MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING A MEASUREMENT OBJECT, IN PARTICULAR A PLASTIC PROFILE

Abstract

The invention relates to a measuring system (2) for measuring a measured object, in particular a plastic profile (3), said measuring system (2) comprising: an antenna arrangement (4) made of a plurality of THz transceivers (5) each at times actively emitting a THz transmission beam (6) and at times passively receive reflected THz radiation (11), where said antenna arrangement (4) puts out measuring signals (S1) of the measurements of the THz transceivers (5), an adjustment means (12) for adjusting the antenna matrix (4) into several measuring positions (MP1, MP2, MP3) along an adjustment direction (m1, m2), e.g. on a circular path around the measured object (3), a controller and evaluation device (14) for receiving and evaluating the measuring signals (S1) which is configured in such a way that the measuring signals (S1) of said several THz transceivers (5) in said several measuring positions (MP1, MP2, . . . ) are evaluated by means of an SAR evaluation process and a virtual model (VM) of the boundary surfaces (8) of the measured object (3) is created, and subsequently the controller and evaluation device (14) determines layer thicknesses (d, d4) between the boundary surfaces (8) from the virtual model (VM).

Claims

1. A measuring system for measuring a measured object, in particular a plastic profile, said measuring system comprising: an antenna arrangement made of a plurality of THz transceivers, each at times actively emitting a THz transmission beam and at times passively receive reflected THz radiation, wherein said antenna arrangement puts out measuring signals of the measurements of the THz transceivers, an adjustment means for adjusting the antenna matrix into several measuring positions along an adjustment direction, a controller and evaluation device for receiving and evaluating the measuring signals which is configured in such a way that the measuring signals of said several THz transceivers in said several measuring positions are evaluated by means of an SAR evaluation process and a virtual model of the boundary surfaces of the measured object is created, and subsequently the controller and evaluation device determines layer thicknesses between the boundary surfaces from the virtual model.

2. The measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment means pivots the antenna arrangement along a circumferential path, in particular a complete or partial circular path, about an axis of symmetry of the measuring system, whereby in the measurements in the various measuring positions of the circumferential path an optical main axis of the antenna arrangement is each aligned to the axis of symmetry.

3. The measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the antenna arrangement comprises a two-dimensional, preferably planar, arrangement of THz transceivers, in particular at constant distances between the THz transceivers, e.g. as antenna matrix.

4. The measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the THz transceiver which currently is actively emitting the THz transmission beam also detects the reflected THz radiation.

5. The measuring system according to wherein the THz transceivers each detect THz radiation reflected on boundary surfaces of a measured object as measuring peaks.

6. The measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the THz transceivers each emit THz radiation within a frequency range between 0.01 THz and 50 THz, in particular 0.05 THz and 20 THz, in particular, fully electronically, e.g. using frequency modulation or pulsed radiation.

7. The measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the THz transceivers each emit the THz transmission beam with a transmission cone, wherein at least the transmission cones of adjacent THz transceivers overlap, at least in part, up to the axis of symmetry of the measuring system and/or up to the measured object.

8. The measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the several measuring signals are evaluated by the SAR evaluation process with overlap or combination of the amplitudes and the phase positions, in particular for simulating a phased array antenna with a larger aperture, preferably while measuring a run time difference as phase difference.

9. A measuring arrangement, comprising a measuring system according to claim 1 in the axis of symmetry of which a measured object, e.g. a plastic profile, is arranged which has a longitudinal axis extending along or in parallel with the axis of symmetry, where the adjustment means adjusts the antenna arrangement around the measured object, preferably along a circular path.

10. A measurement arrangement according to claim 9, wherein a conveying means is provided for conveying the measured object along the axis of symmetry or parallel to axis of symmetry, preferably using a conveying speed slower than the adjustment speed of the antenna arrangement.

