Terahertz in Automotive Production: Precise Paint Thickness Measurement With Das-Nano

From Idea to International Success Story

The collaboration began back in 2011 with initial discussions between our team at Fraunhofer ITWM and Volkswagen in Wolfsburg. Together, we developed and evaluated the measurement technology and made it suitable for production over several project phases.

»Once it was clear that the technology was suitable for industrial use, we looked for a partner who could mass-produce the systems and distribute them worldwide,« reports Dr. Joachim Jonuscheit, deputy head of the »Material Characterization and Testing« department. In 2016, initial discussions took place with das-Nano, a technology company based in Navarra, Spain, that develops new terahertz-based solutions for industrial quality control. Shortly thereafter, a license agreement was signed between Fraunhofer ITWM and das-Nano, which regulates the technology transfer and forms the basis for a long-term partnership.

Just three years later, in 2019, Volkswagen Navarra launched the world's first installation of a terahertz testing system for paint thickness measurement in the automotive industry – a milestone for inline quality assurance. Since July 2020, the Irys system has been successfully in use around the clock at Volkswagen Navarra. It enables the simultaneous measurement of all paint layers, fully automatically and without manual processes.

Terahertz Technology in Series Production: Efficiency, Precision, Sustainability

»With the previous methods, it was necessary to scratch the car bodies and mask them off in order to measure the layer thickness manually. With the new system, we not only save a considerable amount of time and material, but also obtain more information about the layers,« says Claudio Solé, senior paint expert at Volkswagen headquarters in Wolfsburg.

Thanks to automated inline measurement, the company has reduced its process costs by 15 percent, as the technology lowers material and energy consumption and reduces environmental impact. 

Focus On Sustainability and Efficiency

The new technology impresses not only with its accuracy, but also with measurable progress such as:

• Five percent less material used thanks to optimized paint layer thickness
• Three percent less rework through the use of real-time information directly in the painting process

Particularly impressive:

A single Irys system saves around 50 kWh per vehicle in the painting process – in a plant such as Volkswagen Navarra, this equates to more than 16 GWh per year and a CO_₂ reduction of over 7,000 tons annually.

The Future of Quality Assurance in Industry

»Our collaboration with das-Nano and Volkswagen shows that terahertz technology has the potential to fundamentally change production processes – from material testing to automated inline quality control,« says Dr. Joachim Jonuscheit. »What began as a research project is now an integral part of industrial series production and an example of successful technology transfer partnerships.«

The automotive industry will certainly continue to rely on this new testing technology in the future, as it combines maximum efficiency with a measurable contribution to greater sustainability and lower emissions.