The precise determination of paint and plastic substrate thicknesses and the simultaneous analysis of the radar performance of plastic components—especially in the 76 GHz to 81 GHz range relevant to the automotive industry—are crucial steps in quality assurance in development and production. The “Material Characterization and Testing” department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM has developed measurement systems for this purpose that cover a wide range of industrial applications. These robust terahertz measurement systems open up new possibilities for testing paint layer thicknesses on various substrate types, such as metals, plastics, and many more. In addition, they enable the simultaneous determination of the radar performance of plastic components, especially in the range between 76 GHz and 81 GHz, which is important for the automotive industry. This allows both the electromagnetic properties and the structural quality to be recorded in a single measurement process. Not only are aluminum or steel components painted and coated, but the automotive and aerospace industries in particular are among the largest users of color-finished plastic components. For comprehensive quality control, all layers of a coating system must be tested individually. This is exactly where terahertz technology comes in: it enables fast, non-contact determination of the individual layer thicknesses in multilayer structures.

In combination with radar performance analysis, this results in an integrated approach that efficiently evaluates both optical and radar-relevant material properties.

Contact

Fraunhofer ITWM

Stefan Duran

+49 631316004924

stefan.duran@itwm.fraunhofer.de

http://www.itwm.fraunhofer.de/mc