$3,399.00 USD 
GM-14500
$4,550.99 USD
Concrete Clarity Meter
Standards: ISO 2813, ISO 7668; ASTM D 523, D 2457; DIN 67530, JIS 8741
Specifications & Guidelines: Polished Concrete Definition - D100.0, Bonded Abrasive Polished Concrete Definition - D101.0, Burnished Polished Concrete Definition - D102.0, Hybrid Polished Concrete Definition - D104.0, Surface Coated Concrete Definition - D103.0
Concrete Clarity Meter
The Polished Concrete Industry has been searching for a solution to its ongoing difficulty with how to quantify a beautiful looking shiny Polished Concrete Floor, with a clear and simple measurement.
Gloss checker meters were meant to measure a floor without any coating to determine whether the floor met the design specifications. It did not take long for coatings to be applied to floors to make them glossier and smoother. After the coating was applied to a poorly finished floor, a gloss meter or gloss checker measured a much higher value of gloss. Less time and labor were spent on expensive mechanical work, but it achieved the goal of the designers who did not know any better.
Unfortunately, these coatings are quickly diminished by abrasion. Constant normal walking will destroy the appearance over a short period of time.
The Imbotec CCM Concrete Clarity Meter also known as Rhopoint IQ was introduced to the Polished Concrete Industry by John Imbault and Mr. Brad Burns measures not only gloss but also other image quality parameters such as DOI, Haze, and RSPEC, it is the only handheld instrument that profiles how light is reflected from a surface.
Standard glossmeters only measure how much light is reflected and are not sensitive to the effects that dramatically reduce appearance quality. Only the CCM Concrete Clarity Meter measures orange peel, haze effects, and polishing marks, refinement which distorts reflections in a surface, seriously reducing visual appearance but cannot be measured with traditional glossmeter.
In a single fast measurement, the Imbotec Concrete Clarity Meter CCM also known as Rhopoint IQ captures information about the gloss and texture on a sample surface.
Combined gloss, haze, and orange peel or refinement (DOI/RIQ values) information have made the CCM / IQ essential for controlling appearance finish in the Polished Concrete Industry - paints and coatings sector, particularly for high tech., automotive, Polished Concrete, and aerospace coatings.
The above image clearly shows two samples of Haze. The Concrete Clarity Meter also measures this variable, which is not desirable on polished concrete floors or any similar surface. Haze diminishes as the DOI (Distinctness of Image) - RIQ (Reflected Image Quality) increases.
The lower three images all have the SAME GLOSS VALUE. They ALL HAVE THE SAME GLOSS! However, the DOI - RIQ levels are extremely different ranging from close to zero to close to 100, proving that DOI - RIQ is the only accurate method to measure the quality of a polished concrete surface.
Mechanical roughness gauges to measure smoothness or roughness, however, called are not much better than gloss meters; coatings and gloss enhancers fool them too easily. Coatings fill the voids and crevices in the concrete floor and voila, a smooth and glossy concrete floor.
Some time ago the Concrete Polishing Association took on a project to find a method that would be foolproof and easy to use, and affordable. We provided meters to them for their testing on many floors from East to West and North to South, to see how different variables (machines, weight, aggregate, etc.) from each corner of the country affected outcomes for this new Concrete Clarity Meter. Results were very POSITIVE.
Samples of Beautifully Finished Floors:
 Work performed by Cuviello Concrete. |
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Mustang reflected off a Polished Concrete Floor (right photo) |
 Work in progress for a High Clarity success (left photo) |
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Concrete Clarity Meter
This Concrete Clarity Meter is handheld, easily transportable, lightweight, and easy to use. It is also accurate, repeatable, and cannot be fooled. Finally, waxes and coatings will no longer fool an instrument or operator. The Polished Concrete Industry found a solution.
True mechanically polished floors that shone like a mirror had high marks and floors with poorly finished surfaces with coatings had low marks.
Engineers, architects, and general contractors now have a tool to determine within seconds if the floor is what was requested and paid for!
