Enovasense

01 — Product Overview

Enovasense HKL2 Control Station

Turnkey laser photothermal coating-thickness measurement bench — lab, QA and by-the-line

The Enovasense HKL2 is a turnkey control station that integrates the Enovasense Point Sensor inside a laser-safe enclosure, together with an automated 3-axis positioning system, a touchscreen HMI and the full Enovasense Suite HKL2 software. It turns a raw photothermal sensor into a complete non-contact, non-destructive coating-thickness measurement solution — ready to receive a part, position it automatically under the probe, run a programmed cycle and return thickness values and 2D thickness maps in real time.

The HKL2 is designed for laboratory, R&D, quality-assurance benches and by-the-line 100% control of flat, stepped or simple 3D parts. It measures paint, polymers, adhesives, anodizing, electroplating, thermal spray, cold spray, HVOF, PVD, CVD, PACVD, galvanizing, and screen-printing deposits on virtually any substrate — covering thicknesses from 100 nm up to 1 mm on a single platform.

Class 1 laser enclosure Automated 3-axis Touchscreen HMI Thickness mapping Cycle programming Lab & by-the-line

0.1μm-1mm Measurable thickness range on a single platform one station for thin and thick coatings	<3% Typical accuracy of the measured thickness depends on the optical system selected and the coating
500×500×400mm Maximum part size that can be loaded inside up to 70 kg per part	Class 1 Overall laser classification of the station (IEC 60825-1) safe under all conditions of normal use

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02 — Why choose the HKL2 control station

Six reasons this station earns its place on a lab or QA bench

1. A Class 1 laser enclosure — safe for every operator

A Class 4 laser source is installed inside the HKL2, but the station as a whole is certified Class 1 according to IEC 60825-1, meaning it is safe under all conditions of normal use. Large laser-filter windows on the automated sliding doors let the operator see the part being measured, while coded magnetic interlocks, a front emergency stop button, a PLC and PLe-rated safety relays ensure the laser flux and the axes are cut as soon as the doors are opened. No laser-safety training or eyewear is required for normal operation.

2. Automated positioning — precise, repeatable, cycle-ready

The HKL2 integrates a 3-axis Cartesian positioning system (X, Y, Z strokes of 450 × 450 × 300 mm) with 20 µm accuracy. The probe is moved automatically from one measurement point to the next according to a programmed cycle, so an operator can load a part, press start, and come back to a finished thickness map.

3. A full software suite — from signal tuning to thickness maps

The HKL2 ships with the Enovasense Suite HKL2 — a complete application environment covering signal testing, frequency scanning, calibration training (neural network), single-point measurement, cycle editing in G-code and automated cycle execution. Thickness colormaps, curves and statistics are built live as the cycle runs, and all data is exported as CSV for MES or SPC integration.

4. Thickness mapping in minutes, not hours

Thanks to the combination of automated axes, cycle editor and real-time visualization, the HKL2 produces 2D thickness colormaps of a part in a few minutes — ideal for R&D process characterization, for incoming-batch QA, or for destructive-method replacement on production samples.

5. Compatible with the full Enovasense optical-tool range

The HKL2 accepts every optical tool of the Enovasense catalog — simple lenses (vertical measurement) and mirror tools (horizontal measurement inside bores, on side walls, on shoulders) — and every laser module from 1 W to 10 W at wavelengths of 445 nm, 980 nm, 1450 nm and 1550 nm. An optional automated tool changer allows switching between spot sizes or measuring directions within a single cycle, without operator intervention.

6. Compact, self-contained and maintenance-light

At 1.2 × 0.9 × 0.85 m and 200 kg, the HKL2 fits on a standard bench or optional HKL table. It is powered from a single 100–240 V AC outlet, includes its own embedded PC and touchscreen, and requires only routine cleaning of the front lens and the measurement area. There are no fluids, no consumables and no destructive sample preparation.

