Non-Contact Photothermal Multilayer Thickness Measurement Christian.

Non-Contact PhotothermalMultilayer Thickness Measurement

www.flo-ir.ch www.icp.zhaw.ch www.idp.zhaw.ch

Christian Florin (flo-ir)

Andor Bariska, Dr. Nils Reinke, Prof. Dr. Beat Ruhstaller (ZHAW)

http://www.flo-ir.ch/

http://www.icp.zhaw.ch/

http://www.idp.zhaw.ch/

Application (Samples only)

Method

Application

Ultrasonic Eddy Current

Mechanical Photometric(Interferometry)(Ellipsometry,..)

Photo-Thermal

Construction engineering (Coatings on concrete, stone,wood and roofs)

Transportation(Automotive, Marine, Aircraft, Railway)

Chemistry, Medical(Medical patches, skin thicknessFunctional layers)





Properties of Thickness Measurement Technologies

MethodProCons

Ultrasonic Eddy Current

Mechanical Photometric(Interferometry)(Ellipsometry,..)

Photothermal

Pro • low-cost• broad application experience• multilayer resolution

• low-cost• broad appli- lication experience

• simple technology• broad appli- lication experience• calibration free

• non- contact• multilayer resolution

• non-contact• independent of coating and substrate

material• multilayer resolution

Con • contacting• contact medium• > 20µm

• contacting• requires ferritic substrate• no multilayer resolution

• contacting• time consuming• destructive• no multilayer resolution

• transpar- ent and smooth materials only• < 10µm

• little practical experience• new technology





Market Potential

Market potential

Application

Photothermal thickness measurement method

Construction engineeringMarket VolumeImportanceCustomers

232

TransportationMarket VolumeImportanceCustomers

233

Chemistry, MedicalMarket VolumeImportanceCustomers

321


1 = small 2 = medium 3 = big (Based on a marketing study from 2006/2007)




Measuring Principle

• Heating of a coating system (single or multilayer coating) with optical pulse

• Non-contact measurement of IR radiation from the surface with high time resolution (<0.1ms)

• Post-processing of the acquired data to determine coating thickness





Development of an Idea to a CTI-Project

• Experimentally detected dependency of IR-radiation from layer thickness (Christian Florin 2000 - 2003).

• Price holder "Swiss Technology Award 2004" for photothermal non-destructive measurements. (Startup Label, 2004).

• Verification of the photothermal effect to multilayer coatings for thickness measurement (2006, Arsenco AG).

• CTI suggests academic partner ZHAW School of Engineering for a follow-up project to develop photothermal technology (2007).

• The ICP Institute for Computational Physics and IDP Institute for Data Analysis and Process Design joined their complementary forces for this challenging project.





Industrial Project Partners


• flo-ir• Specialized in consulting on IR measurements for non-

destructive testing & evaluation and process control. • Experience goes back to 1984• Swiss Technology Award 2004

• Five additional industry partners:• Thickness measurement and process control for coating and

plastic foils production industry• Multilayer lacquering in automotive industry• Food packaging industry




Academic Project Partners

• ICP Institute of Computational Physics• Applies and develops numerical modeling software to solve multi-

physics problems

• Optics lab equipped for high-speed IR measurements

• IDP Institute of Data Analysis and Process Design• Applies physical and statistical modeling to extract information from

measurements

• Develops data analysis methods

• History of successful partnerships for R&D projects between institutes

• Supported by School of Engineering mechanics workshop for prototype fabrication





Example Result

Ceramic Plate with multiple concrete coatings

1. layer 2. layer 3. layer 4. layer 5. layer 6. layer

Signal vs. time curve

(log-lin plot)

Relative layer

thickness20 % 88 % 100 % 125 % 132 % 179 %





Project Successes

• ZHAW produces first prototype:

• Mobile, robust device (Laptop-controlled automation and data acquisition)

• Software with newly developed model-based algorithms to determine layer thicknesses from measurements

• Experience of flo-ir with project partners confirms wide applicability of measurement principle

• Cooperation initiated by CTI continues beyond the project to develop this promising new technology



Commercial Development


Introduction to the market:• Test measurements in the practice. (Phase 1)• Installation of basic equipment at key customers.

(Phase 1 / Phase 2)• Training and conferences for non-contact thickness

measurement. (Phase 1 / Phase 2)

• Acquisition of technically competent sales partners. (Phase 2 / Phase 3)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 11 128 9 10

m

Phase 1Phase 1

Phase 2Phase 2

Phase 3Phase 3

Continuing Cooperation

• Measurement series with the prototype and lead customers• flo-ir will promote the measurement technique in the market• Further development of hardware and software at ZHAW• Possible new CTI project with focus on

• modified prototype for specific application markets• extended analysis models• refined experimental techniques



We acknowledge financial support from CTI

Check out our prototype at the CONTROL 2010 exhibition

“Sonderschau Berührungslose Messtechnik“

5.-7. May 2010 in Stuttgart!

Conclusion

Non-Contact Photothermal Multilayer Thickness Measurement Christian.

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