Latest Advances in Dry Film Thickness Measurement Techniques Craig Woolhouse Elcometer

1. Latest Advances in Dry Film Thickness Measurement Techniques Craig Woolhouse Elcometer

2. Coating Inspection Trends • Modern Project Specifications require inspection at all key stages of the application process • Surface Profile • Surface Cleanliness • Climatic Conditions • Dry Film Thickness • Adhesion • Appearance

3. Coating Inspection Trends • Modern Project Specifications require inspection at all key stages of the application process

4. Coating Inspection Trends • Modern Project Specifications require inspection at all key stages of the application process • This requires increased inspection throughout the whole coating preparation and application process

5. Coating Inspection Trends • Modern Project Specifications require inspection at all key stages of the application process • This requires increased inspection throughout the whole coating preparation and application process • We also need to provide evidence that this work is being done

6. Coating Inspection Trends • Modern Project Specifications require inspection at all key stages of the application process • This requires increased inspection throughout the whole coating preparation and application process • We also need to provide evidence that this work is being done • This evidence is in the form of electronic reports

7. Coating Inspection Trends • Equipment to record data must be • Rugged • Accurate/Reliable • Calibrated/Certified • Batch Memory/Time & Date Stamped • Traceability/Serial Number • Elcometer have developed a range of gauges in response to these market demands

8. Coating Inspection Trends • Blast Surface Profile • Digital Profile Gauges with memory and wireless data transfer

9. Coating Inspection Trends Substrate Cleanliness • Digital Chloride Salt Gauges with memory and wireless data transfer

10. Coating Inspection Trends Environmental Conditions • Digital Dewmeter Gauges with memory and wireless data transfer

11. Coating Inspection Trends Dry Film Thickness • More of this later…..

12. Coating Inspection Trends Coating Adhesion • Digital Pull Off Adhesion Tester with memory and wireless data transfer

13. Coating Inspection Trends Coating Appearance • Digital Glossmeters with memory and wireless data transfer

14. Coating Inspection Trends To organise the volumes of data collected during inspections Elcometer have developed: a data management solution • ElcoMaster Software – PC and Laptop • ElcoMaster Mobile Software – iOS and Android • Provides one standard platform for all Elcometer gauges • USB/Bluetooth/Cloud/email/Live data

15. Dry Film Thickness Developing the Elcometer 456

16. Contents What does the gauge do? History Gauge Design and Display Developing the Scan Function Elcomaster Elcomaster Mobile

17. Contents • History of DFT Gauges • What does a dry film thickness gauge do? • How does it do it? • Current Gauge Design and Display • Developing the Scan Function • Elcomaster • Elcomaster Mobile

18. History of digital gauge design • 1970’s – analogue gauges with some early digital displays • 1980 – first microprocessor designs • Mid 1980’s – “hand held computers” • 1990 – hand size gauges with data transfer and basic software support • 2011 – wireless communications & software support

19. What does the gauge do? • Since the introduction of the mechanical coating thickness gauge in the 1940’s, dry film measurement has allowed comparison of individual measurements to a coating specification • The introduction of digital coating thickness gauges made the process easier, more accurate and repeatable • Modern gauges allow users to automatically: • compare thickness values to a coating’s specification • Highlight when the result is away from the specification • display trend graphs and statistical analysis of the coating data • store data together with the date and time the reading was taken • transfer data wirelessly to a computer or cell phone • record the GPS coordinates of the measurement location

20. How does it do it? First Principles …. • Electronic gauges can only measure on metallic substrates • If the substrate is magnetic ( ferrous ) then the gauge uses Electromagnetic Induction • If the substrate is non-ferrous ( non magnetic ) then the gauge uses Eddy Current technique

21. Current Gauge Design 456C Coating Thickness Gauge • Fourth generation 456 dry film thickness gauge. • Enlarged readings on bright, colour LCD • USB and Bluetooth data output to ElcoMaster ™ 2.0 • Secure probe connection for increased durability • 70+ readings per minute

22. Current Gauge Design Considerations: • Substrate: • Ferrous or Non-Ferrous Metals • Coating Type • Has to be different to the substrate • Data Logging / Memory • Batching facility • Probe Type • Separate, Integral, PINIP • Thickness to be measured • Range up to 30 mm

24. Current Gauge Design Elcometer 456C • Ferrous, Non-Ferrous and Dual FNF gauge and probe types • Other Options • Basic – Statistics but no data logging • Standard – Store one batch of 1,500 readings • Top – 250,000 readings in nameable batches. Scan probe • Standard & Top have USB and Bluetooth output

25. Developing the Scan Function Gauge Reading and Processing Speed • Measurement speeds have increased significantly from 40 readings per minute in the 1990’s to 70 readings per minute in the current standard Elcometer 456 • Q: Why this is important especially if only a small number of readings need to be taken at any one location? • A:The measurement speed is used by manufacturers to indicate how quickly an accurate reading can be taken and therefore how soon subsequent readings can be taken

