degrees of hardness; this is how we can determine whether our paints will withstand the hardness of at least an F type pencil.

The Cross Cut Report

This is based on the UNE-EN ISO 2409 standard in which we evaluate the adherence of the coating to the preceding coat or the substrate. In this test, which is carried out using a special six cutting edge blade, we make two cross cuts and perpendicular cuts to see whether the lacquer peels off in some of the grids produced in this lattice pattern. This is how we determine the degree of adherence, so that we can make sure that the end result is optimum.

The water immersion resistance test

It is based on the UNE-EN ISO 2812 standard and we use it to determine the paint’s resistance to water. The handle must be partially immersed in water for 24 hours and to pass the test there can’t be any visible or hardly visible changes to the finish.

These are not the only tests we use to validate our products. The truth is that as the Quality Control Manager of NA, I couldn’t be more satisfied with the resources we have in our own laboratory: salt spray test chamber, FISCHERSCOPE X-RAY equipment to measure thicknesses and many other instruments that we use to make sure that the quality of our products is on par with our expectations.

On another day I would be delighted to show you how we use them and what function they have to guarantee our quality.

I hope you have enjoyed my company on this brief visit to find out about my daily routine at Navarro Azorín. I look forward to seeing you here soon to go on this tour in person.

Kind regards. Look after yourself. Clara.