METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTACTLESS AND NON-DESTRUCTIVE DETERMINATION OF THE LAYER THICKNESSES OF LACQUER LAYERS OF VEHICLE PARTS

Abstract

A method for contactless and non-destructive determination of the layer thicknesses of lacquer layers of vehicle parts is disclosed. In addition, the invention relates to a device to determine and measure the lacquer layers of vehicle part, the device constructed for performing optical coherence tomography and includes at least one radiation source for providing electromagnetic radiation and the electromagnetic radiation provides a wavelength () of 100 nm-15.Math.10.sup.3 nm and in particular 380 nm to 800 nm.

Claims

1. A method for contactless and non-destructive determination of the layer thicknesses of lacquer layers of a vehicle part, comprising the steps of: applying a first lacquer layer to a vehicle part, said first layer having a first layer thickness, and applying an additional lacquer layer to the first lacquer layer, said additional layer having an additional layer thickness, wherein the additional lacquer layer is optically opaque, and determining the layer thickness of at least the additional lacquer layer of the vehicle part with a device constructed for performing optical coherence tomography, wherein the device includes at least one radiation source for providing electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength from 100 nm to 1510.sup.3 nm.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation provides a wavelength of 380 nm to 800 nm.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation provides a wavelength of 100 nm to 450 nm.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the first layer thickness and/or of the additional layer thickness is carried out using a first radiation source and/or a second radiation source, wherein the first radiation source provides electromagnetic radiation having a first wavelength and the second radiation source provides electromagnetic radiation having a second wavelength.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the first layer thickness and/or of the additional layer thickness is performed using a third radiation source, wherein the third radiation source provides electromagnetic radiation with a third wavelength.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device includes a measuring device for performing dielectric, capacitive or magnetic-inductive layer thickness measurement and the vehicle part comprises an electrically conductive material, wherein the layer thickness of the lacquer layers is determined by way of a dielectric, capacitive or magnetic-inductive layer thickness measurement using the measuring device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device includes a measuring device for performing dielectric, capacitive or magnetic-inductive layer thickness measurement and wherein the vehicle part is made of plastic or comprises a plastic layer on which the first lacquer layer is applied, wherein at least one of the lacquer layers is electrically conductive and a cumulative layer thickness of additional layers overlying the electrically conductive layer is determined with the measuring device.

8. A device for the contactless and non-destructive determination of the layer thicknesses of lacquer layers of a vehicle part covered by an electrically conductive material according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises one or more radiation sources, said radiation sources provide radiation of differing wavelength, wherein the wavelengths range from visible light to a range of ultraviolet to infrared light; the device further configured for splitting the radiation from the one or more radiation sources into reference beams and measuring beams, a measuring device constructed to perform a dielectric, capacitive or magnetic-inductive coating thickness measurement of the vehicle part, wherein the measuring beams and the reference beams are captured by a detector, and an evaluation unit where the signals generated by the detector and the measuring device are processed by suitable algorithms.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0029] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a device for contactless and non-destructive determination of the layer thicknesses of lacquer layers of vehicle parts according to the present invention; and

[0031] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram describing the method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] Throughout all the Figures, same or corresponding elements are generally indicated by same reference numerals. These depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way. It should also be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.

[0033] Turning now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an inventive device 10 for contactless and non-destructive measurement of the layer thicknesses of lacquer layers of vehicle parts 12. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the device 10 includes a first radiation source 14.sub.1, a second radiation source 14.sub.2 and a third radiation source 14.sub.3 which are formed in this case to provide light beams, wherein the first radiation source 14, emits light beams having a first wavelength .sub.1, the second radiation source 14.sub.2 emits light beams having a second wavelength .sub.2 and the third radiation source 14.sub.3 emits light beams having a third wavelength .sub.3. The wavelengths .sub.1 to .sub.3 are in the visible range, i.e. between 380 and 800 nm; however, the wavelength .sub.1 to .sub.3 may also be selected to lie outside the visible region, for example in the ultraviolet or infrared range. The light beams emitted from the radiation sources 14.sub.1 strike a beam splitter 16, which has an unillustrated prism and which divides the light beams into reference beams R, which are reflected onto a mirror 18, and into measuring beams M, which are steered to a vehicle part 12. The distance between the mirror 18 and the beam splitter 16 may be adjusted with an unillustrated adjusting device, as indicated by the arrow P.

[0034] The reference beams R impinge perpendicularly on the mirror 18 and are hence retroreflected by the mirror 18 in the opposite direction. The measuring beams M steered onto the vehicle part 12 also impinge perpendicularly on the surface of the vehicle part 12 and are hence also retroreflected by the vehicle part 12 in the opposite direction. While the reference beams R reflected by the mirror 18 pass through the beam splitter 16 without changing direction, the measuring beams M reflected by the part vehicle 12 are deflected by the beam splitter 16 so as to thereafter propagate parallel to the reference beams R reflected by the mirror 18. Subsequently, the measuring beams M and the reference beams R impinge on a detector 20 which has an array 21 of active pixel sensors (APS).

[0035] Furthermore, the device 10 has a measuring device 22 constructed to perform a dielectric, capacitive or magnetic-inductive coating thickness measurement. The device 10 includes a measuring head 24, which may be constructed from of a rubber material that protects the vehicle part 12. With the measuring head 24, the measuring beams M can be directed perpendicular onto the vehicle part 12. In addition, the physical quantities used to perform the dielectric, capacitive or magnetic-inductive coating thickness measurement can be introduced into the vehicle part 12 with the measuring head 24.