26. Developing the Scan Function Developing things further….. • Other than the time it takes to move to the next measurement location, the limiting factor for increasing the measurement speed is the time required to lift the probe off and replace it back on to the coated substrate. • If the inspector can set the gauge to take a pre-determined number of readings, without the need to lift the probe off the surface, then the measurement speed can be increased even further • Additionally, if the probe could be ‘dragged’ across the coated surface without damaging the probe or the coating then the need for prescribing the number of readings to be taken over a defined area can be questioned

27. Scan Probe Technology Introducing the new Elcometer 456 with Ultra/Scan Probes

28. Scan Probe Technology Introducing the new Elcometer 456 with Ultra/Scan Probes • The new Elcometer 456 Ultra/Scan Probe has a scan mode reading rate of more than 140 readings per minute - enhancing the speed and accuracy of field based dry film coating thickness measurement • Each Ultra/Scan Probe has been designed to take a ‘snap on’ replaceable end cap, so that the sliding action required to achieve a scan of a coated surface does not cause any wear to the probe tip, crucial to maintaining the accuracy of the probe over its life • Using the Elcometer 456 Ultra/Scan Probe patented offset feature, the thickness of the cap is excluded from any coating thickness measurement and, as the cap wears during use, the wear effect is also accounted for. The gauge will even display a warning message when the wear cap needs to be replaced

29. Developing the Scan Function Scan Mode • When selected, Scan Mode allows users to slide the probe over the entire surface area. As the probe is lifted off the surface, the gauge displays the average, highest and lowest thickness values over the entire scan • Each set of three readings is then stored into memory, together with the date and time of the scan. The values can also be displayed on the gauge’s display as a run chart • During each scan, the Elcometer 456 displays the live thickness reading together with an analogue bar graph which graphically indicates the thickness relative to both the nominal thickness and any user defined thickness limits 

30. Scan Mode Scan Mode stores the average, highest and lowest readings over a test area During a scan the live reading together with an analogue bar graph is displayed The Run Chart displays the average, highest and lowest readings for each scan Put simply, the user can now simply ‘drag’ the probe continuously across a coated surface and view the average, highest and lowest readings, as well as whether they are inside or outside any pre-determined limits - immediately  

31. Auto Repeat Mode Auto Repeat Mode • In Auto Repeat Mode, as the probe slides across the surface, more than 2 readings are taken every second, with each individual reading stored in the memory of the gauge • With a reading rate of 150 readings per minute the Auto Repeat Mode significantly speeds up the inspection of large areas of coatings which require the recording and analysis of individual readings

32. Auto Repeat Mode Auto Repeat Mode measures and stores into memory over 140 readings per minute The gauge displays the statistical values as each individual reading is taken The Run Chart displays each individual reading allowing the user to identify trends In “Auto Repeat Mode” the gauge automatically reads at a rate of 140 per minute until the probe is removed from the substrate and each individual reading is stored into the memory.  “Auto Repeat Mode” can therefore be used to significantly speed up the inspection of large coated areas

33. Developing the Scan Function Working with Standards and Test Methods • International Standards and Test Methods often describe the number of individual gauge readings to be taken in a spot or over a defined surface area • SSPC PA2 standard requires three gauge readings to be taken per spot measurement and five spot measurements over a 10 m² area. Using the Auto Repeat function the gauge automatically meets this requirement • In this way, the user no longer has to lift the probe thus reducing the time it takes to measure according to PA2 by up to 40%

34. Inspection Report Writing Software ElcoMaster and ElcoMaster Mobile

35. ElcoMaster Features • Data Management Software - “Paperless QA” • Data Recording – Material Thickness, Profile, Salt, Climate, DFT, Adhesion and Gloss gauges supported • Data Transfer – via Bluetooth or USB • Data Storage and Access • Data Analysis • Bespoke Reporting and Presentation

36. ElcoMaster Features Data Recording • Using Digital Data Collection Gauges Data Transfer • Via Bluetooth Wireless Communication • Via USB connection

37. ElcoMaster Features • Data Analysis Material Thickness Surface Profile Surface Cleanliness Climatic Conditions Dry Film Thickness Adhesion Appearance

38. ElcoMaster Features • Data Presentation – DFT worksheet example

39. ElcoMaster Features Data Presentation – Bespoke Inspection Report

40. ElcoMaster Features • Apple and Android smartphones and tablets • Bluetooth Connectivity • E-mail data • Phone/Tablet Features • GPS Location • Camera

41. ElcoMaster Features Cloud Computing

42. Latest Advances in Dry Film Thickness Measurement Techniques Thank you for your attention Questions?