Introduction to Surface Appearance and Gloss Measurement

Surface appearance is a vital quality metric for industries such as paints, coatings, plastics, and metals. Traditional gloss measurements alone are insufficient to fully assess surface quality due to secondary visual effects. The Rhopoint IQ-S instrument enhances evaluation by capturing photometric BRDF reflection curves, enabling comprehensive measurement of gloss and related appearance parameters.

Key Surface Parameters Measured

• Gloss: Measures the amount of reflected light.
• RSPEC: Maximum specular gloss value.
• Haze (Reflectance): Caused by microscopic surface textures or residues, leading to a milky finish and reduced reflected contrast, critical for high-gloss metallic and plastic surfaces.
• DOI (Distinctness of Image): Indicates sharpness of reflected images, sensitive to defects like orange peel and brush marks.
• RIQ (Reflected Image Quality): Similar to DOI but better aligned with human visual perception, important for premium coatings in automotive, aviation, and marine sectors.

Advanced Appearance Characterization with Rhopoint Aesthetix

The Rhopoint Aesthetix system offers a human-centric, advanced surface appearance evaluation using dual cameras and multiple lighting types (circumferential, specular, linear, and 10° spot). It is especially suited for complex surfaces such as automotive interiors where subtle finish variations affect perceived quality.

Modules of Rhopoint Aesthetix

• Surface Gloss Module: Measures 60° gloss, Michelson contrast, visual gloss scale (pGU), ASTM E430 opacity, sharpness (SU), waviness/orange peel, and color via RGB imaging.
• Cross-Cut Adhesion Module: Automates adhesion quality assessment per ASTM D3359 and ISO 2409, replacing subjective visual inspection with reproducible imaging and digital records.
• Polish Quality Module: Detects polishing defects such as swirls, scratches, and holograms to optimize polishing processes.
• Surface Texture Module: Measures 3D topology, cell count/size/distribution, perceived roughness, and reflectivity on textured materials like automotive plastics and leather.

Rhopoint IQ-S and IQ Flex 20-S Instruments

Rhopoint IQ-S: Distributed exclusively by Konica Minolta Sensing, this instrument measures gloss at 20°/60°/85°, RSPEC, diffuse reflectance, and DOI/RIQ with high precision and narrow tolerances, ideal for automotive interior and exterior surfaces.

Rhopoint IQ Flex 20-S: A compact, single-angle (20°) gonioreflectometer designed for small or curved surfaces difficult to measure traditionally, such as car door handles and antennas. It includes customizable magnetic 3D-printed adapters for improved repeatability. Data is fully compatible with IQ-S 20° measurements.

Rhopoint Novo-Gloss FLEX 60

Designed for low-gloss surfaces (<10 GU at 60°), this instrument combines a 60° gloss meter with a lightweight remote measurement head compliant with ISO 2813 and ASTM D523. It offers a 10x higher resolution scale (GUh) for precise control of low-gloss finishes, supporting production monitoring with integrated statistics and an intuitive interface.

Rhopoint TAMS™ – Total Appearance Measurement System

Developed with Volkswagen AG and AUDI AG, Rhopoint TAMS™ models human perception of surface quality by measuring contrast, sharpness, waviness, and dimension using variable-focus machine vision. It consolidates complex data into two key parameters:

• QUALITY: Overall surface appearance quality metric combining contrast, sharpness, and waviness; 100% indicates a perfectly smooth finish with flawless image reflection.
• HARMONY: Measures visual acceptability between adjacent automotive parts; values above 1.0 indicate perceptible mismatches reducing visual appeal.

TAMS supports three measurement modes tailored to surface types: C-Coat (highly reflective), E-Coat (semi-matte), and R-Mat (raw/matte). It facilitates early process optimization, material validation, and specification communication across supply chains. Additionally, it provides 3D topographical data via phase measurement deflectometry, correlating with more expensive surface sensors.

Standards and Traceability

All instruments comply with ISO 17025 traceability standards, ensuring reliable, objective, and reproducible data to minimize subjectivity in quality control. Supported industry standards include ASTM D3359, ISO 2409, ASTM E430, ISO 2813, and ASTM D523.

Summary of Benefits and Applications

• Comprehensive surface appearance evaluation beyond traditional gloss metrics.
• Objective, reproducible measurements reducing reliance on subjective visual inspection.
• Modular instruments adaptable to diverse materials, surface geometries, and industry requirements.
• Enhanced process control and quality assurance in automotive, aerospace, marine, industrial coatings, plastics, and consumer goods sectors.
• Advanced data compatibility and integration for supply chain quality management.

Konica Minolta Sensing provides global support and calibration services to maintain measurement accuracy and compliance.

Company Global Offices and Contact Information

The document lists global office locations categorized by region, with corresponding contact emails and phone numbers to facilitate communication for marketing, sensing technology inquiries, and general information.

Office Locations

• China: Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Qingdao, Wuhan, Shanghai, Shandong, Hubei
• Asia-Pacific: Singapore, Korean HQ (Goyang-si, Korea), Thailand Representative Office (Bangkok)
• Europe: Nieuwegein (Netherlands), München (Germany), Roissy CDG (France), Warrington (UK), Cinisello Balsamo (Italy), Dietikon (Switzerland), Wroclaw (Poland), Zaventem (Belgium), Västra Frölunda (Sweden), Valencia (Spain)

Contact Emails

• Regional marketing and info emails for Europe and Asia, e.g., [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Phone Numbers

• Europe: Country-specific numbers including Netherlands (+31 30 248-1193), Germany (+49 89 4357 156 0), France (+33 1 80-11 10 70), UK (+44 1925 467300), Italy (+39 02 84948800), Switzerland (+41 43 322-9800), Poland (+48 71 734 52-11), Belgium (+32 2 7170-933), Sweden (+46 31 7099464), Spain (+34 96 330 2013)
• China: Multiple city-specific numbers including Shanghai (+86 21 5489 0202), Beijing (+86 10 8522 1551), Guangzhou (+86 20 3826 4220), Chongqing (+86 23 6773 4988), Shandong (+86 532 8079 1871), Hubei (+86 27 8544 9942)
• Asia-Pacific: Singapore (+65 6563-5533), Korea (+82 2-523-9726), Thailand (+66 2029-7000)
• USA: Toll-free +1-888-473-2656 (within USA), +1-201-236-4300 (outside USA)

Summary

This section provides a comprehensive directory of the company's global offices, facilitating direct contact for regional marketing, technical support, and general inquiries.