Aluminum rim dimension

Maximum quality is required for the production of aluminum rims so that the necessary smooth running is achieved in the subsequent use. In contrast to tactile methods, laser scanners from the Micro Epsilon scanCONTROL series are used for this. These sensors inspect the rims for all geometric defects in an integrated tester. Therefore, a 100% in-line quality control is achieved.

Sensor technology applied

Web-edge detection in the calender of a paper machine

If movement of the paper web in the calender is not exactly executed in one line, the heated calender roller is pressed directly onto the coating of the opposite roller, which can damage it. Repairing this special coating or even replacing the whole roller would be very costly, which is why it is mandatory to control the position of the web edge. This is where laser line sensors from Micro-Epsilon are utilized, transferring the exact position of the web edge directly to the machine control system.

Sensor technology applied

Measuring the height of concrete blocks

For the final inspection during the production of concrete blocks, a special test bench records the height of the blocks over a number of tracks. On each track, an optoNCDT 1700 laser sensor measure vertically on the conveyor belt. The blocks on the conveyor belt run through the sensor's laser beam.

Sensor technology applied

Sheet edge measurement prior to laser welding

The company „Paul von der Bank“ in Hilden (Germany) develops and manufactures modular-designed robotic welding cells and fully automatic production and processing lines. To ensure high production quality of longitudinally welded pipes, the following factors must be considered: Besides sheet edge length, the exact edge position must be known, it must be guaranteed that sheet edges are aligned perfectly to each other.

Sensor technology applied

Thickness and volume measurement of potato slices

When producing potato crisps, factors such as consistency, quality and taste depend to a significant degree on the thickness of the potato slices used. Depending on the process parameters and the condition of the tools used, the thickness of the cut slices changes slowly but steadily during the production time. This is why it is important to continuously monitor the thickness during production by using the scanCONTROL 2950-50BL sensor. The sensor projects a laser line onto a conveyor belt, which continuously guides sample slices along it.

Sensor technology applied

Digital 3D measurement of complex parts and shapes

Mabotic devepols and manufactures various designs of digital scanning units. scanCONTROL laser scanner are often used for digitization of parts. The scanner projects a laser line onto the object being measured and records the profile of the line. When the scanner is mounted on a linear axis and the scanner traverses over the measurement target, a 3D image of the target can be generated.

Sensor technology applied

Dimension inspection of cylindrical objects

The CD Express measuring instrument developed by a British company measures circumference, diameter and ovality of cylindrically shaped objects. The measuring objects are inserted in the measuring device and the measurement starts automatically. An optical micrometer from the optoCONTROL 2500 series operates in the measuring device. The software has been customised for this application so that the optoCONTROL now takes over the complete control of the measuring device.

Sensor technology applied

Liquid level in falling film reactors

In falling film reactors used by the chemicals industry, the geometrical dimensions of the reactor metal sheet are measured using confocal sensors. The filling level of the liquid is also measured during this test. The channels have dimensions of 200µm depth and a width of 400µm. The advantages of using a compact beam path are fully exploited in this application example.

Sensor technology applied

Thermal milling spindles

Accuracies of a few micrometres must increasingly more often be achieved for the parts machining using machine tools. In doing so, the heat development during the machining and in the tool holder is not insignificant. The thermal expansion of the spindle during the machining can affect the precision so much that the workpiece no longer meets the requirements. The SGS system developed by Micro-Epsilon is used for compensating for the expansion of the tool spindle. The expansion of the spindle is measured using the eddy current based system and in this way precise workpiece machining is made possible.

Sensor technology applied

Inline burr measurement on sheet edges in body manufacture

In order to avoid corrosion, continuous and error-free corrosion protection is a critical factor in the painting process. As the thickness of the applied painting on burrs can only be determined under challenging limitations, it is a decisive advantage that the burrs are recognized early in the production process before the corrosion protection and other paint layers are applied.

In contrast to fixed solutions that enable a random test, Micro-Epsilon offers its scanCONTROL 2910-10/BL Plug & Play system which provides the required precision with its high point resolution of approx. 8µm along the laser line in order to recognize burrs reliably even during inline measurements.

