Film applicator
A
Film applicator is a device used to spread a substance, such as paint, ink or cosmetics, evenly over a substrate. A standard procedure for testing substances that are applied in a liquid form, and then dry to a solid film, is to create a controlled, standardized test film of the substance, usually on a standardized substrate, such as a metal, plastic or paper panel. To provide the uniform film thickness, a Film applicator is normally used to maintain a constant film thickness. The applicators are used to spread a substance such as paint, ink or cosmetics, evenly over a substrate such as a drawdown cards. The applicators are usually metal bars with that are manufactured to high tolerances to give consistent, repeatable results. These applicators can either be used manually or by automatic film applicators. Each bar will give a
theoretical wet film thickness or, in other words, the thickness of the coating that should remain on the drawdown card after application. Even with high manufacturing tolerances, the actual
wet film thickness can vary from 50% to 90% of the gap. There are multiple kinds of bar applicators, their forms and uses are shown below.