Advanced Microwave Imaging Quietly Builds a Global Reputation in Inspection Technology

When United Launch Alliance needs to check the foam insulation that protects its rockets from space’s extreme temperatures, the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture calls on a two-person shop in Baton Rouge: Advanced Microwave Imaging (AMWI) of Baton Rouge.

So do The Welding Institute, one of the United Kingdom’s oldest engineering organizations; IRISNDT, a non-destructive testing firm that’s part of global risk management giant Apave Group; and the Electric Power Research Power Institute, a North Carolina-based nonprofit that collaborates with more than 450 companies worldwide to advance energy transformation.

Why is a tiny firm tucked away at LSU Innovation Park the inspection go-to for these industry stalwarts?

“Advanced Microwave Imaging’s systems can pinpoint defects in everything from thin-walled, high-density polyethylene pipes to the adhesive that binds together thick, multi-layered structures like wind turbine blades,” CEO Robert Stakenborghs said.

The key to AMWI’s inspections is a proprietary system that includes a microwave sensor and antenna about the size of a walkie talkie. The antenna sends microwaves into the item being inspected. Although weaker than the signal emitted by cellphones, the microwaves easily penetrate materials whose composition defeats the ultrasound technology used to inspect metal pipes and materials.

The system replaced four components mounted on a server-sized rack. The contraption weighed close to 100 pounds. Its bulk made field inspections problematic.

“I tried to convince people that they could take the rack up a 350-foot tower to inspect wind turbine blades, but nobody was convinced,” Stakenborghs joked.

So Stakenborghs adapted. He replaced the rack components with the

antenna system he created himself and a mini-PC small enough to hook onto a worker’s belt. AMWI’s software does the rest, such as finding any flaws in the adhesive that bonds the materials in a wind turbine blade or a rocket to its insulation.

Stakenborghs offers off-the-shelf inspection systems but can also tailor devices to a client’s unique needs. For example, Stakenborghs is working on a device that suctions to a wind turbine blade – typically 200 feet long and 10 feet wide -- adjusts its shape to match the blade’s camber or profile and can crawl from one end of the blade to the other carrying the inspection antenna. Other robots or cobots – collaborative robots that work safely alongside people in a shared workspace – have been successfully adapted and applications are in the works.

The effectiveness of Stakenborghs’ bespoke solutions is the reason that his customer base, large third-party inspection companies, is growing rapidly.

Last year, AMWI generated around $500,000 in revenue. This year, Stakenborghs expects to top $1 million.

For now, the company employs two people: Stakenborghs and his daughter, Emma, a pastry chef by training. They and all their equipment are packed into around 500 square feet at LSU Innovation Park.

However, AMWI is in talks for larger contracts. If the company lands one or more of those jobs, AMWI will need to expand its manufacturing space and its workforce. Once the company scales up enough, a level Stakenborghs has yet to determine, he will sell.

“I decided to do this instead of retiring. For right now, I’m having fun,” he said.