Coating Thickness
Analysis Module
Coating thickness is a critical quality indicator across aerospace, automotive, biomedical, and industrial manufacturing. Whether evaluating single-layer thermal sprays, multilayer ceramic systems, or porous bond coats, traditional manual cross-section measurement introduces operator variability, limits throughput, and fails to capture full thickness distributions. Clemex's Coating Thickness Analysis module automates detection, segmentation, and measurement across single and multilayer coating systems, delivering statistically robust results with full porosity and hardness reporting in one workflow.
From single coating to complex multilayer systems. Clemex measures every layer automatically, with full distribution statistics.
Coating Structure Types
Supported Coating Architectures
Clemex's Coating Thickness module is validated across the full spectrum of industrial coating configurations, from dense single-layer deposits to complex multilayer systems.
One Layer of Regular Coating
A single dense coating with a well-defined interface and minimal porosity. Typical of PVD, CVD, or electroplated coatings. Clemex detects the boundary by thresholding and generates perpendicular measuring lines for a full thickness distribution.
One Layer of Porous Coating
A single coating with significant internal porosity, common in thermal spray and biomedical applications. Clemex isolates the coating body, removes artifacts, and reports thickness and porosity independently.
Multiple Layers
Complex stacks combining metallic bond coats, ceramic top coats, and finishing layers. Multi Layer Grab and Top Hat operations isolate each layer independently, even when adjacent layers share similar gray levels.
Two Layers of the Same Type
Two sequential layers of the same material separated by an interface line. Clemex detects the interface and assigns each layer to its own measurement bitplane for independent thickness reporting.
Two Layers of Different Types
Two contrasting layers (e.g., a dense bond coat and a cracked ceramic top coat) separated by gray-level contrast. Each layer is mapped and measured independently with its own thickness and porosity output.
Real-World Applications
Analysis Report Examples
Explore how Clemex's Coating Thickness Analysis module performs across a range of industrial coating samples, from thermal spray to multilayer paint systems.
Thermal Spray Coating
Porosity detection and measurement on a mounted thermal spray sample. Clemex isolates pores from the coating matrix using gray thresholding and binary operations, reporting pore area, length, and pores-to-coating ratio.
Silicon Carbide Coating
Three-layer silicon carbide coating where the inner and middle layers share the same gray-level range. Clemex applies gray filter operations to discriminate layers that cannot be separated by thresholding alone, then measures each independently.
Paint Coating Characterization
A metallic sheet with two coatings and a paint layer. Multi Layer Grab and Top Hat operations separate layers sharing similar gray ranges. Coating outlines and the paint layer are converted to measuring lines for full length-distribution output.
Coating and Inconel Characterization
Six Inconel samples with varying coatings. Clemex automatically discriminates coating, inclusions, mounting media, and porosity using thresholding and binary operations, then converts the coating body into measuring lines for full thickness-distribution and porosity reporting.
How It Works
Automated Coating Analysis Workflow
A fully automated, four-step pipeline takes your cross-section image from acquisition to final statistical report.
Image Acquisition
Cross-section images are captured and loaded directly into the workflow. Compatible with optical, SEM, and BSE systems.
Layer Detection
Binarization and bitplane operations isolate each coating layer independently, even when layers share similar gray levels.
Coating Analysis
Layer outlines converted to perpendicular measuring lines. Thickness, porosity, and distribution computed per layer.
Report Generation
Min, Max, Mean, and SD per layer with full histogram output, automatically compiled into a traceable report.
Detection Modes
Clemex applies the right detection approach to your sample — from fast, deterministic thresholding to AI-driven segmentation for the most demanding multilayer stacks.
Mode 01 · Automated Threshold Detection
Applied when coating layers have distinct gray-level contrast from the substrate or each other. Fast and deterministic, ideal for dense single-layer coatings and heterogeneous multilayer stacks.
Best for: Single Layer · Heterogeneous Bilayer · High Contrast Samples
Mode 02 · Automated AI Detection
Deployed to detect complex multicoating samples where layers share similar gray levels and cannot be separated by traditional detection methods. AI-driven operations generate the contrast needed for independent layer segmentation.
Best for: Same-Gray Layers · Multilayer Stacks · Complex Architectures
Measurement Outputs · Primary Outputs
Thickness & Distribution
Every Clemex coating analysis delivers a complete set of quantitative outputs per detected layer, from thickness distributions to porosity and mechanical property data.
Mean Thickness (µm)
Average perpendicular thickness across all measurement lines for each detected layer.
Min / Max Thickness
Full range of measured values per layer, revealing local thinning or build-up zones.
Standard Deviation
Layer uniformity index. Tight SD indicates a uniform, consistent deposition process.
