An innovative thickness gauge — the portable ThicknessPen from Butler, PA-based Agr Intl. — offers accuracy and versatility for quality-control personnel who measure the thickness of containers and more.

The compact, lightweight ThicknessPen provides the measuring precision needed in the laboratory as well as the portability, ruggedness, and safety required on the production floor. The device’s rugged design includes drop- and water-resistant construction.

It provides easy, nondestructive, highly accurate thickness measurement of all types of plastic and other nonferrous products, regardless of size or shape. We learned it can be used for plastic, glass, and aluminum bottles and for plastic thermoforms, injection-molded parts, and more.

The easy-to-operate gauge features a patent-pending dual-mode design. Users can choose magnetic or capacitance mode, depending on what is best suited to the application at hand.

Magnetic mode uses a magnetic target ball during measurements and, according to Agr, offers precision equal to or better than traditional hall-effect measurement systems. Magnetic mode offers the measurement precision required for thin materials, including ultra-lightweight plastic containers and packaging.

In magnetic mode, the ThicknessPen can be used either as a portable device or with its docking station, for benchtop measurements.

In capacitance mode, the device enables users to perform single-sided measurement without a target ball. This mode works well in production environments and for measurements made in the field, where portability is essential and a target ball would pose the risk of product contamination.

Capacitance mode provides quick, touch-and-go functionality that’s beneficial when a target ball is not practical. Such applications include measuring large containers; sheet materials; and large, shaped parts.

As a smart device, the ThicknessPen can connect via Bluetooth wireless technology to smartphones and tablets equipped with a proprietary mobile app. When the pen has been operated remotely without a phone or tablet, users can transfer the collected data from the pen to the app when the pen is reunited with its the base station.