Design and application of thickness measurement calibration system based on laser displacement sensor

This study aims to improve the accuracy and safety of steel plate thickness calibration.A differential noncontact thickness measurement calibration system based on laser displacement sensors was designed to address the problems of low precision of traditional contact thickness gauges and radiation risks of radiation-based thickness gauges.First,the measurement method and measurement structure of the thickness calibration system were introduced.Then,the hardware circuit of the thickness system was established based on the STM32 core chip.Finally,the system software was designed to implement system control to filter algorithms and human-computer interaction.Experiments have proven the excellent performance of the differential noncontact thickness measurement calibration system based on laser displacement sensors,which not only considerably improves measurement accuracy but also effectively reduces safety risks during the measurement process.The system offers guiding significance and application value in the field of steel plate production and processing.

Characteristics of Eddy Current Attenuation and Thickness Measurement of Metallic Plate

In eddy current testing, the law of attenuation of eddy current(EC) is of great concern. In conductive half space under the excitation of uniform magnetic field, the EC density decreases exponentially in the depth direction. However, in conductor with finite thickness tested by coil, the distribution of EC in the depth direction is more complicated. This paper studies the characteristics of EC attenuation in metallic plate of finite thickness. Simulation results show that there is an EC reflection at the bottom of plate, which changes the law of EC attenuation. A new concept, namely the equivalent attenuation coefficient, is proposed to quantify the speed of EC attenuation. The characteristics of EC attenuation are utilized to explain the nonmonotonic relation between coil voltage and plate thickness. Procedure of selecting frequency is discussed. Thereafter, measurement of plate thickness is carried out and accurate result is obtained.

Thickness Measurement of Insulation Coating by NIR Spectrometry Based on Boosting-KPLS

A novel thickness measurement method for surface insulation coating of silicon steel based on NIR spectrometry is explored.The NIR spectra of insulation coating of silicon steel were collected by acousto-optic tunable filter(AOTF) NIR spectrometer.To make full use of the effective information of NIR spectral data,discrete binary particle swarm optimization(DBPSO) algorithm was used to select the optimal wavelength variates.The new spectral data,composed of absorbance at selected wavelengths,were used to create the thickness quantitative analysis model by kernel partial least squares(KPLS) algorithm coupled with Boosting.The results of contrast experiments showed that the Boosting-KPLS model could efficiently improve the analysis accuracy and speed.It indicates that Boosting-KPLS is a more accurate and robust analysis method than KPLS for NIR spectral analysis.The maximal and minimal absolute error of 30 testing samples is respectively-0.02 μm and 0.19 μm,and the maximal relative error is 14.23%.These analysis results completely meet the practical measurement need.

Nondestructive determination of film thickness with laser-induced surface acoustic waves

The application of surface acoustic waves（SAWs） for thickness measurement is presented. By studying the impact of film thickness h on the dispersion phenomenon of surface acoustic waves, a method for thickness determination based on theoretical dispersion curve v（ fh） and experimental dispersion curve v（ f） is developed. The method provides a series of thickness values at different frequencies f, and the mean value is considered as the final result of the measurement. The thicknesses of six interconnect films are determined by SAWs, and the results are compared with the manufacturer＇s data.The relative differences are in the range from 0.4% to 2.18%, which indicates that the surface acoustic wave technique is reliable and accurate in the nondestructive thickness determination for films. This method can be generally used for fast and direct determination of film thickness.

Inversion of thicknesses of multi-layered structures from eddy current testing measurements

Luquire et al. ' s impedance change model of a rectangular cross section probe coil above a structure with an arbitrary number of parallel layers was used to study the principle of measuring thicknesses of multi-layered structures in terms of eddy current testing voltage measurements. An experimental system for multi-layered thickness measurement was developed and several fitting models to formulate the relationships between detected impedance/voltage measurements and thickness are put forward using least square method. The determination of multi-layered thicknesses was investigated after inversing the voltage outputs of the detecting system. The best fitting and inversion models are presented.

Research on intelligent ultrasonic thickness measurement system applied to large area of hull

For a ship in service,seawater corrosion is unavoidable. In order to ensure navigation safety and master the steel plate thickness in service ship,thickness of the ship steel plate must be tested periodically by a scientific method. After consideration of an actual situation of thickness measurement,the bearing mechanism of ultrasonic thickness meter probe has been designed on the basis of wall-climbing robot,and preliminary experiments have been carried out. The device is mainly used for thickness measurement of a large area of ship hull plate when the docking ship has been sandblasted. Efficiency and safety can be improved to finish thickness measurement by using the device.

