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[October 2002]
Coating Measurements All Buttoned Up
A new scanning mode that provides non-destructive coating thickness measurements with both greater speed and greater accuracy is said to be proving very successful on the CMI700 and CMI200 series of products from Oxford Instruments (High Wycombe, Bucks, England).The CMI700 (benchtop) and CMI200 (handheld) series are claimed to provide a reliable means of quality control through the accurate, efficient inspection of coating and plating thickness. They combine state-of-the-art electronics and software with a compact, rugged design, making them suitable for use even in hostile environments.
The benchtop products - which feature a display that is clearly visible several feet away and from virtually any angle - can measure non-magnetic coatings over magnetic substrates, non-conductive coatings over conductive substrates and electroplated nickel over magnetic substrates. They are widely used for the incoming inspection of coated or plated parts.
The handheld series gauges provide low cost, reliable measurements and have a memory capacity for over 12,000 readings, making them ideal for high-use applications.
The new scanning mode lets the operator position the probe, then drag it from one point to another in the quadrant over a specified number of seconds. The probe take nine measurements per second and these multiple measurements are averaged to produce a more accurate result. Reproducibility is said to be greatly enhanced and it is possible to download readings to examine highs and lows.
"As far as I'm aware," said Tom Leone, VP Sales and Marketing at Oxford Instruments Measurement Systems, "no-one else in the coating thickness measurement business offers a scanning mode on their instruments. With faster results, greater accuracy and improved repeatability and reproducibility, the Oxford Instruments CMI700 and CMI200 series are leading the way to the future."
ENDS