The right gloss level has a big impact on both the appearance and the colour of the product. The quality of a painted surface is often assessed by measuring gloss and tone, and these parameters are critical in automotive, metalworking and wood finishing.
Glossmetry and spectrophotometry are two complementary methods that together give a complete picture of the optical quality of a painted surface.
Gloss is measured at angles defined by the glossmeter (20°, 60°, 85°). The choice of angle depends on the gloss level of the coating:
Spectrophotometers measure the full colour signature and allow the colour difference (ΔE) between two samples to be calculated. This is important in production, where the colours of several batches must be visually identical.
The Elcometer 480 glossmeter supports all three standard measuring angles and transmits the results via Bluetooth to the ElcoMaster app. The Elcometer 6000 spectrophotometer provides accurate colour difference analysis for the production environment.
The degree of gloss has a direct impact on the aesthetic quality of the product. In production, each product must comply with a specified gloss level (e.g. 30 GU ±5). Too high or too low a gloss may indicate a defect in the painting process: incorrect paint film thickness, too rapid drying, incorrect paint selection or inadequate surface preparation.
ΔE (delta E) is a numerical measure of colour difference. ΔE 3 is clearly visible. In the automotive industry, ΔE < 1 is usually required, in manufacturing generally ΔE < 2.
Main standards: ISO 2813 (measurement of surface coating gloss at 20°, 60° and 85°), ASTM D523 (US standard for glossmetry), ISO 7724 (spectrophotometry and colour difference). Elister can help you to choose the measuring instrument that meets the standard.
One of the ways to measure the quality and conformity of a product's surface finish is to measure the gloss level. With the Elcometer 480 gloss meter, you can quickly and accurately measure gloss, reflectance and opacity measurements on a wide range of materials including paint, plastic, ceramic or metal.
