The Irys system, developed by das-Nano, uses sensors mounted on two robots in an end-of-line measurement cell. It determines layer thickness by analyzing the travel time of reflected terahertz waves. Measurements take seconds and achieve accuracy at the micrometer level, according to BMW.

The plant previously inspected paint layers manually using scalpels and microscopy, destroying the tested parts. BMW said the new method supports earlier detection of process deviations, reduces material waste and generates digital data for process control. The company plans to apply AI-based analysis to the data and sees potential for use at other plants.

The system moves multilayer paint-thickness measurement from destructive sampling to an inline digital inspection step, with potential relevance to other painted-component operations.