May 13, 2014

Glass Thickness Measurement Using White Light Interferometry: Lumetrics® Vice President Steve Heveron-Smith Explains Why Glass Thickness Measurement is Crucial to a Successful Operation

Lumetrics was featured in a Glass International publication about how glass thickness measurement is a critical parameter in a successful operation. Vice President Steve Heveron-Smith described how an all fiber-based interferometer, like Lumetrics' OptiGauge™ can work in different glass applications.


Common methods for measuring glass include laser triangulation, spectrometers, digital micrometers, and manual touch gauges of various types. Manual touch gauges have all the issues inherent to manual measurements including variability based on user, longer time to measure, data integrity, and operator error. Automated gauges like spectrometers, and laser triangulation gauges remove the data integrity and time to measure issues, but often result in issues with set-up and usability.


Lumetrics® has developed an all-fiber based interferometer called the OptiGauge™. Traditional white light interferometers use a mechanical rotating flywheel with mirrors to provide the core function of creating interference fringes- what the system measures. The rotating flywheel is used in conjunction with free space optics, which channel a light beam through a series of mirrors and prisms and then out through an optical fiber to the probe and measured surface. These mirrors can be subject to alignment and use issues over time.


Read the full article here.

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