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MECSPE: A Recap [Measuring and Calibration Instruments]

MECSPE fair in Bologna ended and we are truly grateful to all those who came out to see us.

It gave us the opportunity to display a selection of our measuring instruments and to discuss various measuring needs in person, without technological barriers.

This is the aspect we like most, meeting our loyal customers directly and creating new ones.

We listen to what the company produces, what results it would like to achieve, or what problems need to be resolved.

SAMA Tools name-brand measuring instruments were created to cater these needs, but we also think that the assistance our technicians are able to provide pre-purchase can really make the difference.

What animates our company are certainly the people who, if you came to the fair, you will have met, albeit partially, because others remained at our headquarters in Viareggio.

Measuring instruments at MECSPE

For the 2023 edition of MECSPE, we selected various types of tools, suitable to satisfy the needs of manufacturing companies in various sectors.

Automotive, Oil & Gas, Naval, Food, Industrial Painting, Molds etc.

Force Measure

The measure of force encloses all tests essential for the quality and resistance of a specific product.

The main force tests include:

traction,

compression,

torque.

These measuring instruments can be found in the section “Force measure”.

Measuring of the hardness of materials

When measuring the hardness of materials, we rely on portable or bench hardness testers.

There are different types of portable hardness testers, depending on the type of material or test to be carried out. They are mainly used to assess the hardness of the material for quality control in the production line and for the maintenance of structures and parts which are subject to wear.

These measuring instruments can be found in the section “Measuring the hardness of materials”.

Ultrasonic thickness measurement

To measure the thickness of a specific piece, the ultrasound technique is particularly recommended, as it allows you to measure a detail by simply placing the probe on it, without the need of any feedback from the opposite side.

In this case, the measuring instruments are the thickness gauges, which determine the thickness of a material by accurately calculating the time required by an ultrasonic pulse generated by the probe to pass through the thickness of the sample, which is reflected on the opposite surface and then returned to the probe.

Ultrasonic thickness gauges are ideal in the production phase, quality control, input control, PED inspections, material approval, output control and in all non-destructive tests where it is not possible to access both sides of measurement.

New Product! Fiberglass thickness gauge

In the photo: Fiberglass ultrasonic thickness gauge – SAUT6100D-SW

This new model, as seen in the photo, was first presented at MECSPE. It is a graphic ultrasonic thickness gauge for fiberglass and composite materials. If you were present at one of our demonstrations at the fair, you will have seen how easy it is to use and its great potential for various fields, like boating, automotive, Oil & Gas, etc.

To verify that this tool is suitable for every specific need, S.A.M.A. can carry out tests directly on samples provided by our customers or alternatively, our technicians can personally go to shipyards or other establishments and carry out tests on site. Other thickness gauges can be found in the sections:

Ultrasonic thickness measurement

Coating thickness measurement

In the photo: Rotational abrasion tester – SAAB523

Another highly appreciated measuring instrument was the Rotational abrasion tester, mainly used to determine the abrasion resistance performance of various coatings by rotational rubbing, or to determine the abrasion resistance of paper, plastic, fabric, decorations, etc.

The samples are placed on the rotary plate and then subjected to the action of abrasion by two abrasive wheels with a determined pressure. The abrasive action is obtained by rotating the sample, while two abrasive wheels rotate above it. The wheels complete a full turn on the surface of the sample which allows to check the abrasion resistance at all possible angles of that sample.

In the photo: Digital rotational viscometers – SAVISC152

The Digital rotational viscometer is ideal for testing the viscosity and resistance of a fluid.

The elegant model in the photo constantly controls the rotation speed and is widely utilized in chemical, medical, food, industrial, laboratory, scientific research fields, etc.

When an operator has to carry out the viscosity measurement in the laboratory, it is not always easy to identify the most suitable viscometer model. In these cases, our technicians are available to listen to each specific need and indicate the most appropriate solution.

This pre-sale consultancy service is free and allows us not only to concretely help our customers, but also to significantly reduce returns due to incorrect orders. Our philosophy is to always implement all preventive actions to avoid buying the wrong instrument.