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03 — Applications

Where the HKL2 control station is used

The HKL2 is the most versatile of the Enovasense benchtop control stations. It is deployed across industries wherever flat or moderately complex parts need reliable, non-destructive coating-thickness control:

Automotive	Paints, Galvanizing, brake-disc coatings, anti-corrosion coatings, adhesives
Aerospace	Thermal barrier coatings (TBC), abradable coatings, anodized layers on structural parts, bond coats
Medical devices	Bioactive coatings on implants, polymer and PVD coatings on surgical tools
General industry	Powder coatings, e-coat, adhesives, screen-printing inks, hard-chrome plating, ceramic coatings
Consumer electronics	Decorative coatings on casings, conformal coatings on PCBs, thin metallic and polymer stacks
Semiconductor	Thin film layers deposited by PVD, CVD, PACVD, screen printing, sol-gel; dielectric and encapsulation stacks, epoxy layers

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04 — Technology

Laser photothermal radiometry — integrated in a safe, automated station

The HKL2 embeds the Enovasense Point Sensor inside a safe, automated enclosure. A modulated laser beam emitted by the module travels through an optical fiber to the probe, is focused on the coating surface and generates a controlled thermal wave inside the coating. An infrared detector inside the probe captures the returning heat wave. The coating thickness is then derived from these signals through a calibration trained on reference samples.

Why this technology — a summary

Photothermal radiometry is fully optical and thermal: no contact with the part, no electrical or magnetic coupling required. This means the sensor is indifferent to the magnetic properties of the substrate, to surface roughness (within a large range), to part geometry and to the production environment. Inside the HKL2, the sensor benefits from a controlled enclosure, an automated positioning system and a dedicated HMI — making every measurement repeatable and operator-independent.

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05 — General Description

The HKL2 station at a glance

The HKL2 is built around four main functional blocks: a touchscreen control HMI, a pair of automated laser-safe loading doors, an internal probe positioning system and an electrical cabinet on the left side of the machine that houses the sensor controller and the embedded PC.

Control HMI — the operator interface

A 15.6" touchscreen on the front of the station runs the full Enovasense Suite HKL2. Directly below it sit the door push button, a power indicator light, the emergency stop button and two USB slots for a mouse, a keyboard or a USB key. Every function of the station can be operated from the touchscreen alone.

Loading doors and measurement area

The automated sliding doors open a 0.55 m × 0.5 m aperture to load parts into the station. The bottom of the measurement area features a grooved table with a T-slot rail system for sample fixturing. The large transparent windows on the doors are normalized laser-safety glasses (IEC 60825-1) that block the laser flux while allowing the operator to visually monitor the measurement.

Probe positioning system

Inside the station, a 3-axis Cartesian translation system moves the optical probe above the loaded part. The probe is fixed to the Z axis and can carry any Enovasense optical tool, including simple lenses for vertical measurements, 90° mirror tools for horizontal measurements, and — optionally — a rotation module for angular scans.

Electrical cabinet

The left side of the station houses the electrical cabinet, which contains the sensor controller, the laser module, the axes electronics, the embedded PC, the PLC and the safety relays. The cabinet is secured by two keylocks that prevent unqualified personnel from opening it, and includes the main switch, power indicators, the 220 V industrial socket and an RJ-45 port to connect the station to an external network.

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06 — Software & Workflow

The Enovasense Suite HKL2 — from raw signal to thickness map

All functions of the station are accessible through a unified launcher. The typical workflow on a new coating-substrate application goes through four phases, which are then reused without modification for every subsequent production measurement:

Cycle editor — programmable and autogenerated patterns

The cycle editor exposes a coding console with a step-by-step execution panel, a command status table, a 3D visualizer of the programmed trajectory and a live measurement table. Common patterns are autogenerated from a simple parameter dialog — rectangular grids (gridXY), lines (lineXYZ), circles (circleXY), polar patterns (polarXY) and full disc grids (diskGridXY) — so users rarely need to write code by hand.

