To prevent leaks, manufacturers of dairy product and beverage containers, packaging foils, and other multilayer packing materials need to be able to detect waving edges and temperature gaps in the plastic film during the extrusion coating process.
How can proper web temperatures for strong film-to-paper adhesion be ensured?
The packaging material for carton-based packages is composed of a laminate of paper, polyethylene and aluminium foil. Paper makes the packages stiff. Plastic renders them liquid-tight, and aluminium foil blocks out light and oxygen.
To manufacture these cartons the polyethylene feeds through several extruders at temperatures of up to 320°C. The melt is fed over a wide slot die and laminated onto the paper.
Temperature and viscosity variations in the local melt streams across the width of an extruder flow channel can cause 'waving' edges, gaps, and edge-tears in the extruded film. In practice, a 10°C temperature difference influences adhesion between the polyethylene layer and the paper and the polyethylene film can tear off when feeding from the extruder die.
The internal measurement of the melt temperature by use of thermocouples in the die is not representative of the temperature distribution in the polyethylene film. With increases in the production speed (up to 700 m/min), there is an escalating need for improved quality control to ensure the integrity of beverage packing.
Infrared on-line scanning is a solution to this problem. The EC100 system from Raytek is an automated surface inspection system for detecting, measuring, and classifying defects occurring in extrusion coating, co-extrusion and laminating processes.
Raytek EC100 installed on laminator to monitor glue curtain temperature profile
Surface temperature measuring of the melt curtain supplies the information about temperature distribution at the die exit. The EC100 measuring system offers a contactless temperature measurement covering the entire width of the polyethylene film. The process imager scans the melt curtain directly. For a better alignment the process imager is equipped with a line laser.
IR image showing edge defect
The 'Automatic Sector' feature of the device continuously monitors the whole melt curtain and provides automatic edge detection. The feature automatically adapts to measuring a plastic film of varying width. Temperature gaps or unacceptable 'waving' or 'edge running' are detected automatically. Within the 'Automatic Sector', temperature deviations are calculated. Unacceptable edge waving, edge running, or edge tears from one scanned temperature line to the next line are detected quickly and automatically. If a fault or defect occurs, an alarm is triggered to allow for quick corrective action.
Benefits of using this system are the automated capture of quality documentation and a reduction in scrap.
Temperature measurement solution for foundry
Temperature Measurement
AMETEK Land, a world-leading manufacturer of infrared pyrometers, scanners and thermal imagers, is helping an Indian foundry to support metal quality and reduce ongoing costs.
Read more...How wet steam undermines boiler efficiency Endress+Hauser South Africa
Temperature Measurement
Endress+Hauser understands the daily challenges and demands placed on energy and utility managers across the spectrum of steam generation, distribution and consumption activities. Its global team is committed to working with its partners to overcome these complexities, and particularly those that aim for a safe, economic and sustainable sitsce of steam energy production and delivery.
Read more...Dramatically reducing greenhouse emissions
Temperature Measurement
Online teaser: There is considerable potential for reducing CO2 emissions in the mill process by optimising the heat source for drying. The most promising approach to achieving a carbon neutral process in a hot gas generator is the combustion of green hydrogen.
Read more...Infrared camera for condition monitoring and early fire detection Instrotech
Temperature Measurement
The Optris PI 640i thermal imager is the smallest measuring VGA infrared camera, with a body-sized volume of 45 x 56 x 90 mm, and weighing only 269 to 340 g, depending on the lens. It counts among the most compact thermal imaging cameras on the market.
Read more...Paint curing applications in the automotive industry R&C Instrumentation
Temperature Measurement
For successful paint cure, irrespective of the paint chemistry being used, there is a critical need to measure and control the temperature of the car body as it travels through the oven. Today, paint ovens are controlled in a sophisticated fashion via thermocouples located in each zone to give constant feedback on the ambient temperature.
Read more...Universal temperature transmitter with drift detection WIKA Instruments
Temperature Measurement
The new model T38 digital temperature transmitter from WIKA enables extremely flexible and stable temperature measurement. The instrument offers a maximum of sensor connection combinations, and a new type of drift detection.
Read more...Temperature monitoring in the metal casting process Instrotech
Temperature Measurement
During metal casting, the liquid material is poured into a mould, and after solidification becomes a solid body. Both too-high and too-low casting temperatures can lead to quality defects. The compact Optris PI 05M infrared thermal imaging camera from Instrotech can monitor the casting process.
Read more...Pyrometer range with enhanced features
Temperature Measurement
AMETEK Land has relaunched its market-leading SPOT pyrometer range with enhanced features and benefits for a wide range of industrial applications. The new SPOT+ family offers a wide range of temperature measurement from 50 to 3500°C, and a choice of different wavelengths for applications including metals, glass, cement and lime kilns, and foundries.
printer friendly version