Real-time control of powder coating

Powder coating on MDF is still largely intuitive and experience-based. Processes are tuned until the result meets the requirements, which currently is assessed visually or destructively. The Swiss company Winterthur Instruments has developed the coatmaster, based on a thermal measuring method called Advanced Thermal Optics, which for the first time accurately measures layer thickness of uncured powder on MDF in a noncontact and non-destructive manner. Thanks to the measurement of the uncured powder early in the process, online quality assurance can be carried out. Faulty production items are detected before they enter the curing process and appropriate measures can be taken. It allows a real-time control of the coating process as well as 100% quality documentation. The quality requirements of the customer are guaranteed for each component. The current miniaturization of technology and the automation of measurement processes offer even further potential for process control. Overall, the use of this system leads to an increase in the production efficiency and provides significant savings of powder material.