A Semi-Automatic Thickness Inspection Technique for Marine Propellers

This paper describes the design and development of a Semi-Automatic Precision Caliper System to measure the thickness of an outboard marine engine propeller blade.Several commonly used methods for measuring the thickness of a propeller blade are reviewed in this paper.These include the P rops Scan,3D Vision System and Black Dog.However,the operating practices and availability of different facilities in industry necessitate a more cost-effect ive approach.An alternative method using a Semi-Automatic Precision Caliper S ystem is therefore proposed.Details of the design criteria,principles of oper ation as well as the testing and verification of the system are presented.The paper concludes that the Semi-Automatic Precision Caliper System is a low cost and effective method for measuring the thickness of a propeller.

Nonlinear phase error analysis of equivalent thickness in a white-light spectral interferometer

A white light spectral interferometry based on a Linnik type system was established to accurately measure the thin film thickness through transparent medium.In practical work,the equivalent thickness of a beam splitter and the mismatch of the objective lens introduce nonlinear phase errors.Adding a transparent medium also increases the equivalent thickness.The simulation results showthat the equivalent thickness has a significant effect on thin film thickness measurements.Therefore,it is necessary to perform wavelength correction to provide a constant equivalent thickness for beamsplitters.In the experiments,some pieces of cover glasses as the transparent medium were added to the measured beam and then a standard thin film thickness of 1052.2±0.9 nm was tested through the transparent medium.The results demonstrate that our system has a nanometer-level accuracy for thin film thickness measurement through transparent medium with optical path compensation.

Measurement of a thin layer's thickness using independent component analysis of ground penetrating radar data

To detect overlapped echoes due to the thin pavement layers,we present a thickness measurement approach for the very thin layer of pavement structures.The term "thin" is relative to the incident wavelength or pulse.By means of independent component analysis of noisy signals received by a single radar sensor,the overlapped echoes can be successfully separated.Once the echoes from the top and bottom side of a thin layer have been separated,the time delay and the layer thickness determination follow immediately.Results of the simulation and real data verify the feasibility of the presented method.

CONTAMINATION LINE METHOD AND COMPARISON OF FOIL THICKNESS MEASUREMENT METHODS IN TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

The paper briefly introduces the Contamination Line Method for foil thickness measurement in transmission electron microscopy and compares it with four conventional methods: the convergent beam diffraction method, the contamination spot method, the methods hased on characteristic X-ray emission and continuous X-ray emission on the application, aperation and accuracy etc.

Monitoring of the Corrosion on a Steel Sheet-Pile Marine Breakwater by Systematic Thickness Measurements

In Quepos, Pacific of Costa Rica, it was finished on 2010 the first phase of a marina, including two mix breakwaters, with rubble mound （rocks and concrete units）, and 25 circular steel sheet piles cofferdam cells, filled with sand and gravel. The maintenance plan, considers tracking sheet pile corrosion, comparing ＂actual＂ against expected rates, checking structural limits, and programming countermeasures if accelerated corrosion is identified. Specific control sections, along the breakwaters, both inside and outside the basin, were established. In each section, thicknesses were measured every meter from the top of the steel cell to seabed using an ultrasonic equipment, and an underwater transducer. Both land crew, and divers for submerged portions, were used. The measurements campaigns are for several years from 2011 to 2016. Sectors of the breakwater with varied corrosion attack levels could be differentiated. Also, corrosion rates and lifespans were estimated, both general for the structures, and specific for each section and level. In turn, this allowed to identify maintenance priorities, defining sites where measures of corrosion protection should initiate, as well, to have confidence in the structural capacity and safety of the breakwaters.

