Closed-loop control system for continuous laser spot on seam
Challenge
There is a growing demand from customers requiring tubing or profile products from different materials, diameters and/or wall thicknesses. European tube/pipe manufacturers need to improve overall efficiency of their production and introduce new manufacturing techniques to reduce production costs and to enhance reliability of their products for mission critical or safety related tubing. Critical criteria for this product quality is a continuously precise guidance of both sides of the tubing or profile material to ensure constant process boundary conditions. Simple laser triangulation methods do not suit the requirements as in some processes the material is fed with zero distance between the joint pairs.
Benefit
The implementation of a multi sensor monitoring system for seam tracking will increase robustness in seam detection that also covers zero distance between the joint partners. Based on high speed image processing, the ICT solution will embed processing power to enable the generation of control signals in real-time. The interfacing with the environment will be so transparent and independent of machine type that not even the assessment partners’ diverse manufacturing machines benefit from an easy installation approach but also others. The transfer of the system to other setups is supported by modal interfaces that enable the control of any actuator for re-adjustment of laser and seam at affordable investment.
This laser-based equipmentassessment (LEAs) is part of the second batch of assesments supported underLashare project.
Project:
Enterprises:
Laserfact GmbH (supplier), Welser Profile GmbH (user), Fraunhofer-Institut für Lasertechnik ILT (research partner)
‘
Sector
Other manufacturing
Keywords