Sensor technology applied

Vibration measurement on carbon brushes

Many direct current electric motors operate with carbon brushes for the current transmission. optoNCDT laser sensors are used to monitor the vibration during operation. They measure the carbon brushes without contact and also measure high speeds of the motor due to their high cut-off frequency.

Sensor technology applied

Coordinate measurement machine

Coordinate measurement machines are used for measuring many different components. Different scanners and measuring equipment measure the surface of the component in three dimensions. Laser line scanners from the scanCONTROL 2800 and 2700 series are ideally suited for this purpose. They measure the actual surface of the component without contact and with micrometre precision according to the triangulation principle.

Sensor technology applied

Coordinate measuring machine

Coordinate measurement machines from Zeiss have been known for decades for the highest quality, precision and reliability. Also the mobile measurement machine, ScanMax fulfills these criteria, in part due to the application of inductive displacement sensors from Micro-Epsilon.

Sensor technology applied

Sorting crabs

Crabs are sorted by size in a sorting system. Thereby, the crabs are transported using a vibrating unit on a roller which has a clearance between 20 mm and 40 mm. For checking the clearance, an induSENSOR series LVP is used which measures the changing clearance and shows it on a digital display. The sensor is designed in stainless steel for the food industry.

Sensor technology applied

Measuring the base height of filters in the automotive industry

In automotive filter production, faultless workmanship is essential for the proper functioning of the filter. In addition, the specified height of the filter is also critical in order to prevent any damage occurring to the periphery of the filter during assembly. In cooperation with special purpose machine builder Limberger GmbH and the Signum image processing specialists, scanCONTROL laser profile scanners were integrated to a filter test machine.

Sensor technology applied

Automated board measurements in wood production

Electronic Wood Systems GmbH (EWS) has launched the "dimension scan"a new approach to the automated measurement of finished boards. The market leader in measurement systems for the wood processing industry, based in the German town of Hamelin, EWS developed this innovative solution for the inline quality control of chipboards, MDF and HDF boards.

Sensor technology applied

Profile measurement of mounted tram rails

Modern operating conditions for trams lead to increased wear of the wheels and rail. In order to document the wear of the rail, our customer has developed a measurement system that detects, automatically evaluates and analyzes this data. scanCONTROL laser profile scanners record the profile of the rail.

Sensor technology applied

Fluid level measurement of aluminum pig irons

A German manufacturer of prestressed concrete products uses a number of 3D measurement systems by InSystems Automation with optical sensors made by Micro-Epsilon for quality control of railway sleepers. The systems include a portal station that is fitted to a forming station above the conveyor technology. Two scanCONTROL LLT2800-100 laser profile sensors travel along the portal axes and scan the sleepers from above.

Sensor technology applied

Reliable quality control in the rolling mill

One of the profile rolling mills processes profile steel in reversing operation. The rod center is then measured and evaluated using a  optoNCDT 1700-750BL.

Sensor technology applied

Blue Laser triangulation sensor - optoNCDT 1700BL

Tire measurement

A 100% quality control is indispensable in tire production for vehicles. Tires without defects make an important contribution to vehicle safety. Measurement by laser scanner in contrast to point laser sensors or capacitive sensors is new for quality controls of the tires. Laser scanners inspect the surface of the tires for production defects within one second. The dimensions, size and lettering of the tires can be checked at the same time.

Sensor technology applied

Calibrating robot axes

Industrial robots have become indispensable in modern production facilities due to their reliability and speed. During set up and also at regular intervals within the scope of quality assurance, the robot axes must be adjusted. Here, electronic adjustment probes have long substituted mechanical probes. The measurement probes mounted on the robot axes and acquire the zero point during the axis rotation using a probe tip. The integral electronics evaluate the probe signal and supplies a switching signal to the robot controller.

