R&S®IMAGER

R&S®IMAGER

Millimeter wave imaging

Mail direct contact

Package inspection with millimeter wave imaging

Rohde & Schwarz is your technology partner for high-speed millimeter wave package inspection.

Sealed packaging conceals more than its contents. Contaminants, missing components, assembly errors and structural defects remain invisible to surface-based inspection systems until a product reaches the customer or triggers a costly recall.

Conventional methods such as camera systems, checkweighers and X-ray technology each carry limitations: they either cannot penetrate opaque materials, pose health and regulatory concerns, or fail under real-world production conditions involving dust, moisture or complex multilayer packaging.

Rohde & Schwarz brings over 10 years of proven millimeter wave scanning expertise to industrial package inspection, delivering non-ionizing, high-speed imaging that sees what surface-based systems cannot. The R&S®IMAGER uses millimeter wave technology to inspect packaged goods from the inside out, contactless and without opening or damaging a single unit. It is safe for operators, safe for products and built to perform at industrial speeds.

Real-time millimeter imaging

Millimeter wave (mmW) imaging is a non-destructive, non-ionizing inspection technology that enables penetration through common packaging materials such as plastics, cardboard, composites and textiles.

Millimeter waves are high-frequency radio waves, giving them the ability to pass through most packaging materials while reflecting off internal structures and discontinuities.

It provides safe, high-resolution subsurface imaging without harming products or operators.

Applications for millimeter wave industrial imaging include:

  • Automated counting: Checking that every package has the correct number of items.
  • Purity verification: Verifying that products are contaminant-free.
  • Product integrity: Preventing defective goods from entering the supply chain.
  • Industrial production: Inspecting goods at industrial conveyor speeds.
  • Health products: Improving patient safety and reducing costly recalls.
Curious for microwave imaging applications and their advantages compared to alternative (e.g. camera, scales or x-ray) methods?
/

Video: mmW imaging and its applications

Learn about mmW imaging with our expert, Andreas von Lösecke!

Andreas goes over the history of mmW imaging at Rohde & Schwarz and explains the working principle behind the technology. He also covers the potential applications of mmW imaging in various industries. Finally, a live demonstration at the end of the video shows the R&S®IMAGER in action.

Want to discuss your mmW imaging needs with us?

Mail direct contact

What happens during millimeter wave scanning?

During scanning, an object is illuminated by broadband mmW radiation. The reflected or transmitted electromagnetic waves carry information about internal structures due to material-specific differences in dielectric properties. Sensor arrays capture these signals and convert them into digital datasets. Algorithms translate time-of-flight information including amplitude and phase variations into depth-resolved images, detecting hidden anomalies, missing components, moisture or density changes.

Challenges with package inspection

Sealed packaging conceals defects that surface-based inspection cannot detect. Contaminants, missing components and assembly errors remain invisible until a non-conforming product reaches the end customer. At the same time, any inspection system that slows production or requires manual sampling creates its own operational risk.

Package inspection for logistics
Package inspection for logistics
/

Package inspection for logistics

Traditional surface-based inspection methods can’t verify what’s inside sealed boxes. Incorrect items, missing products and internal package damage go undetected through checks, surfacing only when the package reaches the end customer. For modern supply chains, this means more returns, inaccurate inventory and avoidable costs.

Pharmaceutical package inspection
Pharmaceutical package inspection
/

Pharmaceutical package inspection

Pharmaceutical manufacturers operate under some of the strictest quality and compliance requirements of any industry. Every packaged unit must meet exact assembly and content standards. Any undetected defect, whether a missing component or compromised packaging, can carry direct consequences for patient safety, regulatory compliance and result in expensive product recalls.

Food and beverage quality inspection
Food and beverage quality inspection
/

Food and beverage quality inspection

Regulatory requirements for food safety leave no room for error. Missing units, moisture ingress and compromised seals inside sealed cartons, multipacks and glass containers are impossible to detect from the outside.

A low defect rate sounds manageable until production speeds turn it into thousands of non-conforming units reaching retailers, putting food safety compliance and consumer confidence at risk.

Your solution for high-speed package inspection by Rohde & Schwarz

The R&S®IMAGER uses non-ionizing millimeter wave technology to inspect sealed packages from the inside out, without opening, slowing or contaminating a single unit. It integrates directly into existing conveyor-based workflows and delivers high-contrast imaging within milliseconds.

  • Full material penetration: The R&S®IMAGER sees through multilayer packaging materials including cardboard, plastic, laminated foils and composite materials, making internal structures fully visible without any physical contact.
  • Comprehensive defect detection: Missing components, incorrect contents, assembly errors, void space, moisture ingress and seal defects are detected in real time, before a non-conforming unit can enter the supply chain.
  • Sensitive to small anomalies: By recording both amplitude and phase information, the system captures even the smallest anomalies, such as a compromised vacuum seal on a glass container or a single missing tablet in a blister pack.
  • High-speed inline inspection: ISAR algorithms combine signals from multiple perspectives, delivering sharp images without motion blur at full industrial conveyor speeds without interrupting production.
  • Non-ionizing: As mmW technology is non-ionizing, the R&S®IMAGER requires no radiation shielding, no specialist safety training and no additional compliance requirements, unlike X-ray-based systems.
  • Built for your industry: The system supports 100% inline verification across pharmaceutical, logistics and food and beverage production environments.

Our Patents. Your Competitive Edge

  • US12411211B2 | Multistatic radar system and a method for a spatially resolved detection of an object under test
  • US2024080430A1 | System and method for imaging a body of a person
  • US12078727B2 | Imaging system and method for material characterization of a sample
  • US11442158B2 | Multiple input multiple output imaging array and corresponding imaging method

Find the right solution for your production line

Do you want to speak to an expert about package inspection with millimeter wave imaging? Feel free to contact us.

Mail direct contact

Frequently asked questions about millimeter wave imaging

Request information

Do you have questions or need additional information? Simply fill out this form and we will get right back to you.
For service/support requests, please go here to log in or register.

Marketing permission

Your request has been sent successfully. We will contact you shortly.
An error is occurred, please try it again later.