Live visualization — curves and colormaps

As a cycle runs, each measurement is written to the measurement table together with its X, Y, Z coordinates, the calibration used and the thickness value. The "Quick plot" window offers two live views: a chronological curve of the measured values, and a 2D colormap on the XY plane with adjustable thickness range, resolution and color palette. Summary statistics (min, max, average, standard deviation, peak-to-valley) are computed on the fly.

Data storage and export

All measurements are stored on the integrated PC as CSV files. Each line contains the date, time, cycle name, measurement index, X/Y/Z position, calibration used, an operator comment, the raw photothermal signals and the final thickness value. The storage directory and the file-naming rules are configurable in the launcher settings, making it straightforward to integrate with MES or SPC systems via a shared folder on the local network.

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07 — Technical Specifications

Full technical datasheet — HKL2 control station

Key measurement parameters

Measurable thickness range	0.1 – 1000 µm
Accuracy	< 3 % of the measured thickness
Measurement duration (1 point)	10 – 1000 ms
Measuring rate	1 – 100 Hz
Available laser wavelengths	445 nm, 980 nm, 1450 nm, 1550 nm
Maximum laser optical power	150 W (module reference dependent)
Overall machine laser class	Class 1 (IEC 60825-1)

Typical repeatability

Thickness range	RMS repeatability (1 point)	Treatment or coating process
0.1 – 1 µm	±0.05 µm	PVD, CVD, PACVD, electroplating, screen printing
1 – 5 µm	±0.1 µm	PVD, CVD, PACVD, electroplating, anodizing, spray, screen printing
5 – 50 µm	±0.5 µm	Anodizing, electroplating, galvanizing, spray, screen printing
50 – 300 µm	±1 µm	Thermal spray, cold spray, galvanizing, spray
300 – 1000 µm	±3 µm	Thermal spray, cold spray

Mechanical & loading characteristics

Station dimensions (L × W × H)	1.2 m × 0.9 m × 0.85 m
Station weight	200 kg
Loading aperture (W × H)	0.55 m × 0.5 m
Maximum part size (X × Y × Z)	0.5 m × 0.5 m × 0.4 m
Maximum part weight	70 kg
Axes automation	3-axis Cartesian
Axes stroke (X × Y × Z)	0.45 m × 0.45 m × 0.3 m
Axes accuracy	20 µm
Sample fixturing	Grooved table with 10 mm T-slot rail system
Control HMI screen size	15.6 in touchscreen
Sound pressure level (LpAd)	< 70 dB(A)

Electrical & environmental specifications

Incoming voltage	100 – 240 V AC
Incoming voltage frequency	50 – 60 Hz
Power consumption	1 kW
Power connector	Industrial socket male EU 2P+T 16 A
Data interface	RJ-45 Ethernet — CSV export — MES / SPC compatible
Operating temperature	−5 to +40 °C
Humidity range (operation)	30 to 75 %
Humidity range (storage)	10 to 90 %

Safety devices

Overall laser classification	Class 1 (IEC 60825-1 — safe under all conditions of normal use)
Door interlocks	Coded magnetic interlocks on each loading door
Emergency stop	Front-panel e-stop linked to laser & axes interlock
Safety logic	PLC & safety relays at the highest safety level (PLe)
Laser-safety windows	Normalized laser-filter glass on each door
Electrical cabinet	Two keylocks to restrict access to trained personnel
Compliance	CE, Machine Directive 2006/42/CE, EMC 2014/30/EU, RoHS 2011/65/EU, REACH

All values are typical. Actual performance depends on the combination of items selected (module power, optical tool, coating family) and on the target application. Please contact Enovasense for a performance diagnosis on your specific samples.

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08 — Station Configuration

Available laser modules for the HKL2

An HKL2 control station is always delivered with one integrated Enovasense Point Sensor, configured with one of the laser modules listed below. The choice of wavelength and power depends on the coating material and thickness range to be measured. Switching between different laser sources inside a deployed HKL2 is only permitted to be done by Precitec Optronik/Enovasense personnel, as it may require changing the laser-safety doors.

