METHOD FOR MEASURING THE THICKNESS OF A LAYER OF MATERIAL, GALVANIZING METHOD AND RELATED MEASURING DEVICE

摘要

The invention relates to a method for measuring the thickness (d) of a layer (2) using a light source (121) irradiating the layer using a light beam (121A) and controlled by a sinusoidal control signal (11) having a modulation frequency fm such that the light beam has an optical power (21) that is sinusoidally modulated at said modulation frequency, wherein the measurement method comprises: determining, using detection means (130), a calibration phase shift (&Dgr;Φcal) between the optical power and the control signal; heating the layer with the light beam; detecting a sinusoidal component (31) of a heat flow (131A) radiated by the layer using detection means; calculating a phase shift (&Dgr;Φ th/ &ogr;&rgr; t) between the sinusoidal component of the radiated heat flow and the optical power of the light beam while accounting for the calibration phase shift; and determining the thickness of the layer of material based on said phase shift (&Dgr;Φ th/ &ogr;&rgr; t).