Testex Press-O-Film Replica Tape

Testex Press-O-Film Replica Tape

Testex Tape is popularly called as Press-O-Film. Testex Tape press-o-film provides surface profile of a basted cleaned surface. Press O Film Replica Tape can produce virtually exact replicas of the blasted surface profile, which can be measured, using a snap gauge or testex profile gauge. Testex tape offers a simple and very accurate method of measuring blasted profiles of blasted surface. We are textex tape distributors in India.

Testex Tape's Press O Film consists of layer of crushable plastic microfoam coated onto a polyster film of highly uniform thickness. Supplied with burnishing tool and testex tape instructions. Low cost way for surface replication and measurement to measure profile

Surface profile gauge or testex tape press-o-film can test surface roughness. Most commonly used testex tape / press o films are popular as it can give permanent record of the surfaces as a proof of testing done on prepared surface.

Place the Testex Tape (Press-O-Film) firmly on the blasted surface, apply moderate pressure with the burnishing tool, the replica has now been taken and can be measured using the snap gauge. Testing & Inspection can be done in three easy steps.

How to use textex tape press o film detailed procedure is furnished with testex kit or tape.

Testex Tape is supplied in a roll containing 50 tests and is available in four different grades to cater for different applications. The snap gauge is supplied in a carrying case with a burnishing tool.

Paint applicators, inspectors and researchers for its simple operations and results prefers to use testex tapes (Press-O-Film)

Testex Tape (Press-o-film) complies with ASTM, NACE and SSPC methods measurement.

ASTM- Reproducibility is given in ASTM Standard D4417 for both “X-coarse” and “coarse” grade replica tape.

NACE- Standard RP0287 addresses the issue of accuracy of measurement, test results.

SSPC- The Society for Protective Coatings, recommends a minimum of three measurements of profile per 100 square feet (10 square meters).

ISO- International Organization for Standards- Draft Standard ISO8503-5 describes preparation of steel substrates before application of paint and related products.

Testex tape kit comprises two rolls press-o-film (X Coarse grade of tape supplied as standard, specify different grade if required), snap gauge and burnishing tool.

Testex Tape Grade

Testex Press-O-Film replica tape is available in a variety of thicknesses to facilitate profile measurement in differing ranges.

The primary range for measurement with replica tape is 0.8 to 4.5 mils (20 to 115 um). Use of Coarse Minus grade (<0.8 mil or <20 um) or X-Coarse Plus grade tape (>4.5 mil or >115 um) should be restricted primarily to checking measurements at the lower and upper ends of the primary range.

Testex Tape Grade
Fine / Medium :not applicable
Coarse Minus :0.5 to 1.0 / 12 to 25
Coarse :0.8 to 2.5 / 20 to 64
X-Coarse :1.5 to 4.5 / 38 to 115
X-Coarse Plus :4.6 to 5.0 / 116 to 127

Further information (pdf format) on X-Coarse Plus grade tape is available here.

Testex replica tape can be used with a gage to measure the surface roughness ("profile") of blast-cleaned steel in the roughness range 0.8 to 4.5 mils (or 20 to 115 micrometers). Because inspectors, as a rule, have a target profile in mind. it is always best to start measurements with the grade of tape that has the target profile closest to the center of it's range.

Our Instructions webpage details the averaging procedure used in the overlap region between Coarse and X-Coarse grades.

Testex' lowest grade (thinnest) tape, Coarse Minus, should be used only to check measurements at the lower end of the next higher grade, Coarse, while our highest grade tape, X-Coarse Plus, should only be used to check measurements at the high end of the X-Coarse grade range.

Firmly compress tape with the smoothest surface on the rubbing tool provided, applying sufficient pressure to produce a replica with a uniform pebblegrain appearance. You should feel the roughness as you burnish.

Fine/Medium grade material is commonly used in applications in which the replica is analyzed using precision laboratory techniques. This grade is not suitable for use with a "dial thickness gage. Fine grade tape (rarely used) has a thin Gold coating to facilitate electron microscopy. Medium grade tape has a thin Indium coating to facilitate optical interferometric measurement. Fine and Medium grades have the same foam thickness. Only the vapor-deposited metallic coatings differ. "Unmetallized" Medium grade tape is also available without any metallic coating.

All grades are coated onto a tough polyester substrate 2.0 mils (50 um) in thickness.

Because implicit definitions of "roughness" vary between methods, numerical profiles determined using different techniques (replica tape, interferometer, confocal microscope, analog stylus, digital stylus) may yield different values. Always specify the technique used.

What replica tape is:
Testex Press-O-Film replica tape consists of a layer of crushable plastic microfoam coated onto polyester film of highly uniform thickness. It is sold in a number of grades to accommodate measurements in different profile ranges.

Why determination of profile is important:
Industrial steel in bridges, ships, railcars, etc., is almost always painted or otherwise coated to prevent corrosion. Before they can be painted, these metal surfaces must be cleaned and roughened to insure that the paint adheres. This is usually done by grit or shot blasting the surface. If the resulting surface is too smooth, the paint or coating will not stick. If the surface is too rough, the peaks poke through the coating and rusting occurs.

How replica tape allows field (gage) measurement of profile:
When compressed, by “burnishing,” against a surface, the foam collapses to about 25% of its pre-collapse thickness. After compression, the foam acquires an impression of the surface against which it is burnished. The highest peaks on the original surface displace the fully compressed foam and come to rest against the polyester backing.

The deepest valleys on the original create the highest peaks in the replica. Consequently, the thickness of the compressed tape equals the average maximum peak-to-valley profile plus the thickness of the incompressible polyester substrate. A spring-loaded micrometer gage is used to measure the thickness of the replica.

We do undertake Servicing and repairing of Testex Press-O-Film Replica Tape Testex Range of products throughout india

Apart from supplying Testex products in India through dealers network, catering to a variety of customers ranging from Atomic energy, Electricity Boards, Electrical Laboratory, Shopping Complexes, Shopping Mall, Electrical Contractors, Engineering Industries, Turnkey Construction Companies, Railways, Defence Installations, Research Laboratories, Educational Institutes and various Research and Development laboratories of leading national and multinational companies.

We DFT TECH, are Testex Authorized Distributors, Importers, Stockists, Dealers and Suppliers of Testex Press-O-Film Replica Tape Products in Kerala, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Ernakulam, Bangalore, Guntur, Pondycherry, Nagapattinam, Vandavasi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Rajapalayam, Sikkim, Ooty, Thrissur, Madurai, Jaipur and etc..