Radar Sensor for Intelligent Solutions in Industrial Applications

According to Enders, there are no comparable sensors in the industry, “For the simple reason that, because it was developed for automotive applications, decades of development time was put into it and it meets the usual quality standards in volume production.” The long-range radar sensor can also take on important measurement and control tasks outside of vehicles. In collaboration with Continental Radar PLC – a programmable logic controller – these systems can be configured with individual customer requirements in mind.

As an example, the sensor could be of interest in the mining industry. It could be used to measure volume flow for conveyor belts or to measure bulk material. Enders: “If, for example, conveyor belts distribute bulk material into different hoppers, the radar sensor can determine when a hopper is full so that the bulk material is automatically transported to the next step.”

The radar sensor is already in use on the outer walls of cruise ships where it can detect if a passenger goes overboard. In projects in South Korea, in the USA and Japan, the sensor safeguards people on the roads. Example: a radar sensor detects if a pedestrian crosses the street whilst another monitors when a car comes dangerously close. If both these things happen at the same time, the pedestrian and driver are warned by means of an audible and optical signal.

The long-range radar is also predestined for protecting plant premises because the all-weather radar, unlike cameras and lasers, also works in fog, poor visibility, dust and steam. With the radar PLC, the screen can specify, for example, areas in which an alarm has been set off if someone has entered the area.

The radar sensor and radar PLC are being displayed at the Hannover Messe and visitors can experience some of the benefits hands-on. “Radar has the major advantage of being able to react very sensitively to differences in speed. Someone moving is immediately detected by the radar sensor using what is known as the Doppler Effect,” explains Enders. The exciting demonstration is intended to give the visitors who come to see it at the exhibition stand, suggestions for new areas of application and fields of use.