A New Tool for In-line Inspection of Automobile Glass Surface Aspect and Transmission Properties

Marc Rosenbaum

Measuring geometrical and surface characteristics of a glass panel have always been a difficult task to
fulfi l. Despite tremendous progress implemented by 3D measuring techniques these last 20 years no real satisfactory solutions have been identified until today.

Visual observation by human inspectors' eyes of the deformations of the reflection of a regular pattern over a curved sheet of glass remains the general rule.

It presents the major disadvantage of being subjective, not very discriminating, not repeatable and not traceable.

The use of the deflectometry linked to reflectometry by a new product ONDULO overcomes all these issues. It uses the same principles as visual inspection but offers a quantitative, traceable, fast and accurate way to measure in-line all surface aspects characteristics of a glass panel: Curvature, Waviness, local defects and optical defects in transmission.

Full-Text Article [307 KB]