MACHINERY | CONTROL & INSTRUMENTATION
are available on the display. An internal accelera- tion sensor provides extra information on the measuring angle of the device towards the pipe. This information helps the line operator carry out a fast manual centring of the extrusion die. Logged data can be exported via USB stick or optionally downloaded by WiFi on a local com- puter. WKT uses this data for measuring data protocols in its data base. Warp portable can measure all common types of plastic, including PE, PP, PA and PVC.
Above: WKT is using handheld Warp technol- ogy from Inoex to check the thickness of its PE pipe
operate well below permitted legal thresholds. The system can be used in conjunction with
iXact diameter-measuring systems, which can make up to 16,000 measurements per second per axis. They are often used for pipe or tube diameter measurement at the end of the extrusion line. Other products on show at K2019 included:
Warp XXL, which can measure the dimensions of pipes up to 3,500mm in diameter and is based on radar technology; Quantum 360, which uses terahertz technology; and Aurex, which uses ultrasonics.
Right:
American Kuhne ran a medical tubing line at K2019, including XC300 Navigator control
Terahertz control Prior to the show, German pipe manufacturer Westfälische Kunststofftechnik (WKT) began using Inoex terahertz technology to measure pipe wall thickness. WKT is using handheld Warp technology to measure the wall thickness of extruded mono layer pipes. It can perform accurate inline and offline random measurement checks within seconds, says Inoex. The battery-powered handheld system has a running time of around eight hours, which met WKT’s needs. Measuring pipe thickness directly at the end of the vacuum tank gave the option to intervene at a very early stage – leading to large savings. Historically, the company had used ultrasonic measurement to check dimensions at the end of the line. Warp portable offers non-destruc- tive, contact-free measurement of wall thicknesses between 5 to 110mm. Türkayan Güneyik, operations manager for PE at
WKT, says the simple handling is the key benefit. Two positioning aids – for different pipe diameters – make it easy to position the device correctly. Measurement is triggered at the push of a button. Within seconds, the wall thickness and timestamp
18 PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | April 2020
www.pipeandprofile.com
Medical demonstration Graham Engineering showcased live demonstra- tions at K2019. A range of its extrusion systems – equipped with its Navigator control system – were used to make end products, including medical tubing. Real-time graphical display is a feature of the
Navigator control system, said the company. High visual correlation between the touchscreen and machine function ensures an intuitive user experi- ence for ease of use and rapid learning, it added. Control is delivered via hardware that is designed to withstand harsh industrial conditions such as vibration, electrical interference, high temperature, and humidity. “Navigator uses an industrial PC with a Windows
platform to enable intuitive, integrated extrusion process control,” said David Schroeder, CEO of Graham.
Originally developed for Graham’s extrusion blow moulding systems – and later adapted for
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