Technology Centre

With head offices in Tauranga New Zealand and Queensland Australia, and servicing the Australasian and southern pacific regions,  Altex manufacturers and distributes coatings and systems under the well respected global brand of Carboline and also the Altexboatpaint brand.

Altex Coatings is well qualified to manufacture, specify and service high performance coatings systems for most industry sectors.  Our products and services are continuously reviewed and improved so that Altex can remain to be, or become your strongest ally in business.

Registered Qualifications

• APAS Recognised Manufacturing Units - Australia and New Zealand
• ISO 9001:2008 - Australia and New Zealand
• ISO 17025:2005 - New Zealand
• ISO 14001:2004 - New Zealand
• NATA Scope of Accreditation - Australia
• IMO Tin Free Antifouling
  

Professional Memberships

• Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP - UK)
• Australasian Corrosion Association (A.C.A.)
• Boating Industry Association (N.Z.)
• Heavy Engineering Research Association (N.Z.)
• National Association of Corrosion Engineers (U.S.A.)
• NZ Paint Manufacturers Association
• Society for Protective Coatings (U.S.A.)
• Standards Association of NZ
• Standards Association of Australia
• Surface Coatings Association of NZ
• Australian Paint Manufacturers Federation
• Plastics and Materials Processing Industry Training Organisation
• Extractive Industries Industry Training Organisation

Constant technical development and improvement is needed to meet the often conflicting demands of reduced environmental impact and health and safety risks, while at the same time increasing performance at equal or lower costs. Altex reinvests significantly into technology through in house full time research and development chemists and extensive testing.

One form of testing is the "Accelerated Weathering by QUV" 

QUV testing takes place in an accelerated weathering chamber, designed to create a highly flexible mix of UV light, temperature and moisture conditions. The tests are intended to reproduce the damage caused by sunlight, rain and condensed surface moisture or dew. The chamber subjects the test materials to alternating cycles of light and moisture at controlled elevated temperatures.

The moisture includes both condensing humidity, to simulate dew, and water sprays. The light in the chamber is created by specially-designed fluorescent UV 340 bulbs to simulate the effects of sunlight. Although UV radiation actually only comprises about 5% of normal sunlight, the short-wavelength UV light does most of the photochemical damage.

Although no precise correlation can be made between accelerated test lengths and real-world exposure, the QUV weatherometer reliably reproduces the damage that occurs over months or years outdoors.