FREE Shipping on orders over $150 (Weight Restrictions Apply)
Detailing Shed | DeFelsko PosiTector
DeFelsko PosiTector gauges are the professional industrial standard for non-destructive paint thickness measurement. Know exactly how much clear coat you have before you cut into it.
Jump to: Why A Gauge · Featured Gauge · Standard vs Advanced · The Full Range · Reading The Numbers · How To Use It · FAQ
Founded in 1966, DeFelsko is a US manufacturer of precision non-destructive coating thickness gauges trusted by body shops, dealerships, insurance assessors, professional detailers and industrial inspectors worldwide. Every PosiTector gauge ships with a Certificate of Calibration traceable to NIST (USA) or PTB (Germany), the standard for measurement traceability in the industry.
DeFelsko gauges are industrial-grade precision instruments, priced and built for body shops, insurers and professional appraisers. If you want a gauge built specifically around the detailing workflow, with app-based reporting and a lower entry price, see our NexPTG Buying Guide instead.
Before any correction work, a thickness gauge tells you exactly how much clear coat is available. Thin paint means a single-stage approach. Very thin means you may not take the job at all.
Panels that have been resprayed read significantly different from factory paint. One pass across a used car tells the story: accident damage, poor repairs, flood repairs.
Removing clear coat you didn't know was thin is costly. Documenting paint thickness before touching a car protects you from disputes, and protects the customer's paint.
After applying ceramic coatings or PPF, a thickness gauge confirms the product has built as expected and the substrate is within spec.
The gauge we use at Detailing Shed.
The PosiTector 200 B3 Advanced is the most capable plastic-substrate gauge in the DeFelsko range and the unit we use daily. The Advanced body pairs with the B3 probe to give you not just total paint thickness, but up to 3 individual layer readings in a single multi-layer paint system, separating adhesion promoter/primer, base coat and clear coat in one measurement.
This is essential information for any detailer working on bumpers, fascias, carbon fibre panels or any plastic substrate where standard magnetic or eddy current gauges give no reading at all.
The ultrasonic B probe emits a high-frequency sound pulse into the coating via a small amount of coupling gel. It reflects from any surface with a different density, giving you a graphical peak display showing each distinct layer. In Max Thick Mode it combines the inner layers and reads the total system plus a standalone clear coat reading.
Why Advanced over Standard? The Standard (B1) only gives you total thickness. The Advanced (B3) breaks it down into individual layers, so you know exactly how much clear coat you have to work with versus primer and base coat. For professional correction work on plastic panels, this is non-negotiable.
| Substrate | Plastics, carbon fibre, fibreglass |
| Measurement | Total + up to 3 individual layers |
| Technology | Ultrasonic pulse echo |
| Calibration | None required for most applications |
| Display | 2.8" colour touchscreen |
| Data storage | 250,000 readings |
| Connectivity | WiFi & Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Rating | IP65 weatherproof & dustproof |
| Warranty | 2 years, body and probe |
| Calibration cert | NIST/PTB traceable, included |
Same probe, different capability level.
| Feature | Standard (B1) | Advanced (B3), DS Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Total thickness measurement | Yes | Yes |
| Individual layer measurement | No | Yes, up to 3 layers |
| Graphical peak display | No | Yes |
| Data storage | 1,000 readings | 250,000 readings |
| WiFi & Bluetooth | No | Yes, 4.0 |
| PosiSoft data management | Basic | Full |
| Colour touchscreen | 2.8" | 2.8" |
| IP65 weatherproof | Yes | Yes |
| Certificate of Calibration | NIST/PTB | NIST/PTB |
| Best for | Budget-conscious, total thickness only | Professional correction work |
Choose the right gauge for your substrate.
Ultrasonic gauge for measuring paint on plastic bumpers, fascias, carbon fibre and fibreglass panels, substrates where magnetic and eddy current gauges simply don't work. Uses coupling gel to transmit an ultrasonic pulse into the coating. B1 (Standard) gives total coating thickness only, B3 (Advanced) adds up to 3 individual layers, the one we use.
DS note: essential for any car with plastic bumpers, which is essentially every modern vehicle. Without an ultrasonic gauge you're guessing on a large share of every car you assess.
Magnetic/eddy current gauge for measuring paint thickness on all metal substrates: steel, galvanised steel and aluminium. 60+ readings per minute, with an enhanced FAST mode reaching 90+ readings per minute for rapid whole-car assessment. Ready to measure straight out of the box, no calibration adjustment required for most applications.
DS note: your everyday gauge for metal panels, bonnets, roofs, doors, guards. Pair with the 200 B for plastic bumpers for full vehicle coverage.