11. A method for measuring a measured object, in particular a plastic profile, including at least the following steps: providing or positioning an antenna arrangement made of a plurality of THz transceivers such that an optical axis of the antenna arrangement is aligned with the measured object and/or perpendicular to an axis of symmetry, carrying out a first THz measurement of the measured object in the first measuring position, said plurality of THz transceivers of the antenna matrix each at times actively emitting a THz transmission beam along or parallel to its optical axis which is partially reflected from the measured object back to the antenna arrangement, said THz transceivers at times passively detecting reflected THz radiation, successively adjusting the antenna arrangement along an adjustment direction into several measuring positions in which the optical axis is aligned with measured object and/or perpendicular to the axis of symmetry, and carrying out further THz measurements while putting out measuring signals, evaluating the measuring signals from said several measuring positions, where the measuring signals of the individual THz transceivers are processed together by means of an SAR evaluation process and a virtual model of a cross-sectional area of the measured object is determined, determining the reference surfaces and layer thicknesses as distances of the der reference surfaces in the virtual model.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the antenna matrix is adjusted to the several measuring positions in such a way that the optical axis is always aligned perpendicular with the axis of symmetry and/or the measured object.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the cone of radiation emitted of the individual THz transceivers, in particular of adjacent THz transceivers, already overlap, at least in part, before the measured object, and/or the cone of radiation emitted of the measurements in the several measuring positions overlap, at least in part, so as to form a superimposition for the SAR evaluation process.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the THz transceivers each emit the THz transmission beam through the measured object with partial reflection on the several boundary surfaces of the measured object.

15. The method according to claim 11, the measuring signals are subsequently assembled from MIMO measurements in each measuring position by means of an SAR computation method so as to form partial sections of a virtual model and, here from, the entire virtual model of the measured object, where then the layer thicknesses are subsequently determined from the virtual model.

Description

[0025] The invention will be illustrated below by means of the accompanying drawings in the example of certain embodiments:

[0026] It is shown in:

[0027] FIG. 1 a measuring system according to an embodiment of the invention for measuring a measured object;

[0028] FIG. 2 the measuring system from FIG. 1 in the case of translational adjustment of the antenna matrix;

[0029] FIG. 3 a representation corresponding to that of FIG. 2 in the case of pivoting the antenna matrix;

[0030] FIG. 4 the measuring system in various measuring positions of the antenna matrix when measuring a further measured object;

[0031] FIG. 5 a production line with extruder and measuring system,

[0032] FIG. 6 a flow chart of a method according to the invention.

[0033] In a measuring arrangement 1 a measuring system 2 for measuring a measured object 3 is provided. The measuring system 2 comprises an antenna matrix 4 having a matrix array, i.e. in particular two-dimensional regular arrangement, made of THz transceivers 5 auf. As shown, in particular, with regard to the middle THz transceiver 5a, each THz transceiver 5 emits a THz transmission beam 6 along an optical axis A having a transmission cone 7. The THz transmission beam lies, in particular, within the frequency range of 0.01 to 50 THz, in particular 0.02 or 0.05 to 10 THZ or 20 THz. In this embodiment, the THz transceivers 5 are designed to be fully electronic, i.e. as dipole antennas. Hereby, the THz transmission beam 6 may be transmitted as frequency modulated but also e.g. in time domain spectroscopy (TDS) or pulsed respectively. Thus, according to FIG. 1, the THz transceiver 5a transmits the THz transmission beam 6 along the optical axis A towards the measured object 3.

[0034] In this embodiment, the measured object 3 is a plastic profile and shown in its cross-section. Advantageously, it is extruded and exhibits a plurality of boundary surfaces 8 that are generally boundary surfaces of tie bars 10 or walls of the plastic material as opposed to outside space filled with air or interior chambers 9 filled with air or a gas.

[0035] The THz transmission beam 6 is partially reflected each upon entering and existing the boundary surfaces 8, whereby e.g. 5% of the intensity or amplitude are reflected with the major part of the THz transmission beam 6 continuing its path through the plastic profile 3. Thus, in FIG. 1, e.g. the two depicted bars 10 with their boundary surfaces 8 will each reflect the THz transmission beam 6 along the optical axis A back to the middle THz transceiver 5a which consequently detects measuring peaks in the back reflected THz radiation 11 formed by the boundary surfaces 8 enabling it e.g. to detect the distance of the measured object 3 or, respectively, the first boundary surface 8 to the THz transceiver 5a, the layer thicknesses of the bars 10a, 10b and the width of the chamber 9 between the boundary surfaces 8.

[0036] A major part of the boundary surfaces 8 of the plastic profile 3 does not lie perpendicular to the optical axis A so that THz radiation 11 reflected on these will be reflected back under a larger angle of reflection β that cannot be detected by the THz transceiver 5a itself. Some boundary surfaces 8 will reflect the THz radiation 11 under such a small angle of reflection β that the THz radiation 11 will be reflected back to one of the other THz transceivers 5 of the matrix array 4. Because the other THz transceivers 5 of the matrix array 4 are synchronised with the middle THz transceiver 5a the so received measuring peaks of the reflected THz radiation can be related to the THz transmission beam 6 of the middle THz transceiver 5a. Thus, the THz transceivers 5 serving as receivers will receive the reflected THz radiation 11 or, respectively, the reflected waves and can attribute them to the THz transmission beam. The wave fronts will each arrive at the adjacent or, respectively, successive passive, in this case, THz transceivers 5 at different times so that, from the temporal shift or, respectively, the point in time of registering the measuring peak and, further, the angle of reflection p of the reflected THz radiation 11 in relation to the THz transmission beam 6, the distance and position of the source of the reflection, i.e. the respective boundary surface 8 of the plastic profile 3, can be determined.

