| News 12/2009 |
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Prices down: STIL gives support for the end of the crisis…
From January 1st, 2010, STIL will significantly lower the prices of a selection of products, softwares and services. This voluntarist pricing policy will allow our customers to enjoy contactless measurement solutions that are still as effective as ever, for a minimal cost.
So do not hesitate to contact us and ask for a quotation.
New 2010 e-catalogue now available:
We are very happy to inform you that STIL’s updated 2010 international e-catalog is now available online. Our e-catalog is totally interactive and still very pleasant to use, thanks to the integrated search engine.
You can browse this virtual and interactive edition, zoom in and out, select and search. An easy to use catalog, always within a click’s reach.
The new version contains detailed information on STIL new products.
| Sensors: | CCS PRIMA 4 |
| Spectrocolorimeter: | RUBY MANAGER NEW FUNCTIONALITIES |
| Goniophotometer: | IR-i and IR-s REFLET |
| Lighting system: | XE LINE 500, LED100 and LED300 |
For an offline copy, please download the .exe or .pdf file:
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The Mona Lisa’s varnish analysed by STIL sensors:
The Mona Lisa, which was painted between 1503 and 1506 by Leonardo da Vinci, cannot today be dissociated from the Louvre museum, and more generally from art. That is why technical and scientific studies are regularly performed in order to control this masterpiece’s state of preservation.
Recently, a new analysis has been performed by the French Museum’s Center for Research and Restoration (Centre de Recherche et Restauration des Musées de France/C2RMF) in order to study the varnish’s dimensional caracteristics with the company STIL’s sensors (CHR150 and OP300VM optical pen).
After the painting is taken out from its protective enclosure, the stretcher allowing a reinforcement of the veiled wood panel is removed, and the measurement is performed in situ, thanks to the system’s portability. The method proposed by STIL is ideal, because it is contactless (several millimeters away from the work), non-invasive and non-destructive (white light). Thickness measurements allow to better understand the pictorial technique. STIL technology, which also allows the user to make topography and roughness measurements, is used on easel paintings, marble, paper or silk in addition to other methods like for instance visual inspection, spectroscopy or chemical analysis.
Several prestigious institutions, in the world of art, are using STIL sensors, such as the RMN (Réunion des Musées Nationaux / National Museums Union) and the LRMH (Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments Historiques/ Research Lab on Historic Monuments.
The Mona Lisa analyzed by the C2RMF with STIL sensors.
Bibliography about these applications:
Ezrati J.-J., Mesures des épaisseurs du vernis de quelques peintures, 10ème colloque Méthodes et techniques optiques pour l’industrie, Reims, France, 2009.
Ezrati J.-J., Two non-invasive techniques for the study of the surface of cultural heritage objects : optical measurement of micro-roughness and backscattering spectro-colorimetry, 9ème conférence ART2008, Jerusalem, Israel, 2008.
Ezrati J.-J., Bouquillon A., Bormand M., Vigears D., Meyohas M.-E., La microtopographie pour une meilleure connaissance des œuvres ; l’étude du poli chez Desiderio da Settignano, artiste du XVesiècle, Contrôles, essais>mesures, supplément du n°21, Paris, 2007.
Goniophotometry in near infrared with
the IR-i and IR-s REFLET sensors:
The goniophotometer REFLET for the measurement of BRDF/BTDF is useful in many applications for the measurement of diffusion diagram (automobile, cosmetics, ophtalmic optics, lighting…) or the caracterization of polished surfaces (space, semi-conductor…).
The light beam’s angle of incidence can be set up within a range of 90° or 180°, depending on the sensor’s model. With a double motorized goniometer, the goniophotometer REFLET can measure the diffusion on the full hemisphere around the sample.
From now on, STIL offers two news options that are dedicated to detection in the field of the near infrared. These two options for the goniophotometer REFLET open the way to new applications.
The goniophotometers REFLET IR-s and IR-i have been designed in order to obtain precise information on optical characteristics of materials that are integrated in infrared vision systems. Indeed, the study of spurious light (flare) and of retrodiffusion depends on the concerned wavelength’s field (infrared or visible)
The analysis of retrodiffusion is today in the near infrared field too.
In the photovoltaic industry, these new options allow the user to characterize the materials that constitute solar panels according to their wavelength, and to establish the connection between those results and the distribution of the solar radiance. The main interest for the manufacturer is to minimize the reflections and to propagate the light through the material, where it will be absorbed and converted into electric charges. Controlling transmission in the near infrared is then a complementary analysis that allows the user to diagnose light losses, which are harmful to the cell’s output.
Detection is available either in intensity mode – IR-i (0.9-1.7µm) – or in spectral mode – IR-s (1-1.7µm). These two options offer a 16 bits A/D resolution and a USB 2.0 high speed interface.
The intensity functionning IR-i unit is fitted with several uncooled last generation InGasAs detectors. The clever optical and electronic design allows the user to get a large acquisition dynamics.
For the applications that need a spectrum to be acquired, the spectrograph’s IR-s option, fitted with a 256 pixels InGaAs module, allows the user to perform measurements on the wanted spectral band with a resolution going from 5 nm to 30 nm.
These options are available on the two versions of the retrodiffusion bench (REFLET-90 and REFLET-180) and can be integrated in addition to standard detection units (0.4-0.9µm).
STIL S.A. sensors serve violins’ study:
Making a violin is a long and complex work. Indeed, the instrument is made out of dozens of wooden elements that are glued or assembled, each one being of a different essence. The varnishing stage, which is meant to protect and beautify the instrument, is the longest one, since many varnish layers are deposited. STIL sensors allow users to measure several physical characteristics of violins’ materials. The applications and measurements that are feasable on violins are:
During the annual conference of the ALADFI (association French violins makers) that took place end of November in Saint Jean d’Angely, the company STIL has demonstrated the performances of their optical instruments in the frame of a conference and of a practical workshop where each of the participants got the opportunity to make varnishes thickness measurements. Interesting prospects concerning the characterization of varnish formulas have been brought to light.
Microtopography of the elements that make up a violin’s varnish: Wood + dye + varnish.
Many thanks to Messrs CAUCHE and LOURME, violin makers, for their collaboration.