TECHNOLOGY | MACHINERY INSPECTION Detecting flaws with triangulation
LaserLinc’s FlawSense dimensional surface flaw detection system uses high-speed laser line triangulation to inspect products such as pipes and profiles. The company says it can detect
lumps, gels, pits, slits and other surface defects – and perform the same functions as conventional laser microm- eters, lump and neckdown detectors and camera-based systems. Manufac- turing personnel can later review the defects in 3D for deeper analysis. The system can perform 360°
in-process inspection, regardless of product orientation in the measure- ment field.
“FlawSense is a high-performance inspection system that uses the most
MARKING Printing with solvent resistance
Egeplast UK has used print heads from Timbermark to improve printing quality on its range of co-extruded PE pipes. The new installation of 32mm piezo print heads uses UV curing ink to produce a mark on a curved surface that is both high-resolution and solvent resistant – which was a key requirement for the customer.
Egeplast had been using a continuous inkjet printer to print information on wastewater and drinking water pipes. However, it wanted to improve the quality of the mark and include its company logo. This was best achieved by switching to a high-resolu- tion printer. In addition, the print needed to be resistant to solvents – specifically petrol.
IMAGE: TIMBERMARK Using UV-curing white
ink, the system can produce an indelible mark, which includes the product specification, dimensions and Egeplast logo. The resulting print is sharp, accurate and solvent resistant. By using two printheads, both sides of each pipe can be marked. The installation incorpo-
rates the inkjet printer and integrated UV controller. The printer and UV curing module are mounted 1mm from the curved surface of the pipe and produce a sharp print in white against the dark surface of the pipe. Non-contact marking is an essential feature. A contact wheel was considered – but was rejected, as it puts pressure on the pipe that could lead to ‘ovality’. �
www.timbermark.co.uk
36 PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | January/February 2023
advanced laser triangulation technol- ogy and is more accurate and capable than conventional inspection systems,” said Chad Walker, product manager at LaserLinc.
LaserLinc says that traditional systems typically offer limited meas-
urement points per sensor, are unable to measure the full contour of the product or see false positives due to the presence of text and labels. FlawSense digitises thousands of individual measurement points around the contour of the product to reveal the smallest surface anomalies. It then produces a 3D point cloud image that can be manipulated for further analysis. The system can detect surface defects down to 5 microns – and claims 10 times better resolution than camera-based systems. The system is suited for inspecting high-value products such as high- pressure hose for automobile and aerospace applications. �
www.laserlinc.com
CUTTING
Distortion- free cuts
for pipe Conair says that its PipeMaster planetary cutters provide continu- ous, distortion-free cuts in extruded PVC and polyolefin plastic pipe. The products work for pipe diameters from 0.630 to 24.9 in, at line speeds up to 82 feet per minute. The cutters are available in six sizes across the smaller MDT series and larger MTT series, according to Conair. “The MDT and MTT planetary cutters combine rugged reliability, cost- efficiency and well-engi- neered controls,” said Ernie Preiato, vice presi- dent of extrusion at Conair. �
www.conairgroup.com
www.pipeandprofile.com
IMAGE: LASERLINC
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