The Elcometer 108 Hydraulic Adhesion Tester is a hand-powered Type III adhesion gauge available with either an analogue dial (F108-1D) or a digital readout (F108-2D). It measures the bond strength of a coating to its substrate, the test that tells inspectors whether a protective system will stay attached in service or risk delamination and coating failure. Its defining feature is that adhesion tests can be made on flat as well as curved concave and convex surfaces, which makes it suited to pipelines, including small-diameter pipe, tanks and other curved structures that a flat-only gauge cannot address.

In use, a reusable stainless-steel dolly is bonded to the prepared coating and the Elcometer 108 Hydraulic Adhesion Tester applies an increasing pull until the dolly detaches, recording the tensile value. The standard dolly has a 19.4mm outside diameter, a 3.7mm inside diameter and a 284mm2 area, with convex and concave dollies available for specific curvatures. Both versions cover a 0 to 25MPa scale range with a 2 to 18MPa operating range. The analogue model reads to 1MPa resolution with ±1MPa accuracy on the metric scale, while the digital model reads to 0.1MPa resolution with an accuracy of ±3% or 0.4MPa, whichever is greater.

It can be used in accordance with ISO 16276-1, ASTM D451 and NF T30-606. Portable and ideal for site work, it suits coatings inspectors testing tanks, pipelines and curved steelwork. It is supplied by BAMR, South Africa's authorised Elcometer distributor.