World Leaders in PVD Magnetron Sputtering
Testing Capabilities
The Teer coatings laboratory is equipped with a comprehensive range of testing instruments that enables our in-house coating service department to test all of the production runs that are produce on a daily basis.
The laboratory test equipment is also able to supply subcontract testing services to customer in need of our analytical equipment, if you have a requirement for testing, please feel free to contact sales@teercoatings.co.uk.
Adhesion Testing
The Teer ST30 scratch tester is meticulously crafted for evaluating the adhesion of thin coatings on flat substrates. This specialised tool allows precise measurement of the critical load at which a coating initially exhibits signs of failure.
Rockwell Indentation Adhesion Testing. The Rockwell indentation adhesion test employs a Rockwell-C diamond indenter, creating a point indentation with a 150 kgf load onto the coated sample. The degree of adhesion is gauged by comparing the deformation profile of the coating/substrate around the indentation with adhesion criteria established by the Union of German Engineers, Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI)
Wear Testing
For wear assessment, the Teer PoD-2, a computer-controlled wear tester, creates wear tracks on coated substrates. This facilitates a quantitative evaluation of the coating's wear properties.
Thickness Checking
Ball cratering serves as a straightforward technique to gauge the thickness of thin films. By grinding a small crater through the coating with a known-diameter ball, a tapered cross-section is achieved. Optical microscope examination of the resulting crater enables measurements for calculating the coating thickness and provides qualitative insights into coating adhesion and the coating/substrate interface.
XRF – Hitachi MAXXI 6 model The XRF facilities enable non-destructive elemental analysis of coatings and substrates. This technique is invaluable for determining the elemental composition of materials, offering a comprehensive overview of the chemical makeup.
Hardness Checking
Fischerscope hardness offers dynamic hardness testing tailored for thin coatings, utilizing a Vickers diamond indenter with a load range of 20 to 1000mN.
Rockwell hardness involves static hardness testing on bulk materials, using a 0.2mm tip radius Rockwell diamond or ball indenter with a load range of 10 to 150Kg and scales from A to K.
Optical Inspection
Optical microscopy, with 50 to 1000 x magnification and image analysis software, is available for detailed examination, while scanning electron microscopy provides additional capabilities for comprehensive coating analysis.
SEM Analysis
SEM - Stereoscan 200 from Cambridge instruments with SAMx EDX software. With our SEM/EDX, we can conduct a detailed examination of material surfaces, providing valuable insights into composition and microstructure. The accompanying EDX analysis allows for elemental identification and mapping, enhancing our ability to understand material characteristics.
