Rhopoint TAMS
What is Rhopoint TAMS?
Rhopoint TAMS (Total Appearance Measurement System) is a portable, imaging‑based instrument that quantifies how reflective surfaces actually appear to a human observer. It was developed with Volkswagen AG for automotive body panels, but the same principles apply to any product where perceived finish quality is critical, including domestic appliances, consumer electronics, plastic components, decorative metalwork and coil‑coated sheet.
TAMS uses Phase Measurement Deflectometry and high‑resolution surface mapping to capture how a surface reflects and distorts structured patterns in less than 10 seconds, directly on the part. The instrument generates detailed 2D and 3D data and converts this into perception‑based High Gloss metrics such as Contrast, Sharpness, Waviness and Dimension, along with composite indices Quality (Q) and Harmony (H) that describe overall appearance and panel‑to‑panel matching in a way that aligns with human vision.
In separate a Low Gloss mode, TAMS focuses on surface topography and roughness for stages such as raw material, E‑coat and primer. The full‑field altitude map is filtered using ISO GPS‑style methods (for example ISO 16610 / ISO 25178 concepts) to generate optical roughness and waviness values compatible with modern surface specifications, linking roughness control directly to final visual appearance.