Contactless measurement of fabric thickness using optical coherence tomography

Fabric thickness is an important parameter in textiles since it affects crucial fabric properties such as stiffness and thermal insulation. The standard method of measuring fabric thickness involves cutting the fabrics and applying pressure to compress the fabric. These compression-based methods require a probe to come in contact with the fabric itself and take distance measurements between the two fabric surfaces. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-destructive and non-contact technique that allows high resolution imaging by the use of photons. This paper describes the application of the spectral domain optical coherence tomography imaging technique for the contactless measurement of woven fabric thickness. We present the results of fabric thickness measurements that were performed by OCT scans. We conclude that OCT imaging can be used to measure fabric thickness in a non-destructive and contactless manner.