How to choose the thickness gauge

Buying a used car you need to check the quality of its paint coating and the absence of major repairs after road accidents. The compact thickness gauge – a device that allows you to accurately measure the layer of paint coating and determine whether the repair and painting of a particular body element or the car is in the factory paint.

The best thickness gauge manufacturers

Because of quite simple construction, various manufacturers have started producing thickness gauges nowadays. The preference should be given to proven brands used by professional painters:

1. Megeon
2. Etari
3. Keeper
4. Horstek
5. ADA
6. Condrol

Products of these companies are distinguished by decent functionality and allow you to quickly perform accurate measurements of paintwork. User feedback on specific models can be found on the Internet.

Paint Thickness Gauge Types

Magnetic thickness gauges

The oldest type of device, which is based on the principle of the magnetic field. In the case of the device is a magnet, and as the indicator is an arrow. Depending on the thickness of the paint layer the position of the arrow changes, so you can judge the condition of the element.

Advantages of

• Simple;
• Do not require a power source;
• Unpretentious;

Disadvantages

• Measures only ferromagnetic metals;
• Low accuracy of the obtained results;

Electromagnetic thickness gauges

The principle of operation is similar to the above, the difference is the source of the magnetic field. The last one is an electromagnet, working from a battery. It generates an electromagnetic field and serves as an indicator of the thickness of the coating layer in the measured place.

Advantages

• Inexpensive;
• Relatively accurate;
• Reliable enough;

Disadvantages

• Requires replacement of the batteries;
• Only able to measure ferromagnetic materials;

eddy current meters

The principle of their work is based on the creation of eddy currents on the measured surface. The signal is processed by a special sensor, and depending on the strength of eddy currents in a particular place is concluded, whether the factory paint coating or the car was repaired.

Advantages

• High measurement accuracy;
• Allows measurement in any environment;
• Simple design;

Disadvantages

• Designed to work exclusively with non-magnetic metals (aluminum, magnesium);
• Rather expensive;

Ultrasonic thickness gauges

The most advanced type of devices, allowing accurate measurement of any metal and to “penetrate” layers of paint and putty up to 3000 microns. The principle of operation is based on ultrasound, which is reflected from a hard surface and comes back. Can measure any type of material, including plastic.

Advantages

• The most functional, they measure all types of materials without exception;
• Compact size;
• High accuracy up to 3%;

Disadvantages

• High cost;

Main criteria of thickness gauges choice

After the buyer has decided on a specific amount that he is willing to spend on the purchase of a thickness gauge, and decided on the class of devices suitable for his needs, it is necessary to pay close attention to the main technical aspects of these devices.

1. Power supply. All thickness gauge models, except the magnetic ones, work on an external power source. This function can be performed either by batteries, or by the built-in rechargeable battery. The latter are preferable because you do not have to worry about buying batteries;
2. Constructive design. On sale you can find devices of the trigger type and models equipped with a sensor. The former require you to press the trigger to take a measurement, the latter starts measuring automatically as soon as the sensor touches the surface;
3. Display size and backlight. The larger the size of the display, the more readable will be the readings of the device, and thanks to the presence of backlight, it is possible to measure in the dark;
4. Measurement units. The most popular are devices which measure in millimeters or microns. In principle it is the same, only with a different gradation – a micron is a thousandth of a millimeter. Accordingly, devices showing in microns, have a greater multiplicity and display more detailed information about the condition of the paint coating of the car;

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