Surface Profile
The degree of profile on the surface affects a coating’s overall performance.
The height of the profile (measured from the peaks to the troughs) determines aspects such as adhesion, coverage and overall volume of coating used.
If the profile is too large the amount of coating required to ensure adequate coverage increases, otherwise there is a danger that the peaks remain uncoated - allowing rust spots to occur.
If the profile is too small, there may be an insufficient key to produce adequate adhesion, leading to premature coating failure.
Ensuring the correct surface preparation optimises the performance of the coating and material usage.
There are four different methods available for testing surface profile:
- Surface Comparators
- Replica Tape
- Surface Profile Gauges
- Surface Roughness Testers