Measure the Steel That's Left, Straight Through the Coating
Ahead of a class renewal or intermediate survey, the question is always the same: how much steel is actually left? Portagauge® 6 reads true metal thickness through paint and coatings up to 20 mm: residual hull-plate thickness, corrosion monitoring on decks, tank tops, bulkheads and pipework, so wastage is found before structural integrity is compromised, with no grinding back to bare metal.
Portagauge® 6
A rugged, single-operator thickness gauge built for marine corrosion survey work.
Through-CoatingPortagauge® 6
Measures true metal thickness through coatings up to 20 mm, with interchangeable probes for thin plate through to heavy section, and an on-board log for the whole survey.
Key specifications ⌄
| Technique | Multiple-echo (true metal through coating ≤ 20 mm) |
| Steel range | 1.50–100.00 mm |
| Accuracy | ±0.1 mm |
| Resolution | 0.01 mm |
| Probes | 2.5 MHz & 5.0 MHz dual-element |
| Materials | 14-material database + custom sound-speed |
| Display | Backlit graphic LCD · A-scan & oscilloscope trace |
| Alarm | Audible minimum-thickness alarm |
| Data logger | 4 MB · up to 200,000 readings |
| Dimensions / weight | 168 × 82 × 31 mm · 360 g |
| Power | Up to 12 h (9V PP3) · or 24/7 via USB |
| Ingress / warranty | IP65 · 3 yr unit, 1 yr sensor |
| Mfr. part no. / CAGE | 2099382-6 · CAGE KD983 · NSN 5520-99-382-6449 |
From newbuild acceptance to end-of-life survey
- Hull plating, decks and shell: wastage mapping for class survey
- Ballast and cargo tanks, bulkheads and internal structure
- Pipework and pressure-vessel walls where coatings can't be removed
- Spot-checks during repair, refit and condition assessment
Because it reads through coatings, the same point can be re-measured survey after survey, building a corrosion-rate history that tells you not just the thickness today, but how fast it's changing.
Gauging Steel Thickness, Step by Step
A single operator reads true remaining metal without grinding back the coating.
Calibrate
Calibrate on the supplied 5 mm metal test block before the survey.
Couple the probe
Apply couplant and place the dual-element probe on the surface. No need to remove paint.
Read true metal
The multiple-echo technique reports remaining steel through coatings up to 20 mm thick.
Log the point
Store the reading (up to 200,000) and re-measure the same point next survey to track corrosion rate.
Where it's used aboard
The coating no longer hides the corrosion
A single-echo gauge measures from the coating surface, so it over-reads thickness and forces you to grind down to bare metal at every test point. Portagauge® 6 uses a multiple-echo technique that times the signal between successive metal-to-metal reflections. It simply ignores the paint and reports the true remaining steel, even under coatings up to 20 mm thick. That makes a hull or tank survey faster, cleaner and repeatable, and its data logger holds up to 200,000 readings for a traceable corrosion record you can hand to a class surveyor.
Order via ShipServ & IMPA
ShipServ
SepcoTech TradeNet: TN 317545
Order the Portagauge® 6 and its probes through ShipServ. Search TN 317545 on TradeNet, or add it to your quote above. The IMPA Marine Stores Guide reference for the Portagauge is confirmed at quotation.
Thickness Gauging: FAQ
Does it read through paint or coating?
What does it detect?
Is it calibrated?
Which standard does it meet?
What probe options are there?
How often should thickness be surveyed?
Build Your Quote
Your selected instruments appear below automatically. Send everything in one request.
Quote Request Sent!
Thank you, your selected instruments are on their way to the SepcoTech team. We'll respond within one business day.