International Training Concept for the Inspection of Technical Cleanliness

Extraction of particles from a component according to VDA Volume 19.1. (Source: Fraunhofer IPA)

For over ten years, there have been fixed standards in the automotive industry for testing the technical cleanliness of components. These are specified in VDA Volume 19.1. To ensure that companies can test their components in accordance with regulations, those responsible in the laboratory should be able to demonstrate qualification as a "Technical Cleanliness Inspector." This training has been offered by Fraunhofer IPA for over ten years. Due to the increasing globalization of automotive production, the demand abroad has grown significantly, and in the future, English-language training sessions for trainers will also be held. They will be trained as "Tutors for Technical Cleanliness."

VDA 19.1 contains comprehensive regulations and guidance on how to determine technical cleanliness. This cleanliness testing is a demanding laboratory activity that requires extensive knowledge of equipment and methods, as well as a good dose of intuition. For this reason, Fraunhofer IPA has been organizing up to five seminars per year on the topic "Testing of Technical Cleanliness" since the publication of VDA 19. After two days of training and successfully passing the exam, participants receive the certificate "Technical Cleanliness Inspector." The events are regularly fully booked.

Qualification measures are in high demand

"Since companies in the automotive and supplier industries are increasingly producing at international locations, the VDA 19.1 regulations are also being used in more and more countries outside Germany, where the corresponding components are also tested for cleanliness. For this, they need trained personnel," explains Dr. Markus Rochowicz, Group Leader of Cleanliness Technology at Fraunhofer IPA. However, for companies outside Germany, it is time-consuming and costly to send their employees to Stuttgart. "It is better to offer seminars locally and at country-specific prices," Rochowicz explains. To address this issue, the VDA Automotive Industry Association has proposed a solution: "VDA QMC has commissioned us to develop a training concept for international trainers, i.e., Tutors for Technical Cleanliness," Rochowicz elaborates. Participants from around the world will be instructed at Fraunhofer IPA in Stuttgart to subsequently pass on their knowledge to colleagues locally.

The seminars abroad are based on the IPA training courses. The only difference is in the practical part: "Participants at IPA examine real components, while abroad, the tutors explain the procedure using visual material," Rochowicz explains. Similarly, IPA staff have created videos that replace laboratory experiments. "When the material is worked through with the tutor, participants can also apply the procedures later," Rochowicz is convinced. The first trainer training will take place as part of the classic, but for the first time, English-language training for the "Technical Cleanliness Inspector" on December 8 and 9, 2015. Those who wish to earn the additional title "Tutor" will receive an extra training day on December 10.