Mechanical measuring instruments

The measuring instruments in our mechanical section are never lacking at the fairs we attend, since their use is extremely important and common in all manufacturing companies.

In photo: SAMA Tools micrometers and calipers

Mechanical measuring instruments can be found in the “Mechanical section”

Calibration of measuring instruments

At MECSPE, we also talked about our calibration services. Measuring and control instruments play a very important role within the production process of a company, such as guaranteeing the suitability of manufacturing products.

It is necessary that the instruments are efficient and remain within the tolerance range as dictated by the piece. It is therefore essential to calibrate all instruments, even the simplest ones.

In this regard there are often many uncertainties, and our customers ask us questions like these:

What does ISO 9001 say in detail regarding calibration?
Why is it important to calibrate measuring instruments?
When should the calibration be repeated?
How long should the instrument be used before it is subjected to calibration and certification?
What if the certification does not go well or has errors?
What if the measuring instrument cannot be certified?
Do I need a calibration report or Accredia certificate?
What are the differences between calibration and Accredia certificates?

If you also have these kinds of questions, firstly, we recommend that you subscribe to our newsletter because in addition to providing you with useful information on the various types of measurements, it allows you to immediately receive an ebook on the ABCs of calibration via email.

Instrument calibration is necessary and useful for many industrial sectors. Likewise, it is essential to have a solid intervention program to ensure minimal downtime.

S.A.M.A. Italia is ISO 9001 certified to provide calibration reports and collaborates with the best accredited centers for LAT / Accredia certificates.

If you want more details of the 3-day fair, follow us on Instagram. You will find photos and mini-videos of our name-brand SAMA Tools measuring instruments.

22 June 2022/by SamaTools

What are they?

Coating Thickness Measurement

For companies that make coatings and paint finishes a core part of their business, thickness measurement is a vital process to ensure that products comply with standards and meet design requirements.

Coating thickness measurement is a precise, non-destructive method of verifying the thickness of coatings applied to the surface of a part, increasing product life and reducing long-term costs. Furthermore, it guarantees a perfect balance between aesthetics and protection of the painted product.

In this article, find out how measuring the thickness of coatings can help your QC department identify coating issues, protect your products and achieve aesthetic perfection.

What is Coating Thickness Measurement?

As the name suggests, coating thickness measurement is a non-destructive testing method to measure the thickness of a coating applied on the surface of a piece.

Besides maintaining the integrity of the part, an interesting aspect of this non-destructive measuring method is that it can be applied to both dry and wet coatings. The main difference between dry and wet coating thickness measurement will be the type of instrument employed.

Why is coating thickness measurement essential in many industries?

Measuring the thickness of coatings is a very important verification process for companies that produce paints and coatings. This activity consists in the precise measurement of the thickness of a coating applied to the surface of a piece, without causing damage or alterations to the surface itself.

This method is non-destructive and can be performed on both dry and wet coatings, depending on the tool used.

Coating thickness measurement is essential to verify that coatings comply with standards and design requirements, reduce material costs, and ensure product life and protection.

It can be performed during the inspection of incoming goods or during production and is commonly used by quality control and maintenance departments to identify problems such as loss of coating, incorrect thickness or non-compliance with requirements.

Being able to timely identify any problems with the coating allows for a longer life of the coated part and a very significant reduction in long-term costs.

Furthermore, an appropriate layer of coating helps achieve the desired balance between aesthetics and protection of the painted part.

Coatings that are too thick can lead to aesthetically unwanted results, as well as the appearance of possible paint cracks that would ruin the piece.

Watch the video: High accuracy digital coating thickness gauges – SA8850

How to measure coating thickness?

As described above, there are two ways of measuring coating thickness: dry coating thickness measurement and wet coating thickness measurement.

Dry measurement is usually used to measure any insulating layer applied on a metal substrate, such as paint and plastic layers. It is carried out by means of coating thickness gauges, such as our high accuracy digital coating thickness gauges able to accurately indicate the thickness of each type of coating or paint present on ferrous (magnetic) and non-ferrous (non-magnetic) metal supports.

