Surface Profile Measurement
Why is Surface Profile Measurement Important
Steel is often abrasive-blast cleaned or otherwise roughened prior to painting. The peak-to-valley height of the resultant "surface profile" is a critical and determining factor in the performance of applied paint and other protective coatings. A surface profile height that is too low may reduce coating bond strength (adhesion). Too high and the peaks may receive insufficient coverage leading to premature rusting, and often require additional paint (and labor costs to apply it) to cover the anchor profile.
Emerging research over the past 15 years has shown surface profile height is not the only important parameter. Peak density (also known as peak count), the number of peaks in the surface profile per unit area, has been shown to be a strong determinant of coating adhesion and resistance to corrosion. In fact, studies have found that peak density may be a better predictor of coating performance than peak-to-valley height.
Surface profile height can also be relevant for other industries, as a way to quantify the profile height of non-skid surfaces, and to evaluate the Concrete Surface Profile (CSP) prior to applying coatings on concrete.
Analog Dial Thickness Gauge
Testex Micrometer Dial Thickness Gages measure the surface roughness of blast cleaned surfaces.
They are the only gages specifically designed for use with replica tape having the correct accuracy, closing force, anvil/contact point dimensions, and parallelism specifications required for accurate measurement of replica tape.
Digital Micrometer Thickness Gage
The Testex Digital Micrometer makes using Testex Replica Tape even easier.
It is custom-deigned to be the optimal tool for measuring replica tape, and makes taking measurements and creating reports easier than ever.
Press-O-Film® Replica Tape
Testex Press-O-Film Replica Tape consists of a layer of compressible foam affixed to an incompressible polyester substrate of highly uniform thickness.
Surface Profile Gages use a digital depth micrometer fitted with a fine pointed probe to measure and record peak-to-valley surface profile heights in preparation for the application of coatings.
Digital spring micrometers measure and record surface profile parameters using Testex Press-O-Film™ replica tape—producing a more accurate peak-to-valley surface profile height measurement for blasted steel and textured coatings.
Digital replica tape imagers measure and record 14 common 2D/3D surface profile parameters using Testex Press-O-Film™ replica tape. Download high resolution .SDF files for further analysis (Advanced models only).
ISO Surface Roughness Comparator
Durable roughness comparators contain four reference profile grades per disk to assess surface profile depth generated by abrasive blast cleaning by both touch and sight.
Keane-Tator Surface Roughness Comparators
3” durable reference disks include 5 reference profile grades per comparator to visually compare profile depth generated by abrasive blast cleaning.