Measuring Film Thickness on Plastics
Question: I am in charge of coating operations at my plant.
Share
Question:
I am in charge of coating operations at my plant. We produce and paint plastic products for domestic use. The products are coated. The coating thickness is critical for the performance of the product. I need a measuring technique for quality control. I have experienced great difficulty in measuring the thickness of an epoxy-amine coating on a polyethylene teraphthalate substrate. What kind of thickness measurement devices should I be looking for? E. B.
Answer:
Because of the nature of the substrate, finding film thickness measuring devices for plastics presents a tough problem. Unfortunately, the old standby magnetic gauges will not work. Film thickness measuring devices can be destructive and nondestructive. Destructive testing often involves cutting and sectioning. Testing can be done by making a V-shaped cut in the film and then measuring the film microscopically. You can hang plastic blanks or test samples on the conveyor line and make micrometer measurements or you can cut them and make microscopic cross-section measurements. Nondestructive measurements can be made on plastics using beta backscattering devices. You can also use ultrasonic thickness gauges. Suppliers of film thickness measuring devices can be found online atwww.pfonline.com/suppliers.html.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Improving Transfer Efficiencies in Coating Operations
There are many methods for addressing electrostatic grounding in metal painting processes, and Tim Ulshafer from Mueller Electric says the best method for your process is a simple and worthwhile exercise.
-
Painting Over Powder Coating
How safely can they apply their wet paint over our powder coated parts?
-
Masking for Surface Finishing
Masking is employed in most any metal finishing operation where only a specifically defined area of the surface of a part must be exposed to a process. Conversely, masking may be employed on a surface where treatment is either not required or must be avoided. This article covers the many aspects of masking for metal finishing, including applications, methods and the various types of masking employed.
