Coating Thickness Testers

Know More About Triplett Coating Thickness Testers

What Does Dry Film Thickness (DFT) Mean?

DFT or dry film thickness is a measure of the coatings applied on outer portions, and is counted as the layer above the substrate. We can find such coats on a number of devices, cables, screws, and more.

Why Measure Dry Film Thickness (Coating Thickness)?

This is an important parameter to measure product quality and lifespan as well as cost. It is important to meet the industry standards when it comes to the amount of thickness a coat offers. While it does offer insulation, smooth finish, and so on, it also improves performance, hardness, flexibility, impact resistance, and so on. Triplett offers easy to use and accurate digital dry film thickness gauges.

Working Principle of Coating Thickness Gauges

The working principle depends on the type of coating. Electromagnetic induction is used for non-magnetic coatings on magnetic substrates, while the eddy current principle is used for non-ferrous substrates. We offer coating thickness testers with USB for automatic recognition of ferrous and non-ferrous substrates. So, these testers can work on both the principles based on the substrate type.

What Are Electromagnetic Induction Coating Thickness Gauges?

These are DFT gauges that measure the coating thickness for non-magnetic coatings on magnetic substrates. Traditionally, a magnet is the main source of an alternating electromagnetic field. In this case, Hall effect is generated to sense the magnetic flux density at the pole. There’s another coiled wire that detects changes in the magnetic flux. Our digital coating thickness gauges when taken near a steel or iron surface measures the changes in magnetic flux. You can calculate coating thickness once you know the magnetic flux. The output is displayed on the screen.

What Are Eddy Current Coating Thickness Gauges?

These thickness gauges can measure in a non-destructive way (NDT), and are used for non-magnetic substrates. These are quite similar to the electromagnetic ones in many ways. An alternating electromagnetic field is produced here as well. When you get the probe near to the conductive surface, the magnetic field creates eddy currents on the surface. The distance of the probe from the surface as well as the substrate properties have an effect on the magnitude of eddy currents, and they produce an opposing magnetic field. This is sensed by the coil to calculate magnetic flux and coating thickness.

Popular Applications of Paint Thickness Gauge

There are many applications of paint thickness gauges such as anodizing and galvanizing procedures used in engineering, electronics, and automotive industries. It is also used in refurbishment of vehicles, machines, equipment, and more. They also find applications in ship building and aircraft industries as well as independent paint shops.

How to Choose a Correct Coating Thickness Tester?

You need to know the substrate type and then choose the right tester depending on the substrate properties. However, the testers we offer are functional in both modes - electromagnetic and eddy current.

What Does 'mil' Mean When Measuring Paint Coating Thickness?

Mil means one thousandth of an inch. Paint coat thickness is expressed in mils. While this is more common in the US, in most countries micron is the unit to express thickness.

What is a Good Paint Thickness Reading?

Mostly, paint thickness ranges between 4 and 7 mils as per industry standards. Anything below that may imply partial or full removal of the coat. Anything beyond 7 mils could either be excess or may have done according to custom specifications.

How Accurate Are Paint Thickness Gauges?

Triplett offers some of the most accurate paint thickness gauges that are digital and work in two modes. They have an easy-to-use menu, adjustable backlight, user-programmable high/low alarms, min/max/average, two-point calibration with Zero adjust, measuring modes, and working modes. Aside from this, they have a built-in memory that stores up to 400 readings which can be transferred to a computer via the USB interface. All these features help increase their accuracy as well as lifespan.

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