Page 11 - Autumn 2024

Industry News Industry News

ADVANCED RAIL TIP MEASUREMENT

IMPROVES INSPECTION TIME OF SMART SENSORS AID AUTOMATED

MILLING WHEELS SANDWICH PRODUCTION

Specialists in the design and production of allows for the synchronised inspection of both In many automated processes specific the sensors deliver the position data required
bespoke machinery, DPMS, in collaboration the left and right milling wheels and is tailored to information is essential to ensure the smooth for precise alignment of slices of salami, ham
with Bowers Group, have devised an advanced lift grinding wheels from the track and relocate running of systems, typically provided by and cheese, which is essential for the finished
rail tip measurement solution that reduces the them into a mobile unit. optical, inductive, ultrasonic sensors or product to be consistently placed in the same
inspection of milling wheels time by 97.5 per cameras. In Germany, however, one producer, position in the packaging process.
Once the wheels are positioned on a jig and
cent, transforming industry standards. Weber Maschinenbau, which specialises Reference: ‘Complex Sandwich Processing aided by Smart Sensors’,
firmly fixed in place within the unit, a frame
in developing slicing systems for the food Industrial Plant and Equipment, August/September 2024, p.18.
A key aspect of maintaining and upgrading containing five reader heads is gradually moved
industry, has turned to the lesser-known
railway infrastructure is the milling process to a reading position. These reader tips gauge
smart 2D profile sensors.
in which train-mounted wheels with rotating the highest point of each tip in their respective
carbide tips remove irregularities and defects rows. The wheels are rotated using a motor, In the company’s complex sandwich processing
from rail surfaces so as to enhance train allowing the reader tips to capture the highest operation precise edge control, margins and
performance. Consistent monitoring and point of each cutter and transmit the collected positioning data are essential, with the robot in
maintenance are required for effective rail data to a control sheet. the roll section, for example, needing to know the
grinding, but inaccurate measurement of milling roll height and centre (lengthwise and crosswise)
Initially there were mounting constraints which
wheel-cutting heads can lead to uneven rail and whether the roll is properly aligned on the
prevented simultaneous measurements from
surfaces affecting train stability and causing belt. A key question, therefore, is can one sensor
being obtained, whilst the Bluetooth data transfer
excessive wear on both the grinding wheel and provide the entire measured value calculation
had difficulty handling the large volume of data
the rail. and deliver the calculated coordinates correctly
collected. In order to address this dial indicators
in the units (millimetres) required?
In order to address these challenges DPMS were replaced with Sylvac PSi Inductive Probes
developed a tip measurement station that so as to allow a direct connection to a laptop. The OXM 2D sensor, developed by Baumer,
These probes offer long-lasting precision provided the answer thanks to its integrated
guidance tested for up to 13 million cycles, measurement and evaluation functions. This
whilst at the same time offer high data speed sensor thus provides the entire measured value
and IP65 protection. calculation, including the calculated coordinates
in millimetres. It also measures the bread height
This improvement enabled all five readout
and each edge so as to calculate the exact
heads to be mounted in a stack, allowing
centre of the roll, enabling suction pads to gently
immediate measurements and data collection
lift off the finished product.
simultaneously. With this more measurements
could be taken at the same time, removing the On the sandwich line the sensor also determines
need for manual measurement input. the lateral position and height of the sausage
and cheese slices on the belt allowing the
The end result was substantially improved data
gripper to position the slices accurately on the
reliability and vastly reduced measurement
bottom half of the sandwich.
time for both left and right milling wheels, with
inspection time being reduced from over an In addition to the sandwich lines the company
hour to just 90 seconds. also uses the sensors on the slicers that cut
and portion cold cut ready for packaging. Here,
Reference: ‘Connected Metrology Solution reduces Time’, Supply
Chain Solutions, Issue 21, September 2024, p.44.

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