Most aviation enthusiasts are aware that pilots work with checklists. But metal construction engineers? For some time now, ZINQ Manufaktur has been providing its customers with a checklist for safe construction suitable for hot-dip galvanising – what it achieves, and an initial conclusion follows.

„The new checklist has been available at all our German ZINQ sites since the second half of 2020,“ says Volker Hastler, Head of ZINQ Manufaktur. „We took the amendments to DIN EN ISO 14713 Part 2 as an opportunity to thoroughly revise our old „locksmith’s chart“ and, in doing so, to make the information for the metalworking trade even clearer.“ The result is a list, numbered from „Check 1“ to „Check 9“, which is not only compelling in its text but also uses graphics to aid understanding and practical „implementation“. Thomas Hammer, Managing Director of Hammer Stahl-Manufaktur and winner of the 2020 German Metal Construction Award in the „Special Structures“ category, has also given the list a prominent place in his workshop where all staff can see it: „Even at the planning stage, it’s advisable to consider how, for example, inlet, outlet and vent openings should be arranged in hollow sections. It’s also worth considering what measures are recommended for overlapping surfaces or moving parts. Of course, you can read all this in the applicable standards, but who has the time for that these days? The checklist summarises the points that are essential for us in a very clear way – and that makes designing and manufacturing for hot-dip galvanising a huge help.“ Also helpful: the „check“ regarding welded joints: it is not uncommon for warping in the 450 °C hot zinc bath to be avoided by using a suitable welding sequence and symmetrical cross-sections. The advice to design components as symmetrically as possible is also reiterated in Check 5, which deals with deformation. So, is this a checklist that people enjoy working with? Christoph Obladen, Managing Director of C. Obladen Metallbau GmbH, gives a resounding „yes“. He appreciates not only the clear information but also the robust material: „We have the A1-sized checklist hanging up in our workshop. It’s made of Priplak, so it’s relatively hard-wearing, yet – according to the print – made from 100% recycled % material. All in all, it’s a great tool for our day-to-day work.“ The conclusion can therefore only be: this checklist for the metalworking trade comes highly recommended!

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