HEAVY INDUSTRY Stena Gotthard Fragmentering in Sweden
is in the business of shredding large metal products whose usefulness has come to an end. Fragmentering specialises in processing light to medium-heavy mixed scrap, such as cars and household appliances. Shredding might not seem like an operation that requires in-process control but Flir’s cameras are being used to do just that. A shredder crushes the
can also produce smoke. By using an infrared camera, operating in the 8-12μm spectral region, the operator is able to see through the smoke and steam. Tree Flir Systems TermoVision infrared
material into small chips. Tese chips are then sorted into three different categories – iron, non-magnetic metals, and organic materials – and sold for recycling. Te heart of the installation is the turning crusher, which crushes the scrap materials that are continuously loaded into the feeder. A huge 2.5MW motor powers the crusher. Due to the high friction that occurs during the fragmentation process, a lot of dust, but also a great deal of heat is generated. Water is sprayed onto the crusher for reducing the dust, but results in large quantities of steam being produced. Te processing of some materials
A problem for the vision system is fragments of scrap propelled at bullet-like velocity
cameras are being used to monitor the process. As a result, output at the installation has increased by more than 10 per cent. ‘We now process approximately 1,000 tonnes of scrap per shiſt, which is outstanding for our installation. Tis output would have been impossible without the IR camera,’ says Håkan Norén, technical supervisor at Stena. A Flir TermoVision
camera gives the operator a real-time image showing exactly what is going on inside the feeder as it loads scrap into the shredder. In the control room, an operator manually controls the feeder to stop it from becoming choked. In the past, normal visual cameras were used to monitor the feeder. However, due to the smoke and steam, such cameras produced very poor image quality.
‘Before, I had to rely on an amp-meter to
measure the electric current of the crusher and to indicate when something was choking the feeder,’ says Ola Kilestad, one of the shredder operators at Stena. At Stena Gotthard, the shredder operator can now view the IR image on the display in front of him while controlling the feeder with a joystick. ‘Tanks to the infrared camera, I can now see what is blocking the feeder through the smoke and take the appropriate action immediately,’ Kilestad adds. A problem for the vision system is
fragments of scrap being propelled at high, bullet-like velocity. In response, a local company, Informationssystem, built a protective enclosure furnished with a 25mm-thick, steel plate, which is further protected by a shock absorbing metal net. An air purger is connected to the enclosure to prevent dust from contaminating the camera optics. Tree more shredder installations in Scandinavia have installed Flir Systems IR cameras. Convinced of the rapid return on investment, shredders at various locations have been showing interest in equipping their installations with infrared cameras. O
Vision MINI SMART CAMERA World’s smallest fully-integrated vision system
New WVGA model with global shutter for high speed applications now available.
• Ultra-compact shape and size, 25.4 mm x 45.7 mm x 53.3 mm
• Weight 57g • OEM-ready for easy installation • Complete with processor, autofocus lens, and illumination
• Simplified programming with AutoVISION • Advanced programming with Visionscape
Read a case study online:
www.microscan.com/casestudy
EMEA@microscan.com | +31 172 423360 ©2012 Microscan Systems, Inc.
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