The Concrete Clarity Meter measures Clarity on Concrete. The Clarity term is chosen to easily describe the level of how the concrete surface compares to a mirror. If a surface is shiny but hazy, it gets low points. If it shines and clear reflections are seen while looking at the floor, it gets high marks. High marks are measured as units of RIQ, (Reflected Image Quality), some people also referred to them as DOI, (Distinctness of Image).
Readings from a very High DOI on a floor in Las Vegas.
**The Concrete Clarity Meter (CCM) is 2 angles ONLY instrument.
DOI was found to measure the best surface appearance properties. As a floor is being abraded, and thus finer and finer scratches are created, the Concrete Clarity Meter can start measuring an increasing DOI while gloss is stable.
DOI is a precursor to gloss values. As the refinement of the concrete continues, DOI increases, and gloss also starts to increase. 1500 to 3000 final grit properly finished concrete floors with maximum refinement between each abrasion step will look more like a mirror or a calm lake than a concrete floor. The concrete clarity meter measures the steps in between each successive pass easily. Final high values of DOI over 80 meant the floor was finished properly with each successive pass of abrasion removing the previous set of scratches. This procedure produced a long-lasting, easily cared for floor without waxes or coatings.
Note: both the high RIQ and GLOSS and low Haze all pointing to a quality finish.
**The Concrete Clarity Meter (CCM) is 2 angles ONLY instrument.
A newer version of the meter introduced a new measurement called RIQ. RIQ replaced DOI as a better measurement. RIQ measures at lower values and thus has more resolution, making it better for the polished concrete industry as a whole.
For a Polished Concrete Contractor, the Imbotec Clarity DOI meter is an invaluable tool in the bidding process to differentiate you from your competitors. Scientifically prove the quality of your work to all your customers. This tool differentiates you from being a professional one.
Conclusion:
The Concrete Clarity Meter is an invaluable tool as determined by the Polishing Association and as seen by Concrete Polishing educational institutions across the United States. It is easily used and understood.
North America’s Premier Concrete Clarity Meter supplier and only Factory Authorized Repair and Calibration Facility. Get your Concrete Clarity Meter from Imbotec Group.
Now you can Rent it and test it before you buy, Only from Imbotec.
Not sure if the CCM Haze and Gloss meter is the correct solution for your measurement application? Then why not rent it and see for yourself. The benefits of being able to measure, DOI (Distinctness of Image), Haze, RSPEC and gloss all in one instrument are great.
Features
The CCM measures not only gloss but also other image quality parameters such as DOI, Haze, and RSPEC, it is the only handheld instrument that profiles how light is reflected from a surface.
Standard glossmeters only measure how much light is reflected and are not sensitive to effects that dramatically reduce appearance quality like; orange peel, haze effects, and polishing marks which distort reflections in a surface, seriously reducing visual appearance but cannot be measured with a traditional glossmeter.
In a single fast measurement, the CCM captures information about the gloss and texture of a sample surface.
Combined gloss, haze, and orange peel (DOI/RIQ values) information have made the IQ essential for controlling appearance finish in the paints and coatings sector, particularly for high tech., automotive, and aerospace coatings.
Specifications:
Gloss:
Resolution 0.1 GU
Repeatability 0.2 GU
Reproducibility 0.5GU
Measurement range:
20º: 0-2000GU
60º: 0-1000GU
RSPEC:
Peak Specular Reflectance @ 20° +/- 0.09905°
Measurement range: 20°: 0-2000GU
Haze:
Near Specular Reflectance measured at 17-19°, 21-23°
Resolution 0.1 HU
Repeatability 0.2 HU
Reproducibility 1.5 HU
RIQ:
Resolution 0.1%
Repeatability ±0.2%
Reproducibility ±0.5%
Measurement Range: 0-100
DOI:
Resolution 0.1%
Repeatability ±0.2%
Reproducibility ±0.5%
Measurement Range: 0-100
Measurement spot:
20° - (6mm x 6.4mm), (0.24″ x 0.25″)
60° - (6mm x 12mm), (0.24″ x 0.47″)
Memory:
999+ readings
Power:
AC adapter rechargeable in 4 hours
Battery life:
17 hrs.+ continuous operation or 20,000+ readings
Memory:
Onboard memory for 999+ readings with full goniphotometric profiles
Operating Temperature:
15 - 40 ° C (60 - 104 ° F)
Humidity:
Up to 85%, non-condensing
Dimensions:
65 (w) x 140 (h) x 50 (d) mm
Weight:
590g / 1.4lbs
Standards:
Applications:
Gloss meters are widely used to measure the reflective qualities of products. However, this information tells us only how much light is reflected, but nothing about the quality of a surface.
