Non-Contact Photothermal Multilayer Thickness Measurement Christian Florin (flo-ir) Andor Bariska, Dr. Nils Reinke, Prof. Dr. Beat Ruhstaller (ZHAW)

Contents Application Examples Properties of Thickness Measurement Technologies Market Potential Measuring Principle Development of an Idea to CTI-Project Project Partners Project Successes Summary Outlook

Application (Samples only) Method Application UltrasonicEddy Current MechanicalPhotometric ( Interferometry) (Ellipsometry,..) Photo- Thermal Construction engineering (Coatings on concrete, stone, wood and roofs) Transportation (Automotive, Marine, Aircraft, Railway) Chemistry, Medical (Medical patches, skin thickness Functional layers)

Properties of Thickness Measurement Technologies Method Pro Cons UltrasonicEddy Current MechanicalPhotometric (Interferometry) (Ellipsometry,..) Photothermal Pro low-cost broad appli- cation 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 engineering Market Volume Importance Customers Transportation Market Volume Importance Customers Chemistry, Medical Market Volume Importance Customers = small 2 = medium3 = 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 ). 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.layer2. layer3. layer4. layer5. layer6. layer Signal vs. time curve (log-lin plot) Relative layer thickness 20 %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) m Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 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“ May 2010 in Stuttgart! Conclusion