Monitoring of the Corrosion on a Steel Sheet-pile Marine Breakwater by Systematic Thickness Measurements

In Quepos,Pacific of Costa Rica,it was finished on 2010 the first phase of a marina,including two mix breakwaters,with rubble mound(rocks and concrete units),and 25 circular steel sheet piles cofferdam cells,filled with sand and gravel.The maintenance plan,considers tracking sheet pile corrosion,comparing'actual'against expected rates,checking structural limits,and programming countermeasures if accelerated corrosion is identified.Specific control sections,along the breakwaters,both inside and outside the basin,were established.In each section,thicknesses were measured every meter from the top of the steel cell to seabed using an ultrasonic equipment,and an underwater transducer.Both land crew,and divers for submerged portions,were used.The measurements campaigns are for several years from 2011 to 2016.Sectors of the breakwater with varied corrosion attack levels could be differentiated.Also,corrosion rates and lifespans were estimated,both general for the structures,and specific for each section and level.In turn,this allowed to identify maintenance priorities,defining sites where measures of corrosion protection should initiate,as well,to have confidence in the structural capacity and safety of the breakwaters.

Inverse problem of pulsed eddy current field of ferromagnetic plates

To determine the wall thickness, conductivity and permeability of a ferromagnetic plate, an inverse problem is established with measured values and calculated values of time-domain induced voltage in pulsed eddy current testing on the plate. From time-domain analytical expressions of the partial derivatives of induced voltage with respect to parameters,it is deduced that the partial derivatives are approximately linearly dependent. Then the constraints of these parameters are obtained by solving a partial linear differential equation. It is indicated that only the product of conductivity and wall thickness, and the product of relative permeability and wall thickness can be determined accurately through the inverse problem with time-domain induced voltage. In the practical testing, supposing the conductivity of the ferromagnetic plate under test is a fixed value, and then the relative variation of wall thickness between two testing points can be calculated via the ratio of the corresponding inversion results of the product of conductivity and wall thickness. Finally, this method for wall thickness measurement is verified by the experiment results of a carbon steel plate.

MEASUREMENT OF THE WALL THIOKNESS OF THE TRANSPARENT TUBE BY TOTAL-REFLECTION SHADOW IMAGING

The principle and method for measuring the wall thickness of transparent tube are presented.The measurement is based on total-refection vanishing light. The transmittance of transparent tube in the parallel light is studied. The critical conditions of total--reflection are discussed.

Sensitivity Improvements for Picosecond Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements in Gold and Tungsten Nanoscale Films

Picosecond ultrasonics,as a nondestructive and noncontact method,can be employed for nanoscale metallic film thickness measurements.The sensitivity of the system,which determines the measurement precision and practicability of this technique,is often limited by the weak intensity of the ultrasonic signal.To solve this problem,we investigate the distinct mechanisms involved in picosecond ultrasonic thickness measurement for two types of metals,namely tungsten(W)and gold(Au).For thickness measurement in W films,theory and simulation show that optimizing the pump and probe laser wavelengths,which determine the intensity and shape of the ultrasonic signal,is critical to improving measurement sensitivity,while for Au film measurements,where acoustic-induced beam distortion is dominant,the signal intensity can be optimized by selecting an appropriate aperture size and sample position.The above approaches are validated in experiments.A dual-wavelength pump-probe system is constructed based on a passively mode-locked ytterbium-doped fiber laser.The smoothing method and multipeak Gaussian fitting are employed for the extraction of ultrasonic time-of-flight.Subnanometer measurement precision is achieved in a series of W and Au films with thicknesses of 43-750 nm.This work can be applied to various high-precision,noncontact measurements of metal film thickness in the semiconductor industry.

Histogram method for reliable thickness measurements of graphene films using atomic force microscopy(AFM)

Atomic force microscopy（AFM） is a commonly used technique for graphene thickness measurement.However, due to surface roughness caused by graphene itself and variation introduced in AFM measurement, graphene thickness is difficult to be accurately determined by AFM. In this paper, a histogram method was used for reliable measurements of graphene thickness using AFM. The influences of various measurement parameters in AFM analysis were investigated. The experimental results indicate that significant deviation can be introduced using various order of flatten and improperly selected measurement parameters including amplitude setpoint and drive amplitude. At amplitude setpoint of 100 mV and drive amplitude of 100 m V, thickness of 1 layer（1L）, 2 layers（2L） and 4 layers（4L） graphene were measured.The height differences for 1L, 2L and 4L were 1.51 ± 0.16 nm, 1.92 ± 0.13 nm and 2.73 ± 0.10 nm, respectively. By comparing these values, thickness of single layer graphene can be accurately determined to be0.41 ± 0.09 nm.

