Coating Inspection

Coatings protect components against wear, corrosion and thermal stress or provide specific functional properties. Defects, insufficient adhesion and variations in coating thickness can significantly compromise their protective performance and service life. FOERSTER provides non-destructive inspection solutions for the reliable evaluation of coatings and multilayer systems – offering precise, non-contact testing for industrial quality assurance.

Coatings are used in a wide range of industrial applications, from corrosion and wear protection to thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). During manufacturing or subsequent operation, defects such as cracks, inclusions, delamination or insufficient adhesion may occur. Missing coatings, uneven coating thickness and irregularities in paints or functional surface layers can also affect quality and performance. As these defects often remain hidden beneath the surface or are difficult to identify visually, reliable non-destructive inspection is essential.

FOERSTER offers inspection solutions for various coating types and material combinations. Depending on the coating system and inspection requirements, active thermography techniques, particularly laser thermography and optically excited lock-in thermography, can be applied. Controlled thermal excitation reveals characteristic changes in heat flow that may indicate coating defects, poor adhesion or thickness variations. An infrared camera captures the thermal response of the component, while the analysis of phase and amplitude images enables a detailed evaluation of the inspected areas. Non-contact inspection supports quality assurance of individual components as well as integration into automated manufacturing processes.

With extensive expertise in non-destructive testing, FOERSTER supports manufacturers in the early detection of critical coating defects. Reliable evaluation of coatings and multilayer systems enables targeted quality control, reduces scrap and rework, and supports stable manufacturing processes. Coating inspection thus contributes to consistent product quality and long-term functional reliability of coated components.