DRAWDOWN BARS-RODS

DRAWDOWN BARS-RODS give users the ability to fine-tune coating thickness quickly and easily, without altering the chemistry of their coating material, and without time-consuming and expensive changeovers.

Standard Laboratory Drawdown Rods and Accu-Lab Jr. Laboratory Drawdown Rods utilize a wire wrapping which is what controls the coating thickness. You must select the wire size for your specific coating thickness requirement. See the chart and selection notes on the bottom of this page for guidance.

For users that require a coating path of up to 12", use the standard Laboratory Drawdown Rods (N008-005 choose 1/4", 3/8", or 1/2") . With an overall length of 16", these rods are longer than the Jr. variety.




The Accu-Lab Jr. Laboratory Drawdown Rods (N008-026, N008-026A) are designed for users producing test samples up to 8" wide. These stainless steel rods are 4" shorter than conventional lab rods and offer an additional savings.



Wet coating thickness can be accurately predicted within one tenth of a mil (.0001"). Rod selection tables allow coaters to consider coat weight and percent of solids in choosing the proper rod size for each production run.

Bottom-line profits have encouraged many coaters to modify existing machines, in order to take advantage of the flexibility, the ease of use and the dollar savings associated with rod coating.

The market for wire-wound rods has grown rapidly during the past few decades, because they provide predictable, accurate coatings time after time, at a minimal cost. Although the technology goes back almost a century, today's high quality materials, multi-wire designs and special wire surfaces have made this system more popular than ever before.

Wire-wound rods were first used in coating machines built by Charles Mayer in the 1900's to manufacture waxed paper and carbon paper. They are still called "Mayer Bars" by many coaters.
Machined Lab Rods (N008-056, 057 & 058) are less expensive due to a different manufacturing process and all of these are 16" long with a coating path width of 12".

ROD SIZE NOTES:
To determine approximate wet film thickness in Mils for a specific rod number from the table below, multiply the rod number by 0.10. For example, the number 3 rod would be 3 x 0.10 = 0.30 Mils. The number 20 rod would be 20 x 0.10 = 2.0 Mils.

For Microns, multiply rod number by 2.54. For example the number 3 rod would be 3 x 2.54 = 7.62 Microns.

AVAILABLE DRAWDOWN ROD WIRE SIZES