Patent ID: 7537681

Claim:
A method for forming an anodized coating on at least a portion of a substrate thereby creating an anodized substrate, said method including: (a) using an anodizing system having a bath; (b) placing the substrate into the bath to facilitate the formation of the anodized coating on at least a portion of the substrate thereby creating the anodized substrate; and (c) measuring the anodized coating with a coating thickness monitor to determine the thickness of at least a portion of the anodized coating on the substrate formed in said bath, said measuring including: (i) directing at least one radiation source at at least a portion of the anodized substrate; (ii) capturing with at least one probe at least a portion of the radiation reflected and refracted by the anodized coating on the anodized substrate, the captured radiation being at least a portion of the radiation directed at the anodized substrate from said radiation source; and (iii) transmitting to at least one detector from said at least one probe said captured radiation, said at least one detector capable of processing the captured radiation to allow a determination of at least the thickness of the anodized coating on the substrate.