[0037] Thus, by virtue of such measurement in accordance with the antenna matrix principle, it is possible to detect not only exactly perpendicular boundary surfaces 8 but also boundary surfaces 8 that extend slightly angular in relation to the optical axis A.

[0038] Moreover, according to FIG. 2, it is provided that not only a specific THz transceiver but all THz transceivers 5 of the matrix array 4 are active at times and passive at times; the respectively active THz transceiver 5 each emits a THz transmission beam 6 along its optical axis A having a corresponding cone of radiation emitted 7 or opening angle respectively, and all other THz transceivers 5 will the each be passive and detect the reflected THz radiation 11, with synchronisation of the times of emission. Thus, all receivers also act as transmitters, i.e. a multiple-in-multiple-out-measuring array is formed in which a larger surface can be scanned in one go, namely, in particular, corresponding to the area of the entire matrix array 4.

[0039] Thus, boundary surfaces 8 with a slightly larger inclination or, respectively larger angle relative to the main optical axis A can already by scanned and attributed. The so attainable maximum angle or inclination angle respectively of the boundary surfaces 8 depends, in particular, on the size of the matrix array 4. Further, the spatial resolution is limited by the distance a of the THz transceivers 5 in relation to one another.

[0040] Therefore, according to a further advantageous embodiment, as indicated by the arrow FIG. 2, the matrix array 4 is adjusted by an adjustment means 12 along an adjustment direction m (azimuth direction) in relation to the measured object 3, in this case, e.g., first in a linear translational manner. Hereby, a synthetic radar aperture (SAR) is formed in which the THz transceivers 5 each carry out measurements as multiple-in-multiple-out configuration with alternating active transmitter function and receiver function of the plurality of THz transceivers 5, whereby the measurements are processed by super resolution algorithms. Thus, in the case of a stationary measured object 3 and known adjustment movement of the antenna matrix 4 along the der adjustment direction m, the positions of the measured object 3 relative to the respective measuring positions of the antenna matrix 4 in the adjustment movement are known so that a corresponding evaluation by an SAR algorithm is made possible.

[0041] While in a classic SAR each THz transceiver 5 firstly detects and processes the perpendicular boundary surfaces 8 of the measured object 3, here, the synthetic radar aperture (SAR) is combined with the MIMO measuring principle of the respectively active and passive THz transceivers 5 of the matrix array 4. Thus, it is possible already to generate a highly exact image with high resolution angles and position data.

[0042] The individual THz transceivers 5 of the matrix array 4 supply measuring signals S1 to a controller and evaluation device 14 which evaluates the measuring signals S1 accordingly. Thus, the MIMO design according to FIG. 2 makes it possible to apply the synchronisation data in the controller and evaluation device 14, taking into account the distances a of the THz transceivers 5 in the two-dimensional matrix array 4 and the synchronisation of the respective times of transmission. The controller and evaluation device 14 further controls the adjustment means 12 by means of control signals S2 for adjusting the measuring positions of the antenna matrix 4 in relation to the stationary measured object 3.

[0043] According to FIG. 3, a pivoting movement of the matrix array 4 designed as MIMO is provided, in particular, a pivoting movement m2 around the measured object 3. The matrix array 4 may be rotated e.g. about 180° around the measured object 3 or even fully circumferentially, e.g. in a circular motion around the measured object 3. Hereby, it presents essentially no problem if the measured object 3 does not lie exactly in the centre of the circular movement or the pivot axis of the circular motion because, according to the invention, it is recognised that, owing to the pivoting motion and the so generated plurality of different positions of the individual THz transceivers 5 in relation to the measured object 3 and its various boundary surfaces 8, a very high resolution is achieved already, and with irregular measured objects 3 the definition of an axis of symmetry will sometimes be unclear anyway. In the pivoting motion according to FIG. 3, each boundary surface 8 of the measured object 3 will be scanned multiple times depending on its respective orientation, whereby they it will eventually be standing perpendicular to one of the THz transceivers 5 of the matrix array 4 serving as MIMO SAR array so that in this measuring mode each boundary surface 8 will be scanned and detected. Advantageously, the boundary surfaces 8 are scanned multiple times allowing the measurements to be averaged. Thus, the boundary surfaces 8 are scanned by the MIMO arrangement in a wider angle region than merely in the perpendicular case.

