A method for measuring the thickness of coatings on a substrate of an aerospace component comprises illuminating a sample comprising the substrate of the aerospace component and a coating with light waves of varying wavelengths from a light source, receiving the light waves reflected by the sample at a light collector, diffracting the light waves into a plurality of component wavelengths with a grating, detecting the light intensities of the plurality of component wavelengths at a detector array, generating a reflectance spectral curve using the detected light intensities for each of the plurality of component wavelengths, calculating the thickness of the coating from the reflectance spectral curves of the component wavelengths.

A thin-film coating applicator assembly is disclosed for coating substrates in outdoor applications. The innovative thin-film coating applicator assembly is adapted to apply performance enhancement coatings on installed photovoltaic panels and glass windows in outdoor environments. The coating applicator is adapted to move along a solar panel or glass pane while applicator mechanisms deposit a uniform layer of liquid coating solution to the substrate's surface. The applicator assembly comprises a conveyance means disposed on a frame. Further disclosed are innovative applicator heads that comprise a deformable sponge-like core surrounded by a microporous layer. The structure, when in contact with a substrate surface, deposits a uniform layer of coating solution over a large surface.

A system for analyzing a coating test on a test surface with a portable electronic device includes a hood that is at least partially open at a bottom side thereof and fixable with the portable electronic device at an opposing top side thereof. At least one lamp is fixed with an inside surface of the hood and is adapted to project light towards the open bottom side thereof. A software application is resident on a memory of the portable electronic device that directs a processor of the portable electronic device to at least a) capture an image of an original color input area (CIA) of the test surface as a reference, b) capture an image of an area of interest (AOI) of the test surface, and c) compare the AOI to the CIA to determine a percentage of the coating that has been removed in the test.

A real-time ablation sensor uses an optical detector, such as a spectrometer or radiometer, to detect ablation of a material, for example by detecting a signal indicative of ablation of the material, which may be an engineered material. The optical detector may detect reflected light, either from the material being ablated, or from products of the ablation, such as in the vicinity of the material being ablated. A light source may be used to provide light that is reflected by the material and/or the ablation products, with the reflected light received by the detector. The light may be of a selected wavelength or wavelengths, with the selection made in combination with the selection/configuration of the material to be ablated, and/or the selection/configuration of the optical detector.

An inspection device of a display device includes a first illumination unit providing a first incident light to the display device at a first incident angle, a second illumination unit providing a second incident light to the display device at a second incident angle, a third illumination unit providing a third incident light to the display device at a third incident angle, and a defect detector receiving at least one of a first reflection light obtained from the first incident light reflected by the display device at a first reflection angle, a second reflection light obtained from the second incident light reflected by the display device at a second reflection angle, and a third reflection light obtained from the third incident light reflected by the display device at a third reflection angle to detect defects of the display device.

Systems, apparatuses and methods for rapidly evaluating light transmission through coatings including paints, primers, thin films, surfacing films, laminates and the like are disclosed. The system includes a light source for transmitting light through a coating sample. A sample holder holds the coating sample in a position to receive the incident light. A spectrometer measures an amount of the transmitted light that passes through the coating sample. Optionally, one or more optical filters may be used to condition any transmitted light that passes through the coating sample to reduce the intensity of the light outside of wavelengths of interest. An opaque cover encloses the spectrometer, the one or more optional optical filters, and at least part of the sample holder to prevent light other than the transmitted light from the light source from entering the spectrometer such that any transmitted light passing through the coating sample can be accurately evaluated.

A method for determining coat weight of a transparent primer coating for liquid electrophotographic printing processes is described, in which an optical brightening agent is added to an aqueous transparent primer composition in an amount of less than 0.1 wt. % based on the total solids content of the primer composition to produce a test composition, the test composition is applied onto a test substrate to produce a transparent primer coating, the fluorescence of the transparent primer coating is measured, and the coat weight of the transparent primer coating based on the fluorescence of the transparent primer coating is determined.

The present invention relates to a method for determining the migration potential of an at least partially cured energy curing ink and/or varnish printed on a substrate comprising: —providing a substrate, which is printed with the ink and/or varnish, which comprises at least one extractable compound, which absorbs or emits radiation at at least one wavelength between 190 and 3,000 nm, —cutting at least one sample from the printed substrate, placing and incubating the sample in a solvent, in which the extractable compound is soluble, and removing the sample from the solvent to obtain a solvent extract, —quantitatively measuring a spectroscopic characteristic of the solvent extract at at least one wavelength between 190 and 3,000 nm, at which the extractable compound absorbs or emits radiation, so as to obtain a measured numeric value of the spectroscopic characteristic, and —comparing the measured numeric value of the spectroscopic characteristic with a calibration curve.

An inspection system includes an acquisition unit and a determination unit. The acquisition unit acquires an image representing a surface of an object. The determination unit performs color determination processing. The color determination processing is performed to determine a color of the surface of the object based on a plurality of conditions of reflection. The plurality of conditions of reflection are obtained from the image representing the surface of the object as acquired by the acquisition unit, and have a specular reflection component and a diffuse reflection component at respectively different ratios on the surface of the object.

A multi-shield plate includes a plurality of windows and a plurality of vapor shields mounted to the plurality of windows, wherein each window of the plurality of windows is formed in the plate and extends through an entirety of the plate in a thickness direction. The multi-shield plate further includes a plurality of apertures in the plate, wherein each of the plurality of apertures extends through the entirety of the plate in the thickness direction and, an aperture of the plurality of apertures is aligned with a corresponding window of the plurality of windows along radius of the multi-shield plate.