Waviness (TAMS High Gloss)

Waviness (W) – High gloss mode

Definition

Waviness (W) is a perception‑based index that describes the overall wavy or non‑flat character of a high gloss surface. It quantifies how strongly the reflected image is distorted by large‑scale surface waves and orange peel when viewed at typical showroom distance.

Unit and range

Waviness is reported in W‑units on a scale from 0 to 30.

  • 0 W indicates a visually flat surface with almost no distortion in the reflection.
  • 30 W represents a very wavy surface with strong, clearly visible distortion.

In normal automotive clear‑coat applications, most values fall between these extremes, depending on substrate, coating system and process conditions.

Measurement conditions

Waviness is available in High Gloss Mode when the surface type is set to C‑Coat and a high‑gloss algorithm such as CC‑TAMS‑STD is selected. Measurements should be made on clean, defect‑free areas with good contact between the TAMS measurement base and the surface to ensure that the full texture is captured correctly.

Visual meaning at showroom distance

Waviness is defined with respect to how an observer sees the car at around 1.5 m viewing distance. At this distance, it describes:

  • The strength of the “orange peel” effect – how much straight lines and reflected features appear to ripple across the panel.
  • The overall smoothness of the body shape – whether the finish looks “liquid and calm” or “wavy and restless”.

Low W gives calm, mirror‑like reflections; high W makes reflections appear broken, wavy and visually busy.

Relationship to other TAMS parameters and indices

Waviness works together with other TAMS metrics to describe appearance:

  • With Sharpness (S) it helps distinguish blur due to haze (low S) from distortion due to surface texture (high W).
  • With Dimension (D) it helps identify whether the dominant orange peel structure is fine or coarse.
  • W is a key input to the Quality (Q) index in High Gloss Mode and is also used (via spectral methods) in the Harmony (H) index for panel‑to‑panel matching.

Typical interpretation

  • W < 5: Very smooth surface with minimal visible orange peel; reflections appear calm and undistorted, suitable for premium Class A areas.
  • W ≈ 5–10: Moderate orange peel that will show visible differences between processes or panels when compared directly.
  • W > 10+: Strong orange peel and distortion; surface looks visibly textured and may not meet high‑end appearance requirements, often indicating the need to optimise coating, levelling or polishing steps.

By trending W alongside Quality (Q), Harmony (H), Sharpness (S) and Dimension (D), users can quickly see when loss of appearance is driven mainly by large‑scale texture and target process changes at the most influential paint stages.