[0044] Thus, an SAR measurement, which in principle is designed only for perpendicular surfaces, is broadened by the antenna array 4 with additional MIMO arrangement.

[0045] Thus, the controller and evaluation device 14 is able to establish a data base of high resolution partial segments of the profile in a storage device 15, and subsequently assemble a complete virtual model VM of the measured object 3 from this data base using appropriate reconstruction algorithms, in this case a more complex plastic profile, from which the layer thicknesses are then determined.

[0046] FIG. 4 shows a corresponding measurement of another measured object 3, here, in particular, exhibiting irregular shaped sealing lips 16. The irregular boundary surfaces 8 thereof can first be remodeled accordingly by the MIMO SAR adjustment and signal detection and then measured in the model. Thus, it is possible, in particular, to determine a specific parameter of the sealing lip 16, e.g. a reference thickness d_ref defined at a certain point, and compare it to a target value.

[0047] Thus, in particular, also in accordance with FIG. 5, it is possible to regulate the extrusion process, wherein the system is adjusted not to a directly measured thickness or wall thickness but the so determined reference thickness d_ref is used for an adjustment, where the controller and evaluation device 14 puts out control signals S3 to the extruder 18 for forming the plastic profile 3 so that the extruder 18 adjusts the feed of extrusion material depending on the control signals S3 rather than making an adjustment e.g. to a layer thickness determined directly in a measuring signal.

[0048] FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention. According to step St1, a matrix array 4 is positioned in a measuring position MP1 so that its main optical axis A, i.e. the optical axis A of the middle transceiver 5a, is directed onto the measured object 3, in this case e.g. a plastic profile. Then, according to step St2, the first measurement is carried out in the measuring position MP1, wherein the THz transceivers 5 successively each actively put out a THz transmission beam 5 and passively detect reflected THz radiation 11.

[0049] Further, according to step St3, the measuring arrangement 4 is adjusted successively along the adjustment direction m1 or m2 so that successive measurements are carried out in the various measuring positions MP1, MP2, . . . . Hereby, the adjustment may generally be carried out together with the measurements, whereby the measuring procedures happen relatively quickly compared to the adjustment speed and, therefore, can be essentially carried out in one measuring position each. The measuring loop of the steps St2, St3 is then repeated until measuring signals S1 from all measuring positions have been obtained.

[0050] According to step St4, the measuring signals S1 of the matrix array for each measuring position MP1, MP2, . . . are then subsequently evaluated in an SAR evaluation process using reconstruction algorithms so that preferably firstly partial sections of a virtual model and, from these, a complete virtual model VM of the plastic profile 3 is assembled. Then, according to step St5, from this virtual model VM the boundary surfaces 8 and, from these, the wall thicknesses d are determined.

[0051] These wall thicknesses d determined, in particular also e.g. of a reference thickness d_ref, can then optionally be used for controlling an extruder 18.

[0052] Also, the measured object 3 can be adjusted during the measurement provided that this adjustment speed of the measured object 3 is slower than the adjustment speed m1, m2 of the matrix array 4. Because the matrix array 4 exhibits a two-dimensional extension, it extends not only in the drawing plane of the FIGS. 1-4 but also in the direction of the axis of transport or axis of symmetry of the measured object 3 so that a sufficient length of the profile strand will always be covered. Thus, it is possible to carry out a continuous measuring of an extruded product during manufacturing.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0053] 1 measuring arrangement [0054] 2 measuring system [0055] 3 measured object, e.g. plastic profile [0056] 4 antenna arrangement, in particular antenna matrix [0057] 5 THz transceiver [0058] 5a middle THz transceiver [0059] 6 THz transmission beam [0060] 7 cone of radiation emitted, transmission cone [0061] 8 boundary surface [0062] 9 chamber of the plastic profile 3 [0063] 10 walls, bars [0064] 11 reflected THz radiation [0065] 12 adjustment means [0066] 14 control and evaluation device [0067] 16 sealing lip [0068] 18 extruder [0069] A optical axis, e.g. of the middle transceiver 5a [0070] B symmetry axis, transport direction of the measured object 3 [0071] S1 measuring signal [0072] S2 actuator signal directed at the adjustment device 12 [0073] S3 control signal for controlling the extruder 18 [0074] MP1, MP2, . . . measuring positions [0075] VM virtual model [0076] a distance of the transceiver 5 [0077] d layer thickness [0078] d_ref reference thickness of a sealing lip 16 [0079] m1, m2 adjustment directions [0080] β reflection angle