Automotive plastic parts carry thin-film coatings - outer hardcoats on headlight and taillight covers, bumper covers and reflector plates, and inner anti-fog layers on polycarbonate lenses. Each poses its own challenge: low optical contrast between polycarbonate and coating, primer/inter-penetration interface layers, colored parts, and reflective surface texture. MProbe HC measures coating thickness directly on the product using a manual MP-FLVis probe on a flexible fiber-optic cable that conforms to the sample's curvature, for parts larger than 1″ (25 mm). A small spot (< 200 µm) reduces backside-reflection effects, and the software's thick-film and curve-fitting algorithms can be trained for the most challenging samples.
Why use MProbe HC?
- Manual probe enables measurement on curved and large parts.
- Focused small-spot measurement reduces effects of non-uniformity and scatter.
- Instant results can be tagged with part ID.
- The 400–1000 nm wavelength range is well suited for this application.
- The same system configuration measures the different automotive coating applications.
Basic specification
| Recommended system | MProbe HC |
| Wavelength range | 400–1000 nm |
| Wavelength resolution | < 2 nm |
| Precision | < 0.01 nm or 0.01% |
| Accuracy | < 1 nm or 0.2% |
| Measurement time | < 100 ms typical, depending on sample reflectivity |
| Spot size | < 200 µm |
Measured with: MProbe HC.