Multi-angle colorimeter for the car refinish sector

Case Study: DH electronics x BYK-Gardner
Customers report on their experiences with the Digital Heroes

Our interview partners
As Vice President R&D, Dr. Ulrich Neuhäusler has been responsible for development activities at BYK-Gardner for five years. In the area of hardware development, the doctor of physics is supported by Michael Straub as Head of Hardware Design and a 30-strong team. Together they pursue the goal of bringing innovative high-tech instruments, software and services for testing color, gloss and physical properties to the market.

About BYK-Gardner GmbH
BYK-Gardner GmbH is part of the Altana Group and an international company with headquarters in Geretsried and subsidiaries in China, the USA and several European countries. BYK-Gardner develops innovative high-tech instruments, software and services for testing color, gloss and physical properties. The high-precision measuring instruments are used worldwide wherever color and surface properties are important quality characteristics. BYK-Gardner's well-known customers include paint and automotive manufacturers as well as companies from the aviation, shipbuilding, furniture and packaging industries and glass processing companies.

The application
BYK-Gardner develops many devices together with customers or adapts them to their requirements. The contact between BYK-Gardner and DH electronics also came about as part of a customer-specific request. On behalf of a major US paint manufacturer, the team led by Dr. Ulrich Neuhäusler and Michael Straub was tasked with developing a multi-angle colorimeter for the car refinish sector. The special feature of the new measuring device is that it is equipped with an RGB camera, as conventional devices on the market were previously only suitable for black and white applications. Due to the increased requirements in terms of performance and application, a replacement had to be found for the STM32 microcontrollers previously used by BYK. A system on module based on a microprocessor from the STM32 family was the obvious solution.

The collaboration
Michael Straub came to DH electronics with a request for a system on module based on STM32MP1x and found a space-saving computer module measuring just 29 x 29 mm in the form of the solderable DHCOR STM32MP15. The guaranteed long-term availability of 10+ years, the company's headquarters and production in Germany and the comprehensive technical support on hardware and software issues convinced BYK to work with DH.

Due to the tight project schedule, a prototype had to be built within a short period of time. This was possible with the Avenger96 board as a reference design for the DHCOR STM32MP15 and thanks to the competent support of the DHSOM product manager. In addition to the new hardware requirements due to the connection of an RGB camera and the switch from microcontroller to microprocessor, the conversion of the application software from a real-time operating system to Linux also presented some challenges. DH electronics and its long-standing partner DENX Software Engineering were able to provide support and achieve a short time-to-market. The product is now ready for series production and is used worldwide as a colorimeter for refinish customers.

The next step is to develop a similar device based on the new DHCOS STM32MP2 soldering module, which will stand out thanks to its enhanced camera features. The latest computer module from DH electronics' DHSOM family combines the advantages of a space-saving solder module with the benefits of a pin-compatible family standard. More information on the STM32MP2-based SOM will follow shortly.

Thanks to the successful and cooperative partnership, Mr. Straub approached DH with another request. This time it's about a colorimeter for quality and process control of painting in automotive manufacturing. Instead of the solderable DHCOR STM32MP15 with a processor from STMicroelectronics, the pluggable DHCOM i.MX8M Plus with a CPU from NXP Semiconductors is being used. The pluggable computer module is ideal for smaller quantities and impresses as a quad core with computing power and a powerful GPU.

After several years of cooperation in the context of various measuring devices, the DH electronics team recently visited BYK-Gardner's headquarters in Geretsried. In addition to the open discussions, the tour of the production facility was a highlight, as BYK manufactures all optical measuring devices for the global market at its 'Color and Apperance' competence center in Geretsried, south of Munich.

Here you can find out at a glance what BYK-Gardner particularly appreciates about DH electronics:

• Space-saving DHCOR STM32MP15 soldering module measuring just 29 x 29 mm
• Avenger96 reference design for fast prototyping and short time-to-market
• Competent support for software and hardware issues from a single source
• Partnership in the field of Linux engineering between DH electronics and DENX
• Personal support from the DHSOM product manager and the RND team
• Physical proximity, partnership and a shared understanding of values
• Engineered and made in Germany with guaranteed availability of 10+ years

We look forward to continuing our collaboration with BYK-Gardner and the use of our System on Modules in innovative measuring devices.