Trade Fair Control 2025

Numerous Fraunhofer institutes research and develop in the field of image processing and optical or acoustic testing for quality assurance. At the Control 2025 stand, which is coordinated by the Fraunhofer Vision Business Unit, current new developments from various fields will again be on display.

This year, Fraunhofer will present exhibits in the fields of surface inspection, optical 3D metrology, inline measuring and testing, as well as component identification. New developments in the area of non-destructive testing using technologies such as terahertz, radar, magneto-optics, or ultrasound will be on display.

One other  topic  is the acoustic monitoring of production.

Numerous exhibits work with artificial intelligence or machine learning methods, so that the visitors will be able to get an overview of respective trends.

The systems and solutions from the Fraunhofer Institutes are used in numerous industries such as automotive and suppliers, mechanical and plant engineering, aerospace, plastics, semiconductors, but especially in future-oriented sectors like battery and fuel cell manufacturing or recycling. The fields of robotics, automation technology, process technology and sensor technology are also addressed.

Fraunhofer IOF has developed the mobile handheld scanner goSCOUT3D, which enables the 2D and 3D digitization of complex objects spanning several cubic meters with a high spatial resolution of less than 0.25 millimetres. At the Control trade fair the scanner will be shown, coupled to a walking robot, inspecting entirely automatically the high pressure turbine of an aircraft engine. Faulty parts are detected with the aid of articifial intelligence and marked for the applier.

more about Autonomous 3D documentation thanks to a combination of mobile hand scanner and walking robot (DE)

Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IOF, Jena

Inline surface inspection systems and virtual inspection planning

The Fraunhofer ITWM presents an automated inspection system for the surface inspection of metallic, cylindrical components in a circulating conveyor line. This setup is a miniature version of a conveyor line in a production environment with integrated inspection. The components are transported on workpiece carriers in a continuous process and stopped under the inspection system. There, the surface of the cylindrical components is completely scanned with a rotating line scan camera and lighting and then evaluated algorithmically. Anomaly detection algorithms are used, which make it possible to analyze and detect deviations on the surface such as scratches, deformations or soiling in real time.

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Exhibitor: Fraunhofer ITWM, Kaiserslautern

3D surface measurement system in the machine tool for sub-µ accuracy measurement Holo NX

The Fraunhofer IPM presents the HoloTop NX system, a new development from the HoloTop sensor family, which can measure areas of 12.5 × 12.5 mm² with 9 million 3D points in under 1 s. The measuring field can be extended as required by arranging several sensor heads in a matrix - e.g. three sensor heads for the full-surface measurement of a bipolar plate. The quality of the measurement data will be illustrated using various sample specimens.

more on System for fast inline measurement of 3D surfaces with sub-µ accuracy HoloTop (DE)

Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IPM, Freiburg

180° / 360° inspection of arbitrarily shaped components

The inspection systems of the Inspect 360° series developed at Fraunhofer IPM analyze the geometry and surface condition of components in free fall during production, thus enabling a type-independent, complete optical inspection of mass-produced components for the first time. At the Control, the function of the inspection systems will be demonstrated in a presentation using specific examples in a production environment. A precise inspection of stamped parts with regard to geometry and surface defects down to a defect size of 30 µm will be demonstrated. The components are transported individually into a hollow sphere via a simple feed system and inspected simultaneously from all directions in free fall using cameras.

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Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IPM, Freiburg

Track & Trace Fingerprint Flex for marker-free tracking of components

Fraunhofer IPM presents “Track & Trace Fingerprint”, which has been  developed for the traceability of mass-produced components. The components are recognized without additional markings, solely on the basis of the individual surface, which provides a “unique fingerprint” for each component. Identification and registration are demonstrated at the exhibit using a vision system in combination with a smartphone. Applications can include registration and traceability in production as well as mobile identification of individual parts. This makes it possible, for example, to quickly find out where, when and how a component was manufactured after delivery to the customer.

