CASE STUDY: Surcotec

Surcotec (Pty) Ltd, based in Bellville, Cape Town, has been the Western Cape’s longest-operating provider of thermal spray and surface engineering solutions since 2000, offering services from its 1 000 m² workshop that include combustion powder spray, High Velocity OxyFuel (HVOF), plasma spray, Plasma Transferred Arc (PTA) cladding, precision machining, grinding, super-finishing, bore welding, and on-site refurbishment.

Surcotec is positioned as a trusted partner for industries requiring precision wear and corrosion protection. In sectors like marine engineering, where infrastructure faces constant exposure to saltwater, fluctuating temperatures, and mechanical stress, compliance with international standards is essential, not only for technical performance but also to strengthen legal and financial protection, build stakeholder confidence, and promote environmental stewardship. In the competitive global marine market, such verified compliance is often a prerequisite for securing tenders, insurance, and classification, making accreditation both a marker of excellence and a driver of long-term sustainability and growth.

To ensure coatings are applied safely and consistently, thermal spray certification verifies the competency of individuals, organisations, and processes, with three main types: personnel certification, process and facility certification, and procedure qualification.

Certification is vital for quality assurance, compliance, safety, and competitiveness, especially in demanding sectors such as aerospace, energy, marine, and manufacturing. Advanced technologies like HVOF and PTA play a key role. HVOF produces dense, hard, wear-resistant coatings for turbine parts, shafts, and components exposed to corrosion and abrasion, while PTA uses a plasma arc to melt and deposit materials with precision, often for welding or cladding in high-wear or high-temperature environments.