Which coating thickness measurement solution fits your application?
Do you need to measure coating thickness reliably, but material properties, layer structures, and process conditions make the technology selection complex? Polytec helps you accurately classify your application and select a solution that performs reliably under real-world conditions.
| Typical Applications | Application Environment | Materials & Properties | Thickness Range | Polytec Solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inline Atline Laboratory | Opaque, semi-transparent and transparent materials; solid, liquid and granular materials; metals, ceramics, polymers, wood, glass, ... | ~ 0.1 µm – 1 mm | Photothermal |
| Inline Atline Laboratory | Non-conductive plastics (PE, PP, PVC) ceramics and glass multilayer systems | ~ 5 µm – cm range | Terahertz |
| Inline Atline Laboratory | Transparent thin films organic materials polymers, oils, greases | ~ nm – 500 µm | Hyperspectral Imaging |
Found the right measurement system?
Found the right measurement system?
Whether photothermal, terahertz, or hyperspectral imaging: the right choice determines reproducibility, integration capability, and process reliability. Polytec helps you reach a sustainable solution faster.
Three measurement systems. Clear application areas.
Photothermal, terahertz, and hyperspectral imaging technologies address different requirements in optical coating thickness measurement. Learn more about the individual technologies and how they work.
Photothermal Measurement Systems
The Enovasense system measures thickness of opaque or transparent coatings extremely quickly in the laboratory and inline applications on almost all substrates. The compact measuring head is suitable for confined spaces.
Terahertz Thickness Measurement Systems
Terahertz thickness measurement – fast, non-contact, non-destructive, ideal for multi-layers in industrial applications and process quality control.
Hyperspectral Imaging Measurement Systems
These systems use a unique combination of optical spectroscopy and imaging for precise surface analysis. Depending on the material properties, layer thicknesses can be measured non-destructively in an impressive range from 1 nm to 500 µm.
Optical coating thickness measurement in practice
Optical coating thickness measurement is used in a wide range of applications – from single layers to multilayer systems. The following examples show typical real-world use cases.
Photothermal technology
Laser-based, non-contact coating thickness measurement using the Enovasense measurement system for opaque, semi-transparent, and transparent coatings – suitable for in-process use, even under heat, motion, and challenging surface conditions.
Photothermal technology
Enovasense inline sensors measure coating thickness non-contact and non-destructively directly within the production process, reliably monitoring your coatings under real operating conditions.
Terahertz technology
Nano Irys systems measure layer thickness directly inside the battery cell during operation and deliver precise insights into material behavior and performance.
Photothermal applications
Terahertz applications
Hyperspectral imaging applications
Coating surfaces & step heights
Not every coating characterization task is a thickness measurement. When surface structure, roughness, or parallelism are the focus, surface metrology provides a different approach to coating evaluation.
Articles & Know-how
Inline measurement system for powder coatings
Powder coating quality depends on thickness and uniformity, especially at critical points. Photothermal measurement systems offer practical solutions for quality control.
Photothermal measurement method for opaque coatings and all common substrates
For many industrial products, the quality of coatings plays an important role. For example, the material thickness, color, gloss, or adhesion of one or more layers on a substrate
Optical Coating Thickness Measurement: Methods Compared
Learn coating thickness measurement: compare optical and non-contact methods like photothermal and terahertz for precise inline analysis.
Talk to our experts
Our experts are ready to support your projects with tailored measurement solutions or support you in measuring what matters — get in touch with us today.