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Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IPM, Freiburg

F-scanner for the two-dimensional, imaging detection of coatings and contaminants

Fraunhofer IPM presents the F-Scanner fluorescence laser scanner. The device scans the component surface within seconds and generates a complete image of the residual contamination or coating. This makes it possible to identify where and in which quantities organic substances are present on the component surface. This makes it possible for the first time to carry out a quantitative analysis of the surface coating, even on 3D objects of any shape and the thinnest coating thicknesses. The system is suitable for preliminary inspection, for flexible quality inspection of series components and as an inspection system in production. The F-Scanner systems can be used as a stand-alone device or integrated into a production line.

more on F-scanner for the two-dimensional, imaging detection of coatings and contaminants (DE)

Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IPM, Freiburg

Fully automated robot-assisted 3D capture without teaching

Fraunhofer IGD presents an autonomous, colour-fast 3D digitizing robot that can measure any industrial components three-dimensionally with resolutions of up to 10 µm without prior teaching. The system works on the basis of photogrammetry and enables repeatable high quality and completeness of the calculated high-resolution 3D models with predefined target resolution and without manual post-processing. All by-products such as 3D web models, AR models and rendered high-resolution videos or true-colour 3D print models can also be created automatically without the need for teach-in processes for the objects to be digitized. The 3D scanner is already being used in the digitization of cultural assets. Other potential applications can be found in the automotive and aerospace sectors in manufacturing and in maritime applications.

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Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IPM, Freiburg

AI-based anomaly detection in optical inspection

The Fraunhofer IPKdemonstrator uses an example component to show the application of anomaly detection in optical inspection. 3D-printed gears run in front of an industrial camera on a motor and are inspected for damage. Various types of damage can be introduced into the gears, which are detected during the subsequent optical inspection. The AI finds all defects without having learned the type and nature of the defects in advance. The assessment of the component and the defect are displayed on the screen using a heat map.

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Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IPK, Berlin

Light Field Inspection

With lightfield-based light sources, objects with complex geometries are illuminated by a specially adapted »light recipe« in such a way that relevant structures can be detected with maximum contrast. The optimal light field for this task is determined by an algorithm that intelligently adapts the lighting modalities to the individual object geometry. This approach shows the way for a future generation of inspection systems, as here image evaluation and lighting are optimized together for the most efficient inspection system possible.

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Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IOSB, Karlsruhe

Inspection of (partially) reflective surfaces using deflectometry for quality assurance

For the inspection of flat or curved reflective surfaces, Fraunhofer IOSB uses the deflectometry method. It can be used to examine embossed, polished, painted or glazed surfaces made of plastic, metal, glass and other materials. As a result, information is available on the location, size and type of functional or aesthetic defects and, if required, on the shape and waviness of the surface. Possible applications for the method can be found wherever defect-free surfaces of low roughness are required.

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Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IOSB, Karlsruhe

Inline 3D production metrology and assembly inspection

In the manufacturing of individualized products with a high number of variants, more flexible and adaptive optical measurement and inspection systems are increasingly needed for inline quality inspection. The Fraunhofer IFF develops such customized and flexible 3D measuring systems for dimensional and form inspection as well as for assembly and completeness inspection. Individual functional modules are also available as software libraries, such as geometric evaluation of 3D point clouds, simulation of optical sensors to generate synthetic target data, flexible CAD-supported view and inspection planning in 2D and 3D or calibration and calibration of optical sensors. The objective are economic and automated solutions despite individual products and small batch sizes.

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Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IFF, Magdeburg

Cross-site fault detection for acoustic monitoring of machine statuses

The Fraunhofer IDMT demonstrates an AI-based acoustic monitoring system for analyzing machine conditions, which enables cross-location fault detection through an innovative combination of intelligent acoustic condition monitoring and distributed learning. As faults rarely occur, the amount of data for AI training at a single location is limited. This is where the principle of distributed learning (federated learning) comes in: Instead of exchanging confidential audio data directly, the AI models only share learned knowledge with each other in the form of model parameters. This improves error detection across all locations without incurring data security risks. The system can be used in quality assurance wherever deviations from the normal state can be detected on the basis of noise, for example in engines and gearboxes or when welding battery boxes.