Reference	Wavelength	Max power	Typical use
C3-W445P3-T033	445 nm	3 W	Applications absorbing in blue — specific metallic coatings
C3-W445P10-T033	445 nm	10 W	High-power blue — thick or low-absorption coatings
C3-W980P10-T033	980 nm	10 W	Most common industrial coatings — metallic, ceramic, thermal spray
C3-W1450P1-T033	1450 nm	1 W	Applications absorbing in SWIR — polymers, adhesives
C3-W1550P3-T033	1550 nm	3 W	Eye-safer SWIR — thin polymer and paint layers
C3-W1550P6-T033	1550 nm	6 W	High-power eye-safer SWIR for thicker polymer layers

The maximum power of a laser source may vary by up to 30 % below the nominal value. The HKL2 is also compatible with the T060 variant of each module (C3-WxxxPx-T060) when used with the T060 probe.

Typical measurement distance and spot size — selection table

The measurement distance and spot size on the part are set by the optical tool loaded on the probe. The HKL2 is compatible with the full range of Enovasense tools — simple lenses (vertical measurement), Mirror+Lens tools (horizontal measurement) and Lens+Mirror tools (measurement inside tight cylindrical bores).

Spot size (mm)	Measurement distance (mm)	Tolerance (paint/polymer)	Tolerance (metal/ceramic)
0.3	20	±2 mm	±0.5 mm
0.7	20	±2 mm	±0.5 mm
2.5	20	±2 mm	±0.5 mm
0.8	40	±4 mm	±1 mm
2.3	40	±4 mm	±1 mm
3.3	40	±4 mm	±1 mm
8.3	100	±10 mm	±4 mm
11.8	150	±20 mm	±10 mm

For more details on the embedded Point Sensor configurations, visit the Point Sensor pages.

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09 — Options and Accessories

Extend the HKL2 to your application

A number of options and complementary accessories are available to tailor the HKL2 to a specific application:

Reference	Option / accessory	Description
5105903	Automated tool changer	Magazine of up to several magnetic optical tools, allowing the station to automatically switch between spot sizes or between vertical and horizontal measurement within a single cycle
5105929	Rotation module	Angular positioning module installed on the probe, useful with mirror optical tools to scan around a bore or a shaft
5105940	Sample rotation table	Automated rotation table integrated inside the HKL2 — for measuring cylindrical parts around their axis
5106481	HKL table with drawer	Dedicated underframe for the HKL2 — ergonomic working height and storage drawer for tools and samples
5104786	ISO 17025 reference sample set	Certified calibration sample set for calibration traceability
5105894	Annual maintenance service	Yearly inspection and preventive maintenance on the control station
5105895	Delivery and installation pack	On-site delivery, mechanical and electrical installation, initial commissioning and operator training

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10 — Positioning in the Enovasense Range

The HKL2 within the Enovasense control-station family

The HKL2 is the entry-level, 3-axis Cartesian control station of the Enovasense range. It is the right choice when the parts to be measured are flat or have simple 3D geometries, and when the throughput requirement is compatible with laboratory or by-the-line use. For more complex parts or in-line integration, Enovasense also offers larger control stations:

Reference	Name	Automation	Typical use
5108103	HKM	3-axis Cartesian	Lab / R&D / QA benches for flat or simple small size parts
5104906	HKL2	3-axis Cartesian	Lab / R&D / QA benches for flat or simple medium size parts — this product
5105512	HKXL	3-axis + 1-axis loading	By-the-line 100% control, large parts such as engine blocks
5105513	HKXL-IL	In-line 3-axis + loading	Full in-line integration with upstream and downstream conveyors

Not sure which station fits your application? Contact Enovasense with the description of your coating and substrate, your part geometry, your thickness range and your production throughput — we will propose the optimal combination of station, laser module, probe and optical tool, and arrange a free performance diagnosis on your own samples.