SCIENCEGATE

The module is hermetically sealed using a vacuum during a new method for the production of photovoltaic modules. The correct distance between glass front and metal rear side is important for this vacuum. Therefore, the distance of the glass pane to the rear side is automatically measured from one side in the production using confocal sensors.

In any type of vehicle, the braking system is one of the most important safety features. This is why high requirements are placed on all braking system components. When manufacturing brake discs, the different sizes must be strictly adhered to. One critical feature is the gap between the plates of the brake disc. Therefore, the gapCONTROL 2911-25 gap sensor is used.

Car interiors present a number of gaps, for example, between the single cockpit elements such as the center console or door trim. From a technical point of view, it is often irrelevant if the width and height of a gap are constant. However, the interior is an area of the car that the customer sees first. The gapCONTROL profile scanner inspects the gaps of all parts in the car interior during final assembly.

Displacement Sensor for Gap Measurement 

If two object edges are joined together, a gap always remains. If the gap has to satisfy technical or visual requirements, the course with respect to the size must be checked. If the gap should be measured completely, laser scanners in the scanCONTROL series are ideally suitable for this. Point laser sensors in the optoNCDT group are also used for precise gap measurement over a track.

In high quality vehicles, the trim typically consists not only of a single material (e.g. plastics) but many different bonded materials. This offers various design options but also many additional functions e.g. illumination using semi-transparent parts. Bonding or welding these elements requires precise handling, as parts that are only slightly misaligned can cause large deviations in the corresponding gap size. In order to meet the high requirements demanded by automotive manufacturers, it is necessary to inspect all trim prior to delivery and to rework any defective parts. And this is where the scanCONTROL 2910-25 laser scanner comes in.

In the production of drinking glasses, the stem and cup are connected using a gas burner. In order to enable the precise connection of the glass stem and cup, the distance between stem and cup needs to be measured. Monitoring this gap size allows for feed rate control during production. An optoCONTROL optical micrometer measures this gap.

Hydrostatic bearings are used in large plant and machinery such as stone mills, telescopic installations etc. Monitoring the gap size is a critical factor, as any disturbances in the hydraulics can cause pressure drops, which in extreme cases, can cause the gap to close, resulting in damage to the bearings and ultimately system failure. Here, it is important to have a system that is easy to install as also ageing plants have to be retrofitted. Due to the long service life and the worldwide use of this plant, the sensor should be easy to replace. For this reason, non-contact eddy current displacement sensors of the eddyNCDT 3001 series are used.

According to ISO 18084:2011, the press tools for the tablet production are subject to a continuous quality control. Due to complex geometry and a strongly reflecting surface, automatic inspection of stamps and dies has been difficult. Only the use of a confocal sensor (confocalDT 2451) and an optical micrometer (optoCONTROL 2600) together with a precise movement with 5 degrees of freedom enabled the development of »Ti-1«. Ti-1 is a complex measurement system equipped with a USB interface and special software for the geometric and visual inspection of tools.

The distance of both rollers from each other or from the roller to the support surface is the crucial dimension for rolling processes for metals, plastics or other materials. In the case of sensitive processes and high material accuracies, the clearance must be checked constantly so that imminent rejection is avoided. The contacting inductive and the non-contact methods are suitable for this. In the case of contacting methods, the sensor is mounted on the outside on the roller guide. The change in clearance is transmitted to a plunger whose position change is measured by the inductive sensor. In the case of the non-contact method, the roller is between the transmitter and receiver of an optical micrometer. The emitted light curtain is partially covered by the roller. The remainder reaches the receiver through the gap. The gap can be calculated based on the light quantity measurement.

For continuous, uniform material processing in the field of sealing technology, the gap between the rolls must be set with the hydraulic adjustment device and maintained constant. For this reason the top and bottom rolls are provided with a shoulder and an aluminum ring as measurement objects to the left and right. Using the aluminum ring, errors due to the roll material can be avoided. Two eddy current sensors mounted opposite one another measure the distance to the aluminum ring from a fixed reference point. The roll gap can be found from the sum of the two distances.