DuPont Honors LATTC Partners in Quality
LATTC and DuPont formed a partnership in 1999. A program was created to instruct students in the proper use of compliant coatings for Rule 1151. Rule 1151 is a law enforced by the Air Quality Control Management District to regulate Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) dispersed into the atmosphere. The Auto Collision Industry is highly regulated due to the amount of spray painting applications on damaged vehicles. Here is how the program works. LATTC students register with the DuPont training website. From here they download product data sheets for each item of material we are studying. We are learning about all of the compliant coatings available in our area which falls under the scope of Rule 1151. Next there is a lecture to demonstrate the product. We utilize PowerPoint presentations created by DuPont to explain each paint material. The student then applies the material, usually by spray painting in the booth. The materials are then tested in the lab by sanding, polishing, etc. The next step is testing. Students are tested on each material. The testing categories are: Safety, specialty coatings including cleaners & meal etchings, undercoats which include primers & sealers, topcoats which include single stage paint, basecoat & clear-coat, and plastic refinishing which includes flexible coating applications. A final exam covering all categories is given at the end. If the student applies each material discussed and passes each of the tests with a score of 80% or better, and passes the final exam with a score of 85% or better, that student will be awarded a “Certificate of Completion for Compliant Coating”. This certificate is issued from DuPont and LATTC has ten students who successfully completed the requirements for Spring 2007!!!! They are Omar Benitez, Steven Gallegos, Agustin Garibay, Edgar Hernandez, Rafael Jacinto, Jason Martinez, Jose Ortiz, Jason Park, Miguel Pascual, and Alex Rodriguez. Also congratulations need to go to instructor Fred Morago who guided these young men through the training. 071220