Development and manufacture of HF radar systems (WERA, OTHR) for oceanography and coastal monitoring

Helzel Messtechnik GmbH

Kaltenkirchen (Headquarters)New on Amplifa

1995Founded

1 site in KaltenkirchenSites

more than 150 systems in over 25Installed Systems

HRB 3394/BB, Amtsgericht KielCommercial Register

About Helzel Messtechnik

Helzel Messtechnik GmbH was founded in 1995 in Kaltenkirchen and specialises in the development, manufacture and distribution of electronic measuring instruments, in particular high-frequency radar systems. The core product is the coastal ocean radar WERA, which records surface currents, wave parameters and wind direction with high spatial and temporal resolution. Building on this, the company has offered the OTHR system for ship detection and tracking up to 200 NM since 2016. The systems operate in low-noise FMCW mode with very low transmit power and are delivered including signal processing software, data management integration and real-time quality control. The range of services covers end-to-end services from concept and site planning through installation and calibration to maintenance and service contracts. More than 150 systems are installed in over 25 countries; customers come from oceanography, meteorology, port management, search and rescue, offshore operations and maritime surveillance. The company is certified to ISO 9001:2015 and cooperates with research institutes and a network of SMEs (Maritime Cluster).

Site: Kaltenkirchen
Processes: Development, manufacture and distribution of electronic measuring instruments (HF radar systems, End-to-end services: concept planning and system configuration, Site planning, Support with permit applications, Training, Installation and calibration, Data management integration, Data interpretation, reports and analyses
Materials: WERA Ocean Radar, OTHR Ship Detection Radar, FMCW Operating Mode
Certificates: ISO 9001:2015, RED 2014/53/EU EU-Type Examination (WERA Ocean Radar), FCC Certification (2AV3S-WERA, Ocean/Marine Radar), RED 2014/53/EU (WERA), FCC 2AV3S-WERA
Founded: 1995
Industries: Oceanography/Coastal research, Meteorological offices (Met Offices), Navy/Maritime surveillance, Port management, Search and Rescue, Disaster Management

01
Development (RF technology, signal processing)
02
Manufacture of system components
03
Configuration and calibration
04
On-site installation at the customer
05
Data management integration
06
Operational support and maintenance

Technologies & Processes

WERA

WERA Ocean Radar

Coastal HF surface wave radar for measuring currents, waves and wind direction, configurable as a compact antenna or array type.

OTHR

OTHR Ship Detection Radar

Over-the-horizon radar for ship detection and tracking in the Exclusive Economic Zone with ranges up to 200 NM.

FMCW

FMCW Operating Mode

Low-noise continuous frequency-modulated operation with very low transmit power for high signal-to-noise performance.

Sites

Kaltenkirchen

Headquarters: development, manufacturing, sales

Systems & Applications

**Surface current data (WERA)**HF radar · Oceanography

**Tsunami detection**HF radar · Early warning systems

Inside the production

Industries

Oceanography/Coastal researchMeteorological offices (Met Offices)Navy/Maritime surveillancePort managementSearch and RescueDisaster ManagementOffshore operations (wind farms, oil platforms, pipelines)System integratorsDefenceOceanography/Coastal research (Scientists)Navy/Maritime surveillanceOffshore Operations (wind farms, oil platforms, pipelines)Defence (European Defence Fund)

Processes & technical limits

Processes	Tolerance	Max. part	Weight	Lot size	Materials
Development, manufacture and distribution of electronic measuring instruments (HF radar systemsAssembly	–	–	–	–	–

Additional services

End-to-end services: concept planning and system configurationSite planningSupport with permit applicationsTrainingInstallation and calibrationData management integrationData interpretation, reports and analysesOperational support, preventive maintenanceService contracts incl. spare parts warehouseFinancing support (leasing)Solutions for system integrators (hardware/software modules with own branding)Oceanographic Data Viewer with real-time quality controlTsunami detection packageShip Detection and Tracking (OTHR)Hazard management / drift forecasts

Reference customers

Rijkswaterstaat (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management Netherlands)

Quality & Certification

Helzel Messtechnik is certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 (TÜV SÜD) for the development, manufacture and distribution of electronic measuring instruments, in particular HF radar systems. The WERA systems are RED-certified EU-wide (PHOENIX TESTLAB) and hold FCC approval for the US market.

Evidence	Kaltenkirchen
ISO 9001:2015
RED 2014/53/EU (WERA)
FCC 2AV3S-WERA

History

1995
Founded by Thomas Helzel and Matthias Kniephoff; start of WERA development at the University of Hamburg by Klaus-Werner Gurgel
2000
Delivery of the first industrial version of the WERA ocean radar
2005
Optimisation of WERA data processing for tsunami detection; start of development of ship detection methods
2011
Operational tsunami detection package for WERA available
2016
Market launch of the OTHR system for ship detection and tracking in the EEZ
2020
25th company anniversary; FCC certification of the WERA
2021
Funding by the European Defence Fund (EDF) for the iFURTHER project
2023
New WERA systems for Rijkswaterstaat (Netherlands); more than 150 installed systems in over 25 countries