#165 Discover how sensXPERT's FlexCure technology is revolutionizing manufacturing with real-time material insights and sustainability at its core
29.04.2025 14 min Staffel 5 Episode 123
Zusammenfassung & Show Notes
Discover how sensXPERT's FlexCure technology is revolutionizing manufacturing with real-time material insights and sustainability at its core
I am the LinkedIn Group Community Manager of Composites Lounge and interviewed the CEO of sensXPERT - Optimizing Plastics Manufacturing Dr. Alexander Chaloupka and his sales engineer Arne Büttner while demonstrating a sensor test powered by AI with chocolate.
The sensXPERT FlexCure system is an advanced enhancement of dielectric analysis technology designed for flexible and diverse manufacturing environments. Unlike traditional systems that require closed mold processes, FlexCure can be implemented in open mold productions, vacuum infusion, autoclave curing, continuous manufacturing, filament winding, and oven curing. This flexibility allows it to measure through air and the thickness of components, monitoring cure behavior and flow behavior in real-time. This technology is particularly beneficial in industries such as hydrogen vessel manufacturing, filament winding, and tape manufacturing, where it helps in assessing the curing, pre-curing, and aging of materials[1].
Dielectric analysis is a technique used to measure the electrical properties of materials. It involves applying an oscillating AC electrical field to a material and measuring its capacitance and conductance. These measurements help determine how the material's molecular structure changes over time, temperature, and frequency. Essentially, dielectric analysis provides insights into the material's behavior during processes like curing, allowing manufacturers to optimize production, reduce waste, and ensure quality [2] [3].
Arne Büttner demonstrates the sensXPERT FlexCure system using a piece of chocolate to showcase its capabilities during the JEC World 2025 show. The system can analyze materials through various barriers, such as boxes and foils, by sending radiation frequencies through the material. This technology is applicable in composites manufacturing, where it can measure through vacuum bags and other barriers. During the demonstration, the system successfully identified marzipan inside the chocolate, illustrating its precision in detecting material structures and molecular compositions.
On a final note: Congratulations to sensXPERT for winning the "Product of the Year 2025" award from KUNSTSTOFF MAGAZIN! This recognition, voted by the magazine's readers, highlights the significant impact of your innovative solutions in reducing cycle times, scrap rates, energy consumption, and CO2 footprints.
Well done to Alexander Chaloupka and the entire sensXPERT team for this outstanding achievement!
References
[1] sensXPERT FlexCure | Products
[2] Agilent Basics of Measuring the Dielectric Properties of Materials - GitLab
[3] Measurement of Dielectric Material Properties - Rohde & Schwarz
YouTube Episode: https://youtu.be/BntdnubcYBs
I am the LinkedIn Group Community Manager of Composites Lounge and interviewed the CEO of sensXPERT - Optimizing Plastics Manufacturing Dr. Alexander Chaloupka and his sales engineer Arne Büttner while demonstrating a sensor test powered by AI with chocolate.
The sensXPERT FlexCure system is an advanced enhancement of dielectric analysis technology designed for flexible and diverse manufacturing environments. Unlike traditional systems that require closed mold processes, FlexCure can be implemented in open mold productions, vacuum infusion, autoclave curing, continuous manufacturing, filament winding, and oven curing. This flexibility allows it to measure through air and the thickness of components, monitoring cure behavior and flow behavior in real-time. This technology is particularly beneficial in industries such as hydrogen vessel manufacturing, filament winding, and tape manufacturing, where it helps in assessing the curing, pre-curing, and aging of materials[1].
Dielectric analysis is a technique used to measure the electrical properties of materials. It involves applying an oscillating AC electrical field to a material and measuring its capacitance and conductance. These measurements help determine how the material's molecular structure changes over time, temperature, and frequency. Essentially, dielectric analysis provides insights into the material's behavior during processes like curing, allowing manufacturers to optimize production, reduce waste, and ensure quality [2] [3].
Arne Büttner demonstrates the sensXPERT FlexCure system using a piece of chocolate to showcase its capabilities during the JEC World 2025 show. The system can analyze materials through various barriers, such as boxes and foils, by sending radiation frequencies through the material. This technology is applicable in composites manufacturing, where it can measure through vacuum bags and other barriers. During the demonstration, the system successfully identified marzipan inside the chocolate, illustrating its precision in detecting material structures and molecular compositions.
