Noncontact thickness gauge for uncured powder coatings
August 2001Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Elcometer Instruments, specialists in coating process quality control for over fifty years, has a new powder coating thickness gauge the Elcometer 550. Using a novel, patented ultrasonic measurement principle, the Elcometer 550 is a noncontact coating thickness gauge calibrated to measure all uncured polyester and mixed powder coatings applied to a range of smooth metal substrate materials such as aluminium and steel.
Significant savings on powder usage, in the order of 10-30%, can be achieved by using this gauge to measure the thickness of the powder immediately after spraying and before the coating is cured. Product wastage, due to thin coating application, can be minimised and excess coating thickness and the resultant high material usage is prevented. With these high levels of material-saving the cost of the gauge can very quickly be recovered.
The gauge is handheld and fully portable, weighing only 1,6 kg. With its pistol-style probe it is easy and convenient to use. Powered by an interchangeable rechargeable battery and sealed against dust ingress, the Elcometer 550 can be used to measure on the powder coating line immediately next to the spray booth. A fully charged battery pack has capacity for over 300 measurements and it is charged externally to the gauge to maximise the time that the gauge can be in use. A spare pack is supplied with the kit as standard so that one pack can be charged while the other pack is being used.
The Elcometer 550 has a measurement range of 30-110 mm and a display resolution of 1 mm over this range of thickness. The accuracy of measurement is ±5 µm. The probe is held 17 mm off the surface to be measured with distance and energy indicators on the probe handle to aid the operator to align the probe with the surface to be measured. The operator initiates the measurement sequence and when the probe is correctly aligned the measurement count starts automatically until the user stops the sequence.
The gauge is so easy to use that measurements can be taken on coated parts as they move past the measurement station on the conveyer system toward the oven. The probe measures over an area of approximately 1 mm diameter so the system is suitable for relatively small parts.
The gauge has the additional features expected for a modern electronic measuring system such as RS232 data output for communication with a computer, average reading display and pre-set limits with alarm for both high and low coating thicknesses.
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