Also known by the name of paint meter, a coating thickness gauge is used for the measurement of dry film thickness. This parameter is possibly the most important one in a wide range of industrial applications, since it has a significant impact on cost, quality and coating process. These measurements can be employed to estimate the life expectancy of coating, the performance and appearance of product, and to guarantee agreement with a host of industry standards.
How Is Dry Film Thickness Measured With Coating Gages?
There are basically two ways for measuring Dry Film Thickness:
- Non-Destructive oating Thickness Measurement: using techniques which do not break the coating or the substrate. These include eddy current, magnetic induction and magnetic thickness measurement methods.
- Destructive Thickness Measurement: Using a cutter, the coating is cut to the substrate.
Non-destructive Coating Thickness Measurement
These kinds of measurements can be taken on either non-magnetic metallic surfaces like aluminum or stainless steel, or on magnetic surfaces. For measuring coating thickness on metal substrates, digital coating thickness gauges are perfect for the job. The principle of eddy current is used for non-conductive coatings on non-ferrous substrates, while electromagnetic induction is employed for non-magnetic coatings on ferrous substrates like steel.
Coating Thickness Gauges
For the measurement of dry film thickness, there is a wide array of coating thickness gauges, including popular concepts such as Paint Inspection Gauge, also known as PIG. It is an effective method for estimating dry film thickness on non-metallic substrates. There are gages that feature wider measuring range, backlighting, giant screen, browsing and statistics, advanced memory, averaging and counter. It can be employed in many industries, including automotive apps, commercial inspection, general engineering and manufacturing.
Willrich Precision offers a range of non-destructive coating thickness gauges, including digital and mechanical thickness gauges, ideal for dry film testing, complete with a wide spectrum of calibration foils and probes to suit your requirement.
Digital Coating Thickness Gauges
The selection of digital coating thickness gauge is particularly designed to offer highly repeatable, reliable and accurate coating thickness measurement on any substrate, non-ferrous or ferrous. You can opt for thickness gages that make use of SIDSP technology, with the entire processing taking place in the sensor head, where the excitation signals are converted digitally, and processed at accuracy of 32 bits. The technique makes use of sophisticated methods of processing, such as stochastic analysis, averaging, base band converting or digital filters.
Mechanical Coating Thickness Gauges
If you are looking for an inexpensive thickness measurement solution, a mechanical coating thickness gauge may be the right choice for you. They are perfect for functioning in risk prone areas, such as underwater, flammable atmospheres or high temperature conditions. It is also suitable for places where there’s a high explosion risk, and could be activated by the application of electronic instrument.
With over four decades of experience in the field of metrology, inspection and gaging, Willrich Precision offers the some of the best precision measurement solutions in the metrology industry. We provide the most basic tools, as well as the most sophisticated ones. Willrich has a solution for all your measuring needs, from vision systems to micrometers, and from gage blocks to laser systems.