On a final note: Congratulations to sensXPERT for winning the "Product of the Year 2025" award from KUNSTSTOFF MAGAZIN! This recognition, voted by the magazine's readers, highlights the significant impact of your innovative solutions in reducing cycle times, scrap rates, energy consumption, and CO2 footprints.
Well done to Alexander Chaloupka and the entire sensXPERT team for this outstanding achievement!
References
[1] sensXPERT FlexCure | Products
[2] Agilent Basics of Measuring the Dielectric Properties of Materials - GitLab
[3] Measurement of Dielectric Material Properties - Rohde & Schwarz
YouTube Episode: https://youtu.be/BntdnubcYBs
Transkript
So we are going strong on JEC World
on day 3and
I'm together
with Alexander Chaloupka from sensXPERT.
You've seen Alexander many,
many times in one of my videos.
Please check back who Alexander is.
We are diving directly
into the sensXPERT Insight solution.
Alexander, my question is
what is the main benefit
of the Insight solution
for your customers?
The big benefit of the Insight solution
is that we combine different data sources.
So we create the interfaces
from hardware and software
side to machines
to material science to sensors.
And we are therefore in charge
of qualification of a material.
So we qualify the material in real time
during manufacturing.
And that is the big miracle
behind this box
to really combine different worlds.
Our customers are challenged with.
Alexander, can you explain our community
in which processes are this ideal for?
So, sensXPERT Insight
like you can see what the sensor here
is designed for closed mold processes.
So if we talk about SMC, RTM,
high pressure RTM,
and even away from the composites industry
about injection molding,
that is where this technology comes
into the game. And based on how we define
and combine these three data sources
and how we translate it
into quality criteria of our customers,
we are even acting
in a sustainability field,
because while reducing cycle time
and while reducing
scrap rate, we are directly reducing costs
on the customer side
and even energy consumption.
-As far as I understand,
this is a further development
of your dielectric analysis.
You are now introducing an innovation
called sensXPERT FlexCure.
What is FlexCure?
-sensXPERT FlexCure means
like the name says: flexibility.
And customers not always have
a closed mold production
where we can implement a sensor there.
We even have open mold productions.
We even have vacuum infusion
and autoclave curing of components.
We have continuous manufacturing,
continuous processes.
We have filament winding and oven curing.
There is no chance to bring a sensor
inside because
even the parts are rotating.
Therefore, we have developed
an enhancement
of our dielectric technology,
our sensXPERT FlexCure system,
where the sensor can easily be implemented
in an oven, for example,
with a distance to the material
we measure through air
and through thickness of the components
and can follow the cure behavior,
the flow behavior,
and therefore performing the same benefits
like we do with the sensXPERT
Insight package.
-Okay. And what technologies
are possible with this?
Further technologies
that you can imagine of.
-From the application field,
this sensor today
is used in hydrogen vessel manufacturing.
We are approached for filament winding,
for even tape manufacturing.
So semi-finished products.
So there are a lot of applications
where customers are challenged
with especially curing,
pre-curing, aging of the material.
And I want to know,
with this kind of technology,
what is the level of the material
before it's getting send to the customers?
-And tell me, Alexander,
now you being the expert,
these technologies,
in which industries are they mainly used?
To some verticals, market sectors
that are typically for these technologies.
-Yeah. So we are very widespread.
So historically we come
from the thermosetting field
in automotive and aviation.
But now even electronics, machining.
A lot of industry branches
that are really using
and making use of the technology.
So it's more or less independent.
One of the major concerns customers have
is always, how do we integrate
your Insight,
your FlexCure system and all these things?
So you are a data based,
data science based company
and how do they integrate this?
I mean, we are not talking only data.
We also have to integrate.
-And that is why we have this box
designed in a way
that we bring interfaces with us.
So our customers shouldn't be the ones
taking care about implementing everything.
That is why we are there.
Why we were focusing
on creating the right interfaces
from software
and hardware side for our customers,
so we can easily connect the plug
and play solution. We can via interfaces
from the hardware side
connect to existing machines
for retrofitting solutions.
