Overview

Web/strip width measurement is crucial to modern manufacturers. Tight profit margins and the demand for quality make it imperative that processes operate efficiently. Statistical process control (SPC) procedures and ISO-9000 standards require reliable measurement documentation. Measurement of products ranging from extruded shapes to flat objects moving at high speeds present problems that other width measurement systems are unable to solve. The cost of classic width measurement system can also be prohibitive.

Accurate measurement is one of the vexing problems found in strip product processing lines having a variable product passline (distance from the bottom of the strip to the top of the emitter). The SCAN-A-LINE™ product development team has recognized the need for dimensional measurement that is completely independent of product passline. This is especially significant near the payoff or rewind mandrels where passline varies as the coil diameter changes. Errors are unavoidable when attempting to measure materials with a varying passline when using any single sensor system. Position errors occur because the edge is viewed by a single point receiver (or camera in a camera-based system). Errors can be calibrated out, but any passline changes after system calibration will result in additional measurement errors in the material dimensions.

The Passline Independent Measurement System (PIM System) solves these difficult variable passline measurement problems with a unique and flexible measurement system utilizing new SCAN-A-LINE™ sensor and processing unit technology.

Contact your manufacturers representative or fill out the SCAN-A-LINE™ Information Request Form for quotation or our latest brochures.

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Thickness Independent Width Measurement

Features

•  Linearity of 0.024 inch [0.81mm] @ 2-sigma

•  Patented Scanned LED Technology
•  NO MOVING PARTS
•  Solid State Reliability
•  No Light Sources to Replace
•  High, Low and Target Limit Relays
•  Multiple Analog Outputs Available
•  Sensor FAULT Output
•  Serial I/O for Data Output to Computer, Data Logger or Printer (optional)
•  Several Customer Interfaces Available
•  Centerline Position Output Available
•  Custom Software Available

Overview

Accurate measurement is one of the vexing problems found in strip product processing lines having a variable product thickness. The SCAN-A-LINE™ product development team has recognized the need for dimensional measurement that is completely independent of product thickness. This is especially significant near the payoff or rewind mandrels where passline varies as the coil diameter changes. Errors are unavoidable when attempting to measure materials with a varying thickness when using any single sensor system. Position errors occur because the edge is viewed by a single point receiver (or camera in a camera-based system). Errors can be calibrated out, but any thickness changes after system calibration will result in additional measurement errors in the material dimensions.

The Thickness Independent Measurement System (TSR System) solves these difficult variable thickness measurement problems with a unique and flexible measurement system utilizing new SCAN-A-LINE™ sensor and processing unit technology.

Contact your manufacturers representative or fill out the SCAN-A-LINE™ Information Request Form for quotation or our latest brochures.

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Features

•  Digital Panel Meter calibrated to show (inches or millimeters) camber in real numbers or Bargraph Display (BGA) to show camber error

•  Sensor Types: EG-30A or 10XAS-Series

•  Resolution: EG-30A Sensor 0.080” 10XAS-Series Sensors 0.024” [0.61mm] @ 2-Sigma

•  Repeatability: EG-30A Sensor 0.02” [0.51mm] 10XAS-Series Sensors ±0.005” [0.127mm]

•  Minimum system span: 3’ [914.4mm] Sensors spaced 1.5’ [457.2mm] apart

•  Camber specifications: 6’ [1.8M] span: 0.040” of camber can be detected per 1 Meter [3.2’] 3’ [0.9M] span: 0.080” of camber  can be detected per 2 Meters [6.5’]

Overview

Product Camber can be a serious problem in the many different manufacturing processes. Unfortunately product camber is seldom measured until the processes have been completed. Products with excess camber must either be reworked or scrapped, adding unnecessary material, energy, labor and waste disposal costs. Online camber measurement can detect camber problems before the process is producing reject material. By making appropriate adjustments to the process, either by manual adjustment or automatic control, the process can usually be corrected to produce top quality product.

Camber measurement requires the installation of three equally spaced Scan-A-Line position sensors (EG-30A or 10XAS-Series) along the travel path of the process to be measured. The sensors are carefully aligned to ensure that their measurement centerline positions all fall along a straight line. The product edge positions, as measured by the outside sensors, are then added together and divided by two. If the object being measured has no camber, the edge position from the center sensor will equal the average of the two outside edge positions. Any deviation, positive or negative, will indicate the camber of the product.

The process path does not need to be perfectly parallel to the line defined by the sensor centerlines. The resolution of the sensors and the fixed spacing of the sensors will define the sensitivity and accuracy of the system. Roll formed wire shapes and small extruded strips can be measured, using a first edge sensor option. Products with variable thickness can be accommodated by placing the sensor / receiver over one end of the emitter. This permits measurement of the bottom surface edge positions. Although the process can pass over any portion of the sensor measurement windows, it is important to restrict the process passline for accurate camber measurement.

Harris Instrument Corporation can supply traceable standards for any configuration application (optional). Contact your manufacturers representative or fill out the SCAN-A-LINE™ Information Request Form for quotation or our latest brochures.

Features

•  System Accuracy: ±0.0625" [±1.6mm].