Coating thickness gauges use the magnetic induction measuring principle for ferrous base coatings and the eddy current measuring principle for non-ferrous base coatings. In addition to paint thicknesses measurement, these instruments can measure different types of coatings applied to sub-layers or from galvanic baths such as anodizing, chrome plating, galvanizing, etc.

On the other hand, wet measurement is usually used as part of the painting or coating application process, since it does not require the coating and varnish layer to be completely dry. This is especially useful for coating service providers, as it allows them to immediately adjust the coating layer as necessary without the need of post processing.

Common examples of wet coating thickness measuring instruments are our comb-shaped thickness gauges and rolling wheel wet film thickness gauges.

What are the applications of coating thickness measurement?

As mentioned above, coating thickness measurement is essential for many industries.

Some of the sectors that commonly perform coating thickness measurement include, but are not limited to:

Automotive.
Aerospace.
Marine sector.
Commercial vessels.
Mega yachts sector.
Oil & Gas.
Chemical.
Construction.
Electronics.

Thickness gause fiels of application

Common activities in these sectors that require coating thickness measurement are:

Piping inspections in the oil and gas, and chemical sectors to avoid corrosion issues that may result in pipe failure, costly shutdowns and industrial accidents.

Checking the paint coating consistency on an aircraft or component in the aerospace industry for improved safety and performance.

Nautical and maritime maintenance, like in the case of bulkheads, tanks, ship hulls, and other coated components.

Verifying the integrity of pressurized containers such as fire extinguishers, gas tanks, industrial boilers and others that depend on coatings for corrosion protection.

Maintenance inspections on bridges, especially those with metal structures, which are coated to withstand the harshest environmental conditions.

How to choose a coating thickness measuring instrument?

Selecting the right coating thickness measuring instrument for your specific application is very important, since making a wrong choice may result in a total inability to obtain any value or obtaining false information.

Any of the aspects mentioned above means undesired consequences such as increased costs, customer dissatisfaction and loss of reputation.

To avoid all these problems, some aspects must be considered in order to select the right coating thickness measurement for your application:

The coating type, whether it is dry or wet.
The type of coating and material coated.
The roughness of the coating. This also affects the type of probe to be used.
The area measured and its location.
The geometry of the part being tested.

At this point, it is also important to highlight that there are destructive methods to measure coating thickness, as well.

For example, our paint inspection gauge (P.I.G.) – SAPIG548 provides high accuracy measurements in the range of 2-2800µm on every substrate, like steel, non-ferrous metals, plastics, wood, concrete, plaster, etc. with the aid of a built-in microscope, that allows you to measure the thickness of each layer. Thanks to its microscope, this instrument measures both the total thickness of the coating and each single layer deposited on the substrate.

You can also read our guide on ultrasonic thickness measurement.

Coating thickness gauges – SAWF, SAPIG548, SAWFR

Nevertheless, the integrity of the part is not maintained as this is a destructive test.

Conclusion

So far we have seen that thickness measurement has several crucial functions:

Quality control: The measurement of the thickness of the coating allows one to verify that the thickness of the coating complies with the design requirements and the reference standards. This way, companies can ensure that they produce quality products that meet customer expectations.
Corrosion Prevention: A proper coating layer helps prevent corrosion of metal products. Coating thickness measurement helps to identify any layer leakage that could cause corrosion.
Long-term cost reduction: Coating thickness measurement allows you to identify any coating issues in a timely manner, which increases product life and reduces costs , long term.
Balance between aesthetics and protection: A suitable coating layer allows you to achieve the desired balance between aesthetics and product protection. Coatings that are too thick can be aesthetically undesirable and cause paint cracks which damage the product.

Regardless of the application, we have different types of coating thickness gauges for all your needs.

If your interested in seeing the instruments that we offer for measuring the thickness of dry and wet paints and coatings, just click here.

Instead, if you are still unsure or have any doubts about this type of measurement, we advise you to contact us at 0584/392342 or 0584/392453 and one of our trained professionals will be happy to assist you.

2 February 2021/by SamaTools