[0036] The signals generated by the detector 20 and the measuring device 22 are analyzed and processed by an evaluation unit 25 using suitable algorithms stored in the evaluation unit 25.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows the vehicle part 12 in more detail in form of a schematic diagram. The vehicle part 12 itself can have an arbitrary shape and shall in the illustrated example be made of plastic or have at least a (not separately illustrated) plastic layer. Alternatively, the vehicle part 12 may also be made of metal, for example in the form of a metal sheet, as is customary for vehicle chassis.

[0038] A first lacquer layer 26 with a first layer thickness d1 is applied on the vehicle part 12. The first lacquer layer 26 is usually an electrically conductive base layer and is often referred to as a primer. Several additional lacquer layers are applied on top of the first lacquer layer 26, in this case a total of three additional lacquer layers 28, 32, 36. A second lacquer layer 28 with a second layer thickness d2 is applied on the first lacquer layer 26, which is often referred to as a basecoat. The second lacquer layer 28 includes color pigments 30 embedded in an unillustrated plastic matrix which give the vehicle part 12 the desired color. The second lacquer layer 28 is optically opaque and permeable to light beams. A third lacquer layer 32 with a third layer thickness d3 is applied on the second lacquer layer 28, which is in this case formed as a pearlescent coating and includes flake-shaped pigments 34 for generating a pearlescent effect. A transparent fourth lacquer layer 36 implemented as a transparent clear coat and having a fourth layer thickness d4 is applied on the third lacquer layer 32.

[0039] As mentioned before, the coating illustrated in FIG. 2 is a pearlescent coating which is only rarely applied. In the much more frequently encountered uni-coatings or metallic coatings (not shown), the second lacquer layer 28 and the third lacquer layer 32 are combined to a common layer so that a total of two additional lacquer layers are applied on the first lacquer layer 26. The upper of the additional lacquer layers is once more a transparent lacquer layer.

[0040] FIG. 2 illustrates schematically the physical effect used with optical coherence tomography. For clarification, the measuring beams M in FIG. 2 are shown as being incident on the fourth lacquer layer 36 at an angle , although they actually impinge during the measurement as described with reference to FIG. 1 perpendicularly on the vehicle part 12. However, it is not absolutely necessary that the measuring beams M impinge on the vehicle part 12 perpendicularly, as shown in FIG. 1. However, this increases the amount of reflected light, which significantly improves the measurement accuracy of the layer thicknesses, in particular of dark lacquer layers, or makes it possible in the first place to determine the layer thicknesses.

[0041] A part of the measuring beams M is absorbed, reflected or refracted at each boundary layer between the lacquer layers 26, 28, 32, 36. The refractive index, in this case the refractive indices n2 and n4, and the propagation time of the measuring beams M in the second, third and fourth lacquer layer 28, 32, 36 are measured. The measuring beams M and the reference beams R interfere with each other in the beam splitter 16. Only photons from the same light source can interfere at the beam splitter 16. A path difference gs can calculated based on the interference. The path difference gs depends on the layer thicknesses d2, d3, d4 and the refractive indices n2 to n4 of the second, third and fourth lacquer layers 28, 32, 36.

[0042] As is apparent from FIG. 2, the second layer thickness d2, the third layer thickness d3 and the fourth layer thickness d4 can be determined with optical coherence tomography. The more lacquer layers are present, the greater is the absorbed part of the measuring beam M and the weaker are the measuring beams M reflected by the lower lacquer layers, so that from a certain number of lacquer layers on, the layer thickness of the lower lacquer layers can no longer be determined. Therefore, in the illustrated example, the layer thickness d1 of the first lacquer layer 26 is in a different way, namely with the measuring device 22, which performs a dielectric, capacitive or magnetic-inductive layer thickness measurement. In order to determine the first layer thickness d1 of the first lacquer layer with a dielectric, capacitive or magneto-inductive layer thickness measurement, the first lacquer layer 26 and/or the base, i.e. the vehicle part 12, must be electrically conductive. For this purpose, the first lacquer layer 26 may be provided with electrically conductive particles 38, in this case with soot particles. Because in the illustrated example the vehicle part 12 is made of plastic, the vehicle part 12 alone can in general not provide the electrical conductivity. However, with the dielectric, capacitive or magnetic-inductive layer thickness measurement, the distance between the free surface of the coating and the electrically conductive first lacquer layer 26 can be measured by way of the dielectric, capacitive or magnetic-inductive layer thickness measurement. In the event that the first lacquer layer 26 is not electrically conductive, the distance between the free surface of the coating and the electrically conductive vehicle part 12 can be determined.

[0043] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, it will be assumed that the first lacquer layer 26 is electrically conductive due to the addition of soot particles. In this exemplary embodiment, the total layer thickness dges of the coating cannot be determined with the dielectric, capacitive or magneto-inductive layer thickness measurement. However, information can be obtained about the sum of the second, third and fourth layer thicknesses d2 to d4 which can then be compared with the values determined by optical coherence tomography. The determined values can therefore be checked for plausibility.

[0044] For the unillustrated case where the first lacquer layer 26 is not electrically conductive, but the vehicle part 12 is electrically conductive, the total layer thickness edges can be determined with the dielectric, capacitive or magnetic-inductive layer thickness measurement. Since the second, third and fourth layer thickness d2 to d4 can be determined using optical coherence tomography, the first layer thickness d1 can be determined based on a subtraction d1=dgesd2d3d4.

[0045] The two measurement methods can be performed independently and do not affect each other. With the exception of placing the measuring head 24 on the vehicle part 12, the two measurement methods are performed contactless, without damaging or destroying the vehicle part 12.

[0046] While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, it is not Intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

[0047] What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims and includes equivalents of the elements recited therein: