English

Elcometer 211

Coating Thickness Gauge

Operating Instructions
 R

English

is a registered trademark of Elcometer Limited.

All other trademarks acknowledged.
© Copyright Elcometer Limited. 2009.
All rights reserved. No part of this Document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored (in a retrieval
system or otherwise) or translated into any language, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
magnetic, optical, manual or otherwise) without the prior written permission of Elcometer Limited
A copy of this Instruction Manual is available for download on our Website via www.elcometer.com.

Doc.No. TMA-0460 Issue 01

Text with Cover No: 4307
 R

CONTENTS

Section Page

1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Measuring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3 Rough Surface Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4 Care of instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5 Technical specification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6 Spares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
7 Related equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1
 R

Thank you for your purchase of the Elcometer 211 Coating Thickness Gauge. Welcome to Elcometer.
Elcometer are world leaders in the design, manufacture and supply of inspection equipment for coatings
and concrete. Our products cover all aspects of coating inspection, from development through application
to post application inspection.
The Elcometer 211 Coating Thickness Gauge is a world beating product. With the purchase of this product
you now have access to the worldwide service and support network of Elcometer. For more information visit
our website at www.elcometer.com

1 INTRODUCTION
The Elcometer 211 Coating Thickness Gauge measures non-magnetic coatings, including paint, hard
chrome, electroplating, galvanising, powder coating, plastic, epoxy and rubber applied to a ferromagnetic
base.
To maximise the benefits of your new Elcometer 211 Coating Thickness Gauge please take some
time to read these Operating Instructions. Do not hesitate to contact Elcometer or your Elcometer
supplier if you have any questions.
1.1 STANDARDS
Your Elcometer 211 Coating Thickness Gauge can be used in accordance with the following National and
International Standards: AS 3894.3-A, AS 2331.1.3, AS/NZS 1580.108.1, ASTM B 499, ASTM G 12, ISO
2808-7A, supersedes BS 3900-C5-6A, BS 5411-11, DIN50981, ISO 2808-6A, ASTM G 12, ISO 2178
supersedes BS 5411-11, NF T30-124, SSPC-PA2.

2
 R

1.2 WHAT THE BOX CONTAINS

• Elcometer 211 Coating Thickness Gauge
• Calibration Foils
• Wrist Harness
• Carry Case
• Operating Instructions
Your Elcometer 211 Coating Thickness Gauge may be packed in a cardboard and foam package. Please
ensure that this packaging is disposed of in an environmentally sensitive manner. Consult your local
Environmental Authority for further guidance.

2 MEASURING
1. Place the end and middle of gauge on test surface. Rotate the
thumbwheel forward until the magnet makes contact with the
surface and the indication on the scale is above the estimated
coating thickness, otherwise to maximum.
2. Rotate the thumbwheel back until magnet is released from
surface, the indicator pops up and click is heard.
3. Stop turning immediately. Repeat to confirm the reading.
4. Lift the gauge and read the thickness value on the scale in line
with the pointer.

3
 R

3 ROUGH SURFACE CALIBRATION

1. Using the foils supplied select a value closest to the coating thickness being measured.
2. Place magnet on the foil and uncoated rough substrate and take a reading. Note the distance between
the foil value and the reading indicated against the pointer.
3. The scale needs to be adjusted by an amount equal to the linear distance between the actual scale
readings and the foil value on the scale. To do this, hold the thumbwheel and turn the scale wheel
clockwise. For very rough surfaces it may be necessary to repeat this operation until the correct
average reading is obtained.
4. Check the reading and make any small adjustment: If the reading is high, move scale clockwise; if
reading is low move scale anti-clockwise.
RECALIBRATION OF GAUGE FOR MEASURING ON A SMOOTH SURFACE
1. Rotate the thumbwheel clockwise until the scale pointer aligns with zero.
2. Hold the bar at the end of the scale with thumb nail and using the other thumb rotate the thumbwheel
until the red and black lines are together.
3. Check accuracy of instrument using coated standards.

ASTM METHOD OF MEASUREMENT ON ROUGH SURFACES

Developed by the Steel Structures Painting Council (SSPC) and adopted by the ASTM in the USA, this
method is commonly used for a number of on-site applications. With the instrument calibrated on a smooth
surface, readings should be taken on the uncoated rough surface and then on the coated rough surface.
The coating thickness is the average of the readings on the coated rough surface minus the average of the
uncoated readings.
4
 R

4 CARE OF INSTRUMENT
Elcometer products are designed to give many years reliable service under normal operating and storage
conditions.
1. Always ensure that the magnet is free from all magnetic or dirt particles as these will affect performance
of the instrument.
2. How to clean - using adhesive tape, eg 'Scotch Tape' or 'Sellotape' wipe around the magnet, making
sure all particles are removed. Then clean with a soft cloth to remove any tacky residue.
3. Keep clear of strong magnetic fields, and store the gauge in its case when not in use.
4. The 211 is factory calibrated to NIST coated standards. The factory calibration is indicated by the
alignment of two lines at the zero end of the scale, the black line on the scale and the red line on the
wheel.
5. Plastic foils are provided for checking performance on different substrate types and finishes.

5 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Accuracy: ±5% of the 1.2” reading or ±2.5µm/0.1mils (whichever is the greater)
Minimum Area of Measurement: 30mm (1.18”) Diameter
Minimum Diameter for Measurement
on bar material: 20mm (0.8”)
Edge Effects: Must be at least 6mm (0.24”) from edge
Dimensions: 200 x 60 x 30mm (7.8 x 2.4 x 1.2”)
Certificate available: Certificate of Conformance and Calibration Certificate

5
 R

6 SPARES
The following spare part is available from Elcometer, or your Elcometer supplier. To place an order please
quote the sales part number which follows the description of each spare part:
Unmeasured Foil Set: T2114197H

7 RELATED EQUIPMENT
In addition to the Elcometer 211 Coating Thickness Gauge, Elcometer produces a wide range of other
coating thickness gauges. Users of the Elcometer 211 Coating Thickness Gauge may also benefit from the
following Elcometer product ranges:
• Coated Standards
• Elcometer 112 Wet Film Combs
For further information contact Elcometer, your local Elcometer supplier or visit www.elcometer.com