Effects such as orange peel, haze, and polishing marks distort reflections in a surface, which reduce visual appearance but cannot be measured with a traditional glossmeter. In short, two surfaces that have very different reflective properties could have exactly the same gloss value.
The CCM allows the user to measure DOI, Haze, and RSPEC values and hence control the surface textures that reduce the perceived surface quality of the product.
Typical Applications
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Paints and Coatings |
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Yacht Manufacturers |
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Metal Polishers |
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Polished Stone and Concrete |
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Smart Phone, Tablet PC and Laptop Covers |
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Wood Coatings |
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Automotive |
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Printing Ink |
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Automotive |
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Powder Coating |
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Furniture |
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Plastics Industry |
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Reasons to buy the Rhopoint IQ 20 60
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The CCM quantifies surface quality problems that are invisible to a standard glossmeter.
The CCM goes beyond gloss measurement by differentiating between two samples with EQUAL GLOSS VALUES. This is achieved by measuring the image quality (is it like a mirror?), it is the only handheld instrument that profiles how light is reflected from a surface, thus presenting you with the easily understood information to show you the better sample being measured.
Standard glossmeters only measure how much light is reflected and are not sensitive to effects which dramatically reduce appearance quality. The CCM's IQ DOI "Distinctness of Image" Quality Meter easily accomplishes the measurement of appearance. Information is displayed with one value, not multiple confusing values, but immediately and easily seen.
The CCM Measures
What is DOI?
DOI, Distinctness of Image, is a measurement indicating the QUALITY OF THE GLOSS. How clearly can a reflected image appear?
Symptoms of poor DOI: Orange peel, brush marks, waviness or other structures visible on the surface. Poor finishing. Reflected images are distorted.
Causes: Application problems, incorrect coating flow, coating viscosity too high/low, sag or flow of coating before curing, incorrect particle size/distribution, overspray, improper flash/recoat time, inter coat compatibility, incorrect cure times and cure temperature.
What is RSPEC?
RSPEC is the peak gloss value over a very narrow angle.
RSPEC is very sensitive to small changes in texture and is used to identify subtle differences in surface smoothness.
What is RIQ?
RIQ is a superior measurement to DOI with expanded capabilities. RIQ quantifies ORANGE PEEL qualitatively as well as measuring surface waviness. RIQ is a HIGH-RESOLUTION DOI measurement and correlates better with human vision and perception.
Orange Peel, brush marks, waviness, cause reflected images to be distorted.
Problems that can be detected using the CCM include:
Reflectance Haze
Reflectance Haze is an optical effect caused by microscopic texture or residue on a surface. A milky finish is apparent on the surface causing a loss of reflected contrast, halos and patterns can be seen around reflections of high-intensity light sources.
Causes: Poor dispersion, raw material incompatibility, additive migration, vehicle quality, stoving/drying/curing conditions, polishing marks, fine scratches, aging, oxidization, poor cleanliness/surface residue.
Gloss
A measurement is proportional to the amount of light reflected from a surface.
Geometry: For best results, the correct measurement geometry should be chosen based on the reflectance of the material. 20° is the ideal angle to measure high gloss surfaces such as automotive finishes.
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Goniphotometric Profiles The instrument displays surface reflectance profiles 17-23°. The shape of the curve describes how the light has interacted with the surface. Sharp curves close to the specular direction indicate smooth highly reflective surfaces. |
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Included With the CCM
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