Monitor Coatings deepens surface roughness knowledge

Constantly aspiring to provide leading-edge wear protection solutions for hostile environments, Monitor Coatings acquired a new surface roughness tester at the end of June 2016 that increases data capture abilities in this critical area.

Tom Nicholson, Monitor Coatings’ production manager based in Newcastle, UK, reveals: “Having considered the offerings from several other manufactures, we identified Mitutoyo’s Surftest SJ-410 as the ideal tester for our use. An in-house demonstration confirmed the robust, portable unit’s suitability for both static surface roughness testing in our quality department and for use on our shopfloor, in addition to occasional offsite use”.

Monitor Coatings’ alloys improve component lifespan in key industries like steel, oil & gas and aerospace up to tenfold, but a coating’s performance is very much dependent upon the quality of its application and the correct surface finish of the base material, which influences adherence. “This is why Monitor Coatings performs some of the strictest quality procedures in the global coatings industry, and why we are constantly striving to further improve our quality function. It is the highly sought after NADCAP accreditation that drives our quality procedures,” adds Tom Nicholson.

Surftest SJ-410 purchased by Monitor Coatings has a dedicated control unit providing in-depth surface analysis with 38 individual roughness parameters that comply with the latest ISO, DIN, ANSI and JIS standards. Hard-copies of the measurement results, including BAC and ADC curves, can be printed via the built-in high-speed thermal printer.