We can connect to new digital interfaces
like OPC-UA to new machines.
Therefore, we are taking care
about everything.
We are discussing with the customer,
even with the machine suppliers
where to connect, how to connect,
how to exchange data
so our customer really can benefit
from a plug
and play solution when working with us.
-Now it's becoming tasty and sweet,
like Swiss chocolate, let's say.
So you have for this year's JEC World
2025 been creative.
And you've thought about
how can we demonstrate this?
So how can a usual visitor
here on JEC World
see this in a real application?
With the sensXPERT FlexCure system,
we created a nice gimmick
we have at the SAERTEX booth.
We have Ritter Sport chocolate
in a fixed box.
You don't see what is inside,
but you can measure it.
You can look behind the boundaries.
You can look inside
so you can place the chocolate on top.
You don't know what is inside.
The system will tell you.
And then you can have a look
and see what's going to happen.
And this is a nice demonstration
of how sensing and AI works together
to create benefit for the customers.
And this makes even then visible
what we are doing, even in production,
when monitoring, curing, crystallization,
aging of the material, voids whatever.
-And since you are a company
that really underscores collaborations,
so that demonstrator is not with you,
but it's with your customer. Who is that
and what benefits is the collaboration?
I wouldn't say customer.
It's at the SAERTEX booth.
SAERTEX is very well known in fabrics
and semi-finished product manufacturing
and supporting customers
with their solutions.
We said, hey,
there is a way how to service customers
best because at the end,
if you buy the best material
but you're not managing
your manufacturing,
especially cure behavior,
then you wonnothing.
You will lose money at the end.
And we said we will showcase that.
We will showcase to customers
that it's not just a machine manufacturer
sells a machine,
a material supplier sells material.
We sell our solution.
No, it's collaborative,
because at the end
we are servicing the same end customers,
and the end customer
is the one who needs to benefit.
So this is the system thinking,
the value chain thinking of course,
and that you have established
this at JEC World 2025
with another exhibitor SAERTEX,
which is very famous, very known.
One of the major players in the market
is a really a great step,
a great, I would say trust factor, also.
If someone like
has given you the confidence
in your abilities to do that, I like this.
We will now be moving then to SAERTEX
and having a look how that works there.
Great. So you can taste the chocolate.
It will be delicious.
As you see composites
is not always cars and flying.
It's also sweets and chocolate.
And you will now see the demonstrator.
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-All
right then.
Let's analyze some chocolate.
The sweets as you heard.
So we put the chocolates
and we do not know what is inside.
Put it here on top of the sensor
and we start the measurement.
So you see now the radiation,
the frequency
is going through the material
and it detects what kind of chocolate
is inside the box.
Meaning we can also measure
through the box through the foil.
Also of course that can be applied
to composites manufacturing.
If you have a vacuum bag or something
we can measure through.
And now the measurement is running.
We are detecting the structure
of the materials, the molecules,
and let's see what's inside.
It's marzipan in this case.
Let's talk about awards "Sonderpreis
für Nachhaltigkeit".
So this is a special award
for sustainability.
sensXPERT has been awarded
by the Kunststoff Magazin.
That is the plastics magazine
with a "product of the year 2025".
First of all, congratulations, Alexander,
to you and your team.
Thank you. What a great honor
to see this on your booth.
What did this entail?
-Especially we are proud of this award,
because the readers of Kunststoff Magazin
have voted for us.
So it was not that anyone
or a small group of people
have just voted for it.
It was really the readers
of Kunststoff Magazin
and it was for a long time.
I think it started in autumn last year
(2024) and finished in January (2025).
And I mean, for us, it's very great
because it showcases that what we do,
where we start from cycle time reduction,
scrap reduction.
It even pays off at the end
in the energy consumption
that is being reduced.
In CO2 footprint that is being reduced,
because that's the numbers
that count for sustainability.
Congratulations, Alexander.
And great that we saw this on the booth.
Thank you so much
for the interview, Alexander.
I hope JEC World continues
to be a great vehicle for you guys.
How did you find the three days?
-It was incredible.
It was really, really great.
A big, big show
and a very big success for us here.
-Okay. I hope you had also some time
to enjoy Paris and enter networking.
Paris not that much.
Not that much.
It's more network based.
It's the same with me.