Measures coating thickness on both ferrous (steel) and non-ferrous (aluminium) metal substrates in a single, more compact and economical gauge, automatically switching between electromagnetic and eddy current modes depending on the substrate it detects. Range 0 to 1000µm.
DS note: the go-to for pre-purchase vehicle inspections and dealership appraisals where speed and versatility across different metal types matters, without the full data-logging feature set of the 6000 series.
Pricing for all DeFelsko gauges is available on request, these are precision industrial instruments and we're happy to talk through which model suits your work.
Readings are typically displayed in microns (µm) or mils (thousandths of an inch). Most Australian detailers work in microns. The chart below is a general guide, factory thickness varies by manufacturer, country of manufacture and paint type.
Likely previously cut, heavily polished or sanded. Handle with extreme caution. Consider declining correction work or limiting to a very light one-step only. Document and advise the customer before proceeding.
Single-stage correction only. Use the least aggressive pad and compound combination that achieves the result. No heavy cutting. Re-measure after correction to confirm remaining thickness.
Normal factory thickness range. Standard two-stage or three-stage correction is generally safe. Always confirm remaining thickness after each correction stage.
Plenty of clear coat to work with. Three-stage correction is comfortable. Common on Japanese domestic market vehicles and some European luxury marques with thicker paint.
Very thick readings often indicate a respray on that panel. Confirm with adjacent panels. A respray isn't necessarily a problem, but it indicates prior damage and should be disclosed in pre-purchase assessments.
Large variation across a single panel, for example 120µm at the top and 60µm at the bottom, suggests localised sanding, a poorly executed respray or an old polishing job focused on high-scratch areas.
Step-by-step for plastic substrates.
Standard magnetic and eddy current paint thickness gauges work by detecting the distance between the probe and a metal substrate. Plastic, carbon fibre and fibreglass have no metal substrate, so these gauges give no reading at all, or produce completely unreliable numbers. The PosiTector 200 B uses ultrasonic pulse echo technology instead, measuring the time a sound wave takes to travel through the coating and reflect back from any density change. This works regardless of whether the substrate is metal, plastic or composite.
For most automotive applications, no calibration adjustment is required out of the box. The PosiTector 200 B is factory calibrated and ships with a Certificate of Calibration traceable to NIST (USA) or PTB (Germany). For the metals gauge (PosiTector 6000), a zero reading on uncoated metal can be used to verify accuracy, but adjustment is typically not needed. In Hi-RES mode, a calibration verification on known standards is recommended for precision applications.
Coupling gel, also called ultrasonic couplant, is a water-based gel applied between the PosiTector 200 B probe and the painted surface. It fills the microscopic air gap between the probe tip and the coating, allowing the ultrasonic pulse to transmit effectively. Without coupling gel, the gauge cannot take a reading on plastic substrates. A supply of coupling gel is included with the PosiTector 200 B, and additional gel is available from Detailing Shed when you need a refill.
Both the B1 (Standard) and B3 (Advanced) probes measure paint on plastic substrates using ultrasonic technology. The B1 gives you total coating thickness only, the combined depth of all paint layers. The B3 Advanced can additionally measure up to 3 individual layers within the paint system, displaying each as a separate peak on the graphical display. For professional correction work where knowing exactly how much clear coat is available matters, the B3 Advanced is the correct choice, which is why it's the unit we recommend and use at Detailing Shed.
Yes. For metals gauges, PPF and ceramic coatings will be included in the total reading. This can actually be useful: if you know the PPF thickness (typically 100 to 200µm for standard film), you can subtract it to estimate the paint thickness beneath. Ceramic coatings are typically only 1 to 5µm thick and have a negligible effect on readings. For the ultrasonic 200 B on plastics, the gauge reads all coating layers including PPF, and the graphical display on the Advanced body can help you identify where the PPF interface sits as a distinct peak.
Yes. The PosiTector Advanced body is a universal platform, compatible with multiple DeFelsko probe types including the 6000 series (metals), 200 series (ultrasonics for plastics and waterproofing) and others. This means you can invest in one Advanced body and swap probes as your needs change, rather than buying multiple complete gauges. The Standard body is probe-specific. Contact us if you want to discuss building a multi-probe setup for full vehicle coverage.
It depends on the work. DeFelsko's PosiTector range is built for industrial-grade precision and is priced accordingly, common in body shops, insurance assessment and dealership use. NexPTG is built specifically around the detailing workflow, with app-based reporting and a more accessible price point for enthusiasts and working detailers. See the NexPTG Buying Guide to compare.
Shop DeFelsko at Detailing Shed
Professional-grade paint thickness gauges. Same-day dispatch on orders before 12pm AEST.
All DeFelsko Gauges All Thickness Gauges Contact Us
