TPT May 2010

T echnology U pdate

Non-contact in-line dimension measurement for tubes

ZUMBACH systems in the steel and metal industry are used for manufacturing hot and cold rolled products and in cold processes for semi-finished products. Typical areas where Zumbach systems are used are hot rolling mills for wire steel rod, profiles and seamless pipes, for the manufacture of welded pipes, test stands (NDT) as well as all cold processes, like peeling, grinding, straightening and polishing. Zumbach claims its products offer closer tolerances (1/2, 1/4 DIN), zero fault, quality control, higher productivity, faster start up, less down time and less manpower. It says its Steelmaster gauges and systems help fulfil the high requirements of the market. Steelmaster systems are based on the latest technology and on the experience with close to 300 units in hot rolling and similar processes and they are backed by many thousand ODAC ® scanners, operating in cold processes. The Steelmaster processor is the brains of the system. It processes the measuring data, communicates with the plant network and provides the operator with self-explanatory displays and key data. The process transparency is dramatically improved, especially if multiple measuring heads are installed. Steelmaster gauges offer a number of advantages for easy integration, dependable operation and data processing and display: hi-tech laser scanners with top accuracy; up to 6,000 measurements/s (1,000 per scanner); compact industrial PC with

The Profilemaster ® measuring unit (heavy duty and fully protected version for harsh environments with four laser/camera modules)

All relevant dimensions such as width, height, angle and radii are added together to form the full cross-sectional picture. The nominal values for the profile can be directly imported from the CAD construction (as DXF file), which allows easy and problem- free programming. Changes in speed and twist within normal limits have no effect on the measurement. When designing the system, concen- tration was focused on the most suitable solution in terms of price/performance ratio for the application. Due to the modularity of the Profilemaster system this goal could be achieved. The combination of one to six laser/ camera modules allows the measurement of virtually all shapes, achieving an optimal measurement result with the smallest possible number of laser/camera modules. The Odac Trio system is based on Zumbach’s previous experience of problems faced in the industry, gained over many years of designing and manufacturing optical diameter gauges. The measuring heads features three integrated measurement axes; conventional two-axis instruments with laser or CCD can only provide approximate values for min. OD, max. OD and ovality. The mean value (X+Y/2) is influenced by the orientation of the product ovality within the measuring field. Zumbach Electronic AG – Switzerland Fax: +41 32 356 04 30 Website: www.zumbach.com

highest working reliability; highly developed software; sophisticated mechanics and protection system; and close to zero maintenance. The Profilemaster offers accurate in-line profile measurement using light section principle and machine vision. One or up to six laser/camera modules measure the cross-section of the moving profile. A powerful PC-based processor adds the partial pictures of the cameras made up of straight lines and radii together to yield the momentary cross-section of the profile.

ODAC ® Trio Laser diameter measuring head

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M ay 2010

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