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Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IDMT, Ilmenau

µController radar-based surface reconstruction and data acquisition system

Fraunhofer FHR has developed the resource and energy efficient µRADAS backend structure for radar sensors, which has a master/slave configuration and can be flexibly switched off, expanded and reconfigured at runtime. Signal processing has been optimized so that it takes place directly on the microcontroller “on the edge”. This enables high-precision measurements in real time with measuring rates of up to 4 kHz for industrial process monitoring. The backend can be used in non-destructive testing in process control, such as in systems for distance measurement of metal surfaces with subsequent surface reconstruction, for example strip run and position, or width and thickness of rolled goods.

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Exhibitor: Fraunhofer FHR, Wachtberg

Detection of foreign objects and quality deviations in materials

The SAMMI 3.0 (Stand Alone Millimeter Wave Imaging) millimeter wave scanner generates three-dimensional images of a wide variety of materials, making their internal structures visible. The system is based on a millimeter wave radar and operates in the 70 GHz to 80 GHz range. A typical application is the inspection of 3D-printed plastic objects, but other products such as packaged food can also be examined.

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Exhibitor: Fraunhofer FHR, Wachtberg

Integrable testing technology for components and processes

Non-destructive methods of component testing (NDT) and material diagnostics can be used throughout the entire product life cycle, from development to testing in the production process. Fraunhofer IKTS focuses on traditional methods such as ultrasound, eddy current, X-ray testing and acoustic diagnostics. These are combined or supplemented with new methods such as laser speckle photometry or optical coherence tomography. If the data collected during the test is linked to the dynamic simulation model of the component or system, its service life or performance can be predicted with the help of a digital twin.

more on Integrable testing technology for components and processes (DE)

Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IKTS, Dresden

Layer thickness measurement with terahertz

At the Fraunhofer ITWM in Kaiserslautern, terahertz measurement systems are developed which can be used, among other things, to measure layer thicknesses in industrial environments. As the latest version of the terahertz layer thickness measurement system, a robot-assisted variant is now available, i.e., a collaborative robot, or »cobot« for short, is used for simplified integration into the working environment. The Fraunhofer ITWM system is particularly suitable for the thickness measurement of individual layers within a multilayer system, where the coating can be applied to any material. In addition, moist, sticky, and soft coatings and layers on curved surfaces can also be measured.

more on Layer thickness measurement with terahertz (DE)

Exhibitor: Fraunhofer ITWM, Kaiserslautern

Visualization of characteristics and defects in steel components using intelligent magneto-optical sensor technology

The Fraunhofer IZFP present  presents a demonstrator for the visualization of stresses, characteristics and defects in steel components using intelligent magneto-optical sensor technology, VISiMOS for short. Based on the Faraday effect, this magneto-optical sensor system uses a digital camera to visualize magnetic field strength distributions in the form of grey-scale images and thus detect defects in steel components. The project is funded as part of the BMBF's VIP+ program.

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Exhibitor: Fraunhofer IZFP, Saarbruecken

Intelligent signal analysis for industrial applications

The Leistungszentrum InSignA networks university and non-university research institutions with industry in order to transfer innovations in the field of intelligent signal analysis and assistance systems into industrial applications. A particular focus is on cooperation with small and medium-sized enterprises as well as larger industrial partners in order to increase value creation in regional companies and to further develop new technologies in a practical manner. The sectors and areas addressed include, for example, machine, plant and production technology, energy supply and network operators or the automotive sector.

more on Intelligent signal analysis for industrial applications (DE)

Exhibitor: Leistungszentrum InSignA, Ilmenau

Verus Digital GmbH, Darmstadt (www.verus.digital)

Leistungszentrum InSignA - Intelligente Signalanalyse- und Assistenzsysteme, Ilmenau (www.leistungszentrum-insigna.de)