Sensor technology applied

Draw-wire displacement sensors take measurements in pipe trade

In the piping industry orders are placed for fixed lengths of a certain type of pipe. The available pipes with different lengths are transported from the stores to a measurement table to process the order. Here, pipes are inserted one after the other and the partial lengths summed up using a rugged draw-wire displacement sensor. The movable stop on the table is linked to a sensor wire extension pretensioned by a springdriven motor. The draw-wire extension in the dirty section guarantees a clean wire intake in the sensor and a long service life.

Sensor technology applied

Monitoring the thermal expansion of pipelines

Pipelines in power stations are stressed to their limits by pressure and temperature. These loads result in movements of the pipes which can be up to 1 metre. Constant supports compensate for the movements and show the displacement on a scale. wireSENSORs are used to notify the measurement results to a control desk. The long service life of the sensors is particularly important.

Sensor technology applied

High precision pipe measurement

High precision pipe measurement Pipes, fittings and sleeves are inspected using random sampling for their dimensional accuracy in a special system. Sensors of the optoNCDT 1700 series rotate mounted on a plate. The laser beam is deflected by 90° by an adjustable mirror for the measurement. The system produces a detailed thickness profile of the target using the difference method.

Sensor technology applied

Damage prevention during production of locking cylinder

The company Aumat (Germany) develops and produces complex production systems for locking cylinders. In order to prevent any damage occurring, the operator must feed the correct blank into the production programme of the control system. This safety measure requires that a high number of components are detected and identified clearly and reliably in terms of both length and color.

Sensor technology applied

Cutting edge measurement

Carbide specialist company Ceratizit uses a semi-automatic measuring machine for production control. This device checks cutting plates for dimensional stability. The cutting plates are moved horizontally for each linear axis and pass through the light beam of the optoCONTROL 2500 through-beam sensor. The edge of the cutting plate is measured exactly as a result of this movement.

Sensor technology applied

Dimensional accuracy of sectional doors

With sectional doors for parquet or laminate flooring, key and slot joints for individual sections are applied. However, these sections are opened and closed frequently. To enable a robust but permanent flexible key and slot joint, specified  dimensions  are  critical  and  must  be  adhered to. This is particularly important in the case of significant temperature differences or inaccurate dimensions, where the door could be locked or positioned incorrectly. The measurement of the key and slot joint is therefore critical in ensuring the correct manufacturing dimensions.

Sensor technology applied

High precision measurement of special profile sections in the production line

In the factory research department a fully automatic system for optical geometry measurement has been developed, constructed and integrated into a production line for lift profile rail sections. The system acquires the deviation of±0.2mmfrom straightness in both axes, the length of the section and the thickness of the rail web to ± 0.02 mm in two tracks.

Sensor technology applied

Spindle growth

Spindles of machine tools are subjected to high mechanical load. This load results in thermal expansion of the spindles. The associated change in length causes a certain positioning error for the work to be performed. The SSW sensor is directly integrated in the spindle and measures the thermal expansion there of the tool holder without contact. The miniaturized eddy current sensor can also be used again immediately after a tool change. The measured value is transmitted to the CNC controller as a set offset.

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

An automatic measurement system ensures the production quality of tablets

High performance pill presses are fitted with quickly interchangeable matrix disk units in order to minimize cleaning and setting up times when employing press tools. In automated production a high level of precision is required to ensure the quality of each individual pill. In production up to 47 stamp pairs pass through the press station in a circular arrangement and, due to their high production rate, are subject to a certain amount of wear. Here, an automatic system for the stamp measurement can ensure the optimum press quality.

Sensor technology applied

Quality control of medical tablet stamps and dies

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.

Sensor technology applied

Monitoring embossment depth

Embossed serial numbers enable worldwide unambiguous identification of, for example, car body shells. For increased safety measures (e.g. in case of theft), car body IDs are punched into the vehicle frame. Therefore, the depth of the embossment is a critical factor.

This is why embossing machines operate using optoNCDT 1420 laser triangulation sensors from Micro-Epsilon. These determine the precise distance between the embossing tool and the component. Based on these distance values, the tool can be positioned correctly. After the embossment is finished, the sensor measures the profile of the embossment and ensures that all characters are embossed to the required depth.

Sensor technology applied