RaDime – Cutting-edge radar technology for the metal industry

In the metal industry, high-precision measurement systems are crucial for ensuring quality and enabling resource-efficient production during the rolling of sheet metal and strips. Isotope sources are currently still indispensable for measuring the thickness of rolled stock. However, the safety risks associated with radioactive radiation, increasing regulations regarding its use, and the limited availability of raw materials for radiation sources necessitate new measurement methods to ensure the long-term efficient production of high-quality products. RaDime takes an innovative approach by integrating a dual-band SiGe MMIC into a real-time, multi-channel MIMO millimeter-wave sensor module. This system is designed to enable high-precision radar-based thickness measurement, even when the material being measured is bent and under varying angle conditions. Through the use of advanced technologies such as frequency band fusion in the sub-terahertz range and AI-supported signal processing, the goal is to achieve a measurement accuracy of approximately 100 µm, which meets the high quality assurance standards for a wide range of applications in rolling mills. The radar technology used emits electromagnetic waves in the sub-terahertz range with low radiation power. This non-ionizing radiation offers significant safety advantages and represents an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to isotope-based systems. The measurement technology, which relies on reflection rather than transmission, is also alloy-independent, enables high measurement speeds, and expands the measurable thickness range. The ability to generate images and the high precision also open up a wide range of additional applications. As a result, RaDime makes a significant contribution to sustainability, quality, and efficiency in metal production.