SKZ Young Talent Award for master's thesis on coating thickness testing system
Henriette Quitter has received the SKZ Plastics Center's Young Talent Award for her master's thesis entitled "Development of multi-pulse thermography for flat coating thickness measurement". The subject of the master's thesis was the potential and challenges of the non-destructive testing system for coating thicknesses, in particular for paints.
The jury of the SKZ Young Talent Award, consisting of the SKZ Advisory Board, the sponsor OPmobility and representatives of the SKZ, recognized Henriette Quitter's work entitled "Development of multi-pulse thermography for areal coating thickness measurement" as groundbreaking for the industry. The prize is awarded annually and is endowed with 2,000 euros. Henriette Quitter's work has led to remarkable findings that demonstrate the potential and challenges of multi-pulse thermography as a non-destructive testing system for the area-based visualization of coating thicknesses, particularly of paints. The aim was to develop an evaluation algorithm that enables precise conversion of the raw signal from multi-pulse thermography into coating thicknesses. By investigating various industry-relevant samples and excitation techniques, she was not only able to realize an areal coating thickness measurement, but also gain valuable insights into possible applications. Henriette Quitter has been working at the SKZ for several years, currently as a student assistant. Following her project work at the Würzburg institute, the 27-year-old completed her Master's thesis under the supervision of SKZ CEO Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Bastian - her supervisor was Daniel Hoffmann, Senior Scientist in the Non-destructive Testing Group. Henriette Quitter worked in the field of thermography the entire time. "Multi-pulse thermography makes it possible to determine coating thicknesses over a large area and directly by imaging. Extensive studies have shown that coating thickness measurement can be used successfully for paint coatings on both metal and plastic substrates," explains Henriette Quitter.
Luis Wachter, group leader of the non-destructive testing research group at the SKZ, is delighted with the success: "Henriette Quitter's results are highly relevant for the industry, as they pave the way for the use of multi-pulse thermography for non-destructive and area-based measurement of coating thicknesses. This enables efficient quality control during the coating process and on the finished component, which can lead to more efficient use of resources in the long term." Multi-pulse thermography is therefore an innovative and promising tool for process optimization and digital process design. "OPmobility is proud to support the collaboration between research and industry and to promote young talents of the new generation," adds Aurélien Moressée, Innovation Manager at OPmobility. "With the SKZ Young Talent Award, OPmobility promotes industry-oriented innovative solutions to develop safe and sustainable mobility." The award ceremony took place as part of the SKZ Network Day 2024.