Hall 1 booth N 44
Cut pieces of hypo and precision tubes for medical applications have to comply with extremely exacting surface and edge quality demands. A new system is being launched to check whether the edges have been properly cut and feature no burrs. Pixargus, manufacturer of systems for optical inline measurement and inspection of plastic and rubber profiles, is presenting, for the first time, its ProfilControl 6-FFI system for optical inspection of individual cut pieces of tubes.
View into the measuring head (opened for this picture): cut pieces of tubing are inspected while running through the gap of the feeding system. (photos: Pixargus)
The system is used for 100% inspection of hypo and precision tubes used in medical instruments and apparatus as well as for cannulas made of metal and plastics. It detects and classifies surface defects, such as inclusions, grooves, scratches or dents, over the complete product length. By means of a newly developed algorithm, it checks whether the edges have been properly cut and/or feature no burrs. This ensures that only products completely checked and free of flaws are shipped.
The cut pieces of tubing are automatically fed from the top right into the instrument. Then they slide into the measuring head via a chute and from there into the device that separates the good from the poor-quality pieces.
Inspection of individual cut pieces
With the development of this system, Pixargus aims to bridge the gap between optical inspection of endless and cut products. Hitherto the systems of the ProfilControl 6 series had only been used to inspect continuously manufactured products such as sections or cables. As the new system is also able to inspect individual cut pieces, it can be used in the manufacturing process as well as by the purchasers of the products for checking incoming material.
Sorting device viewed against the direction of material flow
In order to make sure that the tubes are checked around their complete circumference from several angles all at the same time, the feeding system is provided with a gap. While the tubes are running through this gap, their surface can be captured by the cameras from all perspectives.
Inside the measuring head, the surface of the tubes is uniformly illuminated by an LED light ring and scanned by six high-resolution line-scan cameras arranged at angles of 60° around the tube. With these six line-scan cameras of more than 2,500 pixels each, the system detects surface defects down to 30µm.
Precision tubing in the gap between the LED light ring (right) and the camera unit (left)
As soon as the system has detected a defect on the surface or at one of the cut edges, the system displays the defect graphically and sends a signal to the device that will sort out the defective material. The PC 6-FFI system operates so fast that defective tubing can be removed just a few centimetres after the measuring head. This makes the system extremely space-saving. PC 6-FFI features an automatic lighting control system, which automatically adjusts to matt or shiny surfaces.
Pixargus supplied the first such system to a Japanese customer who has been using it in three-shift operation since its commissioning. It was designed for inspecting mirror-finished tubes of diameters between 5 and 20mm and lengths between 40 and 100mm.
www.pixargus.de
