Patent ID: 7262596

Claim:
A method for the contactless determination of a thickness of a layer ( 20 ) made of electrically-conductive material applied to a component ( 17 ) made of ferromagnetic material, the following measuring steps including at least one measuring coil ( 14 ) carrying an alternating current and mounted on a coil form ( 13 ), the inductance and resistance values of which are evaluated: Determine the inductance value L 0,d,f of the coil ( 14 ) in a measurement carried out exclusively with respect to a component ( 17 ) as the object of measurement made of ferromagnetic material, the coil ( 14 ) being acted upon with an alternating current frequency f; the distance between the coil form ( 13 ) and the object of measurement is d; Determine the resistance value R 0,d,f of the coil ( 14 ) in a measurement carried out exclusively with respect to the component ( 17 ) as the object of measurement made of ferromagnetic material, the coil ( 14 ) being acted upon with alternating current frequency f; the distance between the coil form ( 13 ) and the object of measurement is d; Convert the resistance value R 0,d,f with a distance characteristic into the value of distance d; Determine the inductance value L x,d,f of the coil ( 14 ) in a measurement carried out with respect to the layer ( 20 ) to be determined, the coil ( 14 ) being acted upon with alternating current frequency f; the distance between the coil form ( 13 ) and the coated component ( 17 ) is d; Convert the determined inductance values L 0,d,f and L x,d,f to a dimensionless measured value M e ; Convert the measured value M e with a family of calibration curves with consideration for the determined value of distance d to a layer thickness value.