Coating thickness, blast profile and coverage math in North American shops are all done in mils. A typical powder film is 2 to 3 mils, thinner than a sheet of copy paper at about 4 mils. Elsewhere shops work in microns, and conversions come up constantly on export specs. A mil is not a millimeter, which is about 39 mils.
Spec says 60 to 80 microns, that's 2.4 to 3.1 mils, so aim for about two and three quarters.
Newcomers who say mils when they mean millimeters are off by a factor of about 40.
Also heard as
- thou
- mils
Related terms
Film build
The thickness of the cured coating, usually given in mils or microns.
Anchor profile
The peak-to-valley roughness that blasting cuts into steel, giving the coating something to grip.
Theoretical coverage
The area one pound of powder covers at one mil if every particle lands on the part.
FBE
Fusion-bonded epoxy, a fast-curing epoxy powder applied to preheated pipe, rebar and valves for corrosion protection.