Quality control of coatings and paints
Colour, gloss and film thickness of paint finishes — the three parameters that define finish quality, measured objectively.
Three parameters of coating quality
The quality of a paint finish comes down to three quantities: colour, gloss and thickness. Colour is controlled as difference ΔE in the CIE L*a*b* space — with a spectrophotometer or colorimeter. Gloss is measured with a gloss meter at 20°/60°/85° per ISO 2813, distinguishing matte, satin and high-gloss surfaces.
Film thickness — critical for durability and corrosion protection — is measured non-destructively with a coating thickness gauge: magnetic induction on steel substrates (ISO 2178) and eddy current on non-ferrous metals (ISO 2360).
The full measurement set — colour, gloss, thickness — gives repeatable finish control and makes compliance with customer and industry standards straightforward.
Instruments for coatings control
polyskomierze
GT60S Mini Gloss Meter
A light, compact 60° mini gloss meter for small and curved surfaces — Φ4 mm measuring window, 2×2 mm measured area, compliant with ISO 2813 / ASTM D523 / DIN 67530.
- 60° gloss measurement on small and curved surfaces
- Very small 2×2 mm measured area through a Φ4 mm measuring window
- Light, compact design that is easy to carry around
- Compliant with ISO 2813, ASTM D523 and DIN 67530
spektrofotometry
YS6060 Benchtop Spectrophotometer
A laboratory benchtop spectrophotometer with d/8° geometry and simultaneous SCI/SCE — measuring both reflectance and transmittance (haze), with a Φ154 mm sphere, 360–780 nm range and a 7" touchscreen.
- Reflectance AND transmittance (haze per ASTM D1003) in a single benchtop instrument
- d/8° geometry with simultaneous SCI/SCE, Φ154 mm integrating sphere, 360–780 nm range
- ΔE*ab 0.01 repeatability and ΔE*ab 0.12 inter-instrument agreement (12 BCRA tiles)
- Rich industrial index set — WI, YI, Gardner, APHA/Pt-Co, ASTM D1500, pharmacopoeia, EBC, ICUMSA
grubosciomierze
YT6500 Coating Thickness Gauge
Professional coating thickness gauge with an integrated dual-use probe (Fe/NFe) — automatic substrate recognition, 0–5,000 µm range, 3,500-reading memory, USB-C and Bluetooth 5.0.
- Integrated dual-use probe — measures non-magnetic coatings on steel (Fe) and insulating coatings on non-ferrous metals (NFe)
- Wide 0–5,000 µm measuring range with automatic substrate-type recognition
- Four measurement modes — basic, quality control, continuous, statistical
- Compliant with ISO 2178, ISO 2360, ASTM B499 and other magnetic/eddy-current test standards
Frequently asked questions
Which gloss meter geometry should I choose?
60° is the standard for most coatings. High-gloss surfaces are additionally measured at 20°, matte ones at 85°. Tri-angle gloss meters (20/60/85) cover the whole range in a single instrument.
Will a thickness gauge measure coatings on any substrate?
Dual-use gauges detect the substrate automatically: magnetic method for steel/iron (Fe), eddy current for non-ferrous metals (NFe) such as aluminium. Single-method models measure only one substrate type.