Thickness measurement is the gauging of coatings or films on surfaces—such as paint on metal parts. Manufacturers are increasingly using thinner and higher-performance coatings these days, with tighter applied thickness tolerances and an increasing need for more accurate and precise tools.

If you were to ask an assembler at a Tesla factory how they measure the diameter of a piston, the response could very well be “what’s a piston?” If the same question were asked, a traditional combustion engine assembler would likely exclaim “with calipers, of course!”

Confocal sensors are increasingly used for fast distance and thickness measurements. Different sensor and controller models open versatile fields of application, e.g. in the semiconductor industry, glass industry, medical engineering and plastics production. 

On the surface, thickness seems like an easy measurement to take, as dimensional measurements go. You have two big, flat, parallel planes on which to plant your gage.

Thickness is a measure of coatings or films, such as the thickness of paint on metal, or the distance between the closest opposing surfaces of an object.

The CT-Gage DL+ thickness gage offers an A-Scanning display, which allows the operator to see the signal and adjust all gates and parameters while testing, giving full transparency to the operator in the application environment.