Characteristics

The sensory monitoring of plastic melts and components is essential for the manufacture of high-quality moulded pieces. Conventional on-line or off-line quality assessment methods often fall short of requirements for quick, cost-efficient and meaningful characterisation. In the production context there is therefore often a demand for optimisation systems and quality assessment methods, allowing the production of high-quality parts. The parameters pressure and temperature, verified in conventional process monitoring, only serve to evaluate the process, with no reference to the quality of the part.

There is consequently a demand for an on-line measurement process which can determine quality through a mould-integrated sensor system, and which also enables rapid adjustment. An in-line operating measurement system of this nature is conceivable using microwave technology.

One characteristic of microwaves is that when they pass through materials their amplitude is reduced according to their dielectric property. This general rule can be applied in a gas bubble detection system due to the multilayered construction of a GIT (Gas Interior pressure Technology) component, or in extrusion to determine the composition of a plastic melt.

Our service

We evaluate the possibility of integrating microwave sensors into the specific production process of our customers, providing the following services:

• Feasibility studies

• Measurement of dielectric material properties

• Field simulation of microwave sensors in application

• Patent research

• Set-up of a microwave-sensor module