A paint batch is approved at the mixer on viscosity and grind, and later on how the dried film behaves. Plants looking for paint testing equipment manufacturers in India can source both stages from us, with our suppliers in India service dispatching to paint factories, resin houses and dealer shade labs.
This range follows the paint from tank to drawdown panel. Liquid checks include the digital Krebs unit viscometer, the Ford cup No. 4 with stand and the double channel Hegman grind gauge. Sample films are prepared with the motorised film applicator and vacuum plate, which gives even wet film thickness.
The dried panel then goes through dry film thickness, tri-angle gloss, cross cut adhesion, pencil scratch hardness, falling weight impact and conical mandrel bend. Together these correspond to the normal specification sheet of an architectural or industrial paint. Smaller shops can start with viscosity, grind and film applicator and add the panel tests as demand grows.
Last updated: November 2026
Bench-mounted conical mandrel with a lever for bending coated metal panels over a tapering diameter to find the point of film cracking. Used by paint labs for flexibility and elongation checks of coil and general industrial coatings.
Cross hatch cutter with multi-tooth blade set for scoring a grid pattern into dry paint films to classify adhesion using tape. Used by paint and coating makers to check adhesion on metal, plastic and wood.
Stormer-type rotational viscometer that reads paint consistency directly in Krebs Units (KU), grams and centipoise. Used by decorative paint and emulsion plants to control in-can consistency during production and storage.
Dual-mode digital gauge that measures dry film thickness of paint on steel by magnetic induction and on aluminium by eddy current. Used by paint labs and applicators to verify coating thickness specifications.
Gardner-type falling weight tester with a hemispherical indenter that drops a weight onto coated panels to measure direct and reverse impact resistance. Used by paint and powder coating plants for film toughness.
Hardened stainless steel gauge with tapered grooves for assessing particle fineness and agglomerates in paints, pigments and inks. Used by paint plants to know when milling is complete.
Standard Ford flow cup with orifice for measuring efflux time of paints, varnishes and inks. Used in paint plants and application lines to control viscosity of thin to medium paints at 25 deg C.
Automatic film applicator that draws paint at a constant speed over a test panel held on a vacuum plate. Used by paint labs to prepare uniform wet films for drying, gloss, opacity and adhesion testing.
Hand-held trolley that holds a pencil at 45 degrees under a standard load for determining film hardness of paints and coatings. Used by paint labs to rate hardness on a pencil scale from 6B to 9H.
Digital glossmeter with three measuring angles for specular gloss of paints, plastics and coated surfaces. Used by paint and coating makers to classify finishes from matt to high gloss.
| Function | Products | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid paint control | Digital Krebs Unit Viscometer for Paints, Ford Viscosity Cup No. 4 with Levelling Stand, Fineness of Grind Gauge Double Channel Hegman Type | Krebs unit range and cup size, orifice size of the Ford cup, gauge range in microns or Hegman units and channel depth. |
| Film preparation and thickness | Motorised Film Applicator with Vacuum Plate for Paint Drawdowns, Dual Mode Dry Film Thickness Gauge for Coatings | Applicator bar widths and speed, vacuum plate size, gauge range for ferrous and non-ferrous substrates and probe type. |
| Adhesion and hardness | Cross Cut Adhesion Tester with Six Blade Cutter, Pencil Scratch Hardness Tester with Fixed 750 g Load | Blade spacing for your film thickness (1 mm, 2 mm or 3 mm), pencil set grades and the load and angle of the holder. |
| Flexibility, impact and appearance | Conical Mandrel Bend Tester for Paint Flexibility, Falling Weight Impact Tester for Coated Panels, Tri-Angle Gloss Meter for Paint Films | Mandrel diameter range, drop weight and height, indenter size, gloss angles and reference standards supplied. |
Paint testing equipment is the toolset of the paint manufacturer, built around liquid properties, drawdown preparation and the standard panel tests on a new batch. Surface coating instruments serve users of coatings, such as fabricators and coaters, and add pull-off adhesion, cyclic corrosion and Taber abrasion for finished parts. Many paint makers buy this range and add selected items from the coating page for customer technical support.
See also: Surface Coating Testing Instruments
The complete Paint Testing Equipment range (10 products), in alphabetical order:
Confirm the measuring range in Krebs units and in grams or centipoise, the spindle and cup arrangement, display type, temperature control and calibration with a reference oil. Digital Krebs units give faster, operator-independent reading than manual models, which matters for architectural paint batches approved at the mixing tank.
Ford cups are low-cost and quick for thin industrial paints and give efflux time in seconds. Krebs viscometers measure thicker, shear-sensitive decorative paints and report a reading in Krebs units. Most paint labs keep both, using the cup on the shop floor and the viscometer in the lab for batch release.
The applicator should draw consistent films at set speeds on a flat vacuum plate. Check applicator bar widths and gap sizes, travel length, speed range and whether the plate holds glass, metal or paper charts. A motorised unit removes hand-drawn variability, which is important when comparing batches or competitors' products.
Decorative and industrial paint manufacturers, powder coating and ink plants, resin and pigment suppliers, dealers running tinting and shade labs, quality teams at coating applicators and institutional test labs buy these instruments. A new paint plant normally starts with viscosity, grind and gloss, then adds film applicator, thickness, adhesion and flexibility tests as it begins supplying industrial customers.
Yes. We manufacture the equipment and supply paint companies in India and overseas. Give us your paint types and quantities, and we will prepare a quotation and arrange packing accordingly.
A tapered groove is filled with paint, and a scraper draws it down. The point where scratches or specks appear shows the largest particle size, which indicates how well pigment has been ground. Grind readings guide milling time.
A lattice of cuts is made through the coating down to the substrate, and tape is pressed on and removed. The amount of coating lifted from the squares is compared with a classification chart. It gives a quick pass or fail adhesion rating for paint films.
Gauges, reference oils and tiles are supplied where relevant. Tell us if you require traceable certificates for a quality system, and we will confirm what can be provided for each item.
Handheld items such as the thickness gauge, gloss meter and cross cut tester are portable and suit site inspection. Bench instruments like viscometers are best kept in a small lab.
Civil Mechanical India is one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers in India for tender requirements, covering civil laboratory and industrial testing tenders and the bulk and OEM supply of mechanical engineering and testing laboratory equipment. Kindly share your tender specifications and we shall submit a complete quotation for Paint Testing Equipment.
Send us your equipment list or tender specification. We quote against IS, BS, EN, ASTM and AASHTO standards and ship to 90+ countries.
