A couple of words about auto paint thickness gauges

Electronic coating thickness gauge

It is used to measure paint thickness on steel, galvanized steel and aluminum. Suitable for smoothed or twice painted auto covers.

Colloquial names

Cover thickness gauge can also be referred to as: “cover thickness tester”, “cover meter”, “thickness gauge”, “lacquer thickness meter”, “cover thickness meter”, “auto paint thickness meter”, “thickness meter”, Paint thickness tester, Paint meter

How does it work?

coating thickness gauge measures the thickness of nonmetalic cover (paint, body filler, plastic, etc.), metallic cover (steel, galvanized steel, also aluminium). The gauge measures the distance between sensor’s surface and metallic surface.

Measurment technique

Coating thickness gauges is equipped with a measuring part. Depending on the version this can be either placed on the gauge or on a cable. In order to measure the thickness one has to place the measuring part perpendicularl to the surface and press. In less than a second one can see the result of the measurement on the display. The measurment should be done on a clean surface. Otherwise the indicated thickness includes also the thickness of the dirt.

How to examine the car?

The measurment should be done first on the roof. Then other parts of the car should be checked (the more measurements, the better). Original auto cover thickness should amount to 80 μm to 180 μm. There may be differences up to 40% among different cars. The second layer can amount to 400 μm. Any result above this indicates a layer of body filler. In case of any doubts, the right side of the car should be painted symetrically with the left. If this does not help, one should compare the results with another car of the same model.

MGR-10-S-AL cover thickness gauges are suitable for all cars available on the market, also these with aluminium bodies, eg.: Audi A8, Audi A2, Jaguar XJ or aluminium body parts (bonnets, wings), eg.: Opel Vectra C, Opel Insignia, Citroen C5, Volvo V50, Volvo S40, Subaru STi, BMW 5, Audi A6, Mercedes E211, Mercedes-Benz W204. The gauge indicates automatically the surface type: (AL) Aluminium, (Fe) Steel.

Can the process of measuring the cover be harmful to the car paint?

The gauge is safe for the car paint. Its measuring element is produced from plastic which can be safely used on car paint.

What should I do in case the seller tries to persuade me that the gauge is faulty?

Together with the gauge you receive a calibration plate covered with foil of 200 μm thickness, thanks to which you can always be sure that the gauge is working properly. The calibration plate enables you to calibrate the gauge and correct the measurement.

Cover thickness gauges turn off by themselves. In case the battery is low, the gauge displays “battery low” announcement. The battery should then be replaced. This prevents possible measurement errors due to low battery.

which one to buy?

If you are not sure which gauge is suitable for your car, feel free to contact us. We will be more than happy to help you. Call (22) 226-30-61