Plastic, rubber

Distance control in 3D printing

Micro laser sintering technology is an additive production technology based on digital 3D design data, whereby a component is constructed layer-by-layer from metal powders using a laser beam. This procedure is also known as industrial 3D printing. The exact positioning of the squeegee to the base surface (distance and tilt angle) requires an exact control method. Four CSE05(01) capacitive displacement sensors are used here. The planarity of the descending construction platform must be inspected before the process starts using three CS02 sensors integrated into an add-on module.

Wear measurement at 8-shaped bore holes in extruder machines

The internal bore hole diameter measuring unit idiamCONTROL 801 detects the wear in the 8-shaped bore holes of extruder machines by measuring the internal diameter. For this purpose a measuring probe is pushed into the bore hole. An integrated capacitive double sensor measures the actual bore hole diameter. In addition the sensor position in the longitudinal axis of the bore hole is measured with a cable-length measuring system.

Sensor technology applied

Non-contact IR temperature measurement of plastic film

Non-contact temperature measurement of thin plastic films is in practice a difficult measurement task. Depending on the type of plastic, the measurement must be performed in different spectral ranges. In research and development of printable films, the surface temperature of heated plastic films is detected using a CTP-7 pyrometer (spectral range 7.9µm). Furthermore, the thermoMETER CTP-3 thermometer with a spectral range of 3.43µm is also suitable for non-contact temperature measurement of plastic films.

Sensor technology applied

Blown film thickness

The thickness of blown films is an important aspect in terms of constant quality in blown film production. Partially strong thickness tolerances can occur for the production in doing so. The blown film system from Micro-Epsilon measures the profile of the film with or without contact directly after the extrusion nozzle. Located on a reversing frame, the system continuously traverses the film tube and provides the data to the host system for controlling the extrusion nozzle.

Sensor technology applied

In-line detection of protective film on PVC window frames

Company „Schüco“ manufactures PVC window frames. The PVC profiles are provided with a protective film after they are extruded. This film protects the frames from scratches and dirt. The colorCONTROL ACS7000 color measurement system checks if the protective film has been applied correctly.

Sensor technology applied

Thickness measurement of black rubber belts

Rubber mats for the structure sealing must exhibit a specified thickness for durability and tear resistance. The thickness of the films is measured directly after the extrusion. The optoNCDT 1700 sensors used measure the distance to the rubber despite bad reflectivity. The thickness is determined from the sensor signal and the distance to a reference roller. The user thus recognizes already starting deviations from the target thickness.

Sensor technology applied

Reading the DOT code on tires

When manufacturing automobiles for the American market, the DOT numbers of the tires must be stored. Vision systems are not suitable for reading the code, due to the poor contrast involved (black letters on a black background). The scanCONTROL 2750-100 measures the distance from the surface with the aid of triangulation. The sensor transmits a height profile of the tire wall directly to the software application.

Sensor technology applied

Extruder bore diameter

The idiamCONTROL system has been developed for checking the wear of extruder bores. The measuring cylinder is inserted in the case bore and pushed as far as the upper end. During retraction of the cylinder, several capacitive sensors measure the case diameter on several tracks. Specially for double worm extruders, the measuring cylinder has two metal pins which run along the saddle of both bores and in this way prevent rotation of the cylinder.

Sensor technology applied

Flat film thickness

The thickness of manufactured films is frequently a decisive quality criteria in production. Specially developed thickness measurement systems are used as early as possible in the production for the check of the thickness. Dual sensors consisting of two sensors with different measuring principles measure the thickness across the complete width of the film from one side without contact. A thickness profile of the flat film is thus produced using which the production systems can be regulated extremely precisely. The dual sensors are compiled differently depending on the type of film.

Sensor technology applied

Non-contacting online layer-thickness measurement of foils

In foil production online process monitoring guarantees constant product quality. MICRO-EPSILON’s KS5 combination sensor measures the layer thickness on foils in a non-contact and thus non-wearing process.

Inline color measurement of plastic injection-moulded parts

In plastic injection moulding, the exact color shade of the products is important, as the color changes during cooling. To date, it has only been possible to measure random samples of cooled pieces. However, the colorCONTROL ACS inline color measurement system from Micro-Epsilon can 100% inspect the products as they are extracted from the mould.

