Control of the cutting system in the production of rubber profiles
Application description:
Rubber profiles are manufactured using an extrusion process. At the end of the process, the profiles are cooled with water, then removed using a belt conveyor and finally cut.
In order to obtain stable and correct piece lengths and roll lengths, length measurement before cutting the rubber profiles has several challenges to overcome:
- A wide variety of profile surfaces and structures
- Moisture and water on the profiles
- Elasticity of the profiles
- Thermal influences and shrinkage due to cooling
Conventional measurement with measuring wheels or by means of conveyor belts leads to significant variations in the final lengths. Deviations for piece lengths of 3 m to 10 m are in the range of 3 cm to 10 cm. This is generally compensated for by adding extra length. However, end customers are increasingly demanding that profile manufacturers dispose of the remaining lengths, which means additional costs for transport and disposal in addition to the costs for the extra length.
System solution:
The use of µSPEED sensor technology enables contactless length measurement directly on the profile surface. It is slip-free, maintenance-free and highly accurate, even on damp surfaces and demanding profile structures, with values generally around 0.1% measurement accuracy for short lengths and 0.05% for roll lengths. The contactless method enables measurement at a position where the profiles are less stretched. Precise length measurement in conjunction with correction values for material shrinkage enables significantly more accurate end customer lengths.
System information:
ELOVIS offers the following for this area of application:
- Measurement services, redundancy and comparison measurements
- Creation of measurement documentation and measurement recordings
- Training and consulting on measurement applications
- Fully equipped system hardware for permanent installation and portable use
Questions – advice?
Tel. 0049 721 933 823 0
