Determination of Coating Thickness Using Impulse Excitation and Laser Measurements

Coating is an application of a surface finish to another material and it provides the surfaces of manufactured parts with a number of desirable physical, chemical, and appearance qualities. Nearly all manufactured or fabricated products made of metal or having metal components have some types of surface coating. The coating increases sturdiness, prevents corrosion, provides hardness, or gives an attractive finish to an object. The amount of coating applied to a material, that is, the coating thickness, is crucial to the product’s final use and cost. On the other hand, in the case of surfaces subjected to wear, the same thickness is very important in the life of the product. There are several non-destructive methods of measuring coating thickness. The aim of this paper is the development and validation of an impulse excitation technique and laser measurements to determine coating thickness of metallic or nonmetallic surface.