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On the Surface: An Overview of Surface Types and Measurement Challenges in Manufacturing

Of all the challenges manufacturers face, creating and optimizing critical surface processes for various materials can be very difficult. Traits such as location, size, shape, and texture can add to the challenge. The success of any critical surface process requires an in-line, fast, easy, and accurate verification method. That’s why more and more manufacturers are turning to the Surface Analyst. Whether it’s bonding, painting, printing, cleaning, coating, or sealing, the Surface Analyst optimizes critical surface processes and monitors surface treatment on virtually any surface so the product is guaranteed to deliver.

Brighton Science engineered the Surface Analyst to adapt to any application directly on the factory floor. Patented Ballistic Deposition deposits a stream of micro-droplets on the surface; these micro-droplets contain kinetic energy, which allows the drops to overcome various textures and different angles without interfering with measurement accuracy. The drop size can also be adjusted so that measurements can be taken on any sized surface, from a giant wind turbine to a minuscule medical catheter.

Here are just a few examples of Surface Analyst measurements on diverse surfaces right on the factory floor:

Round: Golf balls prior to printing or coating

Concave: Interior of automotive headlights prior to anti-fog coating application

Convex: Silkscreen plastic bottles post-flame treatment

Rough: Grit-blasted automotive parts

surface types round
Cylinder: Measurements on cylindrical and reflective film surfaces

Smooth: Glass prior to frame sealing or coating

Reflective: Reflective laminates post-corona treatment

Vertical: Mechanical fasteners on aerospace exteriors

Upside down: Ship hulls prior to painting

Small: Circuit boards prior to conformal coating application

Get hands-on with your surface cleanliness with the Surface Analyst 5001.

So whether the measurement surface is highly textured, oddly shaped, or difficult to reach, the Surface Analyst can measure its surface cleanliness: bringing manufacturers the ability to monitor and verify surface treatments right on the factory floor.

Visit the Case Studies section for detailed stories about the Surface Analyst's unique applications.