•  Minimum Product Length: 6" [152mm].
•  Maximum Length Variation: Up to 30' [9.1m].
•  Minimum Product Width: 0.5" [13mm]
   (Must be aligned over Sensor & Laser Array).
•  Line Speed: Line speed is only limited by the length of product & spacing of lasers in the Laser Array.
•  10XAS-Series: 10" [254mm] to 60" [1524mm],
   On-Line Sensor Balancing.
•  Model LMPU: Two 12 bit Analog Outputs, Serial Communications Port, Sensor Fault Alarm, Switching Power Supply.
•  Laser Array: Up to seven (7) lasers, Lasers spacing based on dynamic range of sensor.

Overview

The new SCAN-A-LINE™ LM System – Length Measurement System incorporates an Auto-Sync – 10XAS-Series sensors and a Length Measurement Processing Unit - Model LMPU with a Laser Array and personal computer running Windows®-based software into a dynamic length measurement system for measurement of widely varying length materials.

As illustrated below, the computer display of the LM System provides the operator with several outputs:

1) Measurement accuracy of ±1/16" [±1.6mm],

2) Speed of product on line in feet per minute,

3) Time logging of the material run.

Edge detection's from the SCAN-A-LINE™ 10XAS-Series sensor and the Laser Array are processed by the Model LMPU. This data is then forwarded to the PC running the LM System software. This software then processes the measurement Information from the Model LMPU and produces several outputs: that are displayed on the program Run Screen.

Configuration of the system is performed through the Windows®-based software Calibration Screen. System troubleshooting is available with the Diagnostics Screen. A large, visible display of the measured length of the current part in the sensor is shown in the upper-right area of the screen. A smaller display, immediately below the length display, indicates the speed of the part, in feet per minute, as it passes over the sensor.

Features

•  Linearity of 0.050 inch [1.27mm] @ 2 sigma
•  Line Speeds Vary with Sensor Selection
•  Patented Scanned LED Technology with NO MOVING PARTS
•  Solid State Reliability
•  No Light Sources to Replace
•  Upper/Lower Limit Relays
•  Multiple Analog Outputs Available
•  Serial I/O for Data Output to Computer, Data Logger or Printer (optional)
•  LCD Touchscreen Customer Interface

Overview

In many manufacturing processes there is a need to measure cut-to-length materials. There is a wide assortment of devices designed to provide precision and repeatability in various high-speed cut-to-length operations. With many of these systems, the movement of the uncut piece is measured with a pulse-counting encoder attached to a driven roll or conveyor belt. When the required number of pulses have passed the knife or saw device, the cutter is activated and the product is cut to the desired length. In these other systems a through-beam photo sensor is triggered by the advancing product and the cutter is activated to cut the product to the target length.

There are many variables that can affect the precision of these other cut-to-length solutions. The material may slip, stretch or compress on the conveyor belt or drive roller. The cutter may have delays that vary with the type of material being cut. The actual mechanical positioning may require moving the sensors for varying sizes of material. Sensors may also become contaminated or attenuated and cause unacceptable errors in finished product.

The SCAN-A-LINE™ Dynamic Cut-to-Length Measurement System – DCLM System produces accurate, line-speed-independent, length measurements of moving parts by using highly reliable SCAN-A-LINE™ sensors and processors.

Contact your manufacturers representative or fill out the SCAN-A-LINE™ Information Request Form for quotation or our latest brochures.

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Multi-Strip Measurement

Features

•  Four analog outputs representing absolute width, deviation, position, or guiding
•  Outputs are scaleable.
•  Easy to calibrate, the same as a single sensor system.
•  Independent high and low limit for each strip.
•  Dry Contact relays for HI, LO, GO.
•  RS-232 output (ASCII) with selectable decimal point.
•  Display (local or remote) of measurements or graphs (with Model MPX 3 or 4) 
•  Versatile - up to 4 strips at once

Overview

SCAN-A-LINE™ measurement systems can be configured to provide the simultaneous measurement of up to four strips with a single sensor. This option can be of benefit in applications such as multiple extrusions, the monitoring of strip width and presence prior to the joining of components, multiple slitting operations, and other similar applications. Multi-Strip Measurement can be done with any standard SCAN-A-LINE™ 10XAS-Series measurement sensor.

The Model MPX Measurement System can be configured for one to four widths. Up to four strips can be monitored and charted on the data screen. Each strip can be of a different width. The number of strips can vary as long as there are no more than four strips in total. The narrowest strip measurable is 1” [25mm]. A gap of 0.5” [12.7mm] is required between strips and at the beginning and end of scan window.

MPX2.0 sends a string of “raw counts” representing the Widths. choice of RS232 or RS485. Choice of 3 or 6 Analog Outputs.

SCAN-A-LINE™ Multi-Strip Measurement System Components:

•  SCAN-A-LINE™ 10XAS-Series Sensor – Single Sensor
•  Application-oriented processing unit – Model MPX
•  Application-oriented software – Multi-Strip Measurement for up to 4 strips
•  Optional remote display of width
•  Additional configurations combining width measurement, deviation analogs, and edge position analogs are available with  special engineering