Applications / zinc-based paint on brake discs : thickness measurement
In the automotive industry, brake discs are coated on the non-active areas with a lamellar zinc paint that prevents the part from the corrosion from which it is exposed during the lifetime of the vehicule. Controlling the thickness of this paint in many areas, especially in the most critical ones, is mandatory to ensure the durability of the protection provided by the paint. An in-line control is also important to monitor and optimize the deposition processes. The existing contact measurement technologies like magnetic sensors show low repeatability levels, high dependency on the operator and the radiative techniques like X-Ray fluorescence cannot be implemented in-line and request for the part to be cut before measurement.
IN-LINE OR AT-LINE MEASUREMENT
The Enovasense sensor technology can measure the entire surface (blade, bevel, etc.), with an outstanding level of precision. RMS repeatability levels down to 0.02µm can be obtain on a typical 10µm thick layer.
The optical probe can easily be integrated inside the production process due to its ultra-compact dimensions and low weight (down to 150g), its high tolerance on the distance (±10mm) and angle (±50°) and its independence on part curvature, vibrations, or temperature. The measurement data are automatically stored and archived; data are streamed in live communication to the line controller.
The sensor can also be embedded in the fully automated 3-axes control station HKL2 for at-line measurement. In this control station, pre-programmed cycles allow to cover many measuring points on a given brake disc in a few seconds. Moreover, for development or process setup, a full mapping of a part can be achieved automatically through a simple interface.
