Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHRFiber-reinforced composites are considered a key technology in modern lightweight construction. They combine high strength with low weight, thereby making an important contribution to climate protection—for example, by reducing energy consumption and emissions in the mobility and industrial sectors. At the same time, they place high demands on quality assurance in production. Defects such as delamination, air pockets, or material irregularities are often difficult to detect but can significantly impair the performance and safety of the components.
In the AFARA project, this is precisely where the focus lies: an innovative solution is being developed for adaptive, non-destructive testing of fiber-reinforced composites based on AI-supported radar technology. The goal is to reliably detect material defects during production without damaging components or having to use complex manual testing procedures.
At the core is an intelligent radar system capable of looking inside the material and capturing internal structures with high precision. Unlike optical methods, radar is insensitive to surface conditions or lighting and enables robust inspection even under industrial conditions. The recorded signals are analyzed and interpreted using artificial intelligence. The system learns to recognize typical defect patterns, automatically identify anomalies, and adapt test parameters to different material properties.
Early detection of defects makes it possible to specifically optimize production processes and significantly reduce scrap. This not only improves the quality and reliability of the components, but also increases resource efficiency along the entire value chain. Material, energy and time are saved, while process reliability is improved at the same time.
With AFARA, the foundation is being laid for modern, data-driven quality assurance in the processing of fiber-reinforced composites – efficient, sustainable and future-oriented.
Project partners and funding
The consortium is led by the Chair of Integrated Systems at Ruhr University Bochum and includes IBG Automation GmbH (Neuenrade), Aeroconcept GmbH (Würselen), the Bochum Institute of Technology BO-I-T, the Chair of Production Systems at Ruhr University Bochum, and Fraunhofer FHR. The project is funded by the European Union and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia under the EFRE/JTF Programme NRW 2021–2027.
The project started on 01/04/2025 and will run until 31/03/2028.