The ability to measure indentation hardness and elastic modulus in accordance with DIN EN ISO 14577-1 and ASTM E 2546 both in the micro and nano scale is crucial for quality control and plays a significant role in our R&D efforts.

IHC is equipped with various imaging devices with capabilities including but not limited to White Light Interferometry (WLI), Spinning Disk Confocal Microscopy (SDCM), Bright Field 3D Microscopy, and Optical Microscopy with magnifications up to 400x. These devices play an important role in surface analysis, application development, and failure analysis. Moreover, our 3D Optical Profilometer provides non-contact surface measurements from the nano to micron scale.

Additional information on surface analysis

Aside from crucial coating characteristics such as hardness and thickness, adhesion is the most critical as poor adhesion of coatings can lead to premature wear or catastrophic failure. We employ methods such as the Rockwell Indentation and Scratch Adhesion to ensure that every batch of coating has optimum adhesion as part of our quality control system.

Every product that is processed at IHC is subject to stringent inspection procedures. The incoming inspection process begins immediately after products are unpacked. Products are checked for any surface defects such as dents, scratches, impurities, machining marks. Once processing is complete each product is inspected to ensure that the coating specifications (e.g. thickness, uniformity, adhesion) are met prior to shipment release.

Tribological Analysis

With our in-house universal tribometer, we can obtain useful tribological data by designing experiments that replicate the application environment as closely as possible. We can characterize friction, wear, adhesion, fatigue, and several mechanical surface properties. This data is instrumental in developing tailored solutions for the most demanding applications.