Thickness Distribution Histogram
Full count vs. length histogram across user-defined bin intervals, per layer.
Secondary Outputs
Porosity & Layer Data
Porosity Percentage (%)
Area fraction of pores and voids within the coating body, independently segmented from the coating material.
Per-Layer Separation
Each layer in a multilayer stack is reported independently with its own thickness and porosity data.
Key Features
Everything You Need in One Module
From image acquisition to final report, Clemex covers the complete coating thickness analysis workflow.
Multilayer Architecture Support
- Handles 1 to 3+ layer coating stacks in a single analysis session
- Separates layers even when adjacent layers share identical gray-level ranges using multi-grab and gray filter pipelines
Integrated Porosity Quantification
- Independently segments pores, inclusions, and mounting artifacts from the coating body
- Reports area-fraction porosity per specimen without manual intervention
Full Statistical & Histogram Reporting
- Generates per-layer length distribution histograms with count and cumulative % axes
- Outputs min, max, mean, and standard deviation in a formatted, traceable report
Compatible with Your Imaging Setup
Integrates seamlessly with a wide range of optical and electron microscopy systems, regardless of brand or configuration. No proprietary hardware required — if your system captures cross-section images, Clemex can analyze them.
Reproducible, Operator-Independent Results
- Automated binary operations and gray filter sequences eliminate analyst subjectivity
- Same image always produces identical segmentation, measurements, and report output
Frequently Asked Questions
What industries and coating types does the module support?
The module is used across aerospace (thermal barrier coatings, HVOF, plasma spray), automotive (ceramic and metallic coatings), biomedical (porous implant coatings), electronics (PVD/CVD thin films), and general manufacturing quality control. It handles metallic, ceramic, carbide, and mixed multilayer coating systems on any substrate material visible in cross-section, without reconfiguring the workflow between sample types.
Aerospace, automotive, biomedical, and beyond
How does Clemex eliminate operator variability in coating measurements?
Traditional cross-section measurement requires the analyst to manually draw measurement lines, set thresholds, and decide which features to include or exclude, introducing significant operator-to-operator variability. Clemex automates the entire segmentation and measurement sequence. The same image always produces identical detection, identical measuring lines, and identical statistical output regardless of who runs the analysis. This makes results fully reproducible for QC audits, inter-laboratory studies, and regulated environments.
Same image, same result, every operator, every time
Can the software measure coating thickness on both optical and SEM cross-sections?
Yes. Clemex works with images from optical microscopes (brightfield, reflected light) and scanning electron microscopes (BSE, SE modes). The detection approach, thresholding or AI-based gray filter operations, adapts to the contrast characteristics of the imaging modality. SEM cross-sections are particularly useful for thin coatings below 5 µm where optical resolution is insufficient.
Optical and SEM: same workflow, same report
What happens when two adjacent layers have the same gray level?
This is a common challenge in multilayer ceramic systems such as silicon carbide or YSZ thermal barrier coatings. When standard thresholding cannot separate layers with identical gray ranges, Clemex's AI detection mode applies a sequence of morphological gray filter operations including Top Hat transformations and gradient enhancement to generate sufficient contrast for independent layer segmentation. Both layers are then measured and reported separately.
AI detection resolves same-gray-level layers automatically
How does Clemex handle porosity within the coating during thickness measurement?
Porosity is segmented independently from the coating body. Binary fill operations first close pores to establish the solid coating outline used for thickness measurement. Pores are then re-detected in a separate bitplane and their area fraction reported as coating porosity %. This decoupling ensures that internal voids do not distort the measured thickness values, a critical requirement for thermal spray coatings where porosity can be high.
Thickness and porosity measured independently, no cross-contamination
How many layers can the module detect simultaneously?
The module supports single-layer, dual-layer (same and different types), three-layer systems, and multilayer coating samples with more than three layers. Extended multilayer stacks are handled via configurable bitplane combination logic and multi-grab processing pipelines that scale to the complexity of your coating architecture.
From single layers to complex multilayer stacks, all supported
Is the output report suitable for quality control documentation and standards compliance?
Yes. Every Clemex report includes traceable metadata (date, magnification, calibration, field area), per-layer statistics (min, max, mean, SD), thickness distribution histograms, and segmented image overlays. Reports are formatted for direct inclusion in QC documentation packages and are aligned with image analysis methodology standards. The fully automated pipeline ensures results are audit-ready with no manual intervention in the measurement chain.
Traceable, audit-ready reports from every analysis
Ready to Automate Your Coating Thickness Analysis?
Talk to a Clemex expert and get a live demo on your own cross-section images. No commitment required.