Sensor technology applied

Inline color measurement of transparent film

In non-contact monitoring of continuously produced transparent strips of film, each millimetre of strip produced must be identical in color. As well as color fluctuations, streaks can occur during production. As these films are translucent, the color is measured in transmission using the high speed, high precision colorCONTROL ACS7000 inline color measurement system, which is connected to a transmission sensor head (ACS3) comprising a transmitter unit (TT) and a receiver unit (TR).

Sensor technology applied

Inner liner thickness measurement

Inner liners are used in every tire to prevent the air from escaping. As the inner liner is a characteristic relevant to safety of every tire, there are high requirements for compliance with the target data. An important criterion is the layer thickness. The system for measuring the thickness of inner liners operates without contact and wear-free. The inner liner is routed through the measuring system immediately after the calender roller. A measuring head traverses above the surface. An eddy current sensor measures the distance to the reference roller while an optical micrometer measures the distance to the rubber surface. The system can be integrated in the heating circuit of the calender roller for better temperature compensation.

Sensor technology applied

Thickness Measurement on the Calender

Rubber-coated textile and metal fabrics form the basis of tire manufacture. The rubber is applied to the fabric by calender rolling which demands a uniform layer thickness for the manufacture of high quality tires. The strength and the dimensional conformity of the tire directly depend on the coating process.

Sensor technology applied

Special roll gap measurement on calender press

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.

Sensor technology applied

Thickness measurement using displacement sensors

Thickness measurement using displacement sensors is a wide application area. Basically there are distinctions between non-destructive/destructive, non-contact/with contact and one-side/two-sided thickness measurement. The Micro-Epsilon measuring techniques for thickness measurement are all emission-free whereby no emissions regulations of any kind have to be complied with. Thickness measurements must be performed both with contacting as well as with non-contact sensors whereby non-contact measuring techniques show advantages as regards accuracy and measuring speed. There is also a distinction between one-sided and two-sided thickness measurement. Two-sided thickness measurements are carried out with at least one pair of sensors which are installed together on one axis. This pair of sensors measures the target synchronously. The difference between the measurement results (C-A-B) produces the thickness of the measuring object. One-sided thickness measurements must only be performed with non-contact sensors. In doing so, the target is only measured with one sensor and either only a part of the target thickness (e.g. layer thickness) or the complete measuring object thickness is measured. Thickness measurements are mainly used in process control and quality assurance, e.g. for the control of extrusion systems or 100% checking of tube diameters.

Sensor technology applied

Thickness measurement of rubber film

Precise thickness specifications are assigned for the manufacture of rubber film which is rolled using calender rollers. Random-sample manual measurements, as previously carried out, are no longer sufficient for today’s demands on quality assurance. Consequently, a system with three fixed tracks has been adapted for in-line inspection of the thickness. For each track an eddy current sensor of Type U6 is built into a jockey follower system which measures against an stainless steel roller. Controllers of the range multiNCDT series 100 are employed for the evaluation electronics. The stainless steel roller represents the reference system for the measurement.

Sensor technology applied

Profile measurement system

In the field of quality assurance, e.g. in the tire industry, profile measurements of the tread and sidewall must be carried out. Sensors or complete profile measurement benches with precision laser and computer systems can be used for this which relay a fully automatic sequence through to the finished output of the required layout.

Sensor technology applied

Softcalender - temperature measurement

Pyrometers from Micro-Epsilon enable the monitoring of fast rotating objects such as, e.g. softcalenders for paper manufacture. The system permanently monitors the fast rotating rolls.

Sensor technology applied

TIM 160 for injection mould applications

Users of injection  mould machines for plastics processing are facing increased quality requirements imposed by end-users, in particular  for  automotive applications. Because of this trend, the importance of online temperature control right after extrusion as a global quality attribute is growing.

Sensor technology applied

TIM 160 for injection mould applications

Users  of  injection  mould  machines  for  plastics  processing are facing increased quality requirements imposed by  end-users,  in  particular  for  automotive  applications. Because of this trend, the importance of online temperature control right after extrusion as a global quality attribute is growing.

Sensor technology applied

Measurement of sprayed skin thickness

Sprayed skins for vehicle instruments and controls and for airbag cladding are sprayed using a robot-guided nozzle. The thickness of the sprayed skin is inspected during the spraying process. An eddy current sensor measures the distance to the nickel-coated spray mould. The eddy current sensor has an opening in the center through which the laser sensor measures the distance to the sprayed part. When subtracted, both signals provide the thickness of the applied sprayed skin.

Sensor technology applied