DeFelsko’s PosiTector 6000 thick series of coating thickness gages are ideal for non-destructively measuring the thickness of spray-on liner coatings applied to steel and aluminum truck beds.
Spray-on bedliner coatings are commonly used in the automotive industry and defense industries to provide protection from physical impacts, chipping, abrasion, and corrosion due to exposure, while also allowing for increased slip resistance. These coatings are typically comprised of 100% polyurethane, 100% polyurea, or a hybrid of both polyurethane and polyurea layers, and are applied to truck beds made of steel or aluminum. Several spray-on bedliner coating manufacturers exist in the market including LINE-X™, Rhino Linings™, Bullet Liner™ and ArmorThane™.
Before beginning the spray-on process, the entire truck bed surface is cleaned and sanded in order to ensure that a strong bond can be formed. Other preparations include removing the tailgate and other parts as necessary, and masking the exterior to protect from overspray. Utilizing a nozzle in a well ventilated area, the protective coating is applied in long sweeping motions and allowed to dry between coatings.
In order to meet coating thickness requirements, multiple layers of bedliner are applied to all surfaces of the truck bed. A final texture coating may be applied to any coated areas that are too rough or too smooth. This ensures a uniform texture and adequate slip resistance even in wet conditions. After a short curing period, the protective bedliner is ready for cargo.
Bedliner coatings are commonly applied between 3-6 mm (125-250 mils) thick. It is important that enough coating layers are applied so that the total thickness is within the range that the coating manufacturer has specified. Insufficient liner thickness will cause the coating to fail prematurely, exposing the truck bed to corrosion. Applying more than the manufacturers recommended thickness is simply a waste of time and money. Therefore, an instrument capable of accurately measuring the thickness of a cured bedliner is necessary to ensure optimal performance and cost savings.
PosiTector 6000 coating thickness gages are ideal for measuring the thickness of spray-on bedliner coatings applied to steel and aluminum truck beds. Specifically, the PosiTector 6000 FT and PosiTector 6000 FTS instruments utilize the magnetic principle to measure and display the total liner thickness applied to steel beds. The PosiTector 6000 FNTS model uses both magnetic and eddy current principles to measure bedliner thickness applied to either steel or aluminum truck beds, accurately and quickly. Given the growing popularity of aluminum beds, the PosiTector 6000 FNTS provides a complete solution for applicators.
Generating professional PDF reports from the PosiTector 6000 couldn’t be easier. Simply connect the gage to a computer using the supplied USB cable. View reports directly from the PosiTector using a standard web browser or download measurements to our powerful PosiSoft Desktop software. See our PosiSoft Solutions page to learn more.
More information regarding the PosiTector 6000 Thick Series is available in our brochure below, and complete gage details can be found on our PosiTector 6000 page.
