#Industry News
Surface Inspection in Cable Production
Find surface defects promptly and precisely 100% by inline quality check
Initial Situation:
The client manufactures isolated electric cables in form of endless products, with different diameters and isolations. Until now, only random sampling was performed on the production line.
From now on, quality assurance has to take place to 100% by inline inspection.
Particular Challenges:
In the course of the production, endless cables are running at a considerable speed, and supervision has to be carried out nearly under real-time conditions. The size of the objects to be determined, i.e. of the flaws to be discovered, is in the range of only some hundredths of a mm. Another difficulty is the fact that surfaces with very different reflectivity and roughness are involved. In order to be able to check the cables all around, several laser scanners must be in place, mounted at different angles, thus covering the entire range of 360°.
Due to the high process speed, a strong laser light source must be used.
Quelltech Solution:
The solution consists in a configuration of four Q6 laser scanners, mutually displaced by 90°, so the entire surface of the cables is in the field of view.
As production speed, caused by the inspection procedure, should not be affected, very high scanning rates are required, as well as a powerful data processing equipment. The position of a measured defect is recorded in cable direction.
Typical expected quality issues are surface defects like voids, bulges, indentations and diameter fluctuations; simultaneously the testing equipment enables ovality and roundness to be measured as well.
Benefits for the Client:
On the basis of the 100% inline inspection, the position of defects can precisely be determined, without losing too much time. This way rejects can be eliminated at once, and a possible source of error within the production line can be localized. This lowers production cost; the same is valid for maintenance cost for the equipment. Product quality simultaneously is improved, and a system for preventive maintenance can be implemented.
QuellTech GmbH
Leonrodstrasse 56
80636 München
Germany
Contact: Stefan Ringwald
Phone: +49 89 12472375
Email: SRingwald@quelltech.de
Web: http://www.quelltech.de
