uparrow-iconp0chonk

PosiPen®

Magnetic Pull-Off Coating Thickness Gage

PosiPen has a very small, unique magnet which can be placed with pin-point accuracy on extremely small parts, and on peaks and valleys. Ideal for measuring non-magnetic coatings such as paint, enamel, plating, and hot-dip galvanizing on steel.

  • Can be used on small, hot or hard-to-reach surfaces
  • Easy-to-Use
  • Lightweight—easy to carry, just like a ball point pen
  • Rugged—not affected by mechanical shock, acid, oil, water and dust
  • No user adjustment required
  • Highly wear resistant probe tip for long life and continuous accuracy
  • Certificate of Calibration showing traceability to PTB included (Long Form)
Made in USA flag with black text below
Conforms to ASTM D7091/B499, ISO 2808 and others
Green check graphic denoting that an item is in stock
In Stock
Same-day shipping if ordered by 2PM EST

Features

Simple

  • Easy-to-Use
  • Lightweight - easy to carry, just like a ballpoint pen

Durable

  • No batteries / electronics
  • Rugged - not affected by mechanical shock, acid, oil, water and dust

Specifications

Specifications
English
Metric
Range
0.25 to 20 mils
5 to 500 microns
Tolerance
± (0.1 mils + 10% of reading)
± (2.5 μm + 10% of reading)
Temperature
-150° F to 450° F
-100° C to 230° C

Gage comes complete with leather pouch, instructions, Long Form Certificate of Calibration traceable to PTB, two (2) year warranty.

Accurate

  • No user adjustment required
  • Certificate of Calibration traceable to PTB included
  • Highly wear resistant probe tip for long life and continuous accuracy
  • Each PosiPen has two scales, mils (inch) and microns (metric)
  • ‍Conforms to National and International Standards including ASTM D7091/B499, ISO 2808 and others

Used For:

  • Small, hot, or hard-to-reach surfaces
  • Spot Checks—conveniently fits in a shirt pocket
  • Hot Sprayed Coatings

Ideal For:

  • Refineries, petrochemical plants
  • Platers—electroplating, chrome, zinc, galvanizing
  • Powder coaters
Each PosiPen has two scales, mils (inch) and microns (metric)

How It Works

Operation

1

Place the tip of the PosiPen on the coated surface and allow the magnet to contact.

2

Pull the PosiPen straight back from the object to be measured while keeping close watch on the appropriate indicator.

3

Note the reading when the magnet releases.
can be used on small, hot or hard to reach surfaces
Can be used on small, hot or hard-to-reach surfaces

Triple Indicator Compensates for Gravity

The PosiPen compensates for gravity when measuring in different positions.

  • Use the red/silver joining line when the Gage is horizontal (walls). 
  • Use the green line when the Gage is pointing straight down (green/ground). 
  • Use the blue line when the Gage is pointing straight up (blue/sky).
use the red/silver joining line when the gage is horizontal
Horizontal Use
use the green line when the gage is pointing straight down
Vertical Use
(down)
use the blue line when the gage is pointing straight up
Vertical Use
(up)

Videos

Video Thumbnail
PosiPen
Video Thumbnail
Coating Thickness Instruments Overview
Video Thumbnail
DeFelsko Coating Thickness Gages | 2023

F.A.Q.

plus-icon
minus-icon

Is the PosiPen calibrated at the factory?

The PosiPen arrives fully calibrated and ready to measure. A Long-Form Certificate of Calibration traceable to NIST or PTB is included, which documents actual readings taken by your instrument at our calibration laboratory on standards traceable to a national metrology institute. Beware of ‘Certificates’ or ‘Certificates of Conformance’ offered by competitors. These typically do not include actual instrument readings, and are often insufficient to meet common quality requirements.

plus-icon
minus-icon

Why should I purchase the PosiPen instead of the PosiTest?

The PosiPen is ideal for measuring non-magnetic coating thickness with pinpoint accuracy on ferrous metal parts with temperatures ranging from -100C to +230C (-150F to +450F). The PosiPen uses a very small magnet can be precisely placed on extremely small parts and on coated surfaces which cannot be accessed by other, larger gages.

plus-icon
minus-icon

Is the PosiPen affected by the roughness of the steel substrate below the coating?

All coating thickness gages are influenced to some degree by substrate roughness. It is generally accepted that coating thickness should be measured from the highest ‘peaks’ in the rough surface thus ensuring they are covered by the protective coating. However, coating thickness gages will instead measure the coating thickness from the effective magnetic surface, which is located somewhere between the highest peaks and deepest valleys of the profile.

To compensate for the influence of substrate conditions (including roughness), measure the uncoated substrate/part at a number of spots to obtain a representative average value. This average value is called the “base metal reading” or “BMR”. Subtract the BMR from subsequent coating thickness measurements to obtain the thickness of the coating over the ‘peaks’ of the rough surface.

plus-icon
minus-icon

Can the PosiPen measure coatings on small diameter wire?

Yes. The PosiPen will accurately measure the thickness of non-magnetic coatings on a ferrous 18 AWG and larger wire.

plus-icon
minus-icon

Can the PosiPen measure nickel on steel?

Yes, but it depends upon the particular type of nickel coating that has been applied to the steel.

When nickel plating is deposited by a process of electrolysis (employing an electric current in the nickel bath), the resultant coating – commonly called “e-nickel” – is always conductive and magnetic to some degree and cannot be accurately measured by our gages when applied to ferrous or non-ferrous metals.

Electroless nickel coatings are deposited by an autocatalytic process which does not involve the addition of an electric current. If the nickel bath in this process contains a minimum concentration of ~8% phosphorus, the resulting nickel plating is effectively non-magnetic and its thickness can be accurately measured on ferrous steel with a magnetic principle coating thickness gage such as the PosiPen.

plus-icon
minus-icon

Does the PosiPen measure on non-ferrous metals, like aluminum?

No. As a magnetic principle instrument, the PosiPen will measure the thickness of non-magnetic coatings applied to ferrous metals. Our popular PosiTest DFT Combo and powerful PosiTector 6000 N gage models are ideal for measuring the thickness of paint, anodize and other non-conductive coatings applied to non-ferrous metals.

plus-icon
minus-icon

Can the PosiPen be adjusted?

No. The PosiPen uses a precision, permanently- calibrated spring which will never require adjustment.

Resources

Downloads