Measure Coatings on Plastic Film, Paper and Other Nonconductive Materials
SolveTech’s thickness gauging systems can be used me measure the thickness of coatings on a plastic film or other substrate.
Our capacitance gauging systems can use a subtractive measurement to get the coating thickness. The equation is the following:
Total Thickness – Carrier Material Thickness = Coating Thickness
The gauge can easily measure the total thickness of the material. In some cases, it is possible to measure the substrate or carrier material, but in others it is not due to the production set up. It is typically only necessary to measure the substrate if the substrates variability is significant relative to the coating thickness.
The production line can be set up to have one gauge measuring the substrate prior to coating and then one to measure after the coating process. If the substrate has very good uniformity, it can be tared out of the measurement without being measured directly.
If the coating is applied to only one part of the substrate, our gauge can measure the spot with the coating and an adjacent spot which is not coated. Again, this can be used to do a subtraction to get the coating thickness. The capacitance technology is highly accurate and reliable so you can get good data even when working with thin films and coatings.
With our technology, there are some limitations. The coating will have to dry or have a uniform moisture profile for the gauge to read it accurately. In addition, we can not measure conductive materials, so both the coating and the substrate will need to be non conductive. Our technology is non contacting so it will not disrupt the coating.
With our MultiChannel Gauge, you can create a 3D plot of your coating thickness like the one shown below while your production line is running. We also have laboratory equipment available that can measure coating thickness using the same concept.
Contact us at info@gauging.com to learn more! We would be happy to discuss your needs and design a solution that is right for you.
Coating Thickness Gauging | Plastic Film Coating Thickness | Measure Coatings on Plastic Film