Novel method for simultaneous measurement of film thickness and mass fraction of urea–water solution

Quantitative knowledge of the film thickness and mass fraction of the urea-water solution is very crucial in many practical applications. Film thickness or mass fraction can only be determined individually by conventional measurement techniques. We develop a novel measurement method to measure the film thickness and mass fraction of ure^water solution simultaneously. The absorption coefficients of urea-water solution （5 50 wt%） are measured, a pair of optimized wavelengths is then chosen to achieve high measurement sensitivity. Cross validation is also performed and uncertainties of the technique are smaller than 0.68% for thickness measurements and 1.86% for mass fractions.

Visualization of Film Wavelike Characteristics and Measurement of Film Thickness in Spray Cooling

An experimental investigation was performed to study the heat transfer in an eight-nozzle spray cooling system with de-ionized water as the working fluid. Visualization of the liquid-solid contact area and the flow near the heated surface was made using a microscopic lens system in conjunction with an advanced high-speed camera. The film thickness and film wavelike characteristics under liquid volume flow rates ranged from 2.78×10 -6 m 3 /s to 1.39×10 -5 m 3 /s and surface temperatures between 22℃ and 78.2℃ were examined respectively. The development process of the liquid film on the heated surface was observed. The local mean film thickness, the film wavelike characteristics and the behavior of the bubbles appeared in the liquid film were captured using an image processing technique. It is discovered that there exists a climax of local mean film thickness during the starting process of spray cooling. When the liquid film reaches the dynamic stable state, the dimensionless mean film thickness decreases with the increase of the liquid volume flow rate, and increases with the increase of surface temperature generally. Besides, the volume flow rate has a more significant impact on the wavelength and amplitude of the liquid film compared to the surface temperature.

Optimization of thickness uniformity of coatings on spherical substrates using shadow masks in a planetary rotation system

A model is developed to improve thickness uniformity of coatings on spherical substrates rapidly and au- tomatically using fixed shadow masks in a planetary rotation system. The coating thickness is accurately represented by a function composed of basic thickness, self-shadow effect, and shadow mask function. A type of mask with parabolic contours is proposed, and the thickness uniformity of coatings on spheri- cal substrates can be improved in a large range of ratios of clear aperture （CA） to radius of curvature （RoC） by optimizing shadow masks using a numerical optimization algorithm. Theoretically, the thick- ness uniformity improves to more than 97.5% of CA/RoC from -1.9 to 1.9. Experimentally, the thickness uniformities of coatings on a convex spherical substrate （CA/RoC = 1.53） and on a concave spherical substrate （CA/RoC=-1.65） improve to be better than 98.5% after corrected by the shadow masks.

Measurement of Mucosal Thickness in Denture-bearing Area of Edentulous Mandible

Background： The thickness of the alveolar mucosa influences the probability of the occurrence of denture-induced irritations. Thick denture-supporting tissues offer relief from mucosal tenderness and ulcers; however, the uniformity of the thickness across the entire mandibular alveolar mucosa cannot be accurately determined in edentulous patients. This study aimed to assess the mucosal thickness of the denture-bearing area in the edentulous mandible. Methods： Twenty-seven edentulous patients underwent cone-beam computed tomography scanning, wherein the patients wore a record base to retract soft tissues away from the alveolar mucosa. The measured regions were the central incisor （1C）, lateral incisor （1L）, canine （Ca）, first premolar （P 1）, second premolar （P2）, first molar （M 1）, and second molar （M2） regions. The thickness was measured in the alveolar ridge crest （T）, buccal （B1-B4）, and lingual （L I-L4） alveolar ridge mucosa. The average thickness of the mucosa at buccal sides （B） and lingual sides （L） were also assessed. Results： The differences in the mucosal thickness between the left and right sides were not significant. In the Ca-M2 regions, T was the thickest, and L3 was the thinnest of all the measured points in the same regions. L was significantly less than B in posterior regions （P 〈 0.01 ）. On the other hand, M2 at L4 was thinnest of all the measured regions from Ca to M2 （P 〈 0.01）, and was thicker than IC, IL, P1, and P2 at B2. Conclusions： Since the mucosal thickness of denture-bearing area in the edentulous mandible is not uniform; the tissue surface of the denture base or custom tray should be selectively relieved, which